YSU

YSU
Basketball campsare planned
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown State women's basketball program will hold a fundamentals camp from June 18-20 and a team camp from June 30-July 1.
The fundaments camp costs 85 and is designed to reinforce fundamental skills and rules of the game to young players. Camp will include basic skill stations, competitions and more. Fundamental Camp is recommended for girls in grades 5-12.
The team camp costs 250 per team. For more information or a camp brochure, call the YSU women's basketball office at (330) 941-3004.
THUNDER
'Animal' Laurinaitisto attend opener
YOUNGSTOWN -- Joe "The Animal" Laurinaitis, formerly part of pro wrestling tag teams The Road Warriors and The Legion of Doom, will appear at the Mahoning Valley Thunder's home opener on Saturday at the Chevrolet Centre.
Laurinaitis will appear the Thunder pre-game party at 4 p.m. in the parking lot. His son, James, is a starting linebacker on the Ohio State football team.
AREA
Boxing promotiongoes overboard
WARREN -- Youngstown's Durrell Richardson (8-0, 4 KOs) will fight Lorain's William Prato (5-1, 3 KOs) in a 154-pound bout on Saturday night as part of the co-main event on the seven-bout card that starts at 7:30 p.m. at Packard Music Hall.
Warren heavyweight Zack Page (12-10) will fight Troy Beets in the other main event. Beets is a former Pan Am Games gold medalist.
The fighters will appear at Power House Bar in Warren at 6 p.m. Youngstown middleweight Kelly Pavlik will be there to sign autographs.
Pre-recorded telephone calls about the event sent to Warren-Niles-Howland area telephones in recent days have irritated some local residents.
Shirley Custer of Howland said that when she received the pre-recorded message at her home Wednesday, it scared her.
"They shouldn't be able to do something like that," Custer said, describing it as loud yelling that included the words "I'm gonna get even."
"They could have gotten somebody with a bad heart and scared them to death or a child," she said.
Calls to the Packard Music Hall Thursday were answered with a recording from Chris Stephenson, hall manager, apologizing for the "inconvenience" of the calls, directing calls to the co-promoter who sent them: Dave Bowers of Worldwide Boxing.
Bowers, originally from Niles, said he found it hard to believe the calls upset anyone.
Wick facilities open
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mill Creek Park Wick Recreation Area par 3 golf course, tennis courts and batting cages are open.
Umpires honoredfor service
YOUNGSTOWN -- Joe Pompeo Sr. was recently honored by the Youngstown Metro Umpire Association for 40 years of service.
Other umpires recognized for milestones were: Al Dobson, 35 years; Tony Swindler, 25 years; Paul Bevilaqua, Tom Karabin and Joe Pompeo Jr., 15 years; Jay Donatelli, Jim Ferraro, Jeff Fiol and Ed Salata, 10 years; and Bill Christie Jr., Chet Cooper, Rick Hart and Pete Nittoli, five years.
Scrappers seekhungry fans
NILES -- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers minor-league baseball team has added an "All You Can Eat" ticket plan.
The package includes box seat tickets for five games along with meals that include hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chips, water and Pepsi products. Each plan comes with a Scrappers/Cleveland Indians ballcap and costs 75 per seat.
Returning packages include fireworks, Buck Night and Super Seven. Discount books also are available.
For information, call the Scrappers at (330) 505-0000.
BW3 to showSteelHounds game
YOUNGSTOWN -- Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) on Market Street will show the Youngstown SteelHounds playoff game against the Colorado Eagles on Saturday at 9 p.m.
The game will be the second of their best-of-seven playoff series.
REGION
Indians displayfound plaque
CLEVELAND -- Tucked away and forgotten for years, a plaque commemorating one of baseball's darkest moments has been brought back to life.
A 175-pound bronzed memorial for Ray Chapman, the Cleveland Indians shortstop killed when he was hit in the head with a pitch in a 1920 game, was recently rediscovered after decades in storage.
Vindicator staff/wire reports