New coach looking to bring stability to the Chartiers Valley baseball program

By: Ted Sarneso
Sunday, March 22, 2026 | 11:01 AM

David Oddi always thought the Chartiers Valley baseball coaching job was one he would eventually like to have.

Originally from Carnegie and while coaching at West Allegheny and Carlynton as either an assistant or head coach for 19 years, Oddi always had the opportunity to look at the Colts baseball team and how it was faring.

He even took in the 2016 WPIAL Class 3A championship game with a friend whose son was on the Chartiers Valley team that defeated Blackhawk 4-3.

After taking five years off from coaching to watch his sons play collegiately at the Division III level, Oddi returned last year as an assistant at Baldwin. When the Chartiers Valley job opened, he pounced on the chance to coach where he had always hoped he would.

“I always looked at Chartiers Valley as a great job to get,” said Oddi. “I saw it open up and thought it would be fun to work there.”

In July of last year, Oddi and Chartiers Valley made it official. He inherits a program looking to find itself after making the move from Class 4A to 5A last year.

The Colts struggled as they finished 6-13 overall.

“I’m not sure the guys embraced 5A,” Oddi said. “Any time you transition up in class, and even into the section we’re in … no one would want to make that move. We understand the task at hand. We’re trying to change the culture and the way it was the last two years. It’s a challenge.”

What Oddi intends to bring to the program is a sense of stability. It starts at the top with the coaching staff Oddi has put together.

His two main assistants are Austin Berger, who was on the former staff, and Willie Corso, who was with Oddi at both West Allegheny and Carlynton.

“Austin is a great guy, will be a great head coach one day,” said Oddi. “He won’t be with us long. Someone will pick him up.”

Also on his staff are his two sons, Zack and Jordan, who give Oddi another opportunity to check something off his wish list.

“A big part of taking this job was getting the chance to coach with my sons,” Oddi said. “We’re a baseball family, and isn’t it always a dad’s dream to coach with your sons?”

Oddi and the coaching staff have made their objectives clear and have been very up front with not just the seniors, but the entire team.

“They’ve taken what we’ve said and have done a real good job,” said Oddi. “The senior group, especially, has been very receptive. They’re a great group, and we will rely on their leadership throughout the season.”

Leading the way for the seniors are a pair of players who have already committed to play at the next level in Colton Koza (West Liberty) and Jules Prozolly (Washington & Jefferson).

Koza will play shortstop, outfield and see some time pitching and Prozolly will be the No. 1 pitcher for the Colts.

“Colton works very hard and has been outstanding this offseason,” said Oddi. “Jules has a good pitching mind, does a great job for us out there.”

Colton Prosperi is a returning letterman who will play in the infield. Brady Shaming and Tyler Hughes both lost time last year due to injury but are fully healthy and ready to go. Shaming, who played first base last year, will be the team’s designated hitter this year, and Hughes will be a part of the Colts outfield.

John Papareilla has embraced the leadership role and really bought into the program the coaching staff has put forth.

In addition to the nine seniors that dot the roster are nine juniors, and Oddi is excited, in particular, to see three players from that group.

“Infielder Nate Colberg and outfielder Junior Pryor are both very talented. Owen Weagraff, who was a receiver for the football team, will be another one of our starters,” Oddi said.

Other returning starters include outfielder Drake Steading and infielder Jackson Schultz.

The Colts will also have sophomore Christian King in their rotation and according to Oddi, he will “be something special and who will see a lot of time this year.”

Oddi wants his pitching staff to keep things simple. In his time away from the sport, analytics and metrics have crept into the high school game, but Oddi knows that the simple things still work.

“I just want our guys to get 21 outs as efficiently as they possibly can,” he said.

“We want our guys to throw strikes, get outs and go deeper in games. The guys understand that and have bought in.”

As Oddi mentioned before, the Colts’ section is no easy place to be. Bethel Park and Peters Township each made it to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals while Trinity and Upper St. Clair made the playoffs out of the section.

South Fayette and Moon made the playoffs in 2024 and had down years last year but will be looking to rebound and make it back to the postseason.

“They’re all good, established programs with great coaches,” said Oddi. “It will be a challenge every day and everyone here understands that.”

Even though the Colts finished 3-9 in section play last year, they lost five games by one run and two of those games went into extra innings.

Added Oddi: “We’re hoping to be more competitive this year and hopefully change the outcomes of some of those type of games.”

This first year for Oddi will hopefully be one that people will look back on as the season where consistency and stability returned to the Chartiers Valley program.

They had 68 players try out for three teams this offseason, and the program as a whole is up 15 kids from last year.

Oddi had all his players, from the seniors down to the freshmen, all practice and train at the same time.

“We love our juniors and seniors,” said Oddi.

“But we want to be a program that reloads and doesn’t rebuild. We want to compete; we use the word every day. We want to develop a great culture here, and it all starts with that stability.”

Tags: Chartiers Valley