Hide Article Text (OCR)
SECTION 3-AA ALL-STARSMatt DeSalvoDeSalvo had it all on the mound as co-MVP for UnionBy Steve TreuNew Castle NewsMatt DeSalvo was something of a tranquilizer for the Union Area High baseball team this season.He had a calming effect on his teammates.Nothing gave the Scotties a sense of peace quite like the sight of DeSalvo standing on the hill, preparing to fire some heat past the enemy.“When Matt was on the mound, the kids played very confidently behind him,” Union coach Larry Berger said, “because they knew they were going to be in the ball-game.”And they were probably going to win it.DeSalvo was without peer as a pitcher throughout Section 3-AA this year and it showed in the all-star voting. The coaches made him the only unanimous selection to the first team, while also tabbing him as league co-MVP along with Freedom senior Clint Pfaff.It was just reward for a playerwho sparked the Scotties to their best season in decades.They went 8-4 in league play (9-8 overall) and tied Freedom for first place, their first section title in 20 years.DeSalvo was their anchor, going 6-3 and pitching Union to its only victory in the playoffs. The senior right-hander made batters turn and walk dejectedly away from home plate more than three times every two innings, as he struck out 82 in 54 frames.His most reliable pitch was the fastball, which was clocked at 90 miles per hour during the playoff game. But his setup pitches — the curveball and a changeup — typically got him in position for the punchout.“Matt kept hitters off-balance by changing location,” Berger said. “He has good command. Hitters do not get very comfortable against him.”Even on the rare occasion when DeSalvo was off, he was able to produce a silver lining. Transforming a negative into a positive is a good quality of his.“If he struggled, it never bothered him. He’d just come back stronger the next game,” Bergersaid. “His work ethic is unreal. He always stayed after practice to work on his fielding and he took criticism well. We discovered afew mechanical flaws on videotape and he went right out and worked on correcting them.” When not on the mound, DeSalvo typically played shortstop or third base. He excelled atthe plate, too, hitting .357 (20 for 56) with 11 runs scored (second on the team) and three doubles.DeSalvo, who was also voted by his teammates as Union’s most valuable player, will continue his career at Marietta College, a Division III powerhouse.“Matt has a few more things he can work on mechanically He can already throw 90, so with better mechanics, he’ll throw even harder,” Berger said. “He can be a very good college player because he has a good attitude and the right mental framework.”DeSalvo’s teammate,Shawn Million, also landed on the first team.Million, a junior center fielder, spoke softly but carried a big stick for the Scotties.“Shawn is a very quiet kid who just works hard and doesn’t make a sound,” Berger said. “He leads by example. He goes out there and does his job.”Million’s job primarily was to get hits, something he did at a team-best .408 clip. He also tied for the team lead in RBIs with 12
Newspaper Details
New Castle News Weekend
New Castle, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Jun 20, 1998
Page 17
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 12 Jan 2021
Other Publications Near New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle News Weekend
New Castle Daily City News
Daily City News
New Castle Weekly News
New Castle Index
