This week in Blade sports 10, 20, and 30 years ago, spring arrived, as did baseball. The Mud Hens played the Tigers before they opened the season, and a City League baseball team climbed to the top of the national polls. On the ice, the Toledo Storm began postseason play. The Blade looked back at the Final Four run of a Scott High basketball legend, and just to switch it up, there's some rugby results.
■ April 2, 1988: Mud Hens top Tigers — The Toledo Mud Hens scored three runs in the third inning and one more in the seventh to beat the Detroit Tigers 4-0 in an exhibition game in Lakeland, Fla. Billy Bean’s three-run single in the third over the head of Detroit second baseman Lou Whitaker got Toledo going.
■ April 3, 1988: Toledo Celtic rugby clubs win — The Toledo Celtics Rugby Club overwhelmed Flint 19-0, with Stewart Fish, Rich Schurfeld, and Mark Laimbeer accounting for all the scoring during the match in Flint, Mich. The Celtics’ B club defeated Flint 4-0, with Jim Gucker getting the scores.
■ April 4, 1998: Storm capture 2-0 series lead — Behind two goals from Kevin Brown and a spark from Mark Deazeley, the Toledo Storm beat Chesapeake 4-1 to grab a 2-0 lead in the East Coast Hockey League first round series. “It’s just an exciting time of the year,” he said. “The games mean a lot more.”
■ April 5, 1998: Storm complete series sweep — Rob Thorpe scored an unassisted goal 4 minutes, 56 seconds into overtime, and that scramble in front of the net gave the Toledo Storm a 3-2 win in Upper Marlboro, Md. With that, they completed a sweep of Chesapeake in an East Coast Hockey League first round series.
■ April 6, 2008: Memories burn bright for Claytor — In recent weeks former Scott High and University of Kentucky basketball star Truman Claytor has an extra hop in his step. “This is my time of year,” Claytor said. “March Madness brings back some great memories.” He was a junior starter in 1978 when Kentucky beat Duke 94-88 to win college basketball’s top prize.
■ April 7, 1998: Start ranked No. 1 nationally — Start’s baseball team was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the USA Today’s latest prep poll. The Spartans, who have outscored their opponents 63-7, return six starters from last year’s 29-2 team. “It’s a tribute to the program we’ve put together,” Start coach Rich Arbinger said.
■ April 8, 1988: Mud Hens win season opener — Never mind the weather of late, spring officially arrived. The Toledo Mud Hens opened the season with a 3-2 win at Syracuse. Eric King dominated the Chiefs for seven innings with his fastball, while Chris Hoiles and Pete Rice both homered, staking King to a 3-0 lead.
—Compiled by Tommy Gallagher
First Published April 2, 2018, 12:00 p.m.
