Don Kelly, a former standout at Mt. Lebanon High School and Point Park University, has been involved in minor league baseball in outposts from Erie to Lakeland, Fla. over to Toledo and numerous places between.

And, as quick as a gazelle, the shortstop for the Class AAA Toledo Mud Hens will name the most competitive athlete he has ever met.

"My sister, hands down," Kelly, 26, said of his sister Ashlee, 24. "With anything she does, she is very, very competitive. I've seen a lot of people and been around a lot of athletes and, the truth is, she's definitely the most competitive person I've come across."

That competitive nature had to have something to do with Ashlee Kelly, a former standout basketball player at Mt. Lebanon and then later at Quinnipiac University, landing her new job as the women's basketball coach at Mercy College, a Division II school in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

At Quinnipiac, Ashlee Kelly played for highly regarded coach Tricia Sacca-Fabbri before Kelly spent the 2004-05 season with a professional team in Holland.

That pedigree made her a natural fit when the Mercy job came open. Mercy went winless last season it was looking for a fresh coach to help invigorate the program.

"We are very excited to have Ashlee as a member of our team at Mercy College," Mercy director of athletics Kevin T. McGinniss said. "She has been highly successful as a collegiate student-athlete, as a professional player, and has been mentored by one of the best women's basketball coaches in the business while she was at Quinnipiac.

"Ashlee is an excellent fit for the women's basketball program and our department as we move forward and will be a tremendous role model for all of our student-athletes."

Both Kellys will tell you that Ashlee, because of her innate sense of leadership, seemed destined to become a coach. But getting a head coaching spot in the college ranks at age 24 is something almost unheard of.

"At this point, I didn't necessarily think that I would be in a college head coaching position," Ashlee said. "I knew that I wanted to coach and I did see myself becoming a college head coach at some point, but this just all happened so fast and now, here I am. This is the next challenge in my life and I am excited about getting started and being successful."

Don Kelly might just be a candidate for a promotion himself in a few months. He is on the Detroit Tigers' 40-man roster, and when Major League Baseball goes through the annual process of expanding its rosters in September, Don Kelly could be someone manager Jim Leyland would be interested in. As of Tuesday, Don was hitting .223 (52 for 223) in 65 games. He was leading the Mud Hens in stolen bases with 18 and had also driven in 19 runs.

"It is something that isn't in my hands, so it really isn't something I concern myself with and I have found that is the best approach or you could find yourself thinking about [being called up] far too much than you really need to," Kelly said.