Mahoning Valley Scrappers outfielder Oliver Service.

NILES — Oliver Service spent his high school career juggling three sports.

For the past four years, Service excelled on the football field, the hockey rink and the baseball diamond at University Liggett High School in Grosse Pointe Woods (MI).

So it should come as no surprise that the youngest player on the Mahoning Valley Scrappers roster had no trouble spending the past month juggling baseball at both the high school and MLB Draft League levels.

Technically, Service has been with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers since the very start of the season. His name appeared on the opening day roster, and he had planned on joining the team in early June.

Then, Service — who didn’t graduate until June 11 — helped lead Liggett High to a trip to the Michigan Division 2 state championship game. Service and his teammates eventually fell in the title game on June 17 to Grand Rapids Christian, 2-1.

On June 18, Service was in a Scrappers uniform. Then, last Wednesday, while the Scrappers game was canceled due to poor air quality, he briefly returned to his hometown of Detroit. There, he donned his high school jersey one last time and played in the Michigan High School All-Star Game.

Service returned to the Scrappers lineup last Friday, and promptly went 3-for-4 with three doubles and three runs scored.

“I didn’t even have a chance to have a graduation party yet,” said Service, who turns 18 on July 22. “It’s been a crazy month, but this is what I love to do.”

Service will head to the University of Texas in August, where he will play baseball for the Longhorns. Service received an offer from the school when he was 16 years old. He’ll major in sports management with a minor in sports broadcasting.

“I went to a camp and was spotted by their coaches,” Service said. “I visited Texas after visiting about 10 other schools and things immediately clicked. There was an instant connection.

“I had a thirty-minute discussion with the Texas coach, and we talked about everything but baseball. I fell in love with the school and the staff. I knew I was in the right place.”

Service is listed as a catcher but he has started several games in the outfield with the Scrappers. He was an outfielder in high school until the midway point of his sophomore season when an injured teammate forced him to settle in behind home plate.

“We needed a catcher and my coach thought I would be a good fit,” Service said. “At first I wasn’t really fond of the move, but I quickly fell in love with being back there.

“As a catcher, I have an impact literally on every pitch. You have to be mentally sharp and into the game from start to finish. It can be mentally and physically challenging, but that’s the part of it that I really love.”

While many high school athletes shy away from participating in multiple sports, Service never considered giving up football or hockey, even after he committed to continuing his baseball career at Texas.

Service earned multiple awards for his play last fall as a wide receiver and safety on the football field. The awards continued in the winter from his right-wing position on the ice.

“I always believed that the other sports did nothing but help my baseball career,” Service said. “Football gave me strength and durability. Hockey helps develop incredible hand-eye coordination. Shooting and catching the puck at a crazy fast pace plays right into baseball.

“All of these sports made me physically and mentally strong. I didn’t want to get burned out on baseball at a young age. Now, it’s my passion and I’m ready to go all in and dedicate everything I have to the sport.”

Service was thrust into the spotlight at the age of 12 when he was part of a team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the Little League World Series. Hitting a game-winning home run earned him a spot on the ESPN Top 10 Plays.

He credits the Little League World Series experience for helping guide him through his high school career.

“The whole experience was enormous, it was beneficial in a way I never realized until after the fact,” Service said. “Not just the baseball, but meeting kids from all over the world, learning about the different cultures and the different way of life. Seeing how kids from other countries approach the sport.

“From a baseball perspective, being put in the spotlight at that age gave me a sense of confidence and relief heading into the future. It’s something I wish every kid could experience.”

Oddly enough, Service also insists that suffering a loss in the state title game two weeks ago will also pay dividends down the road.

Liggett High won a state title two years ago during Service’s sophomore season.

“Losing the state final this year hurt a lot, but in a strange way I think it was beneficial for me to feel that loss right before I go off and do other things,” Service said. “I hadn’t lost in a big game in a while. I learned a lot from it, I learned how to deal with those situations. I learned a lot about myself.

“Personally, I had my best season ever stats-wise. But it’s all about being a team and what it takes to succeed as a team. I feel like I know what it takes to be a great teammate from this point on.”

This past spring Service hit .373, leading the team with five home runs and 23 RBI. Behind the plate, he did not commit an error and was regarded as Michigan’s top defensive catcher.

In six games with the Scrappers, Service is hitting .318 with four doubles.