Strollo outlines major changes at YSU

January 29, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

BOARDMAN

While his Youngtown State basketball teams prepare for what they hope will be deep runs in the Horizon League tournament, executive director of athletics Ron Strollo is already thinking ahead to the school’s spring season while trying to stay a step ahead of the upcoming football campaign.

Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches at their weekly Monday meeting, Strollo said both basketball teams have created renewed interest in their programs while the spring teams are anxiously awaiting a break in the weather, hoping to soon get outside with the start of their seasons just around the corner.

“Changing conferences after the 2000-01 season as we went from the Mid-Continent Conference to the Horizon League created several challenges,” Strollo said. “We found ourselves needing to play catch-up, both budget-wise and with the upgrading of our facilities. It has been a slow process, but now those upgrades are finally beginning to pay dividends.”

YSU currently offers 18 varsity sports; eight for men and 10 for women.

The addition of the Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS) has assisted the school’s varsity programs in both training and recruitment while the soon-to-be completed Farmers National Bank Field, located on the west side of Fifth Avenue and directly across the street from Stambaugh Stadium, will be home for the soccer and softball teams.

“When you talk about showcasing the campus, just this past week alone the WATTS hosted 20-plus colleges for an indoor track meet and over 1,600 athletes for a high school track event,” Strollo said. “The use of that building has exceeded my expectations and there will be many, many more opportunities to showcase our fine university. Also, the lights around the track and soccer field are now up with the lights for the softball field set to go up soon.”

A 400-meter track will surround the soccer field, which will boast a synthetic surface while the softball field, to be located directly behind McDonald’s, will have a natural grass outfield, recessed dugouts, a press box and seating on both sides of the diamond.

Football continues to command the highest expectation each year, but several key victories over schools from major Division I conferences indicate a shift in the balance of power.

“With the football team defeating Pitt, our men’s basketball team beating both Georgia and George Washington and our women’s basketball team also stopping Pitt, all on the road, you can see that we are definitely making progress,” Strollo said. “The past three years our football team went 3-8, 6-5 and then 7-4 so the progression is definitely there. Last spring, softball coach Brian Campbell was named the Horizon League coach of the year while this past fall, soccer coach Will Lemke guided his team to the best record in school history, the volleyball program under first-year coach Mark Hardaway also posted a winning mark while the track and field and cross country programs remain a perennial power under the tutelage of coach Brian Gorby.”

Strollo said the football team will play 12 games this year, including seven home games. On Oct. 26, an open date for football, the school will host the Horizon League cross country championships.

They will also host the Horizon League baseball championship at the end of May.

“We’ll return to Thursday night to kick off the season when we host Dayton on Aug. 29 and will also play at Michigan State on Sept. 14,” Strollo said.

Next week, Wally Bell, Major League Baseball umpire, will serve as guest speaker.