McCune being readied

It is still over a month away but things are rolling into place for the 2006 Horizon League softball tournament which will be played at McCune Park in Canfield.
The tournament gets underway May 11 with the eight conference members squaring off in the double elimination event that will run through May 14.
Three years ago, YSU softball coach Christy Cameron lost an assistant coach and asked Poland native Gary Williams to help out with the team.
It might have been one of the best decisions the Penguins coach has ever made.
Williams, who has been involved with the Canfield Baseball Club (which operates McCune Park) for the past 18 years, the last 12 as its president, is still a volunteer assistant coach with the Penguins.
Vast improvementsto playing field
Since the Penguins moved their home games to McCune Park, Williams and his staff have made vast improvements to the playing field and the surrounding area for the team.
They resurfaced the entire playing field, both outfield and infield at a cost of nearly $30,000. They expanded the dugouts and installed permanent bleachers which will seat nearly 1,000 fans.
A new organization building was erected with restroom facilities and the group has just recently renovated its batting barn adjacent to the field.
They also added to the fencing of the field and brought the YSU scoreboard over from Harrison Field.
All this was done without any cost to the university.
"The only thing that I have in mind during all this is the kids and what it is going to mean to them," Williams said.
He's in his third season as an assistant coach, strictly on a volunteer basis and receives no pay for his efforts.
Nine playingfields complete
McCune Park, which opened in 1965 with one or two fields in operation, now has nine fields in its complex. They will open the ninth field for 5-6-year-old players this season which begins April 24.
All the tournament games will be scheduled to be played at the YSU field, but in case of rain or poor weather Williams said an adjoining field, which was just completed last year, would be available.
Now Williams is hoping that area fans will come out to enjoy all the activities during the tournament.
"Everything that we do out here is for the kids," Williams said.
Spring footballbegins today
Today is the opening day for spring football practice at Youngstown State.
The Penguins will have some light drills today and Wednesday before putting on full equipment for Friday's session and then will have their first contact Saturday at 9 a.m.
This spring session is expected to tell a lot about the upcoming season, one that is expected to be a good one since the Penguins have a host of returning veterans from last year's 8-3 team that shared the Gateway Conference championship. It was the first time the Penguins have won the title since joining the conference in 1997.
YSU will have veteran performers at almost every position, while the areas that coach Jon Heacock will be most concerned with will be wide receiver, where the Penguins were hard hit by graduation, and on special teams, where they lost both their long snapper and holder.
"Those are three areas that we will really be concentrating on this spring," Heacock said. "Plus we will be working to find more depth at all positions and to become a more fundamentally sound football team."
Seventy-two players will work out this spring, which will include 15 sessions over the next 28 days with one of them being the annual Red-White game April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
Don't forget the YSU Football Alumni Association golf outing is also slated for April 28 at noon at Oak Tree Country Club. Call the Penguin Club at (330) 941-3720 for more information.
Pete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.