Scholastic Notebook – 04/20/2014

By: Alec Italiano
Sunday, April 20, 2014 | 8:56 AM

If you look at the three sports of football, basketball and baseball, Baldwin has been more like Baldloss the past few years.

But finally, the baseball team is putting the win back in Baldwin.

Things have been absolutely perfect so far this spring for the Baldwin baseball team. The Highlanders have a perfect 7-0 record after a 13-3 victory over Gateway on Saturday.

This winning is new for the three teams of football, basketball and baseball at Baldwin. There hasn’t been a winning season in those three major sports since the basketball team went 14-8 in the 2009-10 season and the baseball team went 12-6 in the 2010 season. The football team hasn’t had a winning season since 2003.

You could call the baseball team the Caponi Express. Dan Caponi is Baldwin’s baseball coach and he has guided the Highlanders to a 3-0 start in WPIAL Class AAAA Section 3 play. Although Caponi had all of his nine starters back from last season, Baldwin still has to be a surprise when you consider their recent history. The Highlanders were 5-12, 7-12 and 3-13 the past three seasons. The 2010 team had the only winning season in the past seven years.

This year’s team has a productive offense and a very solid pitching staff. The Highlanders have outscored opponents, 50-17. Included in the wins is a big 5-2 victory against Plum.

Baldwin hasn’t won a playoff game since 2005. The Highlanders are a good bet to make the postseason this year.

Bad Times for the Colonials

Looking at teams that have struggled in football, basketball and baseball, does anyone have it tougher in the WPIAL than Albert Gallatin? The baseball team is 0-5 in Class AAAA Section 2. Throughout this school year and the 2012-13 school year, Albert Gallatin had one section win in the three sports and that came in football this past season.

Finally a Win for the Quips

Speaking of have trouble winning, the Aliquippa softball team went nine years without a win, but the Quips finally got one Thursday when they beat Western Beaver. It broke a 133-game losing streak.

But there is one other long losing streak still going on at Aliquippa. The Quips’ baseball team has lost 89 baseball games in a row and hasn’t won since 2008.

About McKay’s Streak

Blackhawk baseball pitcher Brendan McKay has captured a lot of attention with his strikeouts – 20 in two different games this season – and his consecutive scoreless innings streak.

McKay, a senior left-hander, has a 44-inning scoreless streak dating back to last season. There are no WPIAL records available for such a streak, but we here at MSA decided to look at how McKay’s streak compares to records at other levels of baseball. It turns out McKay isn’t all that far away from the Major League Baseball and NCAA Division I records.

The major-league record for consecutive scoreless innings is 59, set by Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers in 1988. He broke Don Drysdale’s record of 58, set in 1968.

The NCAA Division I record is 60 consecutive innings, set way back in the seasons of 1954-55 by George Plender of the University of Vermont.

So, two more shutout games and McKay will be right next to those records. But he has a ways to go before reaching the national record. Joe Porter of South Natchez, Miss., went 80 consecutive innings without giving up a run in the 1973 season.

Once, Twice, Three Times a Tedys

Go to a Riverside track and field meet, and you’ll see Tedys everywhere.

Aaron, Matt and Kyle Tedys are triplets, seniors at Riveside High School and all are on Riverside’s track and field team. Aaron has turned into one of the best all-around performers in Class AA.

Aaron has the No. 1 WPIAL Class AA times in the 200- and 400-meter dashes this year with a 22.84 and 49.74, respectively. He also is No. 3 in the 100 at 11.32 and No. 3 in the long jump at 20 feet, 4 inches. On top of all that, he also has high jumped 5-6.

Matt Tedys is No. 3 in the 800 at 2:00.14.

All three Tedys were on Riverside’s football team.

Coaching News

Shaler is still looking for a football coach since Chris Siegel left to become an assistant at Duquesne University.

Pine-Richland also is looking for a new boys basketball coach after recently opening the position of Brian Gaetano. Gaetano was the Rams’ coach for six seasons and had a 51-66 record with one WPIAL playoff appearance. Gaetano came to Pine-Richland from Springdale.

Where Are They Now?

John Sansone, a former star baseball player at Neshannock High School, has started all 37 games for the Florida State baseball team. Florida State is ranked No. 5 in the country and Sansone plays second base for the Seminoles. He is batting .243 with nine doubles and 25 RBIs.

Tags: Albert Gallatin, Aliquippa, Baldwin, Blackhawk