Attention baseball and softball coaches

The Observer-Reporter needs all area high school baseball and softball coaches to send in final statistics.

If you have not sent us final stats, please send them to mkovak@observer-reporter.com.

Two Peters Township products drafted

As far as senior seasons go, it's tough to top Jimmy Rider's year as a member of the Kent State University baseball team.
Rider recently became the Golden Flashes' all-time hits leader, and has 346 for his career. Kent State is a baseball program which has produced former New York Yankees Thurman Munson and Gene Michael, and former Pirates first-round draft pick John VanBenschoten.
Then, Kent State won the Mid-American Conference, again, and clinched a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. With significant contributions from Rider, the Golden Flashes' starting shortstop the past four years, Kent State has advanced to the Eugene Super Regional. If Kent State wins a three-game series against Oregon, it advances to the College World Series.
Rider's best graduation gift likely came Wednesday when the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the 26th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. The Pirates pan on moving Rider to second base.
"I went to a lot of Pirates games growing up and I've always followed them," Rider said. "I watch them on TV any time I get a chance. ... I've always been a huge Pirates fan."
Jordan Jankowski, Rider's former high school teammate, likely took an interest in the Houston Astros when the organization selected him in the 34th round of the 2008 draft. The Astros certainly remembered Jankowski as his college career took him from Miami (Ohio) to Division II Catawba (N.C.).
They drafted Jankowski with the first pick of the 34th round.
Jankowski led Division II with 126 strikeouts during the regular season. He did not pitch for Catawba in the Division II tournament.s
Rider and Jankowski are the seventh and eighth players from Peters Township drafted since Joe Maize became head coach.
Last year, Justin Bianco was drafted in the third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jim Gallagher was a seventh round pick of the Chicago White Sox and still with the organization. Joe Kail, Jason DiAngelo, Brian Simmons and Chris Peters were the others. Simmons and Peters each played in the major leagues. Peters was a pitcher for the Pirates.

California's Conway, Hartman honored by WPIAL baseball coaches

California High School annually puts out a competitive baseball team, and the Trojans frequently compete for section and district championships.

California has won three WPIAL titles and played for a PIAA championship in 1984 when there were only two classifications in the sport.

This season, California is 19-0 for the first time in a long time (possibly ever) and the Trojans play Neshannock Wednesday afternoon in the WPIAL Class A championship game at Consol Energy Park at 5:30 p.m.

"Coming in, our goal was to be competitive," California coach Don Hartman said. "This group came together and the chemistry is outstanding. To say it was the least expected of the teams we've had make it this far, it was."

At this point, it may seem difficult to believe that California didn't enter the season with such lofty expectations. That may be one small reason why Hartman was honored by the WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association as the Class A Coach of the Year. Senior pitcher T.D. Conway, who is 13-0 with 120 strikeouts, is the Class A Pitcher of the Year.

Former Canon-McMillan coach Steve Bucci was the Class AAA Coach of the Year for his work at South Park.

Player of the Year
AAAA - J.J. Matijevic, Norwin
AAA - Zarley Zalewski, Valley
AA - Ben Hartz, Shady Side Academy
A - John Sansone, Neshannock

Pitcher of the Year
AAAA - Anthony Garofalo, Plum
AAA - Greg Schneider, Thomas Jefferson
AA - Anthony Carusone, Ellwood City
A - T.D. Conway, California

Coach of the Year
AAAA - Mike Liebdzinski, Norwin
AAA - Steve Bucci, South Park
AA - Skooter Roebuck, Brownsville
A - Don Hartman, California

Cal's Conway, Bentworth's Delval put on pitching showcase

It’s become an annual criticism concerning the WPIAL baseball playoffs. Teams which receive a first-round bye can throw their top pitcher throughout the postseason tournament, assuming weather cooperates and games remain on schedule.
Two aces – California’s T.D. Conway and Bentworth’s Tyler Delval – displayed their considerable talents and swing-stopping curveballs during the Trojans’ 2-1 win in the Class A semifinals late Monday night at Washington & Jefferson College’s Ross Memorial Park.
It’s doubtful anyone in the overflow crowd complained after Conway and Delval each turned in masterful nine-inning performances as California defeated Bentworth’s for the third consecutive year in the playoffs.
“A lot of people out there say this No. 1 pitcher versus No. 1 pitcher isn’t a good thing,” California head coach Don Hartman said following the game. “If you’re a fan who loves baseball, you couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Conway and Delval, who both took advantage of a wide strike zone by throwing nearly as many off-speed pitches as fastballs, were nothing short of brilliant.
Delval allowed one baserunner on a Sean Cotton single with one out in the fifth through seven innings. He allowed just three hits, struck out 13 and walked one.
I feel very badly for him because he obviously did an outstanding job and he’s taking it hard,” Bentworth coach Dion Jansante said. “Without him, we wouldn’t have been in this game. I hope he realizes that.”
For at least seven innings, Delval might have outdueled Conway, if that’s actually possible. Then again, the Trojans’ ace deserves a little slack. Just hours before California arrived, Conway was leaving Mon Valley Hospital following an overnight stay for a 24-hour flu bug.
“I came straight from the hospital to the game,” said Conway, who struck out 14 and allowed five hits. “I made it habit to want to pitch in this game. I couldn’t let the team down.”
He responded with the finest performance of his season, which is saying something considering Conway upped his record to 13-0.
Conway now gets a week to recuperate before California (19-0) plays top-seeded Neshannock (20-2) in the WPIAL Class A championship, May 30 at Consol Energy Park. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
But even a chance to help win California’s first WPIAL title since 2006 and Hartman’s third as a head coach, didn’t dampen appreciation for Bentworth (17-2).
“(Delval) pitched an outstanding team. Bentworth is a very, very good team. Look at how long that game was 0-0. That doesn’t happen very often,” Conway said. “I feel like we were the two best teams played each other.”
The Bearcats can qualify for their first trip to the PIAA playoffs by beating OLSH (16-6) in the third-place consolation game, which will be played May 30 at 4 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park.
And, naturally, Delval will pitch for Bentworth.
“Playing in the state playoffs is one of our goals we set before the season,” Jansante said. “I’ve never had a chance to play a June game and I asked the team if they wouldn’t mind helping me out. This is a talented group, and they don’t want to see it end.”

WPIAL baseball all-stars

The WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association all-star games take place Sunday, June 10 at the Burkett Complex in Robinson Township. Class A plays Class AA at 1 p.m. The Class AAA vs. Class AAAA game begins at 4 p.m.
With California and Bentworth among the top three seeds in the WPIAL Class A playoffs, it's not surprising the Class A roster features nine players from Washington-Greene Counties.

Two of the areas top senior players - Peters Township's Mike Bittel and California's T.D. Conway - are not participating.
Class AAAA
Andrew Erenberg, Peters Township
Anthony Cinello, Bethel Park
Russell Clark, Pine-Richland
Eddie Dutkewycz, Albert Gallatin
Jack Elliott, Upper St Clair
Anthony Fanelli, Hempfield
Mick Fennell, Butler
Anthony Garofalo, Plum
Ian Happ, Mt Lebanon
Luke Koshinksy, Plum
Zach Krivda, McKeesport
Max McDowell, Norwin
Ryan Mincher, Shaler
Ben Nolan, Bethel Park
Cam Onderko, Norwin
Nick Opferman, Baldwin
Troy Schoeppner, Upper St Clair
Matt Smith, Seneca Valley
Mike Wilcox, Upper St Clair
Matt Wolczko, Kiski Area
Coaches
Andy Maddix North Allegheny; Rick Satcho McKeesport; Todd Schiffhauer North Allegheny; Eric Semega Seneca Valley

Class AAA
Hunter Bigler, Trinity
Tyler Drusbasky, Ringgold
Cory Callan, Hampton
Tyler Craig, Blackhawk
Zac Heide, Mount Pleasant
Christian Herstine, Beaver
Shane Hertzog, Mount Pleasant
Dan Jena, South Park
Everett Lesko, West Mifflin
Anthony Marks, Montour
Mac Megahan, Knoch
Mike Megahan, Moon
Mike Nowicki, Greensburg-Salem
Ryan Ruffing, Thomas Jefferson
Greg Schneider, Thomas Jefferson
Nate Steel, Hopewell
John Szmed, Greensburg-Salem
C J Weigand, Mars
Trevor Williams, West Allegheny
Zarley Zalewski,Valley
Coaches
George Bradley Knoch; Bruce Herstine Beaver; Rich Krivanek Thomas Jefferson; Jeff Kuzma West Mifflin

Class AA
Tanner Garry, Fort Cherry
Joe Monica, Waynesburg
Alex Swauger, Waynesburg
Brent Williams, Fort Cherry
Brad Appleby, Greensburg CC
Shane Conley, Carlynton
Ryan Dunn, Freeport
Todd Fennick, Laurel
Brandon Galley, Southmoreland
Joey Giles, Sto-Rox
Phil Gnus, Brownsville
Rob Hardy, Riverside
Kevin Hart, Seton LaSalle
Ben Hartz, Shady Side Academy
Rick Jones, Laurel
Christian Kerns, Ellwood City
Fran O'Connor, Freedom
Jordan Price, Freedom
C J Testarella, Riverview
Coty Villinger, Southmoreland
Coaches
Dan O'Leary Freedom, Skooter Roebuck Brownsville, Jason Sharp Carlynton, Mark Suckfiel South Allegheny,Eric Verdi Laurel

Class A
Matt Bakewell California
Nick Clarke Carmichaels
Sean Cotton California
Tyler Delval Bentworth
Mike Knox Beth-Center
Brandon Lesko Jefferson-Morgan
Tyler Sabatula Beth-Center
John Shaw Avella
Nick Smydo Bentworth
Coby Croft Avonworth
Brandon Duerr, Our Lady of Sacred Heart
Alain Girman Serra Catholic
Evan Gourley Vincentian Academy
Joe Killian Springdale
Chris Koryak Vincentian Academy
Jake Miller North Catholic
Zach Miller North Catholic
John Sansone Neshannock
Alex Strittmatter, Neshannock
Tyler Swarmer Leechburg
Coaches
Phil Coffin Avonworth, Brian Dzurenda Serra Catholic, Mike Kirkwood Neshannock
Randy Miller North Catholic

WPIAL baseball pairings

No Peters Township in the playoffs for the first time since 2002. No Trinity for a second consecutive season. It's a bit odd not seeing either team in the postseason. The last time that happened was 1998.

Class AA
No. 4 South Fayette vs. No. 13 Steel Valley, Monday at Upper St. Clair, 4:30 p.m.
No. 7 Fort Cherry vs. No. 10 Bishop Canevin, Monday at Burkett Complex (Robinson Twp.), 2 p.m.
No. 15 Waynesburg vs. No. 2 Shady Side Academy, Monday at Upper St. Clair, 2 p.m.

Class A
No. 2 California, bye
No. 3 Bentworth, bye
No. 9 Chartiers-Houston vs. No. 8 Avonworth, Monday at Burkett Complex, 4:30 p.m.
No. 12 Carmichaels vs. No. 5 Serra Catholic, Monday at Charleroi, 2 p.m.
No. 13 Beth-Center vs. No. 4 OLSH, Monday, at CCAC Boyce (Monroeville), 2 p.m.s

Observer-Reporter WPIAL baseball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Norwin 15-0
2. Seneca Valley 14-3
3. Bethel Park 16-2
4. Plum 14-3
5. Hempfield 15-4

Class AAA
1. Blackhawk 16-2
2. Hopewell 16-3
3. South Park 15-4
4. Mars 14-3
5. Thomoas Jefferson 13-4

Class AA
1. Shady Side Academy 14-2
2. Riverside 15-4
3. Ellwood City 17-2
4. South Fayette 12-6
5. Laurel 14-5

Class A
1. California 16-0
2. Neshannock 17-2
3. Bentworth 14-1
4. Vincentian Academy 10-5
5. Serra Catholic 11-4

Observer-Reporter WPIAL baseball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Norwin 12-0
2. Bethel Park 12-1
3. Upper St. Clair 13-2
4. Shaler 11-3
5. Plum 10-3

Class AAA
1. Hopewell 15-1
2. Blackhawk 13-2
3. Chartiers Valley 12-3
4. Mars 11-3
5. Thomas Jefferson 10-4

Class AA
1. Shady Side Academy 11-2
2. Riverside 12-4
3. Ellwood City 14-2
4. Laurel 12-4
5. Waynesburg 10-3

Class A
1. California 13-0
2. Neshannock 13-2
3. Bentworth 11-0
4. Serra Catholic 10-3
5. Chartiers-Houston 9-4

Observer-Reporter WPIAL baseball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Norwin 9-0
2. Bethel Park 10-1
3. Shaler 9-2
4. Seneca Valley 8-2
5. Upper St. Clair 9-2

Class AAA
1. Hopewell 11-1
2. Blackhawk 10-1
3. Chartiers Valley 9-3
4. Thomas Jefferson 7-3
5. South Park 9-3

Class AA
1. Shady Side Academy 9-1
2. Ellwood City 12-0
3. Riverside 8-4
4. Waynesburg 7-2
5. Laurel 9-3

Class A
1. Serra Catholic 8-1
2. California 10-0
3. Neshannock 10-2
4. Bentworth 8-0
5. Springdale 8-2

Observer-Reporter WPIAL baseball rankings

Class AAAA
1. Seneca Valley 6-1
2. Norwin 6-0
3. Bethel Park 7-1
4. Upper St. Clair 7-1
5. Shaler 6-2

Class AAA
1. Blackhawk 8-0
2. South Park 8-1
3. Chartiers Valley 7-2
4. Hopewell 9-1
5. Thomas Jefferson 5-2

Class AA
1. Shady Side Academy 6-1
2. Ellwood City 9-0
3. Riverside 6-3
4. Waynesburg 5-1
5. Brownsville 6-2

Class A
1. Serra Catholic 6-1
2. California 7-0
3. Neshannock 6-2
4. Bentworth 6-0
5. Monessen 7-2

Five questions for the spring

1. How will Kayla Briggs adjust to being Chartiers-Houston's full-time pitcher?

Considering Briggs pitches full-time for travel teams and pitched the Bucs out of several tight positions in postseason games, chances are good C-H will once again be among the top teams in Class A.
Briggs batted .646 as a sophomore, but as a relief pitcher during her freshman season Briggs went 1-0 with eight saves and a 0.38 ERA.
Chartiers-Houston ran through WPIAL competition last year, claiming a district title with an undefeated record. The Bucs finished 22-1 but lost their bid to repeat as PIAA champion with a one-run loss to Clarion in the state semifinals.

2. Will relay teams drop the baton or repeat as champions?

Ringgold's 400 relay team won a WPIAL Class AAA championship, while Washington 1,600 relay team won WPIAL Class AA gold and set a championship meet record in the process last May.
Ringgold must wait a month before its regular 4x100 relay team of Quad Law, Alfon Cook, Joey Walls and Demetrius Louis run together as Law is set for knee surgery to remove loose cartilegde from an injury in ninth grade. Louis, who finished second in the 100 dash at the WPIAL championships, is set to return from January shoulder surgery.
The Prexies return Mykhael Kelley, Jordan Thomas, Darius Spinks and Dustin Fuller from a 1,600 relay team that predicted it would set and WPIAL meet record last year and did with a time of 3:26.41. The relay team has established a goal of winning PIAA gold this spring.

3. Can Washington County really be the nation's premier area for girls javelin?

With Fort Cherry's Jessie Merckle and the Canon-McMillan duo of Mira Carrozza and Anna Lombardo, it may well be.
Merckle is a two-time WPIAL Class AA champion, a PIAA silver medalist and a Wake Forest recruit. Carrozza was a WPIAL Class AAA silver medalist last spring and signed with South Florida. Both are considered among the top 10 high school female javelin throwers in the nation.
Lomardo, also a senior, is just outside the top 10 rankings. Lombardo placed 12th at the USATF National Junior Olympics Outdoor Track & Field Championships last July. Merckle PR'd at the event and placed second. Carrozza was 23rd, while Peters Township graduate Kaitlyn Brace (Purdue University) was third.

4. Is Peters Township baseball rebuilding or reloading?

A senior-heavy lineup put runs up in bunched for Peters Township, which lost to Seneca Valley in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game and the PIAA quarterfinals. Observer-Reporter Player of the Year Justin Bianco was drafted in the third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Brady Sheetz, Austin Hancock and Will McClure put up big numbers and Ryan Minteer pitched in nearly every big game.
All five have graduated, but the Indians return Andrew Erenberg. He batted .434 with 28 runs and 20 RBI as a junior. Pitcher Mike Bittel, a Seton Hill recruit, will take on an increased load as the Indians will have to win more low-scoring games than it did the past two years.

5. Can the baseball teams at Waynesburg and Chartiers-Houston duplicate last year's success?

Waynesburg reached the WPIAL Class AA championship game last spring and Chartiers-Houston was the surprise of Class A as it reached the championship game at Consol Energy Park.
Both the Raiders and Bucs return a bulk of talent from last year's teams, which were upended in the first round of the state playoffs. Both also have new coaches.
Kevin Pincavitch. a Mapletown graduate and former member of the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, is in his first season as Raiders coach. Adam Petras is the new coach at C-H.
Waynesburg will be among the favorites in Class AA with a group of returners which includes Stephen McCaw, Joe Monica and Alex Swauger. Chartiers-Houston won't surprise anyone this year as it returns top pitchers Dylan Pounds and Josh Counihan.

Top five moments of 2011

1. Matt Venanzi's last-second goal
A Neil Harrison throw-in with 10 seconds remaining bounced in front of the Pittsburgh central Catholic goal. Somehow, the ball squirted to All-State midfielder and Pitt recruit Matt Venanzi.
One touch later, upstart Peters Township tied top-seed PCC, 1-1, with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
Following the goal, Venanzi raced toward the corner flag, looked into the sky as he raised his arms to hip level and was mobbed by teammates.
Peters Township went on to win the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals in a shootout. Naturally, Venanzi scored in that as well. Peters Township, which lost its final three games of the regular season, reached the WPIAL championship game once again with the win and qualified for the state tournament.
"We weren't as good as last year, but we still had some good players," Venanzi said. "We had a lot of new players but the team knew we could be good. I think it was people outside the program who didn't expect us to get this far."

2. Veronica Latsko fights off Pennridge
While the moment can't top Venanzi's for sheer drama, Peters Township sophomore Veronica Latsko scored a goal in the 2011 PIAA Class AAA championship match that illustrates why she's considered one of the top players around.
A pair of Pennridge defenders tugged and pulled at Latsko for nearly 25 yards and just as the All-State striker looked ready to hit the turf at Hersheypark Stadium, she managed to put a shot early in the first half on net for the game's lone goal.
Peters Township won its second consecutive PIAA Class AAA championship with a 1-0 victory.
"I don't know how she stayed on her feet for that long," Peters Township coach Pat Vereb said. "It was an amazing effort."

3. Briggs has grand time for C-H softball
Chartiers-Houston took a 20-0 record and a 24-game win streak into the WPIAL Class A championship game against section rival Fort Cherry, the bracket's 15th seed.
An ideas that the Rangers would pull off an upset and beat the 2010 state champs were quickly quelled in the second inning when sophomore rightfielder Kayla Briggs smacked a Nicolette McHugh pitch toward centerfield and over the wall at California University's Lilly Field.
"I didn't really think it was gone. I was just trying to get one run in," Briggs said.
Briggs finished the championship game with five RBI, or just another average day for a two-time All-State selection who batted over .600 during her sophomore season.


4. Monessen extracts revenge
Rarely do teams admit a victory is sweeter because of the opponent. That wasn't the case for the Monessen boys basketball team following the 2011 WPIAL Class AA title game.
The balanced Greyhounds beat top-seed Greensburg Central Catholic with surprising ease, burying three-pointers, playing air-tight defense and even throwing down an alley-oop.
"I would say it is. They get sweeter the older you get," Moneseen coach Joe Salvino said. "But that's a school that's allowed to get anybody. And here we are at Monessen, a small Class A school playing up and winning a championship. I'm proud of these kids."
Beating the Centurions was particularly pleasing that year given the strange circumstances involving the transfers of Terrence and Josh Stepoli. The brothers started at Monessen, went to GCC separately, went back to Monessen and, well, you get the idea.
And during Monessen's postseason run, which ended in the state semifinals with a loss to GCC, the legendary Salvino picked up his 500th career victory.


5. Peters Township's lumber company
On one magical night during the WPIAL Class AAAA baseball playoffs, Peters Township put together what might be the best hitting performance the district postseason has seen.
During a 17-1 win over Latrobe, Peters Township's bash brothers bashed a grand slam, home runs, triples and doubles.
By the time the game ended because of the 15-run mercy rule, Peters Township – led by Justin Bianco, Brady Sheetz, Austin Hancock and Andrew Erenberg – smacked 10 extra base hits. None were cheap.
"We have a lot of guys that can hit the ball. We go up there looking to do our job," said rightfielder Justin Bianco.
The hitting performance continually drew "oohs" and "aahs" from spectators and even prompted a couple college coaches in attendance to say they've never witnessed a better hitting performance.
No doubt the playoff-issued baseballs were glad to see the Indians leave Washington & Jefferson's baseball field that night.

Tuesday notebook

Blogger's note: Final thoughts on the local 2011 football season are being formulated and will appear soon.

Two of the area's premier high school baseball players - Nick Riotto and Stephen McCaw - recently made commitments to college programs.

Riotto, a junior from Trinity, will play at Penn State. McCaw, a senior from Waynesburg, will play for Mercyhurst.

Riotto burst onto the high school scene as a freshman with a .500-plus batting average and big-time numbers. The lefty landed a spot on the Observer-Reporter All-District team that year. His batting average dipped during his sophomore season as Trinity missed the playoffs, but Riotto continued to play well in fall and summer leagues.

McCaw was the leading hitter for a Waynesburg team that reached the WPIAL Class AA championship last season, and a standout defensive catcher. He earned WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year honors.

* The Peters Township girls soccer team is one win from reaching the PIAA Class AAA championship for the third time in four years.

That's extraordinary.

Peters Township plays Upper St. Clair in tonight's semifinals. The two split a pair of games, with PT winning during the regular season and USC winning in the WPIAL championship match.

There's no doubt that Peters Township is the WPIAL's premier athletic power in what can be labeled as "non-revenue" sports.

What's the Indians' best fall program?

Over time, it's been boys soccer. Lately, girls soccer, girls tennis and boys golf has joined the conversation.

* Avella's difficulties filling a football roster with able bodies is well-documented. That wasn't always the case at the tiny school in the Western foothills of Washington County.

Avella will host Burgettstown Sunday in an Alumni Football USA event. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and, with the Steelers on a bye week, a crowd of at least 1,000 is expected.

Players from the 1980s, 90s and 2000s will suit up for the Eagles, who have a roster of 45 players. That's about three times larger than the numbers of players head coach Ryan Cecchini, who will start at linebacker, had for the Eagles' regular season finale at Bentworth.

Friday notebook

I'll be tweeting live from tonight's non-conference game between Avonworth and Beth-Center. You can follow me @TheMikeKovak for occasional updates.

Readers, feel free to send me score updates from your games, and I'll do my best to send them to followers.

Also, please follow @SportsOR, where the O-R sports staff provides score updates throughout the night. Joe Tuscano (@JosephGTuscano) will tweet from tonight's California at Jefferson-Morgan game.

The Avonworth at beth-Center game isn't typical for a late-season non-conference contest. The game will have a significant impact on the seedings for the Class A playoffs. A win for Beth-Center should wrap up a top-five seed as long as the Bulldogs win out. A win for Avonworth could make the Antelopes a top-five or six seed, and would hurt the seedings of other playoff qualifiers from the Tri-County South Conference.

* Trinity will use more two-back sets with the season-ending knee injury to Ty Yocca, but Dalton is pleased with the play of Kyle Dugan.

"Kyle's a different type of runner than Ty, but he's done a good job when we've but him in there," Dalton said. "We'll continue to use him."

* Former Mapletown High School and California University standout Kevin Pincavitch, who advanced as high as Class AA in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, was recently hired as the Waynesburg High School baseball coach.

Pincavitch, a former assistant with the Washington Wild Things, replaces Steve Coss, who had three successful seasons with the Raiders before he resigned in August. Waynesburg reached the WPIAL Class AA championship game this season, and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Stephen McCaw was the Raiders' starting catcher and the WPIAL Class AA Player of the Year, as selected by the baseball coaches. I recently spoke with McCaw for an upcoming story and talked to him about the hiring.

"He seems like a really good guy and he knows a lot about baseball," said McCaw, a senior. "We're all excited to get the season started."

* Hopewell's Rushel Shell committed to Pitt Friday morning. For the Panthers, it's a big moment as Shell is the first top-rated WPIAL prospect to commit to Pitt in some time.

That said, it hardly means Pitt is set for the next three to four years. I've spoken with a couple old friends from Beaver County who believed it was in Shell's best interest to get away from Western Pennsylvania.

Will he be the next Tony Dorsett? Or the next Brian Davis? Pitt should be happy with something in between.

* Ringgold freshman Kirsten McMichael might already be the best girls cross country runner in Washington and Greene counties.

* Peters Township finished third at the WPIAL Division I boys golf team championship Thursday at Cedarbrook.

The Indians won the title in 2010 and were favored to do so again, but lost to section rival Upper St. Clair. For Peters Township, the fact that not winning a WPIAL title is news, shows how strong the program has become under head coach David Kuhn.

"When I first got here, we were in a terrible section and couldn't finish any higher than third in it," Kuhn said. "We've made it to the finals eight times over the past nine years. We've come a long way."

WPIAL baseball championships remain at Consol

Consol Energy Park - home of the Washington Wild Things (yep, they're still around) - will remain the host facility for the WPIAL baseball championships. The WPIAL and the Frontier League franchise renewed their relationship for the next three years.

Peters Township (Class AAAA), Waynesburg (Class AA) and Chartiers-Houston (Class A) played in championship games there in 2011.

The WPIAL did look into hosting the games at other facilities, but elected to remain at Consol.

"In addition to the first-class management team and the top notch facility, Consol Energy Park has guaranteed the ates for us," said Tim O'Malley, executive director of the WPIAL, in a released statement. "That was something that the other facilities were unable to do, and that's critical in our decision making process."

Quick hits

Waynesburg played for the WPIAL baseball championship June 1 and lost during three games during the 2011 season - all by one run. The success wasn't enough to keep some parents from creating friction with head coach Steve Coss.

Coss, who coached the Raiders for three years, recently resigned. For more on the story, http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sports11/08-24-2011-scholastic-notebook.

* Peters Township senior Andrew Erenberg has scholarship offers from Kent State and Fordham. Erenberg rushed for more than 1,000 yards with 18 touchdowns as a junior.

* Heard from more than one person affiliated with Clairton that the Bears believe they will play Fort Cherry twice - the second time coming at Heinz Field for the WPIAL championship.

* Not sure how good South Fayette will be following the loss of the majority of its top players from last year, but don't expect the Lions not to compete for the postseason. After watching junior Zach Challingsworth during practice Tuesday, the guess here is he'll be one of the better players in Class AA if not the WPIAL.

* That said, Washington beat South Fayette during a 7-on-7 camp during the offseason. That doesn't mean much right now, but expect the Week 4 meeting between the Prexies and Lions to be highly competitive.

* Mat Matters, a blog dedicated to high school wrestling done by colleague Joe Tuscano, is engaged in a heated debate concerning the transfer of Cody Wiercioch from Charleroi to powerhouse Canon-McMillan.

I'm not a passionate opponent of transfers. As I've stated before, what about the student who leaves one high school for another because of the band? To me, there's not much difference no matter what points others mention.

Still, the recent transfers remind me of a situation that occurred when I first broke into the business at the Beaver County Times.

Like Canon-McMillan wrestling, Blackhawk boys basketball was already an established program when Brandon Fuss-Cheatham transferred from Keystone Oaks and Darren Tielsch from Montour. Each move set off a heated debate, and Blackhawk was often referred to the WPIAL Traveling All-Stars.

Blackhawk's head coach at the time, John Miller, had ties to the AAU basketball. Canon-McMillan wrestling has ties to the popular Quest Wrestling in Canonsburg.

* According to sources, former Monessen and Greensburg Central Catholic athlete Josh Stepoli is in North Carolina, where he is staying with a cousin, A.J. Jackson.

Jackson was a basketball standout out Monessen before he played at East Tennessee State and, later, Robert Morris.

Minor league comparison

In Jim Gallagher and Justin Bianco, Peters Township has produced a pair of high-draft choices in recent years.

Gallagher, 25, was a seventh-round pick of the Chicago White Sox following his junior year at Duke. Bianco, 18, was recently selected in the third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, believed to be the highest selection for a player from Washington County.

Gallagher and Bianco are currently on opposite ends of the minor league ladder. Gallagher is a converted infielder for the Chartlotte Knights, the AAA-affiliate of the White Sox. Bianco is playing rookie ball for the Missoula (Mont.) Osprey.

Through 37 games, Bianco is batting .220 (31-for-141) with seven 2B, two HR, 19 RBI and 54 K. He's also getting adjusted to running bases at the professional level, with only two successful steals in seven attempts. Over his last five games, however, Bianco appears to be making progress. He's had seven hits, and has not been caught stealing.

Gallagher, a teammate of former Pirates outfielder Lastings Milledge and can't-miss prospect Mark Teahan, hasn't played since July 25 and is on the temporary inactive list. art of the White Sox 40-man roster, Gallagher sports a .252 average (93-for-369) with 55 runs, 32 2B, 6 HR, 46 RBI and 54 walks.

Final stats needed

The Observer-Reporter needs final baseball and softball statistics for all area high school teams that do not post their information on MaxPreps.com.

Stats – a few of the top players will do – can be sent to mkovak@observer-reporter.com.

Bianco drafted in third round

Peters Township rightfielder Justin Bianco was just selected as the third pick in the third round of the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.


Bianco, a Pitt recruit, was selected as the WPIAL Class AAAA Player of the Year by district baseball coaches. Peters Township plays Seneca Valley in the PIAA quarterfinals Thursday.

Here's a YouTube video of Bianco:





More on this story in Wednesday's edition of the Observer-Reporter.

Varsity notebook

There's no statistical evidence to back up the following statement, but I've covered a lot of high school baseball games.

And I never watched a team smack the baseball around like Peters Township did Monday night against Latrobe.

Peters Township, the top seed in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs, finished the four-inning game against Latrobe with 14 hits. A total of 10 went for extra bases, and it looked like a contest to see which player could hit the ball the hardest.

While a Brady Sheetz grand slam in the fourth sure looked impressive, it will be hard to top the two triples ripped by Pitt recruit Justin Bianco or the foul ball shot from Austin Hancock that drew a collective "oooooooohhhhh" from the crowd at Washington & Jefferson's Ross Memorial Park.

Where Peters Township ranks among top offensive teams will be determined. There's no guarantee that the Indians will get past Butler in Wednesday's semifinals, but if the Indians go on to win a third WPIAL Class AAAA championship and more, there's no way they are not in that conversation.

* The PIAA Track and Field Championships start Friday morning at Shippensburg University. The PIAA has released its seeds for events.

Class AAA boys

Class AA boys

Class AAA girls

Class AA girls

Seeds don't always mean much when it comes to track. It's difficult to determine which athletes faced bad weather at their district championships, which ones were pushed or which ones coasted to easy wins.

* It's been some time since a local athlete showed as much promise during his sophomore season as Ringgold's Demetrius Louis.

Louis came this close to moving from eighth, and final, place to first place in the Class AAA 100 dash at the WPIAL championships. Louis' legs actually crossed the finish line ahead of Bethel Park's Shakeil Carter but Carter leaned into the finish and his torso crossed first, and that's what counts.

Louis, who told me he's already heard from Pitt among other Division I football programs, also ran a strong third leg for the Rams' gold-medal and school-record setting 400 relay team.

If Louis continues to put in work, particularly on his starts, he could become a multiple WPIAL track champion. And, according to what Ringgold boys basketball coach Pete Logan told me at the beginning of May, Louis plans on playing basketball as a junior.

* One reason for Ringgold's sudden success in the sprints at the WPIAL level is the cooperation between football coach Matt Humbert and track coach Scott Frederick.

Humbert encouraged his players to participate in track, something some football coaches don't do. I, for one, have always believed track can significantly help football players, particularly guys at the skill positions.

Look at all the great Wash High football players/track athletes of the past for an example.

Not only will track help players like Louis, Quad Law, Alfon Cook, etc. from learning certain running techniques that can be used on the playing field, it's given them something else in which to succeed.

Success breeds confidence, which usually breeds more success. Kudos to Coach Humbert and Coach Frederick for cooperating this year.

* Wash High junior Dustin Fuller, one engaging interview, may have entered elite status with his anchor leg in the WPIAL Class AA 1,600 relay.

Fuller won the 300 hurdles earlier in the day and was part of the Prexies' third-place 400 relay team, but it was his anchor leg in the day's final event that really had people talking.

According to coaches right after the race, Fuller ran a split of 49.3 seconds as Washington broke its own WPIAl championship meet record, which was set in 2001. That's crazy, and it gives Fuller something to think about for what should be a highly decorated senior year. Should Fuller run the open 400?

* Canon-McMillan's Taylor Slaney finished fifth in the Class AAA girls javelin and qualified for the PIAA championships on what amounts on a fractured ankle.

Slaney wore a boot before the competition, and after the competition.

What she accomplished is nothing short of spectacular. It's also the highlight of an outstanding day for local throwers. Canon-McMillan and Fort Cherry are sending multiple competitors to states in the throws.

* Fort Cherry junior Jessie Merckle is a serious candidate for Girls Athlete of the Year. So is South Fayette senior Nicole Hilton. As I'm writing this, I'm not sure if they are the top two candidates or not, but the PIAA championships could push one of these two to the forefront.

* Waynesburg's baseball team qualified for the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2000 with its 10-4 win over Frazier Monday afternoon.

In those days, the Raiders were led by Lee Fritz, one of the betters multi-sport athletes in school history and the first WPIAL player to run and pass for 1,000 yards each during the same season. Maybe the best description for Fritz was that he was a winner.

The current Raiders have two exceptional players in Steve McCaw and Joe Monica. With Waynesburg in the semifinals and owning a legit shot at winning a WPIAL championship, the duo have an opportunity to create a little legend in a town that loves its sports teams.

McCaw, by the way, is one of the better catchers in a WPIAL filled with good catchers.

* Chartiers-Houston softball ranks right up there with programs like Peters Township boys soccer when it comes to sustained success.

One program that occasionally gets overlooked is Chartiers-Houston baseball.

The Bucs are in the WPIAL Class A semifinals following a one-year hiatus and will face top-seed Serra Catholic, which needed extra innings and a three-run rally in the seventh inning to knock off Carmichaels.

* Speaking of success and tradition, California baseball owns plenty of both, and the Trojans are also in the Class A semifinals following Monday's 14-7 win over Bentworth.

After the game, California coach Don Hartman informed reporters that assistant coach Shaun Rice - one heckuva pitcher during his playing days - suffered a heart attack last week and remains hospitalized.

Here's wishing a speedy and full recovery for Rice.