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Tradition matters in Mooney softball
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Mooney softball coach Mark Rinehart has 301 wins after Monday’s 12-2 victory over Warren JFK at the Fields of Dreams.
By TOM WILLIAMS
BOARDMAN
Moments after his 301st victory, 20th-year Mooney High softball coach Mark Rinehart was asked what he remembers from his first victory.
“It was 3-2 at Columbiana,” said Rinehart on Monday after the Cardinals (14-1) defeated Warren JFK, 12-2, at the Fields of Dreams. “That first [season], we were 12-6 and won a tournament game.”
In 1990 when Rinehart joined the Mooney faculty to teach English, he was hoping to coach baseball.
“The baseball job was filled, but the softball job had just opened,” said Rinehart, who grew up in Brownsville, Pa., and graduated from Youngstown State University.
“When I [took over] the team, we played at Pemberton Park ... so seldom did we play a home game,” Rinehart said.
The Cardinals later played their home games at Volney Rogers fields in Mill Creek Park before making the Fields of Dreams their home.
“We’re fortunate to play in a place like this,” Rinehart said.
While Rinehart can’t say enough good things about his players, he’s low-key in other ways. In Saturday’s doubleheader win, Rinehart didn’t tell his players about the milestone until after it was secured.
“We were all pretty shocked about the 300th win,” said senior catcher Christina Hrehor, a four-year varsity starter. “He never told us about it [beforehand]. We were all happy for him — he’s been a great coach.”
Junior pitcher Jamie Clausen (9-1), who homered against the Eagles (3-6), said Rinehart “likes to stick to tradition. He likes [things] his way, which is good because his way is really [successful] — 300 wins, that’s a big deal.
“He’s quiet about what he wants done and he doesn’t brag,” Clausen said. “He always tries to have us live up to past teams.”
Rinehart said the 1995 team that won Mooney’s first Steel Valley Conference title and the 2005 squad that was Division III regional runner-up were special.
“In 1995, we had a real good junior class and they won it again in ‘96,” Rinehart said.
“When that [SVC] banner went up on the gym wall, I remember how proud those kids were. When we won [SVC titles] with Boardman and Fitch in the league, that was quite an accomplishment when we could start to beat teams like that.
Rinehart enjoys watching younger players learn the traditions he’s established.
“We feel that we have a way that we do things with Mooney softball and each class has been passing that down,” Rinehart said.
“The kids bought themselves T-shirts this year that say ‘Tradition Never Graduates.’”
English and creative writing are among his subjects. Asked if he’s quiet in the classroom, Clausen giggled.
“No, he likes to talk.”
Hrehor agreed that his voice is heard.
“If we’re having a bad game, he’s tells us like it is,” Hrehor said. “But he loves to say ‘It’s a beautiful day for baseball.’ ”
Rinehart said he has no plans to stop coaching any time soon.
“Rich Stickel has been my assistant for 15 years — he’s done an outstanding job,” Rinehart said. “To be able to do something like this for so long and to reach a milestone, you have to have a lot of good players and a lot of good parents. And you have to have the support of the administration ... and the grace of God.”