Trib 10: Handful of baseball, softball teams fall out of power rankings in early days of playoffs

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, May 18, 2024 | 8:33 PM

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The 2024 WPIAL diamond playoffs are through the first round in baseball and halfway through the softball postseason with two rounds down and two remaining.

It makes sense, then, that there was move movement in the softball power rankings as three teams were bounced, leaving the door wide open for three newcomers on the brink of the district final four.

Teams ranked 7-9 last week were ousted in the softball Trib 10, and it proved to be a bad week for 5A teams.

West Allegheny, Shaler and North Hills saw their seasons end in the quarterfinals, while Penn-Trafford, Chartiers Valley and Avonworth all won and are semifinals bound.

On the baseball side, there was little movement following the first round, with only No. 10 Mohawk losing and dropping out and North Catholic moving in to take the vacant No. 10 spot.

The top power-ranked teams remain the same with Riverside in baseball on top after a first-round victory over Keystone Oaks and Hempfield at No. 1 in softball as the Spartans finally make their postseason debut in the 6A semifinals Wednesday.

Here are the latest power rankings for the 2024 season. Teams are listed with overall record and last week’s ranking. These weekly rankings have zero classification boundaries.

Baseball Trib 10

1. Riverside Panthers (14-1) (1)

2. Pine-Richland Rams (16-4) (2)

3. Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils (16-4) (3)

4. Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (18-2) (4)

5. West Mifflin Titans (17-2) (5)

6. West Allegheny Indians (16-3) (6)

7. Penn-Trafford Warriors (17-3) (9)

8. North Allegheny Tigers (13-5) (8)

9. Serra Catholic Eagles (15-1) (9)

10. North Catholic Trojans (14-4) (NR)

Out: Mohawk Warriors

Softball Trib 10

1. Hempfield Spartans (18-1) (1)

2. Seneca Valley Raiders (19-1) (2)

3. Elizabeth Forward Warriors (18-1) (3)

4. Neshannock Lancers (20-0) (4)

5. Union Scotties (19-1) (6)

6. Armstrong River Hawks (16-3) (5)

7. South Park Eagles (18-1) (10)

8. Penn-Trafford Warriors (14-5) (NR)

9. Chartiers Valley Colts (16-3) (NR)

10. Avonworth Antelopes (14-3) (NR)

Out: West Allegheny Indians, Shaler Titans, North Hills Indians