Bethel Park baseball shows resilience, collects playoff wins during successful season

By: Ray Fisher
Saturday, June 21, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The Bethel Park baseball squad won its final eight regular season games then went 3-1 in the district playoffs to take a 19-5 record into the PIAA Class 5A tournament.

“I’m extremely proud of this group and how they have handled themselves this season,” coach Pat Zehnder said. “We’ve lost anywhere from two to four everyday starters at one time from the previous season due to injury and illnesses and also had injuries and illnesses rear their head in this (WPIAL) playoff run. Through all the adversity and shuffling of roles this year, the team just continued to find ways to win.

“There is a common theme of great attitudes, selflessness, competitive drive and enjoyment of being around each other that has made this one of the most fun seasons I can remember in spite of the issues we faced.”

Bethel Park reached the WPIAL final four for the fifth straight season by defeating No. 13 Franklin Regional, 11-1, and No. 5 Thomas Jefferson, 5-4 in eight innings, in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

“Having your top three arms injured throughout the season, and two of those arms also being two of your best hitters coming into the year, many might think that means the season would be lost,” Zehnder said. “The guys refused to let that be an excuse. They kept working, improving and stuck together admirably to continue the winning standard that has been established here.

“The players that were injured, especially Ryan Walsh, found numerous ways to still make their imprint on this team by being there to help teach and encourage the players through the successes and failures we experienced throughout the season. I am so proud of the whole group for the perseverance, grit and determination they showed consistently throughout the ups and downs this year.”

The Black Hawks suffered a 5-4 loss to Pine-Richland in the WPIAL semifinals then erupted for a season-high run total against Peters Township in the third-place game, winning 17-2 in four innings.

“Our team had the shortest amount of rest of any team in our bracket in between the first and second rounds, and then also had the shortest amount of rest of any team in our bracket in between the second and third rounds,” Zehnder said. “But you would never have known with how well the players rebounded after each game.

“We fell one run short in the semifinal, but the players handled themselves maturely in defeat and continued preparing themselves for a state playoff run by beating Peters Township in the consolation game.”

Senior shortstop Ryan Petras was 4 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs against Peters Township and senior OF Jack Bruckner singled, doubled and drove in three runs.

Owen White, a senior pitcher/infielder, contributed a double and three RBIs while Ethan Stanhoff, a senior catcher/infielder, doubled and drove in two runs.

Left-handed junior Matthew Hughes was the Black Hawks’ starting pitcher in the consolation game. The 6-foot-2 Hughes struck out five and allowed two hits over three innings.

Bethel Park routed Franklin Regional, 11-1, in the first round as senior outfielder Joey Levis led the Black Hawks with a 3 for 4 performance and five RBIs.

Mike Bruckner, a junior pitcher/infielder, singled and walked three times, junior catcher/infielder Nick Rillo singled and twice was hit by a pitch and senior infielder Noah LeJeune added two hits in the Black Hawks’ 12-hit attack.

Senior hurler Dylan Schumacher retired the first nine batters he faced, striking out seven.

The victory against TJ was more dramatic, as Petras raced home from third with the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Mike Bruckner pitched the final four frames, allowing no runs, four hits and two walks while fanning seven. LeJeune was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles.

Bethel Park’s dream of playing for the PIAA Class 5A championship fell a little short.

The Black Hawks crushed DuBois, 15-1, at Showers Field in DuBois on June 2 in the first round of the state playoffs before losing a 6-3 decision June 5 at Gateway to WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up Shaler.

“Credit to Shaler for putting together some long and tough at-bats in the first inning,” Zehnder said. “They battle at the plate and have good approaches. I am proud of the fight our team showed to bounce back after the first, as some might take that haymaker and call it a loss afterward.

“We feel like we played good baseball for the most part after that tough first inning but still did not do enough to win. I would like to have seen how the game would have gone if we played better baseball, but that is how it goes sometimes. When two very good teams and programs meet, the team that makes fewer mistakes wins, and that was definitely Shaler.”

Bethel Park ended up with a 20-6 record.

“I am also proud of the way our players handle themselves, and how they treat each other,” Zehnder said. “There are many moments to remember from this season, but some of the fondest memories have nothing to do with actions on the field — the long bus rides home after wins, how the team treated students in our Best Buddies program and how welcoming they were to the youth players from the community after a tough loss, among others.”

Before his career officially ended, Petras, a Duquesne football commit, added another school record to his resume. With a single in the third and another in the fifth against Shaler, Petras broke the school record for career hits with 113, eclipsing the mark of 112 held since the late 1980s by Chris Buzzi.

Petras also has the school’s single-season and career stolen base records with 27 and 80, respectively.

Petras led the 2025 club in hitting with a .444 batting average, hits (36), doubles (8), total bases (46), runs (30) and stolen bases.

He also was the only WPIAL infielder selected to represent the West team at the inaugural PSBCA East-West All-Star baseball game.

LeJeune complemented Petras with a .426 batting average to go along with his team-leading .552 on-base percentage, 1.066 OPS and 19 RBIs. LeJeune also did not commit an error in 2025.

The Black Hawks batted .349 as a team as nine players hit .300 or better: Petras, LeJeune, Levis (.386), Mike Bruckner (.368), Stanhoff (.368), Rillo (.333), Jack Bruckner (.318) and sophomore catcher Eric Miehl (.304).

Walsh, a senior outfielder, also hit .455 and drew nine walks in 20 plate appearances in an injury shortened season. His on-base percentage was .700.

Mike Bruckner finished first on the squad in slugging percentage (.603), OPS (1.097) and doubles (8), to go along with his 41 total bases, 22 RBIs and 20 runs.

Schumacher paced the pitching staff with a 5-2 record and 1.49 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings.

Owen White, a senior pitcher/infielder, and Mike Bruckner were 4-0 and 3-0, respectively, while senior Dylan Paul, junior Mason Stewart and Hughes (one save) all won twice. Brucker registered five saves and a sparkling 0.29 ERA, allowing just one earned run in 24 innings.

Rillo was credited with one victory and one save; junior Tyler Stewart added one win to the Black Hawks’ cause.

The pitching staff’s ERA was 2.20 over 26 games.

“The cupboard is still far from bare for Bethel Park baseball,” Zehnder said. “There are many players whose roles were elevated due to the numerous injuries and illnesses this year. We will have multiple starters returning, along with multiple arms that played large roles this year.

“Mike Bruckner is a great centerpiece to build around. He is already one of the best hitters and pitchers in the WPIAL, and with the work he puts in, he will be ready to take his game to another level next year. Matthew Hughes is also going to be a big-time arm we bring back. Starters Nick Rillo and Eric Miehl will come back even stronger and better next year. Sophomores Caden Stokes, Chase White, Brady Bruckner, Colton Fisher and Jace Rendulic will be ready to step into larger roles next season.”

And that’s not all.

“We also have multiple other soon-to-be seniors that have great leadership qualities that will ensure this team continues handling itself the right way,” Zehnder said, “and staying in the thick of things for (potential) WPIAL and state championships.

“The future of BP baseball is bright not just because of the talent we have in the system and the strength of the community programs. It is also because of the high-quality people in Bethel Park and the players who have come through setting the standard and culture.”

Zehnder has compiled a 97-28-1 overall record in the past five years as Black Hawks coach with three 20-win seasons.

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