Trib HSSN baseball team of the week for June 14, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 7:00 PM

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Trib HSSN baseball team of the week – Riverside Panthers

Coach – Dan Oliastro (58th season)

Records – Riverside won the Section 1-3A title with a record of 9-1, one game in front of runner-up Ellwood City and three games better than the team they defeated in the WPIAL championship game, Quaker Valley. The Panthers won their last 12 games to finish with an overall record of 21-2.

#Earned – The road to a sweep of district and state gold in 2025 was not a dominant one for the Panthers. Riverside is tied for second all-time on the WPIAL baseball championship list with seven crowns, however this spring’s trip through the district playoffs included a 12-inning marathon victory in the semifinals and three one-run triumphs, with the semifinal win over South Park and the title game victory over Quaker Valley coming in 1-0 nail-biters. In the state playoffs, Riverside won its first two games by outscoring Huntingdon and Mohawk by a combined score of 15-0. In the state semifinals rematch against South Park, Riverside broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the fourth inning and added another run in the fifth to advance to the program’s sixth PIAA title game, 4-1. In the finals at Penn State, the Panthers scored single runs in the third and fourth innings to lead, 2-0. Mount Carmel scored two runs in the fifth inning to tie the game, but like many great teams do, Riverside answered quickly with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, then held on to make it a perfect 6 for 6 in PIAA championship games with a victory over the Red Tornadoes, 4-2.

Standout performers – Riverside senior pitcher Zach Hare was making national news with his postseason performance. The Slippery Rock commit was the winning pitcher in the WPIAL first round win over Shady Side Academy in which he pitched 5 1/3 no hit innings in relief, and won again in the quarterfinals with five-inning complete game of no-hit ball. He followed up with seven innings of no-hit pitching against South Park in the semifinals, but did not factor in the decision when the Panthers won in 12 innings. Finally, he threw a perfect game against Quaker Valley in the WPIAL finals, bumping his hitless streak to 24 1/3 innings. Hare continued his remarkable run with another no-hitter against Mohawk in the PIAA quarterfinals, bumping his hitless innings streak to 31 1/3 innings. Finally, in the state championship game against Mount Carmel, senior Brayden Brinkash singled to left-center field with two outs in the third inning, ending Hare’s hitless run at 34 innings. He still pitched into the seventh inning for his fifth postseason victory as he struck out 11 in the title game win, 4-2. Senior Hunter Garvin struck out the final two batters for the save. Senior Christian Lucarelli, a Duke commit, was the Panthers’ winning pitcher in both the state first round and semifinal victories. Sophomore Dylan Meyer was 2 for 2 with two runs batted in in the PIAA semifinals, then he went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI in the PIAA championship game.

Last year – Fresh off district and state gold in 2023 with a perfect season, there were high expectations for Riverside in 2024. The Panthers won their first 11 games of the season before suffering their only loss of the regular season at Neshannock, 5-2. Riverside still won the Section 1-3A title by one game over Mohawk. As the top seed in the WPIAL 3A playoffs, the Panthers beat Keystone Oaks in the first round, 4-1, rolled past South Park in the quarterfinals, 11-1, and then blanked South Allegheny in the semifinals, 2-0, to return to the district finals. There, they locked horns with Avonworth in the longest WPIAL championship game, one that lasted 14 innings as the Panthers lost a heartbreaker to the Antelopes, 4-3. The 2024 PIAA postseason did not last long as Riverside fell to District 9 champion Punxsutawney in the opening round, 3-0, to end a successful, yet disappointing season at 16-3.

Remember when – Twenty years ago, the Riverside baseball program wasn’t as decorated as now with seven WPIAL championships and six PIAA titles. Heading into the 2005 campaign, the only baseball championship captured by the Panthers was nine years earlier when they won the 1996 WPIAL 2A crown. Riverside reached the state final four in 2004, so there were expectations for the green and white coming into the spring of 2005. The Panthers reached the WPIAL 2A championship game, but lost to North Catholic, 5-0. In the PIAA postseason, Riverside defeated Brookville from District 9 in the first round, 6-3, Sharpsville from District 10 in the quarterfinals, 12-6, and then avenged the district title game loss by beating North Catholic in the semifinals, 5-3. In the state title game, Riverside captured state gold for the first time with a victory over District 3 champion Halifax at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona, 8-0. The Panthers would repeat as state champions in 2006, then later win PIAA gold in in 2011, 2012, 2023 and 2025.

2025 Trib HSSN Baseball Teams of the Week

Week 9 – South Park Eagles

Week 8 – Freedom Bulldogs

Week 7 – Indiana Little Indians

Week 6 – Mars Fightin’ Planets

Week 5 – Neshannock Lancers

Week 4 – Ellwood City Wolverines

Week 3 – Bethel Park Black Hawks

Week 2 – Waynesburg Central Raiders

Week 1 – Belle Vernon Leopards

Tags: Riverside