What to watch for in the WPIAL: Monday, June 6, 2022

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, June 5, 2022 | 10:11 PM

And down the stretch they come.

Nineteen baseball and 19 softball teams from the WPIAL will be among the squads ready to travel on the Path to Penn State as the PIAA playoffs begin Monday.

A dozen of the 38 WPIAL teams are flashing freshly minted gold as they prepare for the state playoffs, hoping to find more treasures after four rounds and two weeks of the PIAA postseason.

But do the non-WPIAL champions have a better shot in the second-chance state playoffs?

In the last 10 seasons dating to 2011, there have been 12 WPIAL baseball teams that have won PIAA championships.

Of those dozen teams, seven were district champions: Riverside in 2011, Knoch and Neshannock in 2015, Latrobe in 2017, Vincentian and Canon-McMillan in 2018 and New Castle in 2021.

The WPIAL has produced 14 state softball champions since 2011.

Eight of those had earlier captured gold in the WPIAL playoffs: Canon-McMillan in 2013, Hempfield in 2016, ’17 and ’18, West Greene in 2017 and ’18, and Beaver and Mt. Pleasant in 2021.

It appears the WPIAL championship hangover talked about in other sports is not the golden rule on the baseball and softball diamonds.

State baseball begins

The PIAA baseball playoffs start with LaSalle College in 6A, Bethel Park in 5A, Schuylkill Haven in 3A and Halifax in A trying to repeat their title runs from 2021.

New Castle in 4A and Tyrone in 3A did not qualify.

WPIAL teams have won six PIAA baseball championships in the last four seasons since expansion to six classifications in 2017, those coming after winning eight state titles in the final 10 years of the four-classification format from 2007.

Monday’s first-round baseball schedule includes:

• Cumberland Valley vs. Mt. Lebanon at West Mifflin HS in 6A at 1:30 p.m.

• Upper St. Clair vs. Altoona at Mansion Park in Altoona in 6A at 4 p.m.

• Thomas Jefferson vs. West Allegheny at W&J Sports Complex in Washington in 5A at 2 p.m.

• Peters Township at Ephrata in 5A at 4 p.m.

• Bethel Park vs. Central Mountain at Lock Haven University in 5A at 4 p.m.

• Somerset at West Mifflin in 4A at 4 p.m.

• Montour vs. Bellefonte at Bald Eagle HS in 4A at 4 p.m.

• Laurel Highlands vs. Cathedral Prep at Mercyhurst University in 4A at 2 p.m.

• Franklin vs. South Park at Seneca Valley HS in 3A at 1 p.m.

• Mohawk at Martinsburg Central in 3A at 4 p.m.

• Hopewell vs. Fairview at Mercyhurst Prep University in 3A at 4:30 p.m.

• Redbank Valley vs. Serra Catholic at Norwin HS in 2A at 4 p.m.

• Neshannock vs. West Middlesex at Slippery Rock University in 2A at 4:30 p.m.

• Riverside at Mount Union at 4 p.m.

• Burgettstown vs. Johnsonburg at Berwind Park in St. Mary’s in 2A at 4 p.m.

• Clarion-Limestone vs. Union at Neshannock HS in A at 4 p.m.

• Eden Christian Academy vs. Saegertown at Slippery Rock University in A at 2 p.m.

• Rochester vs. DuBois Central Catholic at Showers Field in DuBois in A at 6:30 p.m.

State softball starters

The opening round of the softball playoffs begins with North Penn in 6A, Lampeter-Strasburg in 5A, Beaver in 4A and Tri-Valley in A ready to defend their crowns.

Mt. Pleasant in 3A and Line Mountain in 2A did not qualify.

WPIAL teams have won 10 PIAA softball titles in the last four seasons since expansion to six classifications in 2017, these after winning seven state championships in the final 10 years of the four-classification format going back to 2007.

Monday’s first-round softball schedule includes:

• Central Dauphin at Seneca Valley in 6A at 4 p.m.

• North Allegheny at Mifflin County in 6A at 4 p.m.

• Chartiers Valley at Armstrong in 5A at 3:30 p.m.

• Penn-Trafford at Twin Valey in 5A at 4 p.m.

• North Hills at Central Mountain in 5A at 3 p.m.

• Fleetwood vs. Beaver at Neshannock HS in 4A at 4 p.m.

• Elizabeth Forward at Hamburg in 4A at 4 p.m.

• Burrell vs. Villa Maria Academy at Penn State-Behrend in 4A at 3 p.m.

• Westmont-Hilltop vs. Avonworth at Mars HS in 3A at 2 p.m.

• Deer Lakes at Corry in 3A at 4 p.m.

• Southmoreland vs. Bald Eagles at Milesburg Complex in Bellefonte in 3A at 4 p.m.

• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Neshannock in 2A at 2 p.m.

• Frazier at Everett in 2A at 4:30 p.m.

• Laurel vs. Reynolds at Allegheny College in 2A at 3 p.m.

• Shade vs. Union at Neshannock HS in A at 12 p.m.

• West Greene at Conemaugh Valley in A at 4 p.m.

• Greensburg Central Catholic vs. DuBois Central Catholic at Heindl Field in DuBois at 3 p.m.