Baseball
This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 07/07/2014
July 7, 2014
July kicks into full gear with plenty of red hot professional action on the diamonds this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things spend the week at CONSOL Energy Field as they host the Lake Erie Crushers and the Florence Freedom while the Pennsylvania Rebellion close out a home stand against the USSSA Pride before hitting the road to battle the Chicago Bandits in pro fast pitch softball action, plus check out the latest local, regional and national auto racing news with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, July 7th:
MSA SPORTS CUP: Sewickley Academy Back on Top After Winning Class A Cup
July 3, 2014
Eight time champion Sewickley Academy and defending champ Greensburg Central Catholic were deadlocked with 360 points each with one more sport to calculate in the chase for the 2013-2014 MSA Sports Class A Cup. That one sports was boy tennis, which was great news for Panthers fans and bad news for everybody else in Class A. A district title and state runner-up in boys tennis helped Sewickley Academy win the MSA Sports Cup for the ninth time in eleven years.
MSA SPORTS CUP: Seton-LaSalle Are Rebels With a Cause After Winning AA Cup
July 2, 2014
For only the third time in the eleven years of the MSA Sports Cup Class AA chase, the torch has been passed to a new champion. Greensburg Central Catholic won the first three years, followed by a five year run by Shady Side Academy and the last two years with Quaker Valley on top. Now thanks to a lot of hardwood gold, Seton-LaSalle High School is wearing the Cup crown. After a couple of close calls in recent years, Seton-LaSalle was lifted to the top spot in part because of double gold on the basketball court this winter followed up with some diamond success in the spring.
MSA SPORTS CUP: South Fayette Roars to First Class AAA Cup Title
July 1, 2014
The first ten years of the MSA Sports Cup has shown us that while there are a couple of dominating schools in the other three classifications, the chase for the Class AAA Cup has been up for grabs with eight different schools earning The Cup in ten years. Now in the eleventh year of this competition, we have another first time winner in Triple-A making it nine different champs in eleven years. After finishing as the runner-up in 2012-2013 and being a steady member on the Top 5 in recent years, South Fayette is finally enjoying its day in the Championship Sun with a convincing victory.
MSA SPORTS CUP: Another Year, Another Quad-A Title for North Allegheny
June 30, 2014
Another school year and another MSA Sports Cup in Class AAAA for North Allegheny High School. NA captured their 11th Cup in eleven years since the MSA Sports Network started this school year long competition to determine the top sports programs in each classification. There are 20 sports in which schools can earn points in the competition and for the second straight year and only the second time in this history of the coveted competition, the Tigers earned points in ALL of them. In the 2012-2013 school year, North Allegheny scored a mind-numbing and record 1,115 points. In 2013-2014, they had to settle for a mere 965 points. The second place school finished 530 points behind NA.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/30/2014
We say so long to June and hello to July with a busy holiday weekend celebration coming up as we honor our nations birthday with plenty of play from the diamonds this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things close out their home stand for three games at CONSOL Energy Field before hitting the road this weekend, while the Pennsylvania Rebellion finish their visit to Akron before returning home to CONSOL Energy Field this weekend in pro fast pitch softball action, plus your home for great auto racing updates is only here with another edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 30th:
2013-2014 MSA Sports Male Athlete of the Year
June 26, 2014
Neshannock High School in Lawrence County was much more than a school for Ernie Burkes. To him, the place was like his own personal “four seasons” resort. Oh, don’t get the wrong idea. Neshannock was never a place Burkes went to relax. But it was where he always went to get his fix of sports – in all four seasons. Burkes would start football in late summer and play it into the fall. He would move to basketball in the winter. In the spring, it was on to baseball and track. Four seasons. Four sports. One incredible athlete. Now just call him Athlete of the Year. Burkes, a Neshannock senior, wins the MSA Sports Male Athlete of the Year for the 2013-14 school year. The winner is picked from the entire WPIAL and is selected by the MSA Sports staff.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/24/2014
June 24, 2014
We celebrate the first full week of summer with another busy week of pro baseball and pro softball action with another high school football all-star game this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things close out their home stand for three games at CONSOL Energy Field before hitting the road this weekend, while the Pennsylvania Rebellion visit Akron for two weekend pro fast pitch softball games, plus the 2014 Penn/Ohio High School Football All-Star Game and another edition of Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 23rd: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net2014 MSA Sports Diamond Studs Baseball All-Star Team
June 18, 2014
Blackhawk’s Brendan McKay and Norwin’s J.J. Matijevic were history makers. They did things this baseball season that hadn’t ever been done in the WPIAL before. McKay and Matijevic were so dominant and so terrific that the MSA Sports staff had trouble separating the two for Player of the Year honors. So, MSA decided to do a rare thing. They picked McKay and Matijevic as co-Player of the Year. McKay and Matijevic lead MSA’s Diamond Studs team, which is made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL. The team is heavy with pitchers, but some of the pitchers also excelled in the field and as hitters. Here is a look at the MSA Sports Diamond Studs team as well as the co-Player of the Year. CO-PLAYER OF THE YEARThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/16/2014
June 16, 2014
After honoring all of the Dad's, our attention turns to another busy week of pro baseball and pro softball action as we say so long to spring and hello to summer this week here on the MSA Sports Network. The Washington Wild Things hit the road for three games before returning home this weekend for three games at CONSOL Energy Field, which will also be the site of two home games for the Pennsylvania Rebellion pro fast pitch softball, plus the 2014 Ken Lantzy High School Football All-Star Classic along with another edition of Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 16th:2014 PIAA BASEBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS
While it was a forgetful state baseball postseason for WPIAL teams, it was a golden run for District 1. Three D-1 teams ended up winning baseball championships at Penn State University including Conestoga in Quad-A, Pope John Paul II in Triple-A and Devon Prep in Single-A. The fourth state champion came from District 4 as Loyalsock Township was able to repeat as Double-A champs. Here are ALL the final results from the 2014 PIAA Baseball Playoffs 2014 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: LaSalle College Explorers 4 - Conestoga Pioneers 2 in 8 innings PIAA CLASS AAAA Semifinals: Conestoga Pioneers 3 - SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS 2This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 01/10/2014
June 10, 2014
The 2013-2014 high school sports season continues to wind down with the baseball and softball state playoffs coming to an end this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Semifinals and Championship Game action from Penn State University from the 2014 PIAA Baseball and Softball Playoffs as well as pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and pro softball with the Pennsylvania Rebellion, plus the 2014 BeeGraphix High School Football Classic along with another edition of Rappin on Racin ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 9th: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netPIAA Semifinals Monday Recaps
June 9, 2014
It had been a tough state postseason for District 7 teams heading into the state Semifinals on Monday with only three WPIAL teams reaching the Final Four. Now that Seneca Valley, Greensburg-Salem and Neshannock have lost, there will be no district representation in the PIAA baseball and softball championships for the first time since 1979. Here are recaps from the one baseball and two softball PIAA Semifinals games on Monday which ended the high school year for WPIAL teams. PIAA BASEBALL CLASS AAAA SEMIFINALS:WPIAL Baseball All-Star Game Recaps
June 8, 2014
There was a new venue this year of rthe annual WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association All-Star games as they took the top seniors from District 7 to the turf of Kelly Automotive Field, formerly Pullman Park in Butler as the Class AA and Class AAA stars picked up victories. Here is a recap from both contests Sunday heard here on MSA Sports. Class AA All-Stars 8 – Class A All Stars 12014 MLB Draft: Multiple Former and Current WPIAL Players Selected on Day 3
On day three of the Draft, former North Allegheny and Kent State pitcher Eric Dorsch was selected in the 15th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dorsch, while at North Allegheny, won the 2009 WPIAL AAAA Baseball Championship and was a runner up finisher in 2010. At Kent State, Dorsch was moved to the role of closer and thrived in his Redshirt Junior Season, posting ten saves with a 3.56 ERA.Scholastic Notebook – 06/06/2014
June 6, 2014
Connor Coward’s right arm has been a major part of Seneca Valley’s turnaround story and march through the postseason. But Coward’s bat is also starting to be a big factor. Coward is a senior pitcher-shortstop for Seneca Valley. He is one of the top pitchers in the WPIAL, but he pitched only one inning in the regular season because of a stress fracture in his back.2014 MLB Draft: EF Alum Dan Altavilla Drafted by Seatttle on Day 2
It wasn't a lefty but a right handed pitcher that was the first Western Pennsylvania player selected in the Major League Baseball Draft on Friday. Mercyhurst College Junior Dan Altavilla was taken with the 141st overall pick in the fifth round by the Seattle Mariners. The Elizabeth Forward product has moved up the boards in the last few weeks, sporting a fastball in the mid 90's and good movement as the top starter for the Lakers this season.Scholastic Notebook – 06/03/2014
June 3, 2014
WPIAL baseball champions took it on the chin three times in the first round of the PIAA playoffs Monday. But history shows WPIAL champs often have trouble in the PIAA playoffs. Take a look at past years and the statistics say that WPIAL champs have only a slightly better than 25 percent chance of making it to a PIAA title game. The PIAA championships started with one class in 1977, expanded to two classes in 1979, three classes in 1999 and four classes in 2005. Since the PIAA playoffs started in 1977 and through last year, there were 96 WPIAL champs. Only 26 of those 96 teams (27 percent) made it to a PIAA title game.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/01/2014
June 1, 2014
With the spring district postseason now in the books, the focus switches to the spring high school sports state playoffs starting this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have First round and Quarterfinals action from the 2014 PIAA Baseball and Softball Playoffs as well as pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and pro softball with the Pennsylvania Rebellion, plus the season finale of the WPIAL Baseball Show on a special night on Wednesday along with another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show...championship edition on a special night ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, June 2nd:2014 WPIAL BASEBALL PLAYOFFS RESULTS
May 30, 2014
There is no question that the District 7 baseball postseason was an historic one up and down each of the classifications. A #16 seed which is still a sub-500 team has walked away with another Quad-A title...a #10-seed shocked the work by first scoring, then beating one of the best pitchers in WPIAL history...a #3-seed captured diamond gold for the first time in school history and the only top-seed to win a championship this spring did so with a perfect record. Few will soon forget the efforts put forth in this postseason which led to baseball titles for Seneca Valley, West Allegheny, Steel Valley and California. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs.
