Bethel Park notebook: Basketball stars set for Roundball Classic

By: Ray Fisher
Saturday, April 19, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The 21st Roundball Classic all-star weekend will be May 24-25 at North Allegheny. There will be seven all-senior games over two days — four boys and three girls — with players from the WPIAL, City League and District 10.

Bethel Park’s Sadie Orie and Ella Sabatos were chosen to the Class 5A West girls all-star team. Bethel Park’s Tanner Pfeuffer was selected to the Class 5A South boys all-star team.

There will be four games May 24 and three May 25. Tickets are $10 per game or $15 for the weekend.

There also will be undergrad games – the Rising Stars Challenge — on May 19-21 at RIZE Sports in Leetsdale.

Big-time bats

Bethel Park’s softball team racked up runs at an incredible pace in April.

The Black Hawks outscored the opposition 63-33 and averaged 10.6 runs per game after winning four times at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and also capturing their section opener against Peters Township.

Bethel Park defeated Patrick County (Va.), 9-8, Sharpsville, 18-17, South Fayette, 9-1, and John F. Kennedy Catholic Prep (N.Y.), 13-0, at the Ripken Experience.

The Black Hawks then returned home to beat Peters Township, 14-7, on April 31. “Our team is full of extremely hard workers that are focused and never yielding as they strive for success,” coach Nicole Davis said earlier this season.

“We have an incredibly solid defense that will make plays which would be base hits with any other team.”

Davis welcomed four key players from 2024 back to this year’s club — seniors Audrey Campbell at shortstop and Taylor Striegel at pitcher and juniors Anastasia “Sia” Spano at third base and Julia Bitkowski in the outfield.

Spano was an all-section selection a year ago.

Other top players include seniors Kamiya Martin (OF), Nina DePasquale (C) and Allison Jones (C), juniors Cara Cummings (P), Courtney Roberts (OF) and Madison Timms (1B) and freshmen Emma Farrell (2B) and Presley Thimons (DP).

There are nearly two dozen girls in Bethel Park’s softball program including five seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and seven freshmen.

Along with Farrell and Thimons, the Black Hawks’ leading freshmen are Brenna Booth, Brooke Priddy, Ellery Stipp, Marisa Whitmer and Raegan Exler.

The sophomore class is represented by Calleigh Och, Carly Conroy, Chaz Burner, Joni Burner, Lucy Dzanaj and Nora Cooley.

“All of these girls (on the team) have potential to be exceptional,” Davis said.

The Black Hawks secured a 3-1 win April 14 in a Section 4-5A game against Thomas Jefferson, the defending PIAA champion.

Campbell had two singles and an RBI and Spano went 2 for 2 to lead the Black Hawks offensively.

Next level

There are more than enough Bethel Park baseball products playing at the next level to field an entire starting lineup.

Eric Chalus and Evan Holewinski are teammates at NCAA Division I Kent State.

Division II college players include David Kessler (IUP), John Chalus (Mercyhurst), Ray Altmeyer (Mercyhurst), Jason Nuttridge (Cal. Pa.), Nathan Vargo (Charleston), Santino Diulus (Seton Hill), Jack Edner (Clarion) and Ben Lentz (Point Park).

Evan Bromley, Sawyer D’Andrea, Zack Sackett, Dylan Schmude, Ben Hudson, Kaden Flambard and Ryan Tierney are former Black Hawks competing with Division III programs.

Diulus, Tierney, Flambard and Lentz are among the notable players who graduated from last year’s at team at Bethel Park, which finished as the WPIAL and PIAA runner-up in Class 5A.

Pool players

High school athletes who compete in swimming and diving are disciplinarians, annually tackling the long grind of a winter pool season.

The first practice date for the 2024-25 season was Nov. 15. The WPIAL swimming championships took place Feb. 27-28, followed by the PIAA championships in mid-March.

The following Bethel Park athletes qualified for the WPIAL Class 2A swimming finals at Trees Pool on Pitt’s campus.

Boys: Sophomores Jackson Edwards (50 free, 100 back) and Connor Blocklin (200 IM, 100 breast), junior Sam Hoppe (200 IM, 500 free), seniors Luke Kallaur (50 free, 100 free), Trent Powell (100 fly, 100 free), Brady McKiearnan (100 free) and Luca DeMartino (100 back), freshman T.J. Strock (100 fly, 100 back).

Girls: Seniors Cally Edner (200 free, 500 free) and Addison Gurganus (50 free), juniors Julia Ratti (200 free, 100 free) and Karsyn Mitchell (100 fly), sophomore Morgan McKiernan (200 free, 500 free)

All six relay teams at Bethel Park also advanced to the WPIAL meet, including the boys 200 freestyle relay as the No. 1 seed and 500 freestyle relay as the No. 2 seed.

Diamond notes

As of April 15, there was a five-team battle for first place in the Section 2-5A baseball standings.

South Fayette (5-2), Bethel Park (4-2) and Moon (3-2) led the way, followed by Peters Township (2-2) and Upper St. Clair (2-3) with Trinity (2-4) and Chartiers Valley (2-5) not far behind in the standings. Bethel Park split decisions with South Fayette and Trinity and defeated USC twice.

The Black Hawks have a wealth of talent again this season, including a combination of 10 returning starters or players who saw considerable diamond time a year ago — seniors Ryan Petras (IF), Ryan Walsh (P/OF), Joey Levis (P/OF), Jack Bruckner (OF), Noah LeJeune (IF), Dylan Paul (P/IF), Dylan Schumacher (P), Ethan Stanhoff (C/IF), Owen White (P/IF) and junior Mike Bruckner (P/IF).

“We have seven out of nine starting positions (back) from the WPIAL runner-up squad last year,” coach Pat Zehnder said. “We hope to stay health and hungry.”

Petras, Walsh, Mike Bruckner, junior Nick Rillo (IF/P/C) and sophomore Eric Miehl (C) are considered potential Division I prospects at Bethel Park, which finished as a PIAA quarterfinalist last season.

Hall of fame inductions

Bethel Park inducted its Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2025 in March.

Five distinguished graduates whose accomplishments have significantly impacted their fields and communities were honored: Jess Fardella (class of 1969), Vincent Gastgeb (1981), Glenn Hughes (1967), Mary Rose Loney (1970) and Brigadier General Michael Paulick (1933).

Hughes has dedicated more than 35 years to the Bethel Park School District in various roles, including assistant principal and athletic director. He led the varsity softball team to the WPIAL and PIAA finals in 1987 and has mentored countless student-athletes and educators.

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