Lyricists like to play with words.

Hook them up with a good musician and memorable melodies begin to flow easily. "Son of a Preacher Man" was the result of one such combo with Dusty Springfield vocalizing a song written by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins.

Ryan Streno is not the "Son of a Preacher Man," instead, he is the son of a shoemaker.

While his father, Rex, is hammering nails into new heels at his Ullrich Shoe Repair Shop on Sixth Street, Downtown, his 19-year-old son is cobbling together a sturdy academic and athletic career over on the Boulevard of the Allies at Point Park University.

A South Park High School graduate, Streno is currently batting at a .286 clip (18 for 63) with 10 RBIs.

Streno, a 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore, played baseball and football all four years at South Park High, earning letters three times in baseball and twice in football. Under baseball coach Steve Bucci, he blossomed into a solid hitter.

While playing third or first base for the Eagles, he batted an impressive .465 and was chosen to the all-section team.

In football, he rebounded from a broken ankle during the preseason of his senior season (2004) but returned before the end of the season to help the Eagles to a 9-2 record, ending the season in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals against Burrell.

He seriously considered attending college at Waynesburg, but coach Al Liberi offered him a baseball scholarship to Point Park. The relationship has worked well.

As a freshman, he played in 12 games, starting six. He batted .318 (seven for 22), scoring five runs, and knocking in six.

"He is a kid with a lot of character. It is just a reflection of how he has been brought up." said Liberi, also the hitting coach at Point Park.

"Ryan is fun to coach. He is strictly a team player and realizes that there is no 'I' in team. I'd enjoy coaching a team of all Strenos if they had his work ethic. He is constantly trying to improve at the plate and he is doing a nice job in the field."

Streno in turn likes the way Liberi manages the Pioneers.

"He is always trying to get the best out of you," he said.

Inclement early spring weather in the northeast plays havoc with most college baseball teams' schedules. Point Park has been no exception

"I tried to schedule 50 games this season. We have only been able to get 31 in [before this past weekend]," Liberi said.

Point Park finished 15-20 overall, 5-11 in the American Mideast Conference play.

The Pioneers used two "home" fields, although neither is actually near the school's Downtown campus.

They played non-conference games at High Field in Butler and their American Mideast Conference games at Falconi Field in Washington.