WPIAL Softball – 2011 Season Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 28, 2011 | 12:00 AM

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The 2011 WPIAL softball season is set to begin on Friday, March 25th. Two district teams are defending STATE champions in Mount Lebanon and Chartiers-Houston, while the Blue Devils, Montour Spartans, Valley Vikings and Vincentian Academy Royals now begin defense of their WPIAL titles, even though the Vikings have moved up from Class AA to Class AAA. Here is a rundown of the Preseason Top Ten and players to watch in each classification.

WPIAL CLASS AAAA PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1) SHALER TITANS (18-5)

2) LATROBE WILDCATS (13-7)

3) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (16-4)

4) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (13-4)

5) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (12-10)

6) CONNELLSVILLE FALCONS (12-7)

7) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (14-7)

8) NORTH HILLS INDIANS (10-8)

9) MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (23-3)

10) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (11-8)

WPIAL CLASS AAAA PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2011:

Tommi Nickelson – Connellsville

Alyssa Bates – Hempfield

Hope Pehrson – Hempfield

Emily Banner – Latrobe

Alexa Larkin – Latrobe

Rebecca Taylor – Latrobe

Athena Kaufman – Plum

Taylor Muffie – Kiski Area

Ellyn Wagner – Fox Chapel

Lauren Hackett – Shaler

Amanda Skidmore – Butler

Alyssa DiMaria – Seneca Valley

Hannah Jones – North Allegheny

Jessica Rectenwald – North Hills

Morgan Matetic – Peters Township

Tess Apke – Mount Lebanon

Yazsmin Kotar – Canon-McMillan

Anna Lauterbach – Baldwin

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WPIAL CLASS AAA PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1) MONTOUR SPARTANS (19-7)

2) AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS (17-5)

3) VALLEY VIKINGS (22-1)

4) YOUGH COUGARS (21-3)

5) WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS (13-8)

6) SOUTH PARK EAGLES (14-4)

7) CHARTIERS VALLEY COLTS (13-6)

8) THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS (14-5)

9) GREENSBURG-SALEM GOLDEN LIONS (8-8)

10) BELLE VERNON LEOPARDS (12-7)

WPIAL CLASS AAA PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2011:

Stephanie Beck – Ambridge

Jenna Lakas – Ambridge

Nikee George – Ambridge

Kayla Haslett – Ambridge

Samantha Santillo – Ellwood City

Allison Marshall – Ellwood City

Ashley Gerhart – West Allegheny

Lexi Schwartzmiller – Chartiers Valley

Lindsay Reicoff – Chartiers Valley

Stacey Capp – Montour

Marina Scarantino – Montour

Alyssa McMurtrie – Montour

Kaitlyn Kutchman – Montour

Courtney Hildenbrand – McGuffey

Ashley Narigon – McGuffey

Haley Bashada – Belle Vernon

Molly Gauden – Belle Vernon

Katie Gauden – Belle Vernon

Marissa Weekley – South Park

Nicole Davis – South Park

Dana Achille – South Park

Alyssa Frankenfield – Thomas Jefferson

Amanda Manko – Ringgold

Maria Slezak – Derry

Nicole Sleith – Yough

Alaynna Beers – Yough

Rachel Georgiana – Laurel Highlands

Marissa Allmendinger – Indiana

Alyssa Mellinger – Greensburg-Salem

Janelle Mosovsky – Highlands

Kristina Scott – Hampton

Angelina Masters – Valley

Katrina George – Valley

Caitlin Nealer – Valley

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WPIAL CLASS AA PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1) BURRELL BUCCANEERS (18-4)

2) BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS (14-3)

3) WAYNESBURG RAIDERS (16-5)

4) RIVERSIDE PANTHERS (13-6)

5) BENTWORTH BEARCATS (16-5)

6) AVONWORTH ANTELOPES (10-7)

7) BURGETTSTOWN BLUE DEVILS (10-9)

8) NEW BRIGHTON LIONS (10-10)

9) SETON-LaSALLE REBELS (11-5)

10) JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS (12-5)

WPIAL CLASS AA PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2011:

Shanna Quinn – Bishop Canevin

Jamie Kertes – Bishop Canevin

Marisa McAndrews – Seton-LaSalle

Melissa Gagliardi – Seton-LaSalle

Marissa Milbert – Avonworth

Natalie Zivic – Avonworth

Ali Chambers – Avonworth

Ashley Hurey – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Taylor Sherry – Brentwood

Jenna Ross – Keystone Oaks

Courtney Korpus – Bentworth

Darcy Bostich – Bentworth

Brianna Morris – Waynesburg

Taylor Johnson – Waynesburg

Caitlyn Dengler – Burgettstown

Nina Spagnolo – Burrell

Kaitlyn Sweeney – Burrell

Casey Moses – Burrell

Anna Christy – Freeport

Candace Scanga – Deer Lakes

Gabi Vogt – South Allegheny

Whitney Thompson – Mount Pleasant

Chelsea Sommer – Jeannette

Alie Perz – Greensburg Central Catholic

Kellie Mercier – Freedom

Kiersten Manor – New Brighton

Rayanna Furst – Neshannock

Erica Latess – Laurel

Emily Pritts – Riverside

Rachelle Miller – Mohawk

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WPIAL CLASS A PRESEASON TOP TEN:

1) CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS (22-2)

2) STO-ROX VIKINGS (14-6)

3) CARMICHAELS MIGHTY MIKES (16-2)

4) VINCENTIAN ACADEMY ROYALS (18-3)

5) LEECHBURG BLUE DEVILS (13-7)

6) MOUNT ALVERNIA LIONS (17-3)

7) FRAZIER COMMODORES (14-7)

8) WESTERN BEAVER GOLDEN BEAVERS (12-5)

9) JEFFERSON-MORGAN ROCKETS (17-4)

10) FORT CHERRY RANGERS (5-12)

WPIAL CLASS A PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2011:

Colby Miller – Chartiers-Houston

Rachel Tucker – Chartiers-Houston

Kayla Briggs – Chartiers-Houston

Kiersten Conwell – Chartiers-Houston

Emily Stark – Frazier

Andrea Lash – Frazier

Ashley Clark – Fort Cherry

Nicolette McHugh – Fort Cherry

Lindsey Osborne – Carmichaels

Megan Bayles – Carmichaels

Chelsea Dean – Jefferson-Morgan

Kaitlyn Coles – Jefferson-Morgan

Felicia Burns – Mapletown

Wendy Dickerson – Mapletown

Liz Doman – California

Paige Moninger – West Greene

Victoria Vuljanic – Sto-Rox

Bridget Melvin – Vincentian Academy

Morgan Russo – North Catholic

Annie Stewart – Mount Alvernia

Lauren Sauerwein – Mount Alvernia

Jenn Lentz – Mount Alvernia

Brianna McKeag – Riverview

Haley Buchser – Riverview

Kelly Klingensmith – Leechburg

Tiffany Black – Western Beaver

Kassie Fitzgerald – Western Beaver

Savannah Partridge – Union

Trish Lamont – South Side

Jillian Mitsch – Rochester

Molly Patsch – Quigley

Tags: Ambridge, Avonworth, Baldwin, Belle Vernon, Bentworth, Bishop Canevin, Burgettstown, Burrell, Carmichaels, Chartiers Valley, Chartiers-Houston, Connellsville, Fort Cherry, Frazier, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Jeannette, Jefferson-Morgan, Latrobe, Leechburg, Valley, Waynesburg Central, West Allegheny, Yough