Baseball
WPIAL Announces 2016-2017 Championship Sites
April 21, 2016
While major changes will be in the air with a classification increase starting in the 2016-2017 school year, there was concern about where the district would play its championship games with the increase in title games. However outside of a split in football, the WPIAL Finals in several sports will remain at the same venues that have been hosting the title events.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/18/2016
April 18, 2016
Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including NEW #1 teams in Class AAA and in Class AA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. PLUM MUSTANGS (8-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH HILLS INDIANS (8-1) (Last Week #4) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (7-2) (Last Week #2)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/17/2016
April 17, 2016
The gorgeous weather continues as does the great WPIAL spring high school sports coverage this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We are into the second half of section play in both WPIAL baseball and softball as well as WPIAL boys lacrosse, plus Rappin' on Racin', Carlow Sports Talk and another edition of WPIAL Diamond Notes ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 18th: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net TALK SHOW - Carlow Sports Talk at 8:30pm on MSAsports.net WPIAL High School Baseball - Shaler vs Pittsburgh Central Catholic at 4:00pm on MSAsports.netScholastic Notebook – 04/15/2016
April 15, 2016
This is the second year that North Hills has scheduled almost all of its home baseball games in the evening. But this is the year the stars are shining brightest for North Hills. North Hills has been one of the surprise teams of WPIAL baseball. Look at the always loaded Northern area section of Class AAAA (Section 1) and you’ll see North Hills alone at the top of the standings. Wow. Look at the MSA Class AAAA rankings and you’ll see North Hills near the top at No. 3. Gasp. The reason for the surprise is North Hills has never been associated much over the past decade or so with winning baseball. The last time the Indians finished above .500 in the section was 2003. Their last section championship was 2002.WPIAL Hall of Fame Class of 2016
April 13, 2016
A current NBA player, a former Parade All-American girls basketball player, two dominant teams and four highly successful coaches highlight the WPIAL Hall of Fame class of 2016. This is the 10th class for the WPIAL Hall of Fame, and selections were announced Wednesday at a news conference at the Heinz History Center. Inductees will be honored at a banquet at the Green Tree Doubletree June 10. A Hall of Fame committee selects inductees in five categories: athlete, coach, team, contest official and contributor. The WPIAL also inducts a Heritage Award winner and a Courage Award winner. Here is the 2016 class: ATHLETESMSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/11/2016
April 11, 2016
Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including a NEW #1 team in Class AAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. PLUM MUSTANGS (4-0) (Last Week #1) 2. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (4-1) (Last Week #3) 3. BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO (4-1) (Last Week #2)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/10/2016
April 10, 2016
Not only does the mercury rise as the week progresses, but the action on the diamonds, fields and courts do as well this week here on the MSA Sports Network. Our first spring high school sports championship takes place with the 2016 WPIAL Boys Singles Tennis Championships. We also have plenty of WPIAL section action from both baseball and softball along with WPIAL boys volleyball, WPIAL boys and girls lacrosse, plus the debut of Rappin' on Racin' along with another edition of WPIAL Diamond Notes ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 11th: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netMSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/04/2016
April 4, 2016
Each week during the 2016 regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including NEW #1 teams in both Class AAAA and Class AA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. PLUM MUSTANGS (3-0) (Last Week #2) 2. BUTLER GOLDEN TORNADO (4-0) (Last Week #7) 3. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (2-1) (Last Week #1)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/03/2016
April 3, 2016
We hope to fight off that nasty chill in the air with red hot coverage of the spring high school sports season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of WPIAL section action from both baseball and softball along with WPIAL boys volleyball and girls lacrosse, plus the debut of the new WPIAL Diamond Notes weekly show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 4th: WPIAL High School Baseball - Baldwin vs Peters Township at 7:00pm on MSAsports.net WPIAL High School Baseball - Knoch vs Hampton at 3:45pm on the Hampton Talbots Sports Network at MSAsports.netScholastic Notebook – 04/02/2016
April 2, 2016
The Pittsburgh Central Catholic football team won WPIAL and state titles this past season with a team that had five seniors sign with NCAA Division I-A colleges. Those talented players will never again wear the Vikings blue and gold, but Central Catholic is a must-stop for college recruiters again. It has become apparent that Central Catholic’s 2017 team will again be loaded with another handful of seniors who will play major-college football.
WPIAL Alum Q&A – JJ Matijevic
March 28, 2016
With the basketball and hockey state finals concluding earlier this month, and the calendar about to change to April, the high school sports season is officially changing from winter to spring. To mark this transition, this week's installment of the WPIAL Alum Q&A features one of the top baseball players in the region in recent memory. Norwin's JJ Matijevic achieved history in his time with the Knights, and now he's emerging as a star for the University of Arizona. Matijevic was a standout for his entire high school career, as he was a three-time All-Section and All-State honoree. As a sophomore and junior, the shortstop helped guide his team to section records of 12-0 and 8-4, respectively.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/28/2016
The winter high school sports season has one more night as it gives way to the start of the spring high school sports season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the season debut of WPIAL baseball, WPIAL softball, WPIAL boys volleyball and WPIAL boys lacrosse, plus a pair of high school basketball all-star games from Quigley Catholic High School ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 28th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, March 29th: WPIAL High School Boys Volleyball - Seneca Valley vs North Allegheny at 7:00pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net Wednesday, March 30th:
WPIAL Baseball – 2016 Season Preview
March 24, 2016
Every Monday during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the Top Ten teams in each of the WPIAL Baseball classifications. We rank the Preseason Top Ten here, along with Players to Watch in each class and teams to beat in each section. Follow the high school baseball campaign with with weekly rankings and daily broadcasts and updated standings before exclusive coverage of the 2016 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs in May only here on the MSA Sports Network. WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON TOP TEN: 1. NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 2. PLUM MUSTANGS 3. SHALER TITANS 4. CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS
WPIAL Baseball – 2015 Season Review
March 22, 2016
With such a mild winter coming to an end and warmer than normal temperatures in the area for most of March, coaches, players and fans are ready to hit the diamond for the start of a new baseball season. However before we look ahead, we take time to look back at the 2015 season. A pair of district teams struck gold twice last year as Knoch in Class AAA and Neshannock in Class AA pitched their way to district and state championships. Joining Knoch as first time WPIAL baseball champions in 2015 were Pittsburgh Central Catholic in Class AAAA and Greensburg Central Catholic in Class A. 2015 WPIAL BASEBALL STANDINGS: # - Clinched Section Title * - Clinched Playoff Berth x - Eliminated From Playoff ContentionScholastic Notebook – 03/04/2016
March 4, 2016
There is always a lot of talk at this time of year about hangovers. Not from too much imbibing. But from winning a WPIAL basketball championship. There is a belief that teams that win WPIAL championships have so much trouble getting back up and ready for state playoff games. Is the WPIAL hangover real? Is it hogwash? Well, the evidence shows there isn’t much to this hangover theory for WPIAL boys champions, except for Class AAAA. A check of the past 10 seasons shows the only class where the WPIAL champion has trouble in the PIAA playoffs is Class AAAA. And that could be because the WPIAL champ has to play tough competition. A look back at the past 10 years showed:WPIAL Boys Sports Realignment
February 16, 2016
We all knew it was coming. A major change to the WPIAL high school sports landscape based on the PIAA's decision to increase from four to six classifications in football, basketball and baseball, plus the increase in other sports such as soccer and lacrosse. The WPIAL Board of Control approved the various steering committee's re-alignment suggestions starting with the 2016-2017 school year. This alignment also will be for the 2017-2018 school year. *For an interactive listing, CLICK HERE FOOTBALL Class 6AWPIAL SPORTS SECTION & PLAYOFF STRUCTURE UNVEILED
February 10, 2016
While WPIAL admiinistrators, coaches, players and fans will have to wait until Monday, February 15th for the new WPIAL Six Classification alignments to be announced, the structure of the sections and the playoff format were released on Wednesday. WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley said after investigating what course the WPIAL should take after the PIAA expanded classifications in several sports last fall, the district will follow suit and follow the classes set forth by the state expansion.MSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #10 – #1
January 1, 2016
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We conclude our countdown with #10 through #1. #10 - GOLDEN TRIBEMSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #25 – #11
December 31, 2015
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We begin our countdown with #25 through #11. #25 - ODD STREAK CONTINUESPIAA Alignment Numbers for 2017 & 2018 – Spring Sports
November 25, 2015
The new alignment list has been released by the PIAA for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 spring sports seasons. With the expanded classifications, there are still a lot of questions to be answered by WPIAL school officials and the schools themselves before anything in finalized and conferences are set. Schools must make a decision by mid-December if they want to remain in their designated classification OR decide to move up in class. A school is not permitted to move down.
