Baseball
Scholastic Notebook – 04/17/2015
April 17, 2015
Life in Section 1 of WPIAL Class AAAA baseball is full of close calls. The WPIAL season is a little less than a month old and it’s remarkable how many close games there are in Section 1. Heading into Friday’s action, there have been 12 games played in the section. Two-thirds were decided by two runs or less and five had been decided by one run. The close games certainly reflect the balance of the section. But they also reflect the strength of the section. This should tell you the strength of Section 1: It includes four teams – Moon, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland and Seneca Valley – that have made 17 WPIAL championship appearances in either Class AAAA or AAA over the past 11 years. The other members of the section are North Hills and Butler.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/13/2015
April 13, 2015
Each week during the 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 another NEW #1 team in Class AAAA. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2015 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (3-1) (Last Week #2) 2. MOON TIGERS (5-1) (Last Week #1) 3. MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (5-1) (Last Week #3)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/13/2015
The clouds have parted after a week of washouts and the diamond action gets back into a mid-season groove this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have WPIAL section play from the diamonds in both baseball and softball along with several more Hometown Softball Broadcasts, while we also have WPIAL section coverage in boys volleyball and boys lacrosse, plus The WPIAL Baseball Show and the weekly edition of Rappin' on Racin' ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 13th: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net WPIAL High School Baseball - Hempfield vs Penn-Trafford at 4:00pm on MSAsports.netScholastic Notebook – 04/10/2015
April 10, 2015
Beaver Falls High School is trying to make sure the school’s 1975 baseball team won’t be forgotten. At a baseball game in two weeks, the ’75 team that won a WPIAL title will be honored before a Beaver Falls game. No one is quite ready to call this year’s Beaver Falls team championship caliber, but the Tigers are doing a pretty good job of grabbing some attention for themselves. It’s still extremely early in the WPIAL baseball season, but Beaver Falls is 3-0. That might not sound like much, but considering the past few years, it is a gigantic step forward for Beaver Falls.
WPIAL Hall of Fame Class of 2015
April 9, 2015
Four athletes who would later go on to professional careers, several multi-sport athletes, four coaches who won nearly 40 WPIAL championships between them, an old-school baseball player whose son continued his Major League Baseball legacy and a team that won nine WPIAL and PIAA playoff games en route to a state basketball title by an average margin of victory of 25.8. Those are some of the headliners of the WPIAL Hall of Fame class of 2015. The WPIAL held a news conference Thursday morning to announce its ninth annual class. You can watch the video stream archived here on MSA Sports. All inductees will be honored at a banquet June 12 at the Doubletree Hotel in Greentree.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 04/06/2015
April 6, 2015
Each week during the 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. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2015 WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL CLASS AAAA TOP TEN: 1. MOON TIGERS (1-0) (Last Week #1) 2. BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (3-1) (Last Week #3) 3. MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (5-1) (Last Week #6) 4. SHALER TITANS (4-1) (Last Week #7)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/05/2015
April 5, 2015
We go hopping back to our normal busy schedule with a post-Easter blossom of spring high school sports action this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have WPIAL section play from the diamonds in both baseball and softball along with the debut of the 2015 Hometown Softball Broadcasts, while we also have District 7 section coverage in boys volleyball and girls lacrosse, plus The WPIAL Baseball Show and the first gold of the spring is handed out with the 2015 WPIAL Boys Singles Tennis Championships ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 6th: TALK SHOW - Rappin' on Racin' at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net WPIAL High School Baseball - Carmichaels vs McGuffey at 4:00pm on the McGuffey Highlanders Sports Network at MSAsports.netThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/31/2015
March 31, 2015
As March sails off with the chilly wind, we welcome in April with various spring high school sports this holiday week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the start of secton play in WPIAL baseball along with more section softball action from around the WPIAL, plus we have WPIAL girls lacrosse and the debut of The WPIAL Baseball Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 30th: WPIAL High School Softball - McGuffey vs Waynesburg at 4:00pm on Greene Sports Network 3 at MSAsports.net AND on the McGuffey Highlanders Sports Network at MSAsports.netScholastic Notebook – 03/28/2015
March 28, 2015
The best distance runner in WPIAL history might not compete in track this season because of an illness and injuries. That leaves the door open for someone. Madeleine Davison has her foot in the door. Davison is a junior at North Allegheny. While Shaler’s Brianna Schwartz was running her way to records last year, Davison was often close behind, sometimes just a second or two away. Now, Davison could gain a reputation as one of the best distance runners in the WPIAL in recent history.
2015 WPIAL BASEBALL PREVIEW
March 27, 2015
With a new season upon us and WPIAL section play about to begin for most teams next week (weather permitting), MSA Sports takes a look at some of the district baseball players and the teams to watch for this 2015 campaign. Obviously, there are a lot of good players who did not crack the below list, but we will be hearing about them and their diamond successes as the campaign rolls on from the chill of March through the heat of late May. Four teams enter the season looking for back-to-back WPIAL baseball titles as Seneca Valley, West Allegheny, Steel Valley and California look to repeat.
2014 WPIAL BASEBALL REVIEW
March 25, 2015
Wow, what a magical season 2014 turned out to be on the district baseball diamonds. While Brendan McKay had an historic season to cap off a career for the ages, he and his Blackhawk teammates had to settle for silver after losing in the Triple-A finals to a scrappy West Allegheny team. But that wasn't the only surprising championship run as Seneca Valley has a postseason run for the ages to win another district baseball crown, this time from the #16 and final seed in Quad-A. Here is a look back at the 2014 WPIAL Baseball season with final regular season standings along with WPIAL and PIAA playoff results. FINAL 2014 WPIAL REGULAR SEASON BASEBALL STANDINGS:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/22/2015
March 22, 2015
We have said so long to the winter sports season and a gradual hello to the high school and college spring sports season all this week MSA Sports Network. While we still have some postseason women's college basketball action featuring California University of Pa, we also have the debut of WPIAL baseball, WPIAL softball, WPIAL boys volleyball and WPIAL boys and girls lacrosse, plus we have more college baseball with the Geneva Golden Tornado ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 23rd:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/15/2015
March 15, 2015
After a loooong four months, the winter high school sports season is finally coming to a golden end this week on the MSA Sports Network.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/08/2015
March 8, 2015
The state basketball playoffs head into rounds two and three while the high school hockey postseason heads into the giving up The Cup this week on the MSA Sports Network. We have Second Round and Quarterfinals action in the PIAA Basketball Playoffs along with Semifinals and Championship play from the PIHL Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs. We also look forward to spring with a week full of college baseball from Florida featuring Geneva College, plus we have the season finale of Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle, the WPIAL Roundball Report and the PIHL Power Play Show on a special night ALL here at MSAsports.netMSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – 01/07/2015
January 7, 2015
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays 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 2014. We conclude our countdown with all 25 stories from #25 through #1. #25 - Game, Set, Match and Gold The unique streak continued in 2014 for Sewickley Academy. 2009 was the last time a Panthers duo did not win gold the WPIAL boys doubles tennis tournament. back in April, the Sewickley Academy tandem of Ryan Gex and Luke Vith won gold in Class AA.
MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – 01/01/2015
January 1, 2015
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2014. We conclude our countdown with the five stories that ended up #5 through #1. {Left: Brianna Schwartz of Shaler crosses the finish line to win the WPIAL Girls Class AAA cross-county championship, her third straight title} #5 - Sister Power In 2013, the Kluska sisters made news when older sister Alyvia forfeited her WPIAL Class AA Consolation match to Michaela, thus earning the then freshman a spot in the PIAA girls individual singles tennis playoffs.
MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – #10-#6
December 31, 2014
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2014. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #10 through #6. {Left: After winning a third PIAA individual wrestling title, Kittanning's Jason Nolf accepts the Outstanding AA Wrestler trophy} #10 - The Storm Ends It was going to happen at some time this season that the New Castle Red Hurricanes boys basketball team would taste defeat. New Castle had an amazing run over the last three years, claiming consecutive WPIAL championships and finishing the run with a 31-0 season and a state title in March.
MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – #15-#11
December 30, 2014
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2014. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #15 through #11. {Left: Burrell celebrates an 8th consecutive WPIAL Double-A team wrestling championship after edging South Fayette in early February} #15 - Rebels With a Cause Seton-LaSalle High School colors are green and gold. This past basketball season, there was heavy emphasis on the GOLD. The Rebels were one last second shot away from making history by having both the boys and girls hoop teams sweep both district and state championships.
MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – 12/29/2014
December 29, 2014
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2014. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #20 through #16. {Left: Members of the Sabers girls volleyball team are paraded around Ford City after winning the schools first ever WPIAL girls volleyball championship in the schools final year.} #20 - NA Tigers: Kings of the Pool
MSA Sports Countdown – Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2014 – 12/28/2014
December 28, 2014
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2014. We begin our countdown with the five stories that ended up #25 through #21. {Left: Central Valley Warriors football team celebrates at Heinz Field after edging West Allegheny in the 2014 AAA football title game} #25 - Game, Set, Match and Gold The unique streak continued in 2014 for Sewickley Academy. 2009 was the last time a Panthers duo did not win gold the WPIAL boys doubles tennis tournament. back in April, the Sewickley Academy tandem of Ryan Gex and Luke Vith won gold in Class AA.
