Trib HSSN baseball player of the week for June 8, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 9:28 PM

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Trib HSSN baseball player of the week – Greg Minnick

School: Indiana

Class: Senior

Position: Pitcher

#Earned: Minnick took the mound against Elizabeth Forward in the WPIAL Class 4A baseball championship game looking for personal redemption. In the 2024 district title game, he started and pitched four innings, allowing four runs on three hits with five walks in a loss to North Catholic. However, his struggles at the home of the Washington Wild Things continued when he lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with four walks. But team redemption trumped all after teammate Charlie Manzie hit a walk-off two-run homer in the 11th inning to give Indiana its first WPIAL championship, 3-1. So as the state playoffs began Monday, Minnick thought he would be a spectator as Ryan Okopal got the start. Okopal pitched eight shutout innings, but the game was still scoreless. Minnick took over in the ninth inning and ended up picking up the victory when Indiana finally scored in the bottom of the 12th to defeat Bellefonte, 1-0. Minnick pitched four scoreless innings, allowing no hits, three walks and striking out eight. Three days later, Minnick was called on again in a scoreless game. He entered the contest against Central Valley in the top of the fifth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. He pitched out of the jam by striking out the Warriors hitter on three pitches. Then in the bottom of the fifth inning, Indiana scored four runs. Following a scoreless sixth inning for Minnick, the Little Indians scored four more runs to win 8-0, giving the senior right-hander his second state playoff win of the week.

Background: Minnick will continue his academic and baseball career at Texas Tech in the fall, where he plans to study finance. Minnick missed his sophomore season at Indiana when he had surgery to repair a torn patella tendon in his knee. He feels missing that year kept his arm fresh and also made his realize how much he loves playing baseball. He feels his slider is one of his best pitches, and he is working on his changeup. Minnick hasn’t batted for Indiana the last couple of years to avoid injury. He said he was OK at the plate, but Minnick the pitcher would have no problem striking out Minnick the hitter. For the season, Minnick has started 12 games and pitched 37 1/3 innings. He is 9-0 with a 0.63 ERA with 11 walks and 72 strikeouts. He has two older brothers. Grant is 23 and loves music, and Garrett is 19 and is on the track team at Cal (Pa.). Greg Minnick started playing baseball in tee-ball but liked basketball more when he was in middle school. He realized before high school that baseball was his best sport, and he has focused on that since. He also played soccer when he was 8 years old, but that only lasted one year. Last year, he always warmed up with a sweatshirt over his uniform to work up a good sweat. But he stopped doing that this year to avoid any gameday superstitions.

What coach says: “The plan going in was to not use Greg at all,” Indiana coach Dan Petroff said of his win in relief Monday. “However, in a win-or-done mode and Greg being ready, we had to go with the best. He didn’t disappoint.

“Greg started all year but came in relief with the bases loaded and two outs with little warm-up and then struck out the batter on three pitches,” Petroff said of Minnick entering under great pressure in a scoreless game Thursday. “That’s hard to do when you are in a routine as a starter most of the year.

“I thought we would be a little flat after playing in the atmosphere we played in Monday. That home crowd (Monday) and energy was unbelievable. But that’s why the game was invented for seven innings, not just four or five. We came alive late in the game, and that was great to see from our guys.

“Not only is Greg’s stuff electric and off the charts for a high school kid, he is a warrior as well. Greg has composure, confidence and a not-bend attitude on the mound. He wants the ball in any moment to carry his team.

“After signing with (Texas) Tech, Greg put his name on the map in all of Pennsylvania. He can’t go anywhere without someone knowing about him and what he has done and will be doing. I couldn’t be happier for him. These last four years, he has been a major reason why Indiana is back on the map.”

2025 Trib HSSN Baseball Players of the Week:

Week 9 – Zach Hare, Riverside

Week 8 – Cy Herchelroath, Elizabeth Forward

Week 7 – Johnny Bertucci, Riverview

Week 6 – Tyler Skaggs, Serra Catholic

Week 5 – Ryan Piekutoski , Seneca Valley

Week 4 – Brock Budacki, New Brighton

Week 3 – Ryan Lafferty, Plum

Week 2 – Mason Metz, Avonworth

Week 1 – Eli Graff, Thomas Jefferson

Tags: Indiana