YSU
YSU
Antonelli hired
YOUNGSTOWN — Ray Antonelli, a former pitcher at the Univ. of Southern Mississippi, has been hired as the top assistant baseball coach at Youngstown State.
YSU first-year head baseball coach Rich Pasquale made the announcement on Monday.
Antonelli not only brings NCAA tournament experience as a player, but also an impressive record as an instructor.
“Throughout his career, Ray has done whatever it takes to win,” Pasquale said. “He was a very gutsy and hard-nosed player, and I know that he’ll bring that as a coach.
Last season Antonelli served as the pitching coach for La Roche College in Pittsburgh. He helped lead the Redhawks to a regular season Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference title and a runner-up finish in the conference tournament.
Antonelli’s staff ranked third in the league in earned-run average, and seven pitchers had an ERA of 4.50 or lower.
Antonelli previously served as a pitching instructor at Palladini’s Field of Dreams in Bridgeville, Pa. for three years. He also had coaching stints at Avonworth High School in Pittsburgh in 2006 and for the Pittsburgh Pandas Collegiate Summer League in 2005.
As a two-year letterwinner for Southern Miss in 2003 and 2004, Antonelli helped lead the Golden Eagles to two NCAA Regional appearances.
A native of Hopewell Township in Beaver County, Pa., Antonelli was a highly touted pitcher at Hopewell High. He was a first-team all-state selection as a senior in 2000 when he helped lead his team to the Class AAA Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Championship.
Antonelli and Pasquale have several ties prior to YSU. In addition to both being natives of Beaver County, Pasquale was the head coach at La Roche from 2003 to 2006 prior to Antonelli’s arrival.
AREA
Mooney/Ursuline bows
The Jackson Polar Bears defeated the Mooney/Ursuline Thunder Hockey Club in overtime Sunday, 7-6.
Brian Styers had two goals and an assist, defense man Anthony Williams and forward Alex Figuly each had a goal and two assists and defense man Bronson Lamoncha had an unassisted goal for Mooney/Ursuline (1-6).
Phantoms record
now 29-12-7
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA hockey team suffered three setbacks in four games over the weekend at a NAHL Midget Showcase Series tournament.
The Phantoms lost 2-1 to the San Jose Junior Sharks then they allowed four unanswered goals to the Chicago Mission and fell 5-3.
Forward J.D. Howard had three assists as the Phantoms beat the Texas Attack 4-3.
Frankie Chiapperino and Jordan Sims scored for a 2-0 lead but the Omaha Energy rallied for a 4-3 win.
The Midget Major AAA Phantoms are now 29-12-7.
NATION
Boycotted Olympians
finally get gold
DENVER — The 1980 U.S. Olympians who never had a chance to compete at the Moscow Games can finally say it: They are officially gold medalists.
But these aren’t Olympic medals. Rather, they’re Congressional Gold Medals that were awarded to the 461 Olympic athletes during the Carter administration but never officially recorded in the Congressional Record due to technical problems with the production of the medals.
“This is long overdue recognition for a group of Olympians who unfairly were denied the opportunity and honor of representing our country at the 1980 Games,” said U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel.
The United States boycotted the 1980 Olympics to protest the Soviet Union’s military operation in Afghanistan. The Congressional Record from that year shows Congress intended to award the Congressional Gold Medals to the Olympians to record the sacrifice they made — having trained for games in which they would never compete.
The U.S. Mint produced the medals, but because they were expensive, financial constraints forced them to be gold-plated bronze medals instead of solid gold. Because of that difference, the Olympians were never officially documented as having received Congressional Gold Medals.
Encouraged by swimmer Ron Neugent, Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., and USOC CEO Jim Scherr contacted the clerk of the House to point out the omission and get the record corrected.
Vindicator staff/wire reports