2012 WPIAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEWS

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, May 28, 2012 | 8:29 PM

The baseball season begins to wind down in Western Pennsylvania as four champions will be crowned over the next two days. Stay with the MSA Sports Network for complete pre-game, game and post-game coverage from Consol Energy Park from the first pitch until the final gold medal has been handed out.

Here are previews of all four title game:

CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP:  ELLWOOD CITY WOLVERINES (20-2) VS. RIVERSIDE PANTHERS (18-5)  WEDNESDAY AT 3:00 PM on WBVP 1230-AM/WMBA 1460-AM and the MSA SPORTS NETWORK

Two bitter rivals, seperated by just 2.9 miles and a county line will square off in the opener of four title games. Riverside eliminated Ellwood City from the post-season last year with a 5-0 home win that put the Panthers in the playoffs. Riverside parlayed that berth into WPIAL and PIAA titles.

Most thought that Ellwood City was the fourth best team in Class AA last season, but they sat home and watch their rivals win gold. Both teams are from Section 5, which has sent four different teams to the semifinals in the past two seasons.

The teams met twice this season and Riverside won the first, 1-0. Ellwood City trounced Riverside in the second, 13-3. The split gave each a share of the Section 5 championship with a 12-2 record.

Ellwood City Wolverines:  Head Coach – Jeff Fotia
First Round Bye, the only bye given out in Class AA
Quarterfinals:  Brownsville 13-0
Semifinals:  South Fayette 14-11
Previous Championships:  1962, 1968, 2001, 2003.

Coach Fotia is in his second tour of duty with the Wolverines, he led Ellwood City to titles in 2001 and 2003.

The Wolverines best player might be senior second baseman Greg Lynn, he is solid in the field and sets up the Ellwood lineup with 24 runs scored during the regular season. Sophomore CF Seth Mley and senior SS Matt Germanowksi also do a great job of getting on base and coming home to score for the Wolverines. Senior LF Jared Vetica is also batting above .400.

Senior P Christian Kerns went 8-2 for Ellwood City with 71 strikeouts and tossed some big games, he was roped around a little bit in the semifinals, he is likely to get the ball Tuesday night. Kerns also had done the job at the plate, hitting above .400.

Senior Anthony Carusone was perfect at 7-0, he could be called on if needed, he will usually play third when not pitching.

The Wolverines have won seven straight games, Ellwood City started the season 12-0.

Riverside Panthers:  Head Coach – Dan Oliastro
First Round:  Greensburg Central Catholic 11-4
Quarterfinals:  Deer Lakes 6-3
Semifinals:  Shady Side Academy 2-1
Previous Championships:  1996, 2006, 2011.

Coach Oliastro is an Ellwood City graduate. The 44  year veteran had the playing field at Riverside named for him earlier this season.

Junior DH Ian Sutherland leads Riverside with a .464 average. Another junior, SS Devin Kelosky can also be counted on, he is over .400 for the season.

Junior Blaise McCarty led the Panthers at 6-2 during the regular season and 52 strikeouts, he will also play at the hot corner.

Senior Rob Hardy tossed a four hitter in the semifinals to move Riverside back to the title game, he is expected to get the start.

The Panthers have won three straight games since losing to the Wolverines in the season finale. Riverside had winning streaks of five and eight games during the year.

Riverside defeated Waynesburg 2-1 in last year's title game, the Panthers defeated Salisbury Township 5-2 to win the PIAA crown.

CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP:  BLACKHAWK COUGARS (20-2) VS. BELLE VERNON LEOPARDS (18-4)  THURSDAY AT 7 PM ON KQV 1410-AM, WBVP 1230-AM/WMBA 1460-AM AND THE MSA SPORTS NETWORK

The Cougars were a pre-season favorite to play for a championship, Belle Vernon was not, it's the first trip to a title game for the Leopards.

The contest could present an interesting matchup of standout sophomore pitchers. Tenth-grader Dylan Pietrantoni will start for Belle Vernon. He is 7-0 with a 2.96 ERA.

Blackhawk very possibly will start sophomore Brendan McKay, who is 7-1 with three saves and a 0.52 ERA.

Blackhawk Cougars:  Head Coach – Bob Amelia
Section 1 champions, 12-2 record.
Playoffs:
First Round Bye
Quarterfinals:  Chartiers Valley 1-0
Semifinals:  Thomas Jefferson 1-0 in 9 innings
Previous Championship:  2004

McKay has gotten lots of press for his pitching, he is also the leading hitter on the team with a .453 average, he also drove in 22 runs.

Ohio State recruit senior C Matt Emge drove in 26 runs for the Cougars, he has been bothered by an ankle injury.

Should McKay falter, Coach Amalia has no worries, senior Adam Rosseau went 7-0 during the season and picked up a huge win over Char Valley in the quarterfinals, with McKay coming on to get the save and split the shutout. Rosseau will start at 1B.

Blackhawk has won seven straight games, the Cougars had an eight game winning streak to start the season.

Since Coach Amalia took over the Cougar program in 2000, he has racked up an amazing record. Eight section titles, including four straight. A post-season berth every year since 2002. Now five trips to the WPIAL finals.

With a win in the championship game, the Cougars will tie the school record for wins in one season.

Belle Vernon Leopards:  Head Coach – Dan Palm
Tied for the Section 2 title with a 11-3 record(Greensburg Salem)
Playoffs:
First Round:  Beaver 4-3
Quarterfinals:  Mars 7-1
Semifinals:  Hopewell 9-8

One of the reasons Belle Vernon has gotten this far is its ability to win close games. Four of the Leopards’ past five games, going back to the regular season, have been decided by one run, and Belle Vernon has won all of them.

The team is led in hitting by junior RF Adam Ferita, who has a .453 average. junior 2B Joe Simsic is hitting .403 and junior DH Dom Francia .380.

Belle Vernon has won six straight games since a loss at Greensburg-Salem.

CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP:  NESHANNOCK LANCERS (20-2) VS. CALIFORNIA TROJANS (19-0)  WEDNESDAY AT 5:30 PM ON WJPA 1450-AM AND THE MSA SPORTS NETWORK
The Lancers are the defending champions and the number one seed, California was the number two seed despite going undefeated this season.

This game will feature the two best hitters in the WPIAL, Neshannock's John Sansone hit .660, California's T.D. Conway batted .596 in the regular season.

Neshannock Lancers:  Head Coach – Mike Kirkwood
Section 3 champions, 12-0 record.
Playoffs:
First Round Bye
Quarterfinals:  Char-Houston 9-5 in a rematch of last year's championship game.
Semifinals:  OLSH 6-1
Previous Championships:  Class AA 1991. Class A:  2002, 2004, 2011.

Neshannock's losses both came in March, falling to Laurel and Ellwood City, the Lancers have ripped off 18 straight wins. The Lancers defeated Char-Houston 11-1 in last year's title game and fell to Serra Catholic 7-3 in the 2010 title game.

A senior at shortstop, Sansone is headed to Florida State to continue his playing career. Sansone chimed in with six homers and drove in 36 runs, with four more in the post-season.

Senior Alex Strittmatter is the leading pitcher for the Lancers at 7-0 and 57 k's, he is also second on the team in hitting at .452. Strittmatter was tossed out of the quarterfinal win over the Bucs for running into the catcher and missed the semifinal game, he is the probable starter.

Junior Alex Welker picked up the win in both the quarterfinal and semifinal victories. The speedster covers a lot of ground in right field for the Lancers. 

Junior DH Matt Cioffi is a table-setter for the Lancers, scoring 28 times.

California Trojans:  Head Coach – Don Hartman
Section 1 champions 12-0 record.
Playoffs:
First Round Bye
Quarterfinals:  Western Beaver 7-2
Semifinals:  Bentworth 2-1 in 9 innings
Previous Championships:  Class AA 1983. Class A:  2001, 2006.

Many people talk about Conway, but senior RF Matt Bakewell has had a wonderful season, hitting .556, add in senior DH Sean Cotton at .510, you have a lineup that can get on base.

Then there is sophomore LF Mike Luketich, he was not in the .500 club, but still a solid number at .469. Conway, a senior,  led the team with 33 runs batted in, Bakewell had 28 and Cotton 26.

Conway was 11-0 in the regular season for Cal, fanning 90. Josh Luko was a very good number two pitcher at 6-0, the sophomore will play shortstop when not pitching.

California suffered back to back losses to end their 2011 season, 6-5 to Neshannock in the semifinals and 12-0 in the consolation game to Serra Catholic. The Lancers eliminated the Trojans in the 2010 semifinals.

QUAD-A CHAMPIONSHIP:  MOUNT LEBANON BLUE DEVILS (14-8) VS. SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (17-4)  WEDNESDAY AT 8 PM ON KQV 1410-AM AND THE MSA SPORTS NETWORK
The Blue Devils look to knock the defending champions off of the perch and win their first title since 2006. Mount Lebanon beat Seneca Valley 10-9 at home on March 29th.

Mount Lebanon Blue Devils:  Head Coach – Pat McCloskey
Third Place Section 3 8-4
Playoffs:
First Round:  Plum 8-2
Quarterfinals:  Norwin 5-2
Semifinals:  North Allegheny 3-2
Previous Championships:  Class AAA 1959, 1993, 2002. Quad A:  2006

Coach McCloskey is in his eight season at the helm, his father won a WPIAL and PIAA title as the Blue Devils boss.

It's a return to the spotlight for Mount Lebanon, the Blue Devils made the playoffs just once in the previous five seasons.

For the Blue Devils, watch out for senior SS Ian Happ, he batted .484 during the season, five homers and 23 runs batted in and will take his talents to Cincinnati.

Two all-around athletes are in the starting lineup and will also be counted on, senior Luke Hagy in center field and senior Pat Goff at second.

Sophomore Zach Balm was 4-4 and on the wrong end of some tough decisions, he will be the DH. Another sophomore, Mike Duffy will get the start.

Mount Lebanon has won three straight entering the championship game, that also equals their longest winning streak of the season.

Seneca Valley Raiders:  Head Coach – Eric Semega
Section 1 champions with a 10-2 record.
Playoffs:
First Round Bye
Quarterfinals:  Upper St. Clair 5-2
Semifinals:  Pittsburgh Central Catholic 9-5
Previous Championships:  Class AAA 1994. Quad-A 2011.

The Raiders have won two straight coming into the title game, falling to Pittsburgh Central Catholic 8-7 on May 10th. Prior to that loss, the Raiders had a six game winning streak.

Junior 2B Sam Fragale led the Raiders with a .508 average during the season with 22 runs driven in. Senior 1B Austin Bream is also a factor, hitting above .400.

Senior Matt Smith has not disappointed this season with a 5-1 record coming into the playoffs, also 57 punch outs. Smith is also the top student in his class with a 4.7 GPA, he will graduate with honors and take his talents to Georgetown. He was also the winning pitcher in last year's title game.

Zach Detillio also went 5-1 for the Raiders.

Seneca Valley defeated Peters Township 15-4 in last year's title game, the Raiders fell to Conestoga in the PIAA semifinals.   

Tags: Belle Vernon, Blackhawk, California, Ellwood City