2026 WPIAL Class 5A softball preseason breakdown

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, March 9, 2026 | 10:45 PM

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Shaler captured its fourth WPIAL championship last spring when the Titans defeated Penn-Trafford in the Class 5A championship game.

It was the Titans’ first title since 2014.

Their next one could come much sooner. The Titans return a loaded lineup and one of the area’s top pitchers and are among a handful of championship contenders.

Here is a look at the 2026 preseason top 5 teams, some players to watch and other diamond notes in WPIAL Class 5A softball.

Preseason Top 5

1. Shaler (18-5 last season)

After winning the Section 1 title at 11-1, Shaler rolled through the WPIAL playoffs to capture the district championship with a 2-1 win over Penn-Trafford in 11 innings. Senior pitcher Bria Bosiljevac, an Indiana commit, was a first-team all-state honoree after she went 13-3 with a 0.90 ERA and 191 strikeouts. Opponents batted .093 against her. She struck out 17 in the WPIAL finals. Also among six returning starters are senior catcher Alyssa Schaffold (Slippery Rock), who was first-team all-state, senior shortstop Jayla Antomachi, a second-team selection, and outfielder Haley Machajewski (Chatham). Coach Tom Sorce was named Section 1 coach of the year.

2. Penn-Trafford (24-3)

Penn-Trafford, the Section 2 champion at 12-0, rebounded from a loss in the WPIAL championship game to win the PIAA title with a 2-0 win over Greencastle-Antrim. Junior pitcher Allyson Paulone was a first-team all-state selection after going 20-2 with a 2.08 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 172 innings. The Warriors graduated all-state third baseman Cam Ponko (IUP) after she hit .479 with eight homers and 37 RBIs and will also miss infielder Kylie Anthony, outfielders Rilie Moors and Giuliana Youngo and DP Bella Rubbe. Senior catcher Mackenzie Cox, a Saint Francis commit, was a second-team all-section pick.

3. North Hills (17-6)

North Hills made a trip to the WPIAL semifinals last season before falling to Penn-Trafford. The Indians have high expectations behind a slew of returning contributors, including first-team all-section pitcher Abby Sutton, Lily Adamski (Saint Vincent), Makenzie Roskwitalski (Carlow), Brianna Zwick (Penn State Behrend) and Emma Culver (Chatham), who was a second-team all-section infielder.

4. Baldwin (13-6)

A playoff team last season, Baldwin returns six starters, including the first-team all-section sisters tandem of senior outfielder Reese Temme and sophomore pitcher/outfielder Cam Temme. The Highlanders graduated all-state infielder Ryley Shaw (.510) but return four-year starters in senior captains Reese Temme (Case Western commit), Jordan Gerendash (UPJ), Mackenzie Bowen and Avery Herrington (Saint Vincent). Junior all-section pitcher Melina Defelice also is back. Baldwin has a WPIAL-leading 10 WPIAL titles (tied with Sto-Rox), with the most recent coming in 2001. Ron Santillo was named the Section 4 coach of the year last season.

5. West Allegheny (18-6)

Section 3 winner West Allegheny made a run to the PIAA semifinals last season before falling to Penn-Trafford. The Indians were hit hard by graduation, losing all-section honorees Savanna Benish, Alaina Pass, Autumn Bielecki and Ava Henke. Junior infielder Alexis Santucci and sophomore DP Kate Cook return.

Players to watch

Jayla Antomachi, sr., INF, Shaler

Sara Blossey, sr., OF, Latrobe

Bria Bosiljevac, sr., P, Shaler

Addi Bracco, sr., SS, Thomas Jefferson

Evalyn Crissman, so., DP, Armstrong

Lily Duffill, sr., C, Chartiers Valley

Makenna Galish, sr., DP, South Fayette

Molly Greenawalt, jr., DP, Connellsville

Lily Gutherie, jr., U, Armstrong

Jillian Haigh, jr., U, Fox Chapel

Ally Krenzelak, sr., OF, Trinity

Cali Leichliter, jr., INF, Connellsville

Adrianna Martz, sr., OF, Franklin Regional

Maggie Orndorff, sr., OF, Connellsville

Allyson Paulone, jr., P, Penn-Trafford

Maddie Ray, jr., P, Trinity

Natalia Scekeres, so., INF, Latrobe

Alyssa Schaffold, sr., C, Shaler

Aubrey Shaffer, jr., P, Thomas Jefferson

Anastasia Spano, sr., INF, Bethel Park

Hailey Staub, sr., OF, Montour

Abby Sutton, sr., P, North Hills

Cam Temme, so., U, Baldwin

Reese Temme, sr., OF, Baldwin

Cam Valentino, sr., OF, South Fayette

Evie Vuono, so., INF, South Fayette

Liana Yusko, sr., INF, Plum

Diamond notes

• Plum (14-6) will try and improve on a third-place finish in Section 1. Senior infielder Liana Yusko was first-team all-state after she hit .429 with 28 RBIs and eight homers. The Mustangs graduated Dani Pici, who hit .507 with 11 homers and is now at Charleston (W.Va.), as well as Bella Tavella, who hit .379 with 17 RBIs.

• Fox Chapel (13-7) will be led by junior all-section pitcher Jillian Haigh, who batted .612 and also was 14-6 with a 2.52 ERA. Second-team all-section selection Ella Eisner also is back after belting five homers. Freshmen Lexi Stabile and Izzy Zober step into the circle. The Foxes have six starters back after upsetting Franklin Regional in the playoffs last season.

• New Castle (10-10) will miss Keara Mangieri, who is now at Pitt after earning all-state honors and batting .471 with 16 homers.

• Franklin Regional (13-7), the Section 2 runner-up, graduated all-state shortstop Toryn Fulton, who hit .590 with eight homers before heading to South Florida, and Ciara Camacho (Kent State), who hit .459. Senior outfielder Adrianna Martz returns.

• Armstrong (13-8), which won WPIAL titles in 2022 and ‘24, returns two first-team all-section players in sophomore Evalyn Crissman and junior Lily Gutherie.

• Latrobe (10-9) returns a pair of all-section players in Natalia Scekeres and Sara Blossey (Point Park), along with Saint Vincent recruit Miley Williams.

• Kiski Area (5-12) will have a young team behind junior pitcher Madison Rearic. Seniors Alyssa Perona and Nyla Newcomer and three-year letter winners.

• South Fayette (13-7) has three first-team all-section selections back this season in seniors Makenna Galish and Cam Valentino and sophomore Evie Vuono. Valentino is a Robert Morris commit.

• Chartiers Valley (12-7) tied for second in Section 3 and reached the quarterfinals last season. The Colts are led by Penn State commit Lily Duffill, who was a first-team all-state catcher and the Section 3 player of the year after batting .578 with seven homers. Also back is junior infielder Ava Dunlap, a second-team all-section selection. Coach Chris Lloyd was the section coach of the year.

• Moon (7-10) has seven starters back, including sophomore pitcher Katherine DeMarco, a second-team all-section pick.

• Hailey Staub, a Colgate commit with a .404 career average, will lead the way for Montour (4-12), which returns seven starters. Cayley Hughes (.370) and Emily McClean (.400) also return.

• Thomas Jefferson (13-7) won a competitive Section 4 last season and defeated Armstrong in the first round before losing to West Allegheny in the quarterfinals. Junior pitcher Aubrey Shaffer, Kaitlyn Beach (Carlow) and Addi Bracco (Tennessee Tech) return.

• Trinity (12-10), which reached the quarterfinals as the No. 10 seed last season, returns first-team all-state outfielder Ally Krenzelak, as well as junior pitcher Maddie Ray.

• Connellsville (12-7) returns seven starters, including Section 4 player of the year Cali Leichliter, who was a first-team all-state shortstop after batting .600 with 10 homers, as well as Seton Hill recruit Kaylee Roadman and catcher Kalyn Cole (.515, 7 HR).

• Bethel Park (9-10) finished just outside a playoff berth last season. The Black Hawks will lean on all-section infielder Anastasia Spano, Courtney Roberts (Saint Vincent), Madison Timms (Saint Vincent) and Cara Cummings (Point Park).

• The top four finishers in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs.

2026 alignment

Section 1: Fox Chapel, Mars, New Castle, North Hills, Penn Hills, Plum, Shaler

Section 2: Armstrong, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Kiski Area, Latrobe, McKeesport, Penn-Trafford

Section 3: Chartiers Valley, Montour, Moon, South Fayette, Upper St. Clair, West Allegheny

Section 4: Albert Gallatin, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Connellsville, Peters Township, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Armstrong, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Chartiers Valley, Connellsville, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Latrobe, Montour, North Hills, Penn-Trafford, Plum, Shaler, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, West Allegheny