Yough’s Bach named Westmoreland Tribune-Review Baseball Player of the Year

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, June 22, 2019 | 9:33 PM

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2019 Tribune-Review Westmoreland Baseball All-Stars

Player of the Year

Jarett Bach, Sr., P/1B, Yough

There was a reason the Yough baseball program made a huge jump in 2019. His name was Jarett Bach.

The 6-foot-5 left-hander was the guiding force for the Cougars as they tied Greensburg Salem for the Section 1-4A title and advanced to the WPIAL semifinals.

The Cougars suffered a 1-0 loss to New Castle in the WPIAL consolation game and fell just short of making the PIAA tournament. Bach, who pitched in two playoff games to get the Cougars to the semifinals, was on first base as Beaver rallied to score seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat the Cougars, 7-2, in the semifinals.

The Yough senior, who will be attending Pitt on a scholarship, finished the season with a 7-1 record and a 0.57 ERA. He struck out 87 during the regular season and 25 more in the postseason.

He also batted .333 with 11 runs and 10 RBIs.

For his efforts, he is the Tribune-Review Westmoreland Baseball Player of the Year.

Other candidates considered were Greensburg Salem senior Matt Wicker and Franklin Regional senior Tommy Kegerreis.

“Jarret was a big reason for our success,” Yough coach Craig Spisak said. “Not only was he one of the most dominating pitchers in the WPIAL, but was the team’s leader. He led by example.”

Bach began playing baseball at age 5 on the Turkeytown fields in South Huntingdon Township. He also liked pitching.

But it wasn’t until this year that Yough’s program found that winning touch.

He also was an outstanding basketball player, and at a young age a skier. He gave up skiing to play basketball.

How would you sum up your senior season?

I thought it was a good season. The team played well, and I pitched well. I was really happy even though we didn’t achieve our goals. We did win the section and make it far in the playoffs. Hopefully, I made a mark on the program by showing the younger players how hard they have to work.

Why did you pick Pitt?

I’ve always liked Pitt. They have good academics, and coach (Mike) Bell is a good coach. He was the pitching coach at Florida State, which was a great baseball school. The pitching coach (Jerry Oakes) has coached a lot of players in the majors. My goal is to get drafted.

What were the other schools that were recruiting you?

Kent State, Penn State and William & Mary were mainly the others. They’re all great schools, but I felt Pitt was the best choice for me.

What are some of your fondest memories at Yough?

Having fun with my teammates. Having practice every day and bonding with them. We didn’t have a lot of success until my senior year in both sports, but growing with my teammates every day.

Do you have a game you’ll remember most?

Probably the Greensburg Salem game my senior year when we beat them 3-1. I don’t remember how many strikeouts I had, but it was a big game for us. We split with them, and I was hoping for another shot at them.

Do watch major league pitchers and try to learn from them?

I watch a lot of video and try to pick up things from them. I probably favor Felipe Vazquez the most or any left-hander.

What are your main pitches, and are you working on anything new?

Fastball, curveball and changeup are my main pitches. I’m not playing this summer because Pitt wanted me to shut it down. Maybe I’ll work on something new when I get with the Pitt coaches.

The MLB Draft was a couple weeks ago. Did any teams reach out to you?

There were a handful of teams that contacted me about what it would take to sign. But the price wasn’t good enough to skip college. Playing in college gives me a better shot at making the major leagues than out of high school.

What did you like most about Yough?

All my teachers were great. Yough is one of the best school districts in the county and prepared me for college.

What is your favorite meal your mom prepares?

Chicken parmesan is my favorite.

Is there anything you do that would surprise your teammates or friends?

I can solve a Rubik’s Cube.

Terrific 10

Mario Disso

Penn-Trafford, Sr., SS

The Pitt-Johnstown commit played a key role in the Warriors’ success. He batted a team-high .371 with 26 hits, five doubles and 18 RBIs. He had a slugging percentage of .417 and an .884 OPS.

Josh Hoffman

Belle Vernon, Sr., SS

The Youngstown State commit batted .491 with 18 runs, 28 hits, four doubles and 15 RBIs. He also had a team-high 22 stolen bases.

Luke Hudson

Hempfield, Sr., OF

This Seton Hill recruit didn’t match his big junior season marks, but he still had a solid campaign. He batted .361 with four doubles, three triples, 18 runs, 17 stolen bases and a .508 slugging percentage.

Tommy Kegerreis

Franklin Regional, Sr., SS

The senior plans to play for Mesa Junior College in Arizona. He batted .500 with 32 hits, seven doubles, three triples, three home runs and 23 RBIs.

Michael Klingensmith

Franklin Regional, Sr., CF/P

The Wooster commit was outstanding for the Panthers, who lost in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals but still reached the PIAA quarterfinals. He was 5-1 with two saves. He had a 1.45 ERA and batted .444 with 32 hits, 34 runs and 10 RBIs.

Maclean Maund

Penn-Trafford, Sr., P

He was 6-1 with a 2.23 ERA. In 44 1/3 innings, he struck out a team-high 61, walked 24 and opponents batted only .188 against him. He helped Penn-Trafford earn the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs.

Jack Oberdorf

Greensburg Salem, Sr., 3B/SS

The Seton Hill commit batted .415 with 24 runs, 22 hits, 22 RBIs and a team-high four triples. He pitched in relief and had a .931 fielding percentage.

Owen Sabol

Norwin, Sr., SS

Sabol is a Seton Hill commit who helped Norwin reach the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals. He batted .409 with 28 hits, nine doubles, 20 runs, 18 RBIs and seven stolen bases. He was the Knights’ MVP.

Matt Wicker

Greensburg Salem, Sr., P/SS

Wicker had an outstanding season on the mound and at the plate. He batted .431 with team highs in runs scored (28), hits (25), RBIs (27) and doubles (9). On the mound, he was 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA while striking out 52 in 39 1/3 innings.

Second team

Reed Hipps, Hempfield, Sr., OF

Tyler Horvat, Penn-Trafford, Sr., P

Bryce Harper, Franklin Regional, Jr., C

Seth Howard, Jeannette, Sr., P/OF

Steve Manon, Yough, Jr., C

Michael Marinchak, Ligonier Valley, Jr., P

Connor Mondock, Latrobe, Sr., OF

Cody Ulander, Yough, Jr., INF

Jared Wagner, Mt. Pleasant, Sr., P

Jayden Walker, Norwin, So., 1B

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Jeannette, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Yough