OLEAN'S MIKE THREEHOUSE- THE BRIGHTEST OF STARS

     When I was the head baseball coach at Saint Bonaventure University in the early 1980's, I used to kid Olean High School's star athlete, Mike Threehouse. If he had enrolled at SBU I might have decided to stay there for an indefinite period.

     Mike made a wise decision and selected Eckerd College in Florida as his college choice and played three seasons for famed coach John Mayotte before returning back home to the Olean-Allegany area for his senior season. 

     A year or two before Mike's senior year of high school, I had also tried to recruit another fine area athlete, Salamanca's John Dry. John eventually attended Canisius College and I think we played a few games against John and the Griffins during my three seasons at SBU.

     We were able to put together an improved squad each season, but Mike and John would have definitely helped move up on our time table. 

Dick Van Ginhoven (far left) and Bob Chase (far right) congratulate spring award winners at a Sunday banquet at the Castle Restaurant. The  Olean athletes ( left to right ) are Francis Mousaw (girls track), Ken Wright (boy's track), Kim

 Putt (girls' track), Mike Threehouse (baseball) and Kris Baker (softball).

     Despite being over a decade older than Mike, we ended up playing against one another as Alle-Catt baseball opponents as the Olean High slugger began his AC career at 15 years old and was a starter for the powerhouse Bradners' club at 16 years old.

     Mike and I had a chance to get to know each other a bit better since we had that Bona's connection, but as happens quite often you learn more about some of the guys you compete either with or against after your careers end.

     Mike played his college senior season for the Bonnies in 1989 (I had bounced from George Washington University to Florida and became the head coach at Quincy University (Il.) in 1989. Mike was breaking the single season and slugging records for the Bonnies during his final collegiate season that same year.

     Threehouse was an excellent all-around athlete in high school, playing football for Coach Mike Foster:

An upset win over undefeated Wellsville. Glenn Law was 13-21 for 178 yards.

Olean's head coach Mike Foster.

 When I asked Mike about his bowling prowess he reminded me that his uncle, Ron owned the Bowlean and that Mike had practically grown up in that establishment.

Mike with a 622 series  ( a 233 and 210)

 

626 series for Threehouse

Mike's baseball exploits began at an early age as he helped lead the Olean Senior Little League (14-15) over Allegany County.

Cattaraugus County holds on to a 7-5 victory at Franchot Field in Olean. Jim Wyrough, Chris McNinch, Kevin Lynch and Jim Swarthout of Wellsville were members of the Allegany County team. Lynch and McNinch later went on to play for the St. Bonaventure Baseball Team.

Middle row- left, Pat Clarke, Dave Padlo, Ron Isaman, Eric Handler and Marc Gagliardo

Back Row- Third from right- Manager Dave Johnson, Jean Mark Carney and Mike Threehouse

Olean drops two. Matt Veno loses the first game (Matt eventually pitched for me at Saint Bonaventure). Threehouse doubled versus Lake Shore.

Olean defeats Allegany County and Portville in youth baseball. Threehouse homers in both games.vPortville behind Paul Foster beats Allegany, 4-2.

Threehouse and Jeff Gabler are selected to first team all-star squad. (Chatauqua County).

I had to slip in my hometown team (Eldred) in Pa. American Legion baseball- first win of the season. 1983. Bradford leads the league with an 8-1 record. On the New York State side, Olean wins 9-7 over Scio, Portville has a big win over Hinsdale. Kevin Lynch, who later became one of my catchers for the Bonnies) gets two hits. He hit two homers in one game at Canisius during his freshman season at Saint Bonaventure.

Front Row: Brian Saglimben (Allegany), Todd Randall (Hinsdale), Matt Veno (Olean Walsh), Tim Butler (Olean Walsh) and Jim Feldman (West Valley) Middle Row: Threehouse,  John Rinko (Ellicottville), Tony Comstock (Gowanda), Brian Bullers (Salamanca) and Scott Ellis (Cattaraugus) Back Row: Darren Hopkins (Pioneer), Craig Pritchard (Little Valley), Gary Sandburg (Allegany). Todd Clark (Allegany), and head coach Bill Bathurst (Hinsdale). Missing is Paul Foster (Portville) Chris McNinch, Kevin Lynch and Jim Swarthout represented Wellsville. McNinch was 5-0 on the year.

Threehouse- two doubles in Big League baseball.

Mayor's All-Stars, Sean Moran, Threehouse, Jeff Gabler and Jerry Treitley from Olean. Coach of the Year was Bob George of Portville. Allegany- John Peck, Brian Saglimben and Todd Clark. Matt Milne, Mike Coleman and Paul Foster (Portville) . Matt Veno and Mike Veno (Olean Walsh)

Four Big 30 Teams win championships. 1984.  Andover 16-0, Hinsdale 16-1, Bradford Central Christian, Wellsville 22-2.

Front Row, Saglimben, Randall, (left and second from left) and Matt Veno, far right. Back Row, Threehouse, Gabler, (left and second and left) and Coach of Year (Bill Bathurst)

DonWeatherell of Hinsdale finishes the season at 11-1 overall. Todd Randall hits .410.

     I have noticed in the last several years that Mike adds quite a few FB posts about space and science. In many ways it reminds me of some of the information that I read about some of my former high school classmates that surprises me because I had no idea of their interests in several subjects. 

     In many ways it upsets me because I didn't know that in many instances we had the same likes or dislikes. I wish I had known instead of finding about it decades later that they enjoyed the same music, television shows, movies, or hobbies. I'm ashamed I didn't know them better.

     Mike and I were in different schools and with distinct age differences. He later told me that his first interest in space came from watching the moon landing when he was three years old. 

     He read a lot of books and asked a lot of questions. He was fascinated by space and the stars, looking through telescopes and building model rockets and continues to this day flying his completed projects.

     I know there are quite a few baseball pitchers who saw him hit some rockets over ballpark fences.

     Pennsylvania pitchers began to get an indication what "House" could do with a bat once Alle-Catt baseball began and the 16-year-old picked up where he left off in youth baseball.

Mike Threehouse homers to beat Crosby in Alle-Catt action to open the playoffs. Mike Carr gets the mound win for Bradners,

Bradners wins 14th straight before losing to Emporium. Jim Thomas and Jeff Schultz pace Crosby Emporium wins two with Randy Cooney going 3-3 in first game and hits two homers in game two. 

Bradners beats Portville 8-3, another HR for Threehouse. Shinglehouse beats Galeton 7-4 behind Jeff Shall, but loses to Emporium. 

New York and Pa. Alle-Catt All-Stars- Dick Lindamer, Don Fulton and Pat Johnson are Bolivar stars. Steve Gustin (who played for me at SBU) and Tim Terette are Shinglehouse Shantys' reps.

Brian Baker represents O-E, Kent Kovach, Stan Dunsmore, Greg Ingram and Mark Ingram represent Shinglehouse Stars.

CROSBY 4-0 in playoffs. Schultz wins 1-0 and Terry Johnson hits two HRs in second game. Terry Claypool goes 4-8 in the weekend.

Bradners hit five HRs in makeup win over Bradford.

Using ineligible players was not an extreme rarity in the A-C. Almost impossible to keep track of every player and every address, but this was an extreme. Portville wins game 8-3 over Bradners, but they have five players from Salamanca on the squad. Olean protested and picked up the W. It was not the first time these players had played that year. Olean goes to13-0, 1978.

Early in the season as Olean and Bradford remain undefeated. Emporium knocks off Crosby 5-2 as Pat Lewis, Jim Kockler and Jeff Kockler hit run-scoring doubles. Gerald Duffee throws no- hitter for Coudersport. Bradford scores two in the ninth to beat Bolivar, 9-4. Bradford goes 3-0.

Mike Threehouse became the head womens' softball coach at Saint Bonaventure in 1997 and is currently in his 27th year.

2008- SBU goes 17-19- fourth highest win total in school history and all in the Threehouse coaching era.

2009- Two SBU award winners- Sherri Thompson and Brianna Bricker. Team goes 18-18 overall-second .500 mark in school history.