BELLVILLE — Thomas Staab collected his gear inside the home dugout at Shelby High School, a look of relief smeared across his dirt-and-sweat stained face.
Clear Fork had just beaten Edison 10-1 in the Division III district semifinals thanks in no small part to Staab, a junior centerfielder and the son of Clear Fork coach Rusty Staab. The younger Staab had gone 3-for-5 with two runs batted in, two runs scored and two stolen bases.
The source of Staab’s satisfaction on this steamy afternoon, however, had nothing to do with his on-field production. He would have been every bit as content had he gone hitless.
Considering all Staab has been through during the past eight months, it was a minor miracle he was patrolling the outfield at all as the Colts defended their district title last week.
“It’s been so frustrating, just thinking that I might finally be getting back and then getting sent right back to where I was before,” said Staab, who will lead Clear Fork back to this week’s Elida regional tournament. “I would have nightmares about not being able to get back here at all.
“My family has been so supportive and my team has been there for me. I can’t thank them enough.”
Staab’s troubles began late in the second half of a 42-39 loss to Mansfield Senior in Week 5 of the football season last September. The dual-threat quarterback suffered a savage leg injury and was carried off the field on a stretcher.
“I fractured my fibula and had to get a plate put in it,” Staab said. “I also tore a syndesmosis ligament in my ankle, so they also had to repair that.
“I spent two months on crutches and then there was another two months of recovery and rehabilitation.”
Miraculously, Staab was ready for the start of the baseball season. He got off to a hot start — batting .571 through the first month of the season — before misfortune struck again in mid-April. He was hit by a pitch in the surgically-repaired ankle, causing a hairline fracture.
“It was a freak injury. I squared for a bunt and I couldn’t turn out of the way in time,” Staab said. “The ball ricocheted off the top of the plate and into the bone.”
Staab missed the remainder of the regular season before pinch hitting in Clear Fork’s 3-0 win over Bucyrus in the sectional final. His first significant action on more than a month came in the district tournament. In two games, he was a combined 4-for-8 with three runs scored and five stolen bases, and made a pair of exceptional defensive plays in the win over Edison.
“It’s nice having him out there again,” said pitcher Mitch Dulin, who threw a complete game in the semifinal win over Edison. “There’s not much he can’t get to out there.”
Even the ball he couldn’t get to turned into an out against Edison.
In the second inning, with a runner at first base, Edison’s Cody Scott lifted a soft liner toward center. A hard-charging Staab decoyed like he was going to get to the ball in the air. It fell in front of him, but he fielded it on one hop and easily threw the runner out at second for a fielder’s choice. Then in the fifth, Staab showed off his elite speed went he tracked down a ball near the wall in left-center field.
“He’s been our spark plug all year,” Rusty Staab said. “He brings a different dimension to our team and we’ve been missing it.
“With him back out there, I think we have the best outfield in Ohio in Division III. All three of those guys have cannons.”
The Colts (16-11) will take on Ottawa-Glandorf in Thursday’s regional semifinals at Ed Sandy Field in Elida. O-G is making just its third regional appearance ever and first since 1981. Clear Fork, meanwhile, won the regional title last year before falling in the state semifinals to Waynedale.
“We’ve been in this situation before,” Thomas Staab said. “We know what pressure we will face and we know how to handle it.
“We came into it kind of blind last year and just hoped for the best. This year we know what to expect.”
