A-K Valley high school baseball playoff preview capsules for May 14, 2024

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, May 13, 2024 | 4:43 PM

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WPIAL baseball playoffs

Class 3A

First round

14-Burrell (11-8) vs. 3-Mt. Pleasant (13-4)

4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway

Winner plays: Winner of 6-Waynesburg (13-3)/11-Neshannock (11-9) on May 20 in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: A.J. McLafferty, Burrell; Jacob Kitz, Mt. Pleasant

Extra bases: Kitz and Connor Drzal have combined on nine wins on the mound. … Cole Chatfield, Drzal and Kitz are some of the top hitters. … The Vikings are riding a nine-game winning streak. … Mt. Pleasant lost to Derry in the opening round of the 2023 playoffs. … Pitcher Stevie Hasson is 4-3 and has 26 strikeouts. McLafferty is 2-0 with 27 strikeouts. Isaac Lacinski is 3-2. … Lacinski led the Bucs and Section 3-3A with a .500 batting average. He drove in 16 runs and only struck out three times. … Mt. Pleasant was a WPIAL champion in 1970 and a runner-up in 1989. Burrell won a WPIAL title in 1974. … This is Jay Miller’s first season as Burrell coach. … The Bucs dropped a 6-5 decision to Valley in the 2023 playoffs.

5-Valley (16-4) vs. 12-Shenango (10-9)

7 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny

Winner plays: Winner of 4-South Allegheny (14-4)/13-McGuffey (6-8) on May 20 in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Wesley Schrock, Valley; Joe Campoli, Shenango

Extra bases: Valley won the Section 3 title with a 9-3 record and has won 11 straight games after a pair of losses to Freeport on April 15-16. Wesley Schrock leads the pitching staff at 4-1 with a 1.03 ERA. … Shenango was fourth in Section 1 at 6-6. The Wildcats have won three of their last four games. Joe Campoli, Jason Malley and Treyton Ross all had multiple RBIs last week in a key 11-9 victory over Ellwood City. Shenango was the PIAA runner-up in 2021.

Class 2A

First round

7-Riverview (12-6) vs. 10-Beth-Center (9-9)

7 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway

Winner plays: 2-OLSH (16-4) on May 20 in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Eli DeVita, Riverview; Jonah Sussan, Beth-Center

Extra bases: The Raiders finished third in Section 3 at 8-4. Riverview reached the WPIAL quarterfinals last season as a No. 10 seed. The Raiders, who average 6.3 runs, have dropped their last three games after a five-game winning streak. Infielder Eli DeVita is batting .527 with 23 RBIs. … Beth-Center went 5-7 and finished fourth in Section 1. The Bulldogs won four of the past six games, including an 11-3 win over Washington in the regular-season finale. Jonah Sussan knocked in three runs, and Chase Bebout and Brody Bebout each had two RBIs.

Class A

First round

7-West Greene (11-5) vs. 10-Leechburg (10-7)

4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Peterswood Park

Winner plays: 2-Eden Christian (14-4) on May 20 in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Johnny Lampe, West Greene; Jayden Floyd, Leechburg

Extra bases: West Greene tied for second in Section 1 at 8-4. The Pioneers have held teams to 2.8 runs per game. They have won three of their past four games, including a sweep of Carmichaels. Senior Johnny Lampe is batting .308 with 13 RBIs. Junior Hayden Hamilton is 6-2 with a 2.44 ERA and 48 strikeouts. … Leechburg took third in Section 2 at 8-4 and averaged 8.4 runs. The Blue Devils ended the section slate by sweeping Springdale and Rochester. Jayden Floyd is batting .450 with 18 RBIs. Jaxon Vargo is hitting .328 with 18 RBIs. Rocco Vigna is batting .300 with 20 RBIs.

6-Avella (9-5) vs. 11-Springdale (5-9)

2 p.m. Tuesday at Boyce-Mayview Park

Winner plays: 3-Fort Cherry (12-3) on May 20 in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Isaiah Bradick, Avella; John Hughes, Springdale

Extra bases: Avella tied for second in Section 1 at 8-4. The Eagles average 7.1 runs. Isaiah Bradick went 3 for 3 with seven RBIs in a late-season win over California. Charles Rush added three RBIs. … Springdale placed fourth in Section 2 with a 5-7 record. The Dynamos lost seven of their past eight games. They swept Summit Academy and St. Joseph in section play. John Hughes is one of the WPIAL’s top hitters, batting .575 this season with three homers and 15 RBIs.

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: Avella, Beth-Center, Leechburg, Riverview, Shenango, Springdale, Valley, West Greene