WPIAL Softball: 2017 Season Preview
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Thursday, March 23, 2017 | 9:41 PM
A mild winter is leading into a mild start to spring. While the roller coaster ride Mother Nature will put all of us on over the next couple of months will be interesting, so will the action on the diamond in the new world of six classifications. While the great thing about high school softball is they will decide the six champions on the field and not in the rankings, that doesn’t slow us down from dishing out our Preseason Top Ten and Players to watch in each class.
CLASS 6-A Preseason Top Ten:
1) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS
2) SHALER TITANS
3) CANON-McMILLAN BIG MACS
4) LATROBE WILDCATS
5) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS
6) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS
7) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS
8) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS
9) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS
10) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS
CLASS 6-A Players to Watch:
Morgan Ryan – Hempfield
Madi Stoner – Hempfield
Jenna Osikowicz – Hempfield
Meredith Carr – Latrobe
Jackie Langer – Pine-Richland
Lauren Miller – Shaler
Taylor Jones – Shaler
Lyndsey Lakatos – Shaler
Elayna Nagy – Seneca Valley
Carolyn Cook – Bethel Park
Elaine Drahusz – Bethel Park
Abby Joyce – Bethel Park
Taylor Dadig – Baldwin
Brittney Crawford – Canon-McMillan
Kylah Kubiczki – Canon-McMillan
Danielle Malizio – Mount Lebanon
CLASS 5-A Preseason Top Ten:
1) WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS
2) PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS
3) FRANKLIN REGIONAL PANTHERS
4) MOON TIGERS
5) THOMAS JEFFERSON JAGUARS
6) MONTOUR SPARTANS
7) PLUM MUSTANGS
8) GATEWAY GATORS
9) MARS FIGHTING PLANETS
10) TRINITY HILLERS
CLASS 5-A Players to Watch:
Breanna Ginther – Penn-Trafford
Sarah Koscho – Penn-Trafford
Hannah Dobrinick – Penn-Trafford
Mia Burd – Connellsville
Brooke Zanotto – Franklin Regional
Chrissy Kemerer – Franklin Regional
Angalee Beall – Franklin Regional
Michaela Palmieri – Plum
Mackenzie Gerhart – Gateway
Lauren Niglio – Moon
Alyssa Sisko – Moon
Brooke Wilson – West Allegheny
Mackenzie Partyka – West Allegheny
Char-leigh Bates – West Allegheny
Ashley Seamon – West Allegheny
Leah Vith – Montour
Brittney Seibert – Montour
Amanda Gross – Chartiers Valley
Payton Barr – Trinity
Johnna Mocniak – Ringgold
Alyssa Fairman – Thomas Jefferson
Izzy Berkopec – Mars
CLASS 4-A Preseason Top Ten:
1) MOUNT PLEASANT VIKINGS
2) BELLE VERNON LEOPARDS
3) BEAVER BOBCATS
4) YOUGH COUGARS
5) ELIZABETH FORWARD WARRIORS
6) INDIANA LITTLE INDIANS
7) CENTRAL VALLEY WARRIORS
8) SOUTH FAYETTE LIONS
9) AMBRIDGE BRIDGERS
10) HOPEWELL VIKINGS
CLASS 4-A Players to Watch:
Tayven Rousseau – Beaver
Paige Ziggas – Beaver
Leah Treemarchi – Central Valley
Leigha Knox – Central Valley
Holly Singer – Hopewell
Haley Bedalota – Hopewell
Brooklyn Kotula – Ambridge
Sara Jubas – South Fayette
Alyssa Bell – West Mifflin
Taylor Ludwick – Elizabeth Forward
Lauren Mathews – Elizabeth Forward
Bailey Parshall – Belle Vernon
Lexie Church – Belle Vernon
Chelsea Bisi – Derry
Alona Sleith – Yough
Meadow Uncapher – Mount Pleasant
Ava Gnibus – Mount Pleasant
Avery Keller – Knoch
Haleigh Zimmerman – Indiana
Lauren Bertig – Indiana
Emily Cochran – Highlands
CLASS 3-A Preseason Top Ten:
1) ELLWOOD CITY WOLVERINES
2) SOUTH PARK EAGLES
3) SOUTHMORELAND SCOTTIES
4) DEER LAKES LANCERS
5) AVONWORTH ANTELOPES
6) FREEPORT YELLOW JACKETS
7) STEEL VALLEY IRONMEN
8) BURRELL BUCCANEERS
9) WAYNESBURG RAIDERS
10) McGUFFEY HIGHLANDERS
CLASS 3-A Players to Watch:
Olivia Porter – Southmoreland
Bethany Bunner – Southmoreland
Addy Helffrich – Avonworth
Maya Kozup – Avonworth
Elaina Tkaczenko – Avonworth
Kimmi D’Ottavio – Avonworth
Tara Staley – Waynesburg
Adrianna Gotthead – Charleroi
Alaina York – Burrell
Brittany Dunn – Burrell
Claire Crytzer – Freeport
Allie DeJidas – Freeport
Kristie Radvan – Freeport
Danielle Huffman – Deer Lakes
Shae Robson – Deer Lakes
Katlyn Pavlick – South Park
Justine Dean – South Park
Morgan Farrah – Steel Valley
Amani Johnson – East Allegheny
Ariana Garroway – Ellwood City
Camille Maine – Ellwood City
Skyla Greco – Ellwood City
CLASS 2-A Preseason Top Ten:
1) CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS
2) LAUREL SPARTANS
3) CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS
4) SOUTH SIDE BEAVER RAMS
5) SHENANGO WILDCATS
6) SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES
7) FRAZIER COMMODORES
8) SETON-LaSALLE REBELS
9) BURGETTSTOWN BLUE DEVILS
10) BENTWORTH BEARCATS
CLASS 2-A Players to Watch:
Natalie Graff – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Capri Sollinger – South Side
Hunter Hand – South Side
Mollie Charlton – Apollo-Ridge
Lexi Wagner – Seton-LaSalle
Maddie Shiderly – Mohawk
Olivia Lombardo – Laurel
Kayla Ruperto – Laurel
Kayla Alderson – Chartiers-Houston
Macie Kesneck – Chartiers-Houston
Allison Smith – Chartiers-Houston
Kaitlyn Dittrich – Chartiers-Houston
Kara Mastowski – Frazier
Tayjah White – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Adrienne Nardone – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Bridgette Hudson – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
Elizabeth Arnold – Vincentian Academy
Carolyn Peterson – Shenango
Lauren Kolenik – Serra Catholic
CLASS 1-A Preseason Top Ten:
1) WEST GREENE PIONEERS
2) CARMICHAELS MIGHTY MIKES
3) LEECHBURG BLUE DEVILS
4) MONESSEN GREYHOUNDS
5) JEFFERSON-MORGAN ROCKETS
6) SEWICKLEY ACADEMY PANTHERS
7) JEANNETTE JAYHAWKS
8) UNION SCOTTIES
9) WESTERN BEAVER GOLDEN BEAVERS
10) CORNELL RAIDERS
CLASS 1-A Players to Watch:
Megan Walker – Carmichaels
Natalie McNett – Carmichaels
Madison Lampe – West Greene
McKenna Lampe – West Greene
Kaitlyn Rizor – West Greene
Madison Renner – West Greene
Taylor Vanata – Mapletown
Karen Watkins – California
Gabby Simpson – Monessen
Dana Vatakis – Monessen
Kristen Knapp – Leechburg
Lexie Young – Leechburg
Morgan Pierce – Leechburg
Serena Edgar – St. Joseph
Alivia Acierno – Riverview
Brooke McCanna – Western Beaver
Taylor Kirschner – Quigley Catholic
Sarah Seamans – Union
Olivia Piccolo – Cornell
Hailey Leitner – Cornell
Theresa Wilson – Sewickley Academy
Chandler White – Sewickley Academy
Kaia Iverson – Ellis School
More Softball
• Softball smarts lead Hempfield catcher Ella Berkebile to Bucknell• Chartiers Valley slugger Lily Duffill commits to No. 1 college choice, Penn State
• Hempfield’s Howard commits to Virginia softball team
• Slow-pitch softball league playoffs loom as regular season concludes
• Hempfield junior chooses James Madison for softball