DON McCORMACK
Paying a visit to the variety store...
More on diamond
We can add two more former area standouts to our list of young ladies playing softball this spring at the collegiate level.
Jefferson products Callie Busch and Katelynn Hamilton are on the varsity and junior-varsity teams, respectfully, at Indiana Tech University.
Busch, a former first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County performer during her days with coach Paul Bodnar’s Falcons, is a starting outfielder for the Warriors.
Through six games, she’s hitting .286, with a double, and slugging at a .429 clip.
ITU is 2-4 on the season, having had five games wiped out while on a trip to Jackson, Miss. on Feb. 12-13 by the snowstorm that blanketed pretty much the entire country.
Busch & Co. are slated to get back into action today against the University of Indiana/Southwest for a doubleheader.
However, as she is want to do in the spring, Mother Nature could have other ideas — the forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of rain.
Next Sunday through Friday, ITU will head to Clermont, Fla. to play in the NTC Tournament, where the Warriors will match up against teams from Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Florida and Mt. Vernon (Ohio).
A former Conneaut standout and first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County player, Becky Betteridge is a key player at Thiel College.
A catcher during her days as a Spartan, Betteridge began her career with the Tomcats behind the plate. However, she has moved to shortstop this spring.
Former Pymatuning Valley Laker Britain Callen is a senior catcher for the Tomcats.
Thiel went 2-6 on a recent spring trip to Clermont, Fla. Betteridge was at shortstop for the first two games for Thiel, but injured her thumb while making a diving attempt for a hot shot and is temporarily sidelined, though she’s expected to return to action in the near future.
Let us know!
If you have a son or daughter playing a spring sport at the collegiate level, please send me an email to the address at the end of this column and let me know.
We’ll be more than happy to add him or her to our list.
Radio waves
Joe “Mr. Sports” Pete — aka, The King of Ashtabula County Media — and Bad Brad Ellis, possessor of one of the best basketball minds we’ve seen on display — will be at the microphones tonight when the Lakeside Dragons make school history by taking on the vaunted Mentor Cardinals in the first district basketball game in school history.
The Dragons (18-4) and the Cardinals (19-3) will tip off at 7 p.m. at Euclid High School’s Doc Daugherty Gymnasium and the game will be broadcast on Media One’s oldies station, 102.5-FM.
Our own Slingin’ Steve Goldman and Wild Bill West will be on hand to provide standout coverage for us.
Local connection
Brandon Hummer of Napoleon High School will be heading to Notre Dame College on a football and academic scholarship.
He is the son of Michael and Linda Hummer and the grandson of Katherine Hummer, who still resides here in Ashtabula.
Brandon was one of the high school football players who were honored at the Toledo National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete banquet at the University of Toledo.
He was one of 30 players from Ohio and Michigan to be recognized for their fine performances on the gridiron and in the classroom. The average GPA of the 30 young men was 3.8.
McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.
