Upper Arlington athletic director Chris Potts had to feel like a telemarketer last spring. With Denny Martin stepping down for health reasons and to watch his daughter play fast-pitch softball for the Golden Bears, Potts was speed-dialing for a varsity baseball coach.

His first call was to Ron Mautz. Mautz taught middle school in the system until retiring four years ago, led the baseball team to a state championship in 1987, coached the boys and girls basketball teams and still lives in the city. Mautz politely said no thanks. He had a job as manager of the Swim & Racquet Club. Potts called again. Mautz wouldn't bite.

Yet a third telephone call made Mautz feel like he was making a deal on an automobile. He'd return only if old friend Dave Koblentz could be his equal. Koblentz was his assistant in 1986 and a co-coach in '87. Mautz was an assistant under Koblentz in 1988. Mautz stressed that watching daughter Kristen play her senior year of golf at Ohio University would come before baseball.

The deal has been sweet; the Bears are 6-3. "I wasn't going to take no for an answer," Potts said. "After the first time we talked, I knew there was some interest. The spark was there. Ron and Dave thought it was a good idea, but they didn't know if they could put the time into it. Things have worked out great. I just hope it's more than a one-year deal."

Mautz made no guarantees other than Upper Arlington would play hard and with class. "They got somebody older than Moses to do this," Mautz said. "Kobie and I work together well. He handles the pitchers and I work with the infielders and outfielders. I do the paperwork and coach third and Kobie runs the dugout.

There are points in the game when we'll say, 'OK, if they do this, we'll do that.' What makes this work is there are no egos." When Mautz helped drive the Ohio golf team to Bowling Green for a tournament on Tuesday, Koblentz led the Bears to a 9-4 victory over Grove City.

Koblentz is Mr. Baseball. He was a scout and minor-league instructor for the Cleveland Indians and head coach at Duke, and he coaches in the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League.

"The kids don't bat an eye over this arrangement," Koblentz said. "It's working out like it did years ago. They do say two heads are better than one. This is a great place to coach. My kids went to school here. The parents have been great. Once Ron and I decided to return, we just dove in there. We hadn't seen any of these kids play, so we watched closely during preseason workouts and put our notebooks together."

Mautz joked that maybe he shouldn't return after the win over Grove City. "I'm not going to miss any of Kristen's tournaments," Mautz said. "I've watched her play all her life." Potts said the players have enjoyed hearing stories from Koblentz's time in baseball.

"I've always enjoyed the teaching aspect of baseball," he said. "I've told the kids I'm having a good time."