Shaler baseball team already prepping for playoff chase

By: Josh Rizzo
Thursday, April 4, 2019 | 6:11 PM

There will be no break for the Shaler baseball team this season.

Before entering Section 2-5A play last Monday against Moon, Titans coach Brian Junker wanted to prepare his players for what would be a tight playoff chase.

During a five-game stretch to open the season, Shaler took on three Class 6A opponents and a Meadville team that made the PIAA playoffs last season.

The Titans opened with a 3-2 mark, dropping contests against Meadville and North Allegheny by one run.

“We always try to schedule the best possible teams ever,” Junker said. “Normally, our nonsection games are pretty brutal. That’s how we plan it. We’re not trying to win every game, we won’t go undefeated or anything like that. When we go to playoff game (we wont’ be) shocked by other teams’ talent.”

Shaler played another nonsection contest against Plum last Friday before opening section play. The result against the Mustangs was too late for this edition.

All of the experience will be vital for the Titans to compete in a section that contributed three of the four teams — Hampton, Mars and North Hills — to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals last season. In a similarly tough section last season, Shaler missed out on the playoffs after losing a tiebreaker to North Allegheny in Class 6A.

“We are playing well, and we are trying to challenge ourselves right now,” Junker said.

Shaler’s pitching has played a strong role early in the season. Nick Rispoli, a Dayton recruit, has a 2-0 record with a 2.10 ERA. Hunter Boyan is 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA. The Titans also have suffered some misfortune as a pitcher expected to be in the rotation, Jake Bredl, may be out for the season with an ACL injury he suffered in a 2-1 win over Seneca Valley.

The Titans’ offense has been effective, hitting .319. Boyan leads the team with 10 hits. Zach Hernon has a team-high seven RBIs. Collin Harger (five) and Braeden Campbell (four) have also driven in big runs for Shaler.

“We’ve been hitting the ball well,” Junker said. “It’s going to be tougher. We are going to have to use our running game and play small ball at times to go against the pitchers in out section. We aren’t going to put up eight runs against those guys. We need to have timely hitting and play small ball.”

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