Westmoreland high school notebook: Yough baseball coach Palm steps away

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, August 9, 2025 | 5:16 PM

Calling it more of a retirement than a resignation, Dan Palm is leaving the Yough baseball program.

He was with the Cougars for 10 years, including the last three as head coach.

Palm was Craig Spisak’s assistant for seven seasons and took over when Spisak left to coach at Norwin.

“There was no particular reason. It was just time,” said Palm, 54. “This past season was very difficult for me with all of the losing, and I felt I was letting the kids down.

“And, most importantly, it’s time to spend more time with my wife, Ali, and kids.”

Palm finished with a 25-35 record (18-18 in section) and was part of back-to-back section championship teams in 2022 and ‘23.

After a 16-6 season in his first year, the Cougars went 6-12 and 3-17 in the last two.

Palm was 1-1 in the WPIAL playoffs and also won section titles in 2016 and ‘19.

He also was the head coach at Belle Vernon (2006-13) and Albert Gallatin (2002-03). Belle Vernon was the WPIAL runner-up in 2012, losing 1-0 to Blackhawk and ace Brendan McKay in the 3A championship.

The Leopards also collected their first PIAA win that season.

Palm said Dom Koch, his assistant at Yough, has been running offseason workouts and conditioning and working with the summer and fall teams.

“He has also been taking over more of the in-season and in-game duties,” Palm said. “He deserves to be the head coach.”

Going camping

After a week of heat acclimatization, WPIAL football teams will open full-contact training camp Monday.

Teams will scrimmage Saturday, with Week Zero set to kick off the season Aug. 22.

Official practice also opens Monday for soccer, cross country, girls volleyball, field hockey and girls tennis.

DeStefano commits

Torrie DeStefano, a rising senior basketball player at Penn-Trafford, is going to stay local to continue her basketball career. She announced last week she has verbally committed to Seton Hill of the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

She had also had Division II offers to play at West Virginia Wesleyan and Wheeling.

The 5-foot-8 combo guard averaged 11 points, 4 assists and 3.5 steals last year for the Lady Warriors, who went 22-0 during the regular season.

DeStefano didn’t hesitate when Griffins’ coach Maeve Gallagher offered her a spot.

“I really loved the campus, and I was able to see the team play a couple times prior to my visit (Thursday) and just loved coach Maeve and the staff,” DeStefano said. “I loved the style of play, and it just felt like home. I am more than happy with my decision.”

Record round

A school record to open golf season? Addy Witcoski will take it.

The senior from Ligonier Valley carded nine pars and a birdie on the way to an 82 to set a team record for 18 holes during the Happy Valley Invitational at Penn State’s White Course.

Last year, she set the program mark for nine holes with a 38 as the Rams defeated Southmoreland at Donegal Highlands Golf Course.

Recruiting

• Penn-Trafford soccer player Miley Currie will continue her playing career at Cal (Pa.).

Currie is a senior attacking midfielder who also plays forward.

• Penn-Trafford football player Jamison Yurt was offered a roster spot at Saint Vincent and Allegheny. He is a senior fullback and linebacker.

• Gettysburg, a Division III football program, offered a spot to Norwin senior quarterback Tristyn Tavares.

• Greensburg Central Catholic football player Jerry Davis has an opportunity to play at Division III Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster.

• Senior Michael DeFazio of Norwin has a football offer from St. John Fisher (N.Y.). He is a tight end and linebacker for the Knights.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Ligonier Valley, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Yough