2015 WPIAL BASEBALL PREVIEW

By: Bruce Markey
Friday, March 27, 2015 | 6:12 PM

With a new season upon us and WPIAL section play about to begin for most teams next week (weather permitting), MSA Sports takes a look at some of the district baseball players and the teams to watch for this 2015 campaign. Obviously, there are a lot of good players who did not crack the below list, but we will be hearing about them and their diamond successes as the campaign rolls on from the chill of March through the heat of late May. Four teams enter the season looking for back-to-back WPIAL baseball titles as Seneca Valley, West Allegheny, Steel Valley and California look to repeat.

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 2015 WPIAL Softball Playoffs only here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1.     MOON TIGERS

2.     NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS

3.     BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS

4.     PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS

5.     SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS

6.     MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS

7.     SHALER TITANS

8.     BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS

9.     PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS

10.   PLUM MUSTANGS

WPIAL CLASS AAAA PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Vince Ruggieri – North Hills
Vince Augustine – Seneca Valley
Wyatt Daugherty – Butler
Rocco Maue – Moon
Austin Hoffman – Moon
Nick Amendola – Norwin
Caleb Dempsey – Albert Gallatin
Luke Smeltz – Penn-Trafford
Scott Koscho – Penn-Trafford
Dom Derenzo – Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Pat Ferguson – Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Zach Burkhart – Fox Chapel
Josh Anderson – Fox Chapel
Mason Murray-McDonough – Penn Hills
Jake Potock – Shaler
Alex Kirilloff – Plum
Nate Fichtner – Allderdice
Jordan Gitzen – Baldwin
Corey Augenstine – Bethel Park
Zac Forsyth – Bethel Park
Vince D’Orazio – Mount Lebanon
Austin Kitchen – Mount Lebanon
Ryan Tassone – Peters Township
Jared Beach – Canon-McMillan

WPIAL CLASS AAA PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1.     WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS

2.     MONTOUR SPARTANS

3.     HAMPTON TALBOTS

4.     CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS

5.     BLACKHAWK COUGARS

6.     KNOCH KNIGHTS

7.     INDIANA LITTLE INDIANS

8.     SOUTH PARK EAGLES

9.     SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS

10.   TRINITY HILLERS

WPIAL CLASS AAA PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Joe Campagna – Blackhawk
Christian Sepos – Central Valley
Russ Ritenour – Southmoreland
Brandon Pouch – West Allegheny
Tyler Amedure – West Allegheny
Colin Claus – West Allegheny
Trent Vietmeier – Montour
Bill Krull – Montour
Joe Sibeto – Chartiers Valley
Tanner Garris – Chartiers Valley
Justin Foreman – South Fayette
Evan McDaniel – Trinity
Dom Neff – Trinity
Brandon Olszewski – Hampton
Caleb Thorn – Knoch
Ryan Petrone – Deer Lakes

WPIAL CLASS AA PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1.     QUAKER VALLEY QUAKERS

2.     STEEL VALLEY IRONMEN

3.     SETON-LaSALLE REBELS

4.     NESHANNOCK LANCERS

5.     SOUTH SIDE BEAVER RAMS

6.     BROWNSVILLE FALCONS

7.     KEYSTONE OAKS GOLDEN EAGLES

8.     WASHINGTON LITTLE PREXIES

9.     SHADY SIDE ACADEMY INDIANS

10.   RIVERSIDE PANTHERS

WPIAL CLASS AA PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Tyler Garbee – Quaker Valley
Adam Pliewicz – Quaker Valley
Dustin Lander – South Side
Matt Dombrowski – Northgate
Shane Roebuck – Brownsville
Cory Lent – Brownsville
Chris Gouin – Washington
Jonathan Spina – Washington
Ryan Sowol – Burrell
Blake Bower – Ford City
Nathan Pastorek – Freeport
Dylan Wingard – Apollo-Ridge
Brandon Donovan – Steel Valley
Cole Egad – Steel Valley
Danzel McKinley-Lewis – Seton-LaSalle
Carson Rebel – Seton-LaSalle
Nico Popa – Seton-LaSalle
Liam Sweeney – Seton-LaSalle
Ben Canty – Keystone Oaks
Frank Fraschetti – Neshannock
Mark Clause – Neshannock
Rich Serignese – Neshannock

WPIAL CLASS A PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1.     CALIFORNIA TROJANS

2.     GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC CENTURIONS

3.     VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS

4.     CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS

5.     BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS

6.     SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES

7.     CARMICHAELS MIGHTY MIKES

8.     JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS

9.     ROCHESTER RAMS

10.   BRENTWOOD SPARTANS

WPIAL CLASS A PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Mike Blasinsky – Carmichaels
Louden Conte – California
Aaron Previsky – California
Parker Janosko – Serra Catholic
Cole McCombs – Serra Catholic
Josh Kucmeroski – Monessen
Tommy Pellis – Greensburg Central Catholic
Collin Liberatore – Greensburg Central Catholic
Tony Mash – Jeannette
Zack Altieri – Jeannette
Austin Allison – Western Beaver
Hunter Roknich – Western Beaver
Tanner Ambrose – Quigley Catholic
Brandon Hopkins – Rochester
Chaz Verrico – Rochester
Joe Nagel – Sewickley Academy
Jake Schuster – Union
Anthony Bertolino – Union
Jake Matschner – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Nick Tunstall – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Adam Lock – Springdale
Christian Fedko – Vincentian Academy
Ian Taylor – Vincentian Academy
Jay Cortese – Vincentian Academy
Santino Paris – Avella
Connor McWilliams – Brentwood
Giovanni DeMarzo – Bishop Canevin
Sam Smallhoover – Bishop Canevin
Mitch Taufer – Bishop Canevin
Santino Platt – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart