World traveler likes ‘B’ baseball
By JON MOFFETT
Struthers
Baseball has long been considered America’s national pastime.
Cavan Cohoes is out to make sure the world is getting in on the game as well.
Born in San Diego, Cohoes has lived in Florida, Virginia, Nebraska, England and now Ohio. His father, Chris, is in the United States Air Force, and the family has called many places home.
But the one place Cohoes feels most comfortable is on a baseball diamond.
“It’s been really good to play here, because the competition level isn’t as high in Germany,” Cohoes said. “So looking forward to college, I want to be exposed to better pitching, better teammates and everything.”
Cohoes, 17, is living with his grandparents in Canfield for the remainder of the summer. Following his stint with the 1080 Media team of the Youngstown Class B league, he’ll head back to Germany to finish high school.
Cohoes has never attended high school in the States, having gone to school in England his freshman year. He currently attends Patch High, located on the U.S. Air Force base in Stuttgart, Germany.
Cohoes said he’s excited about playing baseball locally, especially in the ongoing Connie Mack tournament at Cene Field. Some of the best baseball prospects in the region are showcasing their talents to college and pro scouts.
A career in major-league baseball is the ultimate life goal, Cohoes said.
Until then, he is enjoying his time on this side of the pond. Especially the time he is spending on the field.
“I was on a summer German team that I skipped to come here,” he said. “I’m still trying to decide where to go [to college] but I’d like to find a school where I can develop.”
The biggest difference between baseball in Europe and that in the U.S. starts at the top, Cohoes said.
“Just the level of coaching over there, they don’t quite have the understanding,” he said. “It’s more like they read it out of a book and try to teach you how to do it, instead of coaches like [1080’s Andy] Timko, who really know the game well.”
Baseball is catching on in Europe, Cohoes said. The biggest downfall might be, well, the downfall Europe is most known for.
“The weather isn’t exactly conducive to baseball over there,” he said with a smile.