Penn Hills baseball puts focus on snapping losing skid in Section 1-5A

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, March 9, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The bright yellow signs taped on the padded walls behind the batting cages inside the Fralic Center are impossible to miss. In large black letters, the Penn Hills baseball team has a blunt reminder of what they hope to avoid in the future.

The signs read 0-22, of the Indians’ results in section play since they beat Woodland Hills, 9-2, on May 10, 2022.

“There are 0-22 signs posted everywhere giving us reminders that’s what happened in the past, and we have to change that,” Indians sophomore Dontae Giddens said.

The Indians will open the season March 18 on the road against perennial power Shaler. Penn Hills was put in Section 1-5A, along with Armstrong, Franklin Regional, Kiski Area, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford and Plum.

First-year Penn Hills coach Joe Capobianco wants to help the Indians get in a position to have long-term success. The Indians haven’t had a winning season since 2014 and haven’t made the WPIAL playoffs since 2010.

Capobianco, a 1996 Penn Hills graduate and a former assistant coach with the program, said the experience has been refreshing. But he recognizes the challenge ahead.

“I don’t think it was as easy as I thought it would be,” Capobianco said. “It’s a lot harder because of the bad habits and not having a lot of structure here. It took a while. Once we got into January, things started flowing.”

Penn Hills, which finished 2-15 and 0-12 in section last season, will have several returning players shifting into different roles. Anthony Sipple will be one of the Indians’ starting pitchers but also will start at catcher.

Sipple said his experience catching before this spring was minimal. Before the season, Sipple got a glove and catching gear from his coach.

“I’ve never really caught against actual pitching,” Sipple said. “It’s definitely going to be a change. I just need to practice, really. Having coach teach me how to block. Normal receiving drills, stuff like that.”

Capobianco was surprised no one had asked him to try playing catcher before.

“The best part of him is his frame,” Capobianco said. “He looks like a catcher to me. I was shocked when he said he hadn’t caught before. He understands the flow of the game and how to call games.”

Gavin Tierney, Logan Bollinger and Mason Wade also will be counted on to pitch. The Indians have 18 players out for the team.

Giddens will be called on to play shortstop. Capobianco said he believes Giddens has the potential to be the best defensive shortstop in the section. Giddens started playing shortstop in seventh grade after previously playing third.

“My coach, Nelson Cooper, he helped me get my feet right and my hands right,” Giddens said.

The Indians are working to be on the same page.

They don’t want to continue making the signs’ numbers any larger.

“I think it’s a good environment,” Sipple said. “We have a bunch of new guys. It’s going to be a whole new team. Maybe we can get out there and get a few section wins.”

Tags: Penn Hills