By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

It always feels good to come home.

Lee Lovejoy enjoyed everything about his time as the baseball head coach at Southeast High School, but the lure of coaching at his alma mater had his heart.

Lovejoy is a Ravenna Raven again.

The former Ravens right-handed pitching standout was officially announced as the baseball program’s head coach earlier this month.

“I am so thrilled to have Lee back coaching at Ravenna,” athletic director Jim Lunardi said. “I’ve known Lee for a long time and his knowledge of the game, community and players will help him get Ravenna baseball on track. He was a part of the last league championship here.”

Lunardi is not alone in his excitement.

Lovejoy is right there with him.

“Excited is an understatement,” said Lovejoy, who pitched at Lourdes University after graduating from Ravenna (Class of 2012). “To lead the program I once played for is an honor. I am not sure if there is any other job that I would have taken to leave Southeast.”

Lovejoy enjoyed his time at Southeast so much that the idea of leaving took some time to consider.

“I slept on the idea for a few days,” Lovejoy said. “I had some conversations with some peers and of course my family. After those few days, it turned into not sleeping, from being so excited to even have a chance to be back in my hometown colors.”

For Lovejoy, in many ways, Ravenna is baseball and baseball is Ravenna.

“I was raised here, played Ravenna Hot Stove and grew up around the high-school program when my dad (Earl Lovejoy) was the varsity assistant under Justin Mulheim. I don’t think it has hit me yet how special this opportunity is, but I am thankful for it.”

Lovejoy spent four seasons leading the Pirates’ program, but lost the 2020 season to COVID.

“Starting at Southeast as a head coach was a blessing,” Lovejoy said. “I had accepted being away from baseball for the first time since I was 4 or 5 years old, but the phone to lead the program came out of left field, and I can’t thank the leadership at Southeast enough for the opportunity.

“Family is a huge part of who I am and how I was raised and Southeast was the perfect place for that,” Lovejoy added. “The community accepted me and supported me from day one, and I will never forget Pirate Nation. One person I will forever be fortunate for is Bob Romito. Coach Romito removed a lot of weight off my shoulders by coming back to assist me and provide a lot of things that he never needed to do. He is a special guy, and I am lucky to call him a friend.”

But now, it is all about Ravenna for Lovejoy — again.

“If there is one thing I never did, it was that I never forgot where I came from,” Lovejoy said. “When I played sports, I played in Ravenna. When I went to school, I went to Ravenna City Schools. It is way too often that negative things are said about Ravenna, and I take pride in knowing that my accomplishments all stem from being a Raven. I am happy to call this place home, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Lovejoy was a three-year lettermen for Ravenna baseball and was named the Portage Trail Conference Player of the Year in 2012, which ended with the program’s first conference championship in 24 years.