2017 Diamond Studs Baseball All-Stars

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, June 24, 2017 | 10:49 AM

Latrobe was the only team from the WPIAL to win a state championship in baseball this season – and Latrobe is the only team with two players on this year’s MSA Diamond Studs all-star team.

The Diamond Studs consists of the top 12 players in the entire WPIAL, regardless of position. It is picked by the MSA staff. The team has some players who made big impacts as two-way players – pitchers/position players. The team also includes five players who have committed to Division I colleges, including two who chose Virginia Tech. Seton Hill, a Division II school, has two recruits on the Diamond Studs team.

Four of the players on this year’s all-star team are juniors and the rest are seniors.

Here is a look at the players on the Diamond Studs team and also the Player of the Year:
 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
ZACH KOKOSKA
Latrobe, OF-P, Sr.

Kokoska had a monster senior season. Besides being selected MSA’s Player of the Year, he was good enough to also be named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year.

Latrobe won WPIAL and PIAA titles this season and was only the second Westmoreland County team to win a PIAA title. Kokoska was a driving force in the Wildcats’ success. Although he plays pitcher and also center field, Kokoska’s future is as an outfielder. He is excellent defensively and has a good arm. But he also had a big year as a hitter. A leftie, Kokoska was the second-leading hitter in the WPIAL during the regular season and hit .538 with five home runs and 29 RBIs. He also scored 30 runs. As a pitcher this season, he was 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA and struck out 35 in 24 innings.

Kokoska will play next season at Virginia Tech.

RYAN OKUDA
Pine-Richland, P, Sr.

For two years, Okuda was unbeatable for the Rams. He was 8-0 this year after going 4-0 as a junior. And he rarely gave up a run, allowing only five earned runs the past two seasons. This year, he allowed only five runs (three earned) and had a 0.38 ERA for the WPIAL 6A champion Rams. He struck out 63 in 55 innings. Okuda and Kokoska will be teammates next season at Virginia Tech.

MIKE TURCONI
Blackhawk P-SS Jr.

Only a junior, but already has made a verbal commitment to Wake Forest. In some respects, there has never been a hitter like Turconi at Blackhawk. He set school records for hits with 45 and for RBIs with 42. He also had nine triples and five home runs. Turconi also acted as the closer for Blackhawk and had eight saves and a 0.00 ERA. He helped Blackhawk win the WPIAL Class 4A championship.

JARED KOLLAR
Latrobe P-SS Sr.

Teammate Kokoska garnered many of the accolades on Latrobe’s team, but Kollar was just as important. He was nearly unbeatable as a pitcher, finishing with a 9-1 record and struck out more than one per inning, with 103 in 67 2/3 innings. He also batted first in Latrobe’s order and hit .360. He started at designated hitter as a freshman, but was a starter at pitcher and shortstop since his sophomore year. Will play next season at Seton Hill.

ZACH ROHALEY
Canon-McMillan P-1B Jr.

Rohaley burst on the scene last season as a sophomore, when he went 7-4 for a WPIAL playoff team. He enhanced his reputation this year when he went 7-0 for the Big Macs, a team that made the WPIAL semifinals. Rohaley had a 0.65 ERA and struck out 50 in 43 innings. Also batted .360. A Division I prospect for next season.

NEAL McDERMOTT
Greensburg Central Catholic P-OF Sr.

McDermott was an excellent player on GCC’s basketball team, but baseball is his No. 1 sport – and future sport. He will be teammates of Kollar at Seton Hill next year. McDermott had a tremendous year hitting and pitching. As a pitcher, he was 6-0 with a 0.26 ERA. He struck out 85 in in 53 1/3 innings. As a batter, he had a .431 average with 21 RBIs and 22 runs.

JOE FLEMM
Freeport IF-P Sr.

He was no average Joe for Freeport this season. Flemm had a tremendous year and saw time at five different positions. During the regular season, he was the second-leading hitter in the WPIAL. He finished with a .609 average, 35 RBIs, 21 runs scored and 15 doubles. He also hit three home runs. As a pitcher, was 5-3 with a 1.27 ERA.

JOEY ROCK
Hopewell P Jr.

Rock was the rock of the Vikings pitching staff and opened eyes when he threw a no-hitter against Deer Lakes in a WPIAL consolation game. But Rock was superb in many other games. He had four complete-game shutouts. For the season, he was 8-3 with a 2.79 ERA, struck out 108 in 81 innings and allowed only 55 hits. He recently made a verbal commitment to Ohio University.

DEREK ORNDORFF
Connellsville IF Sr.

Orndorff played for his father – Connellsville coach Rob Orndorff. But the son rose and will play next season at Penn State. Orndorff the player hit .525 this season with six doubles, two triples, four home runs and 19 RBIs.

BEN VISNESKY
Serra Catholic P-1B Jr.

At the end of the WPIAL regular season, Visnesky was all over the WPIAL statistical leaders – as both a pitcher and hitter. As a hitter, Visnesky led the WPIAL in hitting with a .615 average and also in runs scored with 34. He was fourth in RBIs with 31. As a pitcher, he was second in wins with an 8-0 record and tied for 14^th in strikeouts with 51.

CHRISTIAN FEDKO
Vincentian Academy IF Sr.

Fedko had an outstanding career as a hitter at Vincentian. A four-year starter, he had a .549 career average. This year, he hit .489 and led the WPIAL in regular-season home runs with seven. He also had 25 RBIs and 25 runs scored. He had 20 career home runs and 91 RBIs.

DYLAN OSHEKA
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart P Sr.

Osheka led the WPIAL in pitching wins during the regular season. He finished the year with a 9-1 record and a 1.14 ERA and struck out 69 in 61 2/3 innings. Osheka has been a mainstay at OLSH for three seasons. He finished his career with a 22-3 record and a 1.28 ERA.

Tags: Blackhawk, Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Freeport, Greensburg C.C., Hopewell, Latrobe, Vincentian Academy