2022 WPIAL Class A baseball preseason breakdown

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, March 24, 2022 | 7:43 PM

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Last spring was a celebration as district athletes returned to the diamonds after the 2020 season was canceled because of the covid-19 shutdowns.

Baseball thrived throughout the WPIAL as six new champions were crowned, some in dramatic fashion.

That success carried over to the state playoffs as WPIAL teams captured two PIAA championships and three runner-up trophies.

Here is a rundown of the 2022 preseason top five teams, some of the players to watch and other baseball notes in WPIAL Class A.

Preseason Top 5

1. Union (12-6 last season)

Union thought of a unique way to capture the school’s first WPIAL baseball championship last spring. While Scotties fans were saying yes, yes, yes, senior pitcher Jake Vitale was saying no, no, no.

Vitale threw a no-hitter as Union blanked Riverview, 3-0. While Vitale has graduated, seven starters are back, including junior brother Nick Vitale returns, along with senior shortstop/outfielder Tyler Staub, junior infielders Cam Taylor and Brennan Porter and sophomore outfielder Mike Gunn. All were first-team all-section a year ago.

2. Greensburg Central Catholic (13-5)

Last year, Greensburg Central Catholic edged out Jefferson-Morgan by one game to win the Section 2-A championship. The Centurions were awarded the No. 2-seed in the postseason tournament, which came with a first- round bye. In their playoff debut, though, GCC was stunned by Riverview, 6-2, to end the Centurions’ season.

Greensburg Central Catholic should be in the mix for gold again this season with three first-team all-section players returning: juniors Max Kallock and Wade Boyle along with senior pitcher Zach David.

3. Eden Christian Academy (20-6)

After winning the Section 3-A crown, Eden Christian was named the top-seed in the WPIAL playoffs. The Warriors rolled past West Greene before getting stomped by Union in the district semifinals.

ECA won the district consolation game and took full advantage of its second opportunity. The Warriors defeated DuBois Central Catholic, Kennedy Catholic and Southern Fulton to reach the state final. Eden Christian lost to Halifax but returned home as state runner-up.

Now the Warriors look for gold with the return of seniors Robert Farfan, Jared Bees, Christian Cropper and junior Malachi Manges.

4. Rochester (10-5)

The Rams have some good news and bad news heading into 2022.

The good news is they have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs eight straight years after sharing the section title with OLSH and Union last season. The bad news is they have lost their first playoff game eight straight seasons after being upset by Jefferson-Morgan in the quarterfinals last season.

Rochester hopes to advance far with the return of eight starters, including junior infielder Parker Lyons, senior outfielder J.D. Azulay, senior infielder/pitcher Sal Laure and senior pitcher Ethan Blair.

5. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (13-6)

After finishing tied for the top spot in Section 1-A with Rochester and Union, the WPIAL playoffs were feast or famine for No. 5-seed OLSH in 2021.

The Chargers crushed No. 12 Bishop Canevin in the first round, 18-3. However, the offense was shut down in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Union, 5-1. The Chargers have seven starters back, but only one of them is a senior, outfielder Michael Lazzaro.

Junior Austin Hansen and sophomore Brady Brazell are expected to be top pitchers for OLSH.

Players to watch

Nick Vitale, Sr., C, Union

Cam Taylor, Jr., INF, Union

Brennan Porter, Jr., INF, Union

Mike Gunn, Soph., OF, Union

Parker Lyons, Jr., INF, Rochester

J.D. Azulay, Sr., OF, Rochester

Morgan Kiger, Soph., C, West Greene

Hunter Hamilton, Sr., OF, West Greene

Landon Stevenson, Jr., IF Mapletown

Max Kallock, Jr., INF, Greensburg Central Catholic

Wade Boyle, Jr., OF, Greensburg Central Catholic

Zach David, Sr., P, Greensburg Central Catholic

Easton Hanko, Sr., OF, Jefferson-Morgan

Malachi Manges, Jr., C, Eden Christian Academy

Robert Farfan, Sr., OF, Eden Christian Academy

Adin Zorn, Jr., INF, Sewickley Academy

James Long, Sr., OF, Sewickley Academy

Owen McDermott, Jr., INF, Leechburg

Thomas Burke, Sr., OF, Leechburg

Diamond notes

• Union will be in the mix to win another WPIAL baseball championship this spring. If the Scotties repeat, they will do something that hasn’t been done in a decade. The last district team to win back-toback Class A championships was Neshannock. The Lancers won gold in 2011 and 2012. The only other team to repeat in Class A since the classification was formed in 1999 was Serra Catholic in 2009 and 2010.

• Some of the Class A seniors who have committed to play college ball include Jared Bees of Eden Christian (Marietta), Christian Cropper of Eden Christian (Hope), Tyler Staub of Union (Bryant & Stratton), Union teammate Nick Vitale (Westminster) and Adin Zorn of Sewickley Academy (Penn State).

• None of the 18 Class A baseball teams will enter the 2022 season with a winning streak. Monessen has the current longest losing streak as they try to end an 11-game skid, followed by Western Beaver at five in a row and Cornell at four straight.

• Jefferson-Morgan finished 7-9 in 2019, but after no 2020 season, the Rockets exploded for 13 victories in 2021.

Riverview was another program that enjoyed a sweet turnaround. The Raiders won only four games in 2019 in Class 2A, then was 8-6 at the end of the regular season before their impressive district playoff run of wins over Avella, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jefferson-Morgan landed the Raiders in the finals, where Riverview lost to Union.

• There is one big WPIAL championship anniversary being celebrated this season by a current Class A team: 15 years ago, Springdale defeated California to win the 2007 WPIAL Class A title. The Class A winners that are now in a higher class are Nesahnnock, which won baseball Class A gold in 2012 and 2002; West Allegheny in 3A and North Catholic in 2A won 2007 district titles; and, 50 years ago, Montour won the 1972 WPIAL championship.

2022 Alignment

Section 1: Avella, Cornell, OLSH, Rochester, Union, Western Beaver

Section 2: Bishop Canevin, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, Monessen,

West Greene

Section 3: Eden Christian, Leechburg, Riverview, St. Joseph, Sewickley Academy, Springdale

Tags: Eden Christian, Greensburg C.C., Jefferson-Morgan, Leechburg, Mapletown, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Rochester, Sewickley Academy, Union, West Greene