2014 WPIAL BASEBALL PREVIEW

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 | 5:41 PM

With a new season upon us and WPIAL section play scheduled to start for some on Monday, March 31st, MSA Sports takes a look at some of the baseball players and the teams to watch for this 2014 campaign. The season again starts with a chill in the air, but who will be left standing when the district playoffs conclude in the heat of the final week in May. Four teams enter the season looking for back-to-back WPIAL baseball titles as North Allegheny, South Park, Beaver and Western Beaver start hitting for more gold.

MSA Sports will have weekly rankings every Monday during the regular season, plus broadcasts and updated standings daily leading up to our exclusive coverage of the WPIAL Baseball Playoffs only here on the MSA Sports Network.

Also, don’t miss the new WPIAL Baseball Show on Tuesday night at 8:00pm starting April 1st only here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL Class AAAA Preseason Top Ten:
(Final 2013 record in parenthesis)

1)   Seneca Valley Raiders  (19-5)

2)   Pine-Richland Rams  (17-6)

3)   Plum Mustangs  (15-7)

4)   Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings  (17-5)

5)   Norwin Knights  (9-8)

6)   North Allegheny Tigers  (22-5)

7)   Penn-Trafford Warriors  (13-7)

8)   Shaler Titans  (11-10)

9)   Mount Lebanon Blue Devils  (8-10)

10)   Hempfield Spartans  (20-5)

WPIAL Class AAAA Players to Watch:

Zach Burkhart – Fox Chapel
Julian Cox – New Castle
Connor Coward – Seneca Valley
Dom Farina – Norwin
Noah Smith – Norwin
Shane Churma – Penn-Trafford
Ryan Marasti – Penn-Trafford
Tyler Smith- Penn-Trafford
Joey DeFloria – Hempfield
Brandon Nania – Franklin Regional
Alex Kirillof – Plum
Mike Maleski – Plum
Alex Baretta – Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Grant Gustic – Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Daane Berezo – Pine-Richland
Rocco Maue – Moon
Alec McElroy – Shaler
Jake Potock – Shaler
Cameron Franklin – Penn Hills
Jake Jessel – Woodland Hills
Jared Beach – Canon-McMillan
Zach Bahm – Mount Lebanon

WPIAL Class AAA Preseason Top Ten:
(Final 2013 record in parenthesis)

1)   Blackhawk Cougars  (10-7)

2)   Chartiers Valley Colts  (17-5)

3)   South Park Eagles  (25-1)

4)   Hopewell Vikings  (20-5)

5)   Mount Pleasant Vikings  (9-10)

6)   West Allegheny Indians  (17-7)

7)   Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions  (7-10)

8)   Indiana Little Indians  (14-5)

9)   Thomas Jefferson Jaguars  (13-9)

10)   Elizabeth Forward Warriors  (13-7)

WPIAL Class AAA Players to Watch:

Brendan McKay – Blackhawk
Tim Hughes – Hopewell
Bobby Suder – Central Valley
Tyler Amedure – West Allegheny
Greg Newmann – Greensburg-Salem
Patrick Boyer – Greensburg-Salem
Tyler Mellors – Mount Pleasant
Luke Liprando – Mount Pleasant
Joey Paul – Mount Pleasant
Mitch Matlas – Mount Pleasant
Ryan Creps – Indiana
Sean Thompson – Indiana
Connor Wege – Derry
Dom Castello – Chartiers Valley
Tanner Garris – Chartiers Valley
Shane Fetsko – South Park
Joe McHugh – Thomas Jefferson
Ryan Wardropper – Elizabeth Forward
A. J. Olasz – West Mifflin
Caleb Thorn – Knoch

WPIAL Class AA Preseason Top Ten:
(Final 2013 record in parenthesis)

1)   Quaker Valley Quakers  (23-2)

2)   Shady Side Academy Indians  (16-8)

3)   Deer Lakes Lancers  (17-5)

4)   Neshannock Lancers  (14-6)

5)   Beaver Bobcats  (20-4)

6)   Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions  (12-6)

7)   Seton-LaSalle Rebels  (8-9)

8)   Steel Valley Ironmen  (12-6)

9)   South Side Beaver Rams  (8-7)

10)   Riverside Panthers  (15-4)

WPIAL Class AA Players to Watch:

Ben Utterback – Quaker Valley
Tyler Garbee – Quaker Valley
David Boehme – Seton-LaSalle
Danzel McKinley-Lewis – Seton-LaSalle
Tyler St. Esprit – New Brighton
Nolan Lamont – South Side Beaver
Shane Roebuck – Brownsville
Guy Markley – Washington
Kolton Kobrys – Fort Cherry
Todd Coleman – Deer Lakes
Jake Kleindl – Shady Side Academy
Chuckie Scales – Shady Side Academy
Zack Altieri – Jeannette
Andrew Chuba – Steel Valley
Brandon Donovan – Steel Valley
Ernie Burkes – Neshannock
Brent McCormick – Shenango
Jordan Ransom – Beaver Falls
Seth Mley – Ellwood City

WPIAL Class A Preseason Top Ten:
(Final 2013 record in parenthesis)

1)   Western Beaver Golden Beavers  (18-3)

2)   California Trojans  (20-6)

3)   Riverview Raiders  (15-3)

4)   Carmichaels Mighty Mikes  (13-4)

5)   Serra Catholic Eagles  (18-3)

6)   Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers  (20-4)

7)   Springdale Dynamos  (6-8)

8)   Vincentian Academy Royals  (12-6)

9)   Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans  (10-5)

10)   Monessen Greyhounds  (6-12)

WPIAL Class A Players to Watch:

Mike Blasinsky – Carmichaels
Brandon Lawless – Carmichaels
Ty Cole – Carmichaels
Jake Columbus – California
Ronnie Baron – California
Louden Conte – California
Aaron Previsky – California
Santino Paris – Avella
Parker Janosko – Serra Catholic
Brandon Coddington – Serra Catholic
Josh Kucmenoski – Monessen
Noah Rullo – Monessen
Steve Menich – Western Beaver
Nick Miller – Western Beaver
Steve Robison – Western Beaver
Davan Schuller – Union
Chaz Verrico – Rochester
Jake Paradise – Riverview
Dom Conte – Riverview
Jason Anthony – Riverview
Nick DiBucci – Riverview
Austin Kline – Springdale
Adam Lock – Springdale
Nick Tunstall – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Phil Madonna – Vincentian Academy
Jay Cortese – Vincentian Academy
Ian Taylor – Vincentian Academy
Dan Bechek – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Joe Nagel – Sewickley Academy