Croston adds PV baseball to coaching duties
Mar. 23—ANDOVER TOWNSHIP — Neal Croston is adding another sentence to his sports coaching resume in 2023.
Croston, the head football coach at Pymatuning Valley High School, has added the Lakers' head baseball coach to his experience, earning the opportunity to work with student athletes in a sport he competed at in a high level in college.
"I just like to be out coaching and competing," Croston said.
Last season, PV finished 8-8 and won its Division III tournament opener, before bowing out to South Range in a sectional final.
Senior Jon Moschell and sophomore Ryan Croston, the first and second hitters in the lineup, return. Last season, Moschell batted .345 with 15 stolen bases, while Croston chipped in with a .340 average and 14 steals.
Seniors Chase Vickery, Devin Sharpe and Luke Harvey bring experience and leadership to the field for the Lakers.
On the mound for PV are: junior Seth Bryan, Sharpe and sophomore Drake Haines, who all pitched last season. Senior Chase Vickery and Moschell are also slated to pitch, along with juniors Brady Tisch and Trevor Clute and Ryan Croston.
Croston said he believes he has coached every player on the team in one sport or another over the years.
In addition to being head football coach, Croston said he has coached middle school basketball as well.
Croston is not new to the baseball field, either, having earned a scholarship to Mercyhurst University where he played four years. He said football is his favorite sport, but three knee surgeries led to his college Division III baseball career.
Croston said he wants to create an atmosphere where the players can have a passion for the game.
"We have a good group of boys," he said.
The team philosophy will include throwing strikes and "putting the ball in play," he said.
Croston spent six years as former PV head baseball coach Steve Urchek's assistant. Urchek died in January 2021.
Croston pitched and caught at Blackhawk High School, in the Pittsburgh area, and moved to the outfield in college. He said his team made it to Division II regionals as a freshman and a senior with 40-8 team record as a freshman and 37-15 as a senior.
The Lakers are scheduled to open the regular season at Mathews today. Croston's football teams at PV have made it to the Division VI, Region 21 Ohio High School Athletic Association state football playoffs the last three years.
