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Thursday, May 10, 2001

MEGAN STONE

SCHOOL: Sto-Rox

WHO IS SHE? A 6-foot-11/2 junior pitcher for the Vikings' softball team.

THE PAST WEEK: Stone has thrown five consecutive no-hitters, four of which were perfect games. During this stretch, she has struck out 47 batters and walked one.

SEASON: Stone has pitched a school-record 61 consecutive innings without giving up a run. The last run she gave up was April 10 in her team's 10-1 win over Vincentian. It is the only earned run and one of only two runs she has given up all season. She is 13-1 with 115 strikeouts, nine no-hitters and is batting .414.

CAREER: Last season, Stone led the Vikings to the WPIAL Class A championship. She was 19-5 with 213 strikeouts in 150 innings and eight no-hitters. She also batted .463 (38-82) with 39 RBIs and 16 extra-base hits. As a freshman, Stone was 16-5 with 193 strikeouts. She has been named to the all-section team twice and the PG all-star team last year.

WRONG SPORT?: Because of Stone's height, she is often asked about why she isn't a star basketball player. The fact is, she is a member of the Vikings' varsity girls basketball team and has played basketball all her life, but softball is her first love and the sport she focuses on the most.

"I've always been a lot taller than most other girls, but my dad got me started into softball when I was very young," said Stone. "I started playing basketball a few years later, but, for me, it is more just for fun and conditioning and stuff like that. And the only time I play basketball is during the season. The rest of the year, I play softball."

AMONG THE BEST: Sto-Rox has become a pipeline of top pitchers, and Vikings Coach Bill Palermo has had a hand in developing them all. He said Stone is fast becoming as good as anyone he's coached.

"She is breaking all the records set by the Renee Zabela's [who went on to Ohio State] and Bonnie Gasior's [St. Joseph's]," said Palermo, "and her consecutive inning streak is incredible. But she is still maturing as a pitcher, so it is hard to say she is the best. She is right there, however, with all of them and will still get better."

MORE THANK'S: Unlike most of the top pitchers in the WPIAL, Stone doesn't pile up huge strikeout numbers. Although she throws hard (61 mph), she doesn't try to overpower hitters.

"I don't ever give them anything to hit hard," said Stone, "but an out is an out. I trust my teammates and know they can make the plays on defense."

MANY INTERESTS: Stone is ranked No. 2 in her class and carries a grade-point average of 3.9. She recently won a regional Science Award and she also sings in the chorus.

By Paul Zeise

PHIL SABATINI

SCHOOL: Riverview.

WHO IS HE? A 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior who is considered one of the best catchers in the WPIAL.

THE PAST WEEK: In victories over Springdale, St. Joseph's and Elderton, Sabatini was 5 for 7 with four RBIs, six runs scored and 12 stolen bases.

GETTING OFFENSIVE: Sabatini is among the WPIAL leaders in three offensive categories. He is 10th in batting (.553), tied for eighth in RBIs (25) and sixth in runs (25). He helped Riverview win the WPIAL Class A Section 3 championship. The Raiders are 10-7 overall and finished 8-2 in section.

STEAL PRODUCTION: Catchers usually aren't fleet of foot, but Sabatini has 40 stolen bases this season and has not been thrown out yet. "When he gets on base, he's just unreal," said Riverview Coach Rich Griser. "Our team overall has good speed, and we like to take advantage of that. We use a lot of run-and-hits, and that allows him to get into position to steal. But he can run on just about anybody."

Griser said Sabatini has been timed at 6.7 seconds in the 60-yard dash. He also is an excellent defensive catcher.

ON THE RUN: Sabatini's baserunning success shouldn't be all that surprising, considering he led Riverview's football team in rushing last season with 686 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior.

AMONG THE BEST: Last summer, Sabatini was selected to the prestigious East-West American Legion all-star game, which showcases the top players in the state.

THE FUTURE: Sabatini will play next season at Ohio University, an NCAA Division I school in the Mid-American Conference. A few major-league scouts also have watched Sabatini's games this season.

"He obviously has a lot of tools. He's a complete player," Griser said. "His drawback is his size. It all depends on the needs of a ballclub. If some major-league team needs some catchers in their organization, they might take a long look at him because he obviously can do the job."

By Mike White