This is the eighth in a series of articles profiling the 2018 inductees into the Butler County Sports Hall of FameSHARPSVILLE — Mike Sikorski loved to plav baseball.He enjoyed hunting and fishing even more.The 1996 Knoch graduate decided midway through his high school career he better do less of the latter if he wanted to stay on the diamond.“I only played high school baseball my junior and senior year at Knoch,” Sikorski said. “I only played travel ball in the summer before that. I hunted and fished in the spring.”Sikorski went on to a stellar high school and college playing career, became a successful high school baseball coach and is now going into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame. He will be inducted during the organization's 53rd annual banquet at 6 p.m. April 28 at the Lyndora American Legion Hall.“It's very humbling,” Sikorski said of his induction. “Butler County was a great place to grow up for sports. All of the baseball teams were very competitive.”Sikorski, a center fielder, hit .410 as a junior at Knoch and .455 his senior year. He hit three home runs both years. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos out of high school.Instead of signing, he opted to attend and play baseball for Gulf Coast Community College at the recommendation of a pro scout.“It's a baseball factory down there,” Sikorski said. “A lot of the JUCO players in Florida are Division I caliber players.”As a sophomore, Sikorski was selected to play in the Florida Community College All-Star Game. He transferred to a small college in Tennessee for the following fall semester before finishing out his final two years of college baseball at Slippery Rock University.While in Florida, Sikorski dealt with injuries. He suffered a slipped disc in his back, broke a hand and incurred mononucleosis.He stayed healthy long enough to put together two solid years at SRU. Sikorski hit .361 with eight homers, 19 doubles and 52 RBI his junior year, then hit .354 with 12 homers, 13 doubles and 44 RBI his senior season.“I dealt with a hamstring pull there,” he said of The Rock. “I became a designated hitter toward the end of my last year just so I could stay on the field.”Sikorski was never selected in the baseball amateur draft again. While that was “admitttedly disappointing,” he did not have to leave baseball.Having prepped for a teaching career, Sikorski was hired as a physical education teacher at Sharpsburg High School. He still teaches there today.After three years as assistant baseball coach at Sharpsville — helping the team win consecutive district titles in 2005 and 2006 — Sikorski became the program's head coach for eight seasons,Sharpsville won the District 10 championship in 2010 and region crowns from 2011-13 under Sikorski.“I eventually got out of coaching because my kids were starting to play sports and I didn't want to miss that,” he said.His daughter Mylee, 21, played volleyball at Sharpsville High School. His son Gavin, 9, and daughter Kallin, 7, are playing baseball and softball. Sikorski helps coach their youth teams.He also gives hitting lessons “for kids age 8 through seniors in high school,” he said. “I give fast-pitch softball and baseball hitting lessons.“I still love the game. I can see myself coaching high school again, but only after my kids have grown. I'm having too much fun with them right now.”Tickets to the BCSHOF banquet are available at Moses Jewelers at the Clearview Mall, Snack n' Pack in Butler, Saxonburg Drug, Parker's Appliance in Chicora and Maddalon Jewelers in Zelienople.