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My idea of paradise is to get away for a few days, head for the sun of the southwest and take in a few spring training baseball games. The experience last week at the Goodyear, Arizona, training camps of the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds, plus side trips to Las Vegas and Prescott, Arizona, turned up a few former Mahoning Valley residents and former players from the Valley’s minor-league baseball team. Consider: ¯ John Brown, son of Warren at-large Councilman John Brown and former assistant athletic director at Youngstown State University, is now business development ...

Hurt turns to focus for YSU

CHICAGO — Steve McClain looked over and saw Darius Quisenberry on the floor, crying. The UIC coach helped the Youngstown State University men’s basketball leading scorer to his feet. It looked like Garrett Covington, YSU’s junior guard and defensive specialist, had shed a few tears himself before talking in a postgame interview. The Penguins’ Horizon League quarterfinal matchup on Thursday didn’t go as expected. It usually has been a stumbling block for the Penguins program — advancing only once to the Horizon League quarterfinals. That was the 2016-17 season on a ...

Tuesday another step for YSU men

Jerrod Calhoun sat in the second-floor film room inside the Beeghly Center surrounded by his assistant coaches. They discussed how to approach last week’s trip to Green Bay and Milwaukee. Eight, 12 and 17 wins. That’s the first three years for the Penguins under this coaching staff. Calhoun told me this YSU team isn’t done, not by a long shot — referring to the team’s progress and culture change. Tuesday, YSU (17-14) is the fifth seed in the Horizon League Tournament — hosting eighth-seeded Milwaukee (12-18), starting at 7 p.m. YSU ended the regular season Saturday ...

Some can laugh in the face of fear

Perspective. It’s a word we hear a lot as an adult. We probably heard it from time to time as children, too, but we’re carefree. We brush it off as some deep word parents use. You find out why they do when you get older. You realize life can change in an instant, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. It’s a helpless feeling. It can infuriate even the strongest-willed people and send them spiraling into misery. But sometimes, there are people who think differently — no matter the tragedy or terrible news. Regardless of what lies ahead or what the prognosis is, these ...

Wrestlers battling more than opponents

Simi Moananu was drenched in sweat. His shirt was a darker shade of gray than when Liberty’s wrestling practice first started. The big, burly Moananu pushed through the final minutes of the conditioning portion of practice and seemed rather elated to hear the final whistle blow. He brought the team together for a break that signified the end of practice. Well, the first practice. Moananu, like so many others around the state, went to another practice a few hours later as the state-tournament hopeful prepares for the final stretch of a long, grueling season. The mat burn, the ...

Ups and downs of YSU game Saturday

Jason Slay looked around as the Youngstown State University men’s basketball team began to warm up with some stretching exercises. The YSU associate coach glanced around and started clapping. He observed his players — some stretching, others dunking. The group gathered around the basket. Clusters of fans started to file into the Beeghly Center about this time on Saturday, gathered in the upper and lower sections of the building which has stood since the early 1970s. A lanky Northern Kentucky player began to attempt half-court shots, missing one after another. Where’s YSU ...