Sports Stew: O’Rourke magical on the mound and diamond

Ringgold graduate Dan O’Rourke throws a pitch during his time with Ohio University. Submitted photo

By WAYNE STEWART
For MVI Sports

An old, popular song by the Temptations opened with the line, “You surely must know magic … .”
On the local scene, Dan O’Rourke knew his stuff as a mound magician – figuratively, performing his acts of legerdemain as a pitcher, and literally, as a member of the Charleroi Magicians. Toss in his Ringgold High School sleight of hand pitching performances, and this man had quite an act.
A 2001 graduate of Ringgold, he was the Rams’ starting center fielder and pitcher as a sophomore. That season his ERA was microscopic at 1.96, and his record unblemished at 2-0. That helped the Rams win their section and advance to become the WPIAL runner up.
That summer the right-hander, whose fastball topped out at 92, joined the Magicians and made an immediate impact by going 5-0. Defeat was not a part of his make up.
O’Rourke’s junior season produced five more wins, and he was honored by being named to the All-Section squad. His 73 strikeouts in 45 innings placed him among the WPIAL leaders.
Returning to the Magicians, he hit .460 during that team’s regular season then somehow remarkably upped the ante in the playoffs by hitting .522.
Overall, he once again posted an untarnished win-loss record at 7-0, plus he even tossed in three saves. He was selected as the MVP of the Magicians as well as being named the Fayette County League Pitcher of the Year. He was also named to the Pennsylvania All-West All-Star Team.
He was selected to play in the Keystone Games. Playing for the Allegheny Region, he fired a complete game against the Philadelphia Region in winning the gold medal.
Next came O’Rourke’s senior year at Ringgold, and once more honors poured in. He was a preseason All-State pick, First-Team All-Section selection as a pitcher, and he was on the All-Section Second Team as an outfielder , hitting .375.
He was the section’s MVP and was named to the All-County team as their captain. He continued his pitching dominance with a record of 5-1 and a nearly invisible 0.68 ERA. He averaged close to 1 1/2 strikeouts per inning – 63 strikeouts in 41 innings.

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