Indiana uses potent pitching, late-game offensive eruption to finish off Central Valley

By: Dave Mackall
Thursday, June 5, 2025 | 8:58 PM

Indiana’s deep pitching staff with three Division I commits presents a challenge for others to get enough work.

Among them junior righthander Sullivan VanHoose.

Given a golden opportunity Thursday in the PIAA quarterfinals, VanHoose efficiently passed the test.

“Sully’s going to get there some day himself,” Indiana coach Dan Petroff said.

He may already be there.

VanHoose pitched four-plus innings of two-hit ball and three Indiana relievers, including Texas Tech-bound senior Greg Minnick, closed out an 8-0 victory over Central Valley at Plum High School, sending the WPIAL-champion Indians into the Class 4A semifinals.

“It’s been a fun year, but we’ve got two more games to take care of,” Petroff said.

Indiana (24-1), which won for the 11th consecutive time since its only loss April 24 against Connellsville, will face unbeaten District 3 champion East Pennsboro (23-0) on Monday at a site and time to be determined.

Indiana is attempting to reach its second PIAA championship game in Petroff’s two seasons as coach. As the WPIAL’s runner-up team in 2024, the Indians lost to District 1’s Holy Ghost Prep, 6-5, in the PIAA final.

“It’s surreal,” VanHoose said. “Not many kids get to experience this type of stuff.”

VanHoose pitched into the fifth, striking out six and walking one before giving way to the bullpen, which completed the four-hit shutout.

After VanHoose struck out the side in the fourth, he went back to the mound an inning later and walked Cameron Miller to start the fifth.

“That was my first walk of the game. I believe I could’ve gone a few more innings,” VanHoose said, smiling.

Petroff had another idea.

He replaced VanHoose with sophomore left-hander Brady Oakes, who struck out Adam Shroads before loading the bases on a pair of walks to Blake White and Nate Angelo around a fielder’s choice.

Minnick relieved Oaks and struck out Will Ciucci to end the threat.

“Coach Petroff didn’t say a whole lot to me when he came out, but he told me I did more than he actually wanted me to,” VanHoose said.

The original plan, VanHoose said, was for him to pitch just two innings, and Petroff would decide the rest.

“Sully’s a great pitcher,” Petroff said. “He just hasn’t gone as much as he’d have liked. When you’ve got three Division I arms, it’s tough to find innings.”

Seniors Mark Collinger and Ryan Okopal, both headed to Mercyhurst, join Minnick as Indiana’s Division I pitching recruits.

VanHoose and Ciucci were locked in a scoreless pitchers’ duel as Central Valley (14-12) was trying to keep alive an improbable run through the state playoffs after finishing third in the WPIAL.

After Central Valley left the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Indiana broke through in the bottom half, scoring four runs on just two hits against Ciucci.

The Indians, with the help of VanHoose’s triple and a pair of doubles by Ethan Shank and Charlie Manzi, sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four more times in the sixth to knock Ciucci out of the game and take control.

“Last year, Indiana eliminated us in the first round. They were a better, physical team,” said Central Valley coach Tim Bruzdewicz, who led Canon-McMillan to WPIAL and PIAA championships in 2018.

“For five innings today, I thought we were the better team. But you’ve got to tip your cap to them. If you give them something, they’re going to take it, and then you fall behind.”

Minnick, the third Indiana pitcher, earned the victory, despite yielding Central Valley’s other two hits during 1⅓ innings. Collinger pitched a scoreless seventh for the Indians.

Manzi sparked the Indiana offense with three of its 10 hits, VanHoose contributed two and Will Olsen drove in a pair of runs.

The victory comes three days after Indiana opened the state tournament with a 12-inning, 1-0 victory over District 6 champion Bellefonte, the Indians’ third extra-inning game in the postseason.

“Being in the dugout as a sophomore and watching our team go through last year, I said I want to be in that position (this) year,” VanHoose said. “It boosted our guys to work harder, and now we’re exactly where we want to be.”

Tags: Central Valley, Indiana