The Malone College baseball team seems to be peaking at the right time. With just six games left on the season, the Pioneers are riding a 13-game winning streak and look to wrap up the American Mideast Conference this weekend in a doubleheader at Mount Vernon Nazarene.

The Pioneers are 33-9 and ranked No. 20 in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. They won the National Christian College Athletic Association Division I Championship in 2006.

The roster is peppered with plenty of local players like Chris Mandeville (Tuslaw), Zach Winkhart (Canton Central Catholic), Ryan Baechel (Glen  Oak), Adam Boudler (louisville) and Zac Barson (Canton South) just to name a few. Here is the complete roster and here is complete statistics for the season.

When it comes to track, it’s always about who ran the fastest, jumped the highest or threw the shot or the discus the farthest. But sometimes there are stories, GREAT, INSPRATIONAL STORIES, that don’t have to do with who won.

For instance, I remember watching the local news in the fall, I think it was, and there was an amazing story about a young lady (she may have been from the Youngstown area), who was competing in the state high school cross country meet and was almost near the finish line. Then came a gruesome sight. She broke her leg on the course and fell to the ground.

But this young lady had the courage and fortitude to crawl and limp her way to the finish line, despite being in obvious pain.

It was a story of incredible self-will. This young lady needed medical help, but she didn’t want it. She was withering with pain but she wanted to finish that race, and if you watched the video, you couldn’t help but get a little emotional, knowing she was in a world of pain. But watching her will her way to that finish line, regardless of the pain she was experiencing, was breathtaking and moving.

The yound lady gave a great television interview a few days later and it was great to see she was doing well and was in good spirts. I think she even joked that all she was thinking about, when she went down, was that she wasn’t going to be able to dance at her sister’s wedding later that night.

I witnessed another incredible story, but it didn’t involve injury. A few years ago I was covering a regional track meet at Ravenna and the Copley girls were favored in this particular relay event. As the race began, Copley was right there, as expected. But during one of the exchanges, the baton was dropped and the team was out of the race.

The young lady who dropped the baton was devasted. I mean, I had never seen an athlete more distraught. What I found out later was that the young lady was only a sophomore and there were two seniors on that relay team. The sophomore felt she had blown it for the seniors because it was their last chance to make it to state.

She was on the infield of the track, as the race was still going, slumped over an emotional ball.

She just shuddered and shook as she cried.

Then, former Copley standout Carrie Dyer, who was a senior and on that relay team, ran to the young runner to comfort her.

Then the rest of the realy team followed.

To me, that was one of the most inspirational stories I had ever witnessed.

The sophomore was heartbroken. But she was heartbroken because she cared about her teammates and wanted to perform at her best so that it would help the seniors.

It didn’t happen. But when it didn’t happen, the seniors weren’t mad, bitter or upset. They showed support for their younger teammate because they loved her. And in the end, winning didn’t matter.

So, with that, I’m asking readers to post any inspirational stories you witnessed, in track or any other sport, that didn’t involve someone winning.

A story where someone overcame odds to get where they are. Or a story about teammates helping one another.

Those are the most compelling stories.

Kenny Frease of Perry and Brittany Orban of North Canton Hoover are among the standouts who who showcase their talents at this year’s Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association annual Boys and Girls All Star Games.

Four games will be played April 20 at Capital University in suburban Columbus, beginning with Division III-IV girls at noon. Caitlin Sharp of East Canton and Chelsea Fazekas of Chippewa are on the North roster.

Orban, a Northwestern University recruit, will be on the North squad for the Division I-II game at 1:45.

Division III-IV boys will play at 3:45. Canton Central Catholic’s Nick Foster is on the North roster. Frease, who has signed with Xavier University, will play on the Division I-II North team at 5:30.

GlenOak’s Jackie Greynolds is part of the Division I-II North coaching staff.

On April 19, the OHSBCA will hold its hall of fame induction at the Columbus Airport Marriott hotel.

Honorees are coaches Dave Hoover (Canton McKinley), Dave Krauss (Patrick Henry), Dave Sweet (Ottawa-Glandorf) and Frank Phillips (ChagrinFalls) and honorary inductee, Clair Muscaro, a former commissioner of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
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Canton Central Catholic seniors Grant McCoury, and Max Colaner have committed to continue their baseball and academic careers in college.

McCoury selected Elon (N.C.) University and Colaner is bound for Northern Kentucky.

McCoury, a pitcher/third baseman, had a .402 batting average last season, with six home runs and 38 RBI. He also compiled a 4-1 record with two saves.

Colaner, a center fielder, batted .407 last season with 45 runs scored, 22 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

High School Football Playoff Schedule

Note: These are probable playoff matchups according to www.joeeitel.com and the matchups have changed several times on Saturday, which means they might be different on the website on Sunday. Official OHSAA playoff pairings will be released Monday.

Friday’s Games
(All games 7:30 p.m., unless noted)

Division II, Region 5
Firestone (7-3) at Tallmadge (9-1)

Division II, Region 7
Lake (7-3) at Louisville (8-2)

Division III, Region 9
Field (9-1) at Walsh Jesuit (8-1)
Cortland Lakeview (8-2) at Aurora (9-1)
Ravenna (8-2) at Mentor Lake Catholic (6-3)

Divison III, Region 11
Poland Seminary (7-3) at Northwest (10-0)
New Concord John Glenn (8-2) at West Branch (8-2)
Canton South (6-4) at Dover (7-3)

Divison V, Region 17
Northwestern (9-1) at Waynedale (8-2)

Saturday’s Games
(All games 7 p.m., unless noted)

Division I, Region 2
GlenOak (6-4) at Brunswick (10-0)
Toledo St. John’s Jesuit (6-4) at North Canton Hoover (8-2)
Perrysburg (8-2) at Nordonia (9-1)
Wadsworth (9-1) at Toledo Whitmer (8-2)

Division IV, Region 13
CVCA (9-1) at Stuebenville (10-0)
Tusky Valley (8-2) at Canton Central Catholic (9-1)
Lake Co. Perry (9-1) at St. Vincent-St. Mary (8-2)

Division VI, Region 21
Columbiana (7-3) at Mogadore (9-1)

No baseball teams from the Beacon Journal’s five-county coverage area advanced to the state tournament.

Highland (Division II) and Canton Central Catholic (Division III) made it the farthest but both lost in regional finals.

Division III

Where: Ed Sandy Field at Elida Middle School.

Schedule: Canton Central Catholic (24-5) vs. New London (22-3), 2 p.m. Thursday; Defiance Ayersville (19-5) vs. Bloomdale Elmwood (23-6), 5 p.m. Thursday.

Outlook: Junior Grant McCoury had a double, a triple and two RBI, and junior Rob Hoagland had two singles and a double to lead Canton Central Catholic to its second consecutive district title with a 10-6 win over St. Thomas Aquinas. New London beat defending district champion Elmore Woodmore 7-5 in its district final.

Where: Carl ‘‘Ducky’’ Schroeder Field at Massillon High School.

Schedule: LaGrange Keystone (22-6) vs. Burton Berkshire (18-9), 2 p.m. Thursday; Youngstown Ursuline (20-4) vs. Woodridge (26-2), 5 p.m. Thursday.

Outlook: Junior Jordan Wilhite (8-1) pitched a two-hit shutout to lead Woodridge to its second consecutive district title with a 10-0 win over East Palestine. Senior Fred Guerra had two singles, a triple and three RBI, and junior Joe Lewandowksi had two doubles and three RBI for the Bulldogs in their district final. Youngstown Ursuline was a state runner-up last season.

Note: Regional finals are at 2 p.m. Friday