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Thursday, April 17, 2003

By Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

SCHOOL: Peters Township

	Jim Gallagher: A hit on the mound and at the plate. (John Heller, Post-Gazette)

WHO IS HE? A 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior center fielder and pitcher for the Indians' baseball team and also a standout football player.

THE PAST WEEK: In a 16-4 victory Tuesday against Canon-McMillan, Gallagher was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. In a 3-2 victory Saturday against Upper St. Clair, he pitched six innings, gave up six hits and struck out seven.

SEASON: Gallagher is hitting .517 (15 for 29) with 14 RBIs, 14 runs scored, 5 doubles and 2 home runs. He is 2-1 as a pitcher and has helped Peters Township to an 8-1 record.

COACH'S MISTAKE: Gallagher has been a starter in baseball and football since his sophomore year. He is a quarterback/defensive back in football. Peters Township baseball coach Joe Maize regrets not having had Gallagher on the varsity as a freshman. "I made a coaching mistake there," Maize said. "I should have moved him up. I admit that was a mistake. He was good enough."

DEFENSIVE MINDED: Although Gallagher has been a force with his hitting, he also is outstanding defensively. "He's probably one of the best outfielders I've seen in a long time," Maize said. "We've had some talented outfielders here. He covers as much ground as anyone I've seen. Plus, he's a smart player. He knows where to throw the ball when he gets it. He knows when to hit the cutoff."

FOOTBALL PROSPECT: Division I colleges are interested in Gallagher as a quarterback. In football this past season, Gallagher completed 74 of 166 passes for 1,101 yards and also rushed for 637 yards on 86 attempts. Duke already has offered him a scholarship, and Gallagher said Stanford is close to offering. But Duke also is interested in Gallagher for baseball.

"Duke's assistant coach is coming up to watch him play," Maize said. "He's getting a lot of interest in baseball."

Gallagher might like to try both sports in college.

"I'm really not leaning any way right now," he said. "I want to keep all my options open. We'll see what happens with the scholarships. Baseball doesn't usually give you a whole lot of money. But I love both sports. It will be tough to give one of them up."

SCHOOL: Mt. Lebanon

WHO IS SHE? A junior who has turned into one of the top pitchers in WPIAL softball.

THE PAST WEEK: Rigos pitched a one-hitter and struck out 12 in a 3-0 victory Monday against Upper St. Clair. She struck out 12 in a 7-0 victory Saturday against Burgettstown.

ZERO TOLERANCE: Rigos has not allowed a run in the past four games. She has a 7-1 record and her 78 strikeouts tie her for sixth in the WPIAL. Her only loss was to Shaler, 4-0, in nine innings.

WORKHORSE: Rigos has been Mt. Lebanon's starting pitcher since her freshman year and has pitched every inning of every Blue Devil game the past three seasons. Rigos was 5-12 as a freshman and 11-6 last year. "We kind of just threw her to the wolves that first year," said Mt. Lebanon Coach Tricia Alderson. "It's hard to be a freshman pitcher in [Class AAA]. She took some lumps that first year, but we knew in the long run that it would be best for all of us."

COACH KNOWS BEST: Alderson was a former star pitcher at Chartiers-Houston High School. She was Tricia Fabian back then and led Chartiers-Houston to the 1988 WPIAL Class AA championship. "Even before high school, I had been getting lessons from her," Rigos said. "She's been a big part in how far I've come."

NO BAT: Unlike many star pitchers at other schools, Rigos does not bat for Mt. Lebanon. The Blue Devils use a designated hitter for her. "But that doesn't really bother me," she said.

BIG LEFTIE: Rigos is 5 feet 11 and throws left-handed. With her size and delivery, she can be an intimidating force. "Being left-handed is actually a big advantage," Rigos said. "I think it throws off a lot of batters just because they're so used to seeing right-handers."

AWAY FROM THE FIELD: Rigos is a good student who wants to someday teach special education. In the summer, she works as a volunteer with disabled children.