Lumm, Abeles and Conway inducted into county sports hall of fame
When Maugansville Little League became one of the first locations to provide a new Challenger Division for special-needs children with medical disabilities in 1990, Marty Lumm and his son, Kevin, who was blind, signed up.
"I helped him at bat, run the bases and play the field," Lumm remembered.
Two years later, new leadership was needed for the program.
"I took it on a temporary basis," Lumm said. "You know how that goes. I ran it for 31 years."
That journey of more than three decades led Lumm into the Washington County Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Lumm, Suzy Abeles and Josh Conway were inducted as the Class of 2023, the 34th class to be enshrined, during an evening dinner and ceremony at Hagerstown Elks Lodge No. 378.
"It's an honor to share the podium with Suzy and Josh," said Lumm. "To be mentioned with the best athletes, coaches, sports writers and administrators (in the hall of fame), it's surprising."
Lumm was a winner on Saturday. It fits with the Challenger Baseball way: "If you're out there playing, you're a winner," Lumm said.
Lumm recalled fondly the Challenger games played at recently-demolished Municipal Stadium with the Hagerstown Suns, and what that meant for the players.
"Playing baseball on a professional field, with professional players, is pretty exciting," Lumm said. "One year, those kids got to play with Bryce Harper."
Abeles was a standout three-sport athlete at North Hagerstown High School in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was a district champion in cross country, helped the Hubs win a girls basketball state title in 1981, and was a two-time all-county first-team honoree in her best sport, softball.
"Diane (Stahl) eventually coached all three sports that I participated in," said Abeles. "She was a rigorous, but motivating and dedicated head coach who contributed to our development both on and off the playing fields. Her leadership and guidance inspired me to be the best that I could be as a player, teammate and eventually a coach and teacher."
It was on the softball diamonds where Abeles starred in college at Shippensburg and Slippery Rock. In her freshman year with the Red Raiders, Shippensburg finished second in the NCAA Division II World Series, with Abeles earning all-tournament honors. She ranked 16th in Division II in batting average that season.
But Abeles' "most gratifying accomplishment" was still to come.
"(That) would be my 33 years of teaching elementary (physical education)," Abeles said. "I loved teaching young children the skills necessary to participate in physical activities outside of school and those that are required for a lifetime of healthy living. I enjoyed being a positive role model and demonstrating to them the values of hard work, discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship, as well as encouraging them to try their best.
"What we all have done (is) for the love of a game, and this (hall of fame honor) is how we are rewarded. ... It is very humbling and quite an honor, especially when you look at the names of previous recipients of this award."
Conway was a three-sport star at Smithsburg High School in the late 2000s. As a senior, he was The Herald-Mail All-Area Football Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and the All-Area Baseball Pitcher of the Year in 2009.
He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 42nd round in the summer of 2009, making him the first Smithsburg player to get drafted by a Major League Baseball team. Passing on the pros at that time, he starred at Division I Coastal Carolina and was named the Big South Conference's top professional prospect in 2012.
That summer, Conway was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round (134th overall). He pitched in the Cubs organization from 2012-17.
"You never know how it's going to go," Conway said of a baseball journey. "I had a lot of opportunities and a lot of support along the way."
Following his playing career, Conway served as a student assistant pitching coach at Coastal Carolina, then joined the Baltimore Orioles' minor league coaching staff in 2019 and spent four seasons holding pitching-coach roles at various levels.
"I was able to learn a lot through my coaching experiences," Conway said. "I learned from a lot of smart people and can hopefully pass that down to the kids, help give them opportunities like I had."
Conway currently is a coach for Pease Baseball Professionals in Frederick.
Honors and awards
The Washington County Sports Hall of Fame presented these awards and scholarships Saturday:
• Donald Stoner Coach of the Year: Adam Rudy, Smithsburg.
• William Lightner Officials of the Year Award: Donnie Souders and Rodney Nave.
• Sara “Skip” Ward Scholarship Award: Cami Row, Boonsboro.
• Harry L. Cunningham Jr. Scholarship Award: Joshua Hegbe, Smithsburg
• Robert “Turtle” Smith Baseball Scholarships (in memory of Paul “Brandy” Bradenburg and Robert T. Clark, and in honor of Bill Kercheval): Kaden Jackson, Williamsport; Jacob Hill, St. Maria Goretti; Sam Bono, Smithsburg; Lucas Strickland, North Hagerstown; and Ethan Earley, Grace Academy.
• Millie Shank Athletic Academic Scholarship: Adrianna Miller, Smithsburg.
• Gregg DeLauney-President’s Award Scholarship: Emily Kopp, Williamsport.
• Carroll I. Reid Jr. Scholarship, sponsored by Cumberland Valley Athletic Club: Michaela Carney, Boonsboro.
• Carroll and Virginia Reid Memorial Scholarship: Adam Batey, Smithsburg; Kayla Ward, Smithsburg.
• Nick Adenhart Memorial Scholarship: Hutson Trobaugh, Clear Spring.
• Jeff Scuffins Memorial Scholarship: Ethan VanMeter, South Hagerstown.
• Dotty Piccolomini Scholarship: Anna Smith, North Hagerstown; Cami Row, Boonsboro.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Lumm, Abeles and Conway inducted into county sports hall of fame
