Norwin notebook: Baseball, softball standouts earn all-section honors

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, June 4, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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Norwin athletes once again made their mark in the WPIAL’s two largest classifications this spring.

The Big 5/6 Conference, which covers Class 6A and 5A athletics, had its all-section banquet May 25 and announced its top players in baseball and softball.

Section 2-6A baseball’s first team included seniors Jack Whalen (OF) and senior Jake Kendro (SS) of Norwin.

Kendro is headed to Tennessee, while Whalen will play at Seton Hill.

On the softball side, Norwin junior Madie Kessler and sophomore Bailey Snowberger also made the first team.

State track

Norwin had several placewinners at the PIAA Class 3A Track and Field Championships in Shippensburg.

The girls’ 1,600-meter relay of Bernadette Zukina, Alexandra Walton, Bella Brozeski and Layla Robertson came in seventh with a time of 3 minutes, 57.69 seconds.

Ashley Laukus was eighth in the high jump (5 feet, 2 inches), while Aaron Schmook took eighth in the javelin (171-11).

All-WPIAL volleyball

Two Westmoreland County senior players made the All-WPIAL boys volleyball team in Class 3A.

Norwin right-side hitter Kevin Skweres and middle hitter Chaz Ewer of Hempfield were first-team selections.

Sophomore libero Lucas Churchfield (Norwin), senior opposide-side hitter Sean Gordon (Hempfield) and junior setter Daniel Tarabrella (Penn-Trafford) made the second team.

Brendan’s Angels

A hit-a-thon will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 18 at Hempfield Park to raise money for the Brendan A. McGowan Memorial Charity’s “Brendan’s Angels in the Infield.”

Cost is $20 per person and registration ends June 15.

Funds will go toward “college scholarships, supplies and gear for local adaptive baseball teams and medical and nutritional resources.”

Participants can seek pledges for hits and how far they go, in feet. Each hitter gets 10-15 pitches.

McGowan, a North Huntingdon resident and senior at Greensburg Central Catholic, was killed by a lightning strike in 2019 while fishing at Mammoth Park.

For more information, visit brendansangelsintheinfield.org.

Recruiting

Norwin sophomore football player Jackson Pons announced an offer from Toledo. He said the school likes him as a safety and has offered a full scholarship.

• Knights kicker and punter Joey Castle picked up his first offer, from Clarion of the Division II PSAC.

• A pair of Norwin girls soccer players made college commitments. Natalie Barkley will play at Seton Hill, while Molly Hudson is headed to Saint Vincent.

College scene

Baseball

• Youngstown State: Senior pitcher Chad Coles (Norwin) was 4-5 with a 5.31 ERA in 25 appearances for the Penguins, who won their first two games of the Horizon League Tournament.

Coles was second on the staff with 69 strikeouts and had 42 walks.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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