Quaker Valley baseball in position to build on past success

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, March 22, 2026 | 11:01 AM

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Quaker Valley played some of its best baseball last year when it counted the most.

The Quakers won seven consecutive games, including three in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, to advance the championship game at EQT Park in Washington.

QV lost a 1-0 decision to Riverside to finish as the district runner-up and has six starters and 13 lettermen back from last year’s squad.

“As always, each year’s team is discreet and unique,” QV coach Rich Garbee said. “We are young (this year), with 80 percent of the team being freshmen or sophomores.

“We have booked a very challenging nonsection schedule that should prepare us for a section that always has talented, well-coached teams. This year is no different. We will be ready to play and compete with confidence.”

QV’s returning starters are led by senior shortstop/pitcher Todd Kagle, a Washington & Jefferson recruit, and senior outfielder/pitcher Henry Zupanc, who has committed to Saint Vincent.

“Todd will pitch and primarily play shortstop but knows he could end up anywhere,” Garbee said. “Henry will play center field and pitch some.”

Kagle led last year’s squad in batting average (.462), hits (30), RBIs (39), slugging percentage (.923), doubles (10), home runs (6) and OPS (1.456) and was second in OBP (.532). He was voted second-team all-state following the season.

“We had a lot of fun (last) year,” Kagle said. “We competed throughout the year. It was sad to see the way it ended.

“This year, we have a young team with a lot of new players in starting roles. This team has a lot of potential, and I’m excited to see how it plays out this year.”

Four other returning starters are senior Brad Semonik (C/OF), junior Kolton Johnson (OF/3B/P) and sophomores Holden Kirkham (P/OF) and Michael Semonik (1B/OF).

“Brad will be our everyday catcher as he was a year ago,” Garbee said. “Kolton will slot in wherever we need him — infield, outfield or pitching.

“Holden will play in the outfield and pitch for us, and Michael will play first base.”

Tristen Bemis has returned to the team for his senior season after a year’s hiatus and will hold down a middle infield position.

“There are other players, including Caden Hanna, Cam Neal, Damien McClay, Mason Wydra, Rafe Furfari and Noah Fardo, who will be slotted in at various times based upon our pitching rotation and opponent,” Garbee said.

Hanna (C/OF/P), Neal (OF/P), McClay (C/3B/P), Wydra (2B) and Furfari (2B) are sophomores. Fardo, who has recovered from an injury, is a junior outfielder.

Garbee and his staff work in the preseason for the team to be fundamentally sound when the games begin.

“We work on the fundamentals that are important to Quaker Valley baseball — baserunning, bunting, defensive intelligence, aggressive hitting,” he said. “We also work our pitchers, as well as blend new players into the mix in different positions to find the right combinations going forward.

“We are delighted to have a very strong freshmen class that has been committed to the offseason workouts and improving 1 percent each day.”

Eric Anderson, Julian Jarrett, Finn Runyard and Brody Zyroll are freshmen outfielders and are joined in the QV baseball program by five more freshmen — Charlie Burns (OF/INF/P), Henry Burns (INF), Rocco Fardo (INF/P), Jack Neff (C/INF/P) and Bobby Riordan (1B/P).

Rounding out the squad are sophomore reserves Aiden Bellissimo (OF/P) and Ian Benson (C).

Quaker Valley finished as the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up and a PIAA quarterfinalist in 2025. It marked the first time in more than a decade that a QV baseball team reached the WPIAL championship game.

It also was more than a decade since QV advanced to the state quarterfinals on the diamond.

The Quakers ended up 16-8 overall.

Tags: Quaker Valley