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COLUMBUS BOUND
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Ursuline pitcher Dion Felger fires to home during Friday’s 4-1 victory over Orrville in the Division III regional title game in Massillon.
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
This week, the Ursuline High baseball team will be making the school’s eighth state appearance in the past 20 seasons.
The Irish will have their hands full with an opponent that has plenty of recent state experience.
Thursday at 10 a.m., Ursuline (24-2) will face Wheelersburg (27-4) which is making its fourth straight trip to state and fifth in six seasons.
The last state appearance for Ursuline was in 2007 when the games were played at Cooper Stadium on the city’s West Side.
“It’s been while,” Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said after Friday’s Division III regional championship win over Orrville in Massillon. “This will be the first trip down there for these seniors — I couldn’t be happier for them.
“This is where they wanted to be. It will be a great ride.”
In 2009, the Columbus Clippers moved from Cooper Stadium to Huntington Park in downtown Columbus. The ballpark is located a few blocks from Nationwide Arena, the home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
“[Springfield High baseball coach] Matt Weymer tells me it’s absolutely wonderful, so I’m sure it will be a great experience,” Durkin said.
Left fielder Anthony Rohan was the Ursuline batboy in 2006 and 2007 when his brother Ed was the catcher for the games at Cooper Stadium.
“I’ve never been to Huntington — I am very excited,” said Rohan who along with pitcher Sam Donko, right fielder Vinnie Boerio, third baseman Harry Finelli, shortstop Ryan Strollo and catcher Matt Lacko have graduated but still subject to school rules.
“I’m happy with that,” said Rohan who had two doubles against Orrville. “I love the opportunity to behave myself for another week.”
Of the 4-1 win, Durkin said, “Anthony Rohan came up huge in two-out situations. It was a different way to win.
“We’ve won some games where we’ve knocked the ball all over the place,” Durkin said. “Today wasn’t one of those days. We found a way to win [with] some great pitching and timely two-out hitting.”
Junior Dion Felger tossed a four-hitter.
Lacko said their mission is far from over.
“This feels great but obviously we want to win two more games,” Lacko said. “It’s great to accomplish this but we had one goal at the beginning of the season: win a state championship.
“So we’ve still got two games to win.”
Thursday’s opponent will be challenging. Wheelersburg senior ace Derek Moore has not lost a decision in his high school career. The second starter is sophomore Wade Martin, who came within two outs of a perfect game in last year’s state championship game, a 1-0 win over Lima Central Catholic.
Donko (9-1) will take the mound for the Irish.
“Never been there,” Donko said of the Triple A stadium. “Can’t wait to pitch there.
“This is great — going to Columbus is the ultimate goal.”