With MLB scouts watching, Caden Sivrich lifts Norwin past Hempfield

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | 9:14 PM

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More than a half-dozen professional scouts were in attendance to watch Caden Sivrich pitch.

The Norwin senior right-hander made sure the MLB reps didn’t waste a trip to North Huntingdon.

The hard-throwing Sivrich did his best to toss a shutout, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out 10 before reaching 101 pitches in Tuesday’s 6-3 victory over Hempfield in the middle game of a three-game Section 2-6A baseball series.

Sivrich, a Pitt commit, helped his cause with a three-run homer, matching the wind-aided three-run blast by teammate Derek Berger, for all of the Knights’ offense.

Both homers came with two outs as Norwin (4-1, 2-0) made it back-to-back wins over the Spartans (2-4, 0-2). It will go for a sweep at 4:15 p.m. Thursday at Hempfield.

The Knights held back the Spartans in Monday’s opener 6-5.

“Today was about attacking the hitters,” Sivrich said. “We got behind too many counts (Monday). It was a little rocky early today, but I started to trust my defense more as the game went on.”

For the second straight day, Norwin built a 6-0 lead before Hempfield began to dig out. But, again, the Knights held on, thanks to the early offense.

Both teams had six hits.

Berger, a West Liberty commit, cracked his deep ball in the first after senior Jake Knight walked and senior Tristyn Tavares was hit by a pitch — he was hit again later for the third time in the series — for a 3-0 lead.

Berger was 2 for 2 and was hit by a pitch.

“Today, we hit the long ball. Usually, Hempfield is doing that to us here,” Norwin coach Craig Spisak said. “And they have the guys to do it.

“We have been in a lot of close games these last four years, so they have learned how to handle (teams coming back).”

Hempfield was primed to score in the second with the bases loaded after Sivrich issued two walks and a hit batter.

But senior Owen Shuglie, who took off from third on a wild pitch, was tagged out at home. Knights senior catcher Trevor Vitsas strong-armed Shuglie with a diving tag.

“It was a tough game again,” Hempfield coach Tim Buzzard said. “We made a couple mistakes that allowed the extra runs to happen. We were able to chase Sivrich on pitches.”

Sivrich struck out the side in the third, and the Knights turned a 4-6-3 double play in the fourth.

It remained 3-0 despite Norwin threatening in the fourth. With two on, senior Liam O’Donnell hit a sinking liner to senior right fielder Lukas Murray.

Berger caught a deep drive in center by junior Lucas Simmons, the opposing pitcher who took the loss despite nine strikeouts, one walk and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The Spartans had runners at first and second in the fifth after Murray reached on an error and sophomore Grady Wheaton singled. But Sivrich caught senior catcher Ian Kovalcik looking — on his 101st pitch — to turn away Hempfield.

“As soon as I struck him out, I was pumped up and I knew this game was ours,” Sivrich said. “I felt like I was able to handle the adversity well when I got behind in counts.”

Said Spisak: “He struck out one of their best hitters there. That was big for Caden there. He continues to get better and better.”

So why were the MLB scouts there to see Sivrich?

That’s easy: He said his fastball was coming in between 93 and 95 mph, his slider at 84-88, and his changeup at 85-86.

He had 14 strikeouts in a game earlier in the season.

Could Norwin have a sleeper pick lying in wait for the July draft? Maybe, but for now he is focused on leading the Knights to another WPIAL title game and beyond.

Sivrich smacked his homer in the sixth after senior Matt O’Neil singled and Tavares was hit again to make it 6-0.

“As soon as I got it up (in the wind), I knew it had a chance,” Sivrich said.

Spartans senior Andrew Jones made a diving grab in center with two on to end the fifth.

Hempfield scored twice in the sixth off of Knights senior reliever Aiden Catterall to get Norwin’s attention. After a single by senior Evan Dunlap and a walk to Jones, Shuglie singled for the Spartans’ first run.

After a single by senior Chase Sikorski, another run came home on a fielder’s choice to make it 6-2.

Norwin left two on in the sixth, and Hempfield added its third run in the seventh. With two outs, Jones doubled and scored on a single by Shuglie, who had two hits and two RBIs.

Knight came on to face the final batter, Sikorski, and got him to fly out to left center to end it and earn the save.

Hempfield left 11 on base.

“Our guys battled,” Buzzard said. “It’s just tough when you’re down six. Every pitch, every hit becomes more difficult. It’s almost like everything has to be perfect. I am happy with our fight.

“We started fast in the other games. (Norwin) punched us and got us in a hole.”

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

Tags: Hempfield, Norwin