Even after WPIAL finals appearance, Baldwin boys still seek breakout year

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, December 8, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Jeff Ackermann is in his fifth season as head coach of the Baldwin boys basketball team.

The Highlanders have shown improvement each year capped by a memorable appearance in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game last winter.

Baldwin lost to Upper St. Clair, 64-41, at Petersen Events Center after defeating North Allegheny, 55-49, and Mt. Lebanon, 54-52, in its previous playoff games to finish as the WPIAL runner-up.

“We have gotten better each year since I have been at Baldwin,” Ackermann said. “Making it to the 6A WPIAL championship game and finishing 18-8 last year are good memories, but we have not had that breakout year yet. We are hoping for that breakout year. That is what we are working hard for this year.”

Ackermann has sound reason for his optimism.

“We have very high expectations this season,” he said. “We return nine of our top 10 players and we return four starters. We want to compete for a section championship and WPIAL championship and make a run in the state playoffs.”

The Highlanders are a senior-laden team led by 6-foot senior guard Nate Wesling, who averaged 15.8 ppg last season.

Wesling is a fourth-year starter.

“I think we’re going to be tough,” Wesling said. “Our team’s personnel and chemistry are what make us tough on a competitive standpoint.

“We are very deep this year, and I think we have another opportunity to do something big.”

Other returning starters are 6-foot junior point guard Max Marzina, 6-5 senior center Matt Schenk and 6-1 senior guard/forward Caden Cherico.

Marzina (8.5 ppg), Schenk (8 ppg) and Cherico (8.7 ppg) contributed 25 points per game between them last season.

E.J. Golvash, a 5-11 sophomore guard, will move into the starting lineup after lettering last year as a freshman.

Senior guards Gabe Barakat and Jaden Duttine also will be in the varsity rotation in games, as will Shane Bigley and Jackson Sgattoni, two additional senior guards.

Leading reserves include backcourt players Jason Cimador and Luke Staley, both seniors, and Gavin Sakely, a junior.

Schenk is expected to be a force on the boards but will be helped out by a significant group of players ranging from 5-10 to 6-1.

Baldwin has dropped down to Class 5A this season and will be a member of Section 3 along with Bethel Park, Peters Township, Ringgold, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson and Trinity.

The Highlanders qualified for the postseason in Class 6A in all three years of Ackermann’s tenure. They advanced to the WPIAL first round and ended up 12-11 in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Ackermann went 126-35 in six seasons at Pine-Richland with two WPIAL titles, a WPIAL runner-up and a state runner-up finish. Before joining the Rams in 2014, he went 224-116 in 13 seasons at Moon with three WPIAL titles and a state championship.

Tags: Baldwin