This is the ninth in a series of articles profiling the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2021.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — On the field and ice, Tim Curran left his mark on athletic programs at Mars Area High School.

Before graduating in 1992, he starred as a pitcher/shortstop for the baseball team, finishing among the WPIAL leaders in strikeouts as a senior, and was part of the hockey team’s incredible turnaround in just its second year of existence in 1990.

Those efforts helped make Curran part of the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame’s latest induction class.

“I was really surprised when I got that phone call,” he said. “It’s an honor ... I know there have been a lot of good athletes come out of Mars over the years.”

Thanks to his father, Curran was introduced to baseball at an early age.

“He was always into baseball. Our neighbor let him paint a circle on his garage and I would stay out there, throwing pitch after pitch at that thing. I learned control from a very early age.

“I started playing T-ball when I was five and played baseball all the way up through the local leagues, PONY, COLT and legion.”

Curran began seeing playing time as a shortstop on Mars’ varsity team a few games into his freshman season, but it wasn’t long before he was on the mound.

He helped the Planets reach the WPIAL playoffs all four years. He was the team’s lone returning starter as a senior in 1992 and pitched two gems at the end of the regular season to help Mars reach the postseason — an 8-1 three-hitter against Richland and a 12-2 defeat of Deer Lakes.

“I liked pitching because it allowed me to be in control of things,” Curran said. “I always finished the season with a winning record.

“The weather was so bad at the start of each spring, our season would become very compact. We played our butts off and had to play almost every day for a month to get all of our games in.”

One pitch Curran was able to throw sticks out for former Mars coach Brian Hobaugh.

“He had a slider that would break a couple inches off the plate,” he said. “I remember him striking out a lot of guys with that pitch.

“Tim wasn’t a big kid, but he was a smart player who took the game seriously.”

Curran also excelled for Mars’ legion team and made the cut to compete as an all-star at Three Rivers Stadium in 1991.

The event included other top players from Western Pennsylvania and many college and pro scouts were in attendance.

“Every player got to play three innings in the field and we all batted once,” said Curran. “I singled in my only at-bat at Three Rivers.”

He and his friends were behind the inception of Mars’ hockey team his freshman year.

“We were always skating and playing on the frozen ponds in the area,” said Curran. “When we were in junior high, we started talking about getting a high school team started.”

The Planets endured an 0-22 season in 1989, but went 14-5-1 and reached the league championship game the following year.

A winger, he scored a goal and added an assist in a semifinal win over Ford City.

“We knew we were good, but weren’t used to playing with all the rules and regulations. Once we got accustomed to that, everything started to flow together.”

Curran went on to pitch four years as a reliever and starter for Slippery Rock University’s baseball team.

He moved to South Carolina a few years ago and attended the Myrtle Beach Golf Academy. He has since worked with several golf courses and hopes to one day be a golf professional or assistant professional.

Curran and his wife, Gunay, have a 15-year old son, Tristan.

Curran has fond memories of his high school days.

“Playing sports was a good way to stay out of trouble,” he said with a laugh. “I loved the camaraderie that came with being part of a team.”