Westmoreland WPIAL baseball capsules: Games of Tuesday, May 15, 2018

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, May 13, 2018 | 5:36 PM

Class 6A

First round

No. 13 Norwin (7-7) vs. No. 4 Canon-McMillan (13-5)

4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Boyce-Mayview Park

Winner plays: No. 5 Plum (15-4)/No. 12 Mt. Lebanon (9-4) winner

Coaches: Mike Liebdzinski, Norwin; Tim Bruzdewicz, Canon-McMillan

Players to watch: Nick Zona, Norwin (Sr. SS); Zach Rohaley (Sr. P), Canon-McMillan

Extra bases: After a losing three consecutive games in section play, Norwin rebounded to go 2-1 and in its final three games to secure fourth place in Section 2. Zona, a Seton Hill commit, and Brady Sigut, a Seton Hall recruit, lead an offense that averages more than six runs. The Knights lost to North Allegheny in the quarterfinals last year. … Canon-McMillan, the second-place team in Section 3, had a 19-game section winning streak snapped but won four of its last five games. Rohaley, a Wheeling Jesuit recruit, is 8-1 with a 0.88 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 48 innings. Cam Weston, a junior pitcher/infielder, is a Michigan recruit.

Class 5A

No. 6 Franklin Regional (14-4) vs. No. 11 Montour (11-9)

2 p.m. Tuesday at West Mifflin

Winner plays: No. 3 North Hills (17-3)

Coaches: Bobby Saddler, Franklin Regional; Glenn Vietmeier, Montour

Players to watch: Alex Frey, Franklin Regional (Sr., P); Logan Vietmeier (Sr., C), Montour

Extra bases: Franklin Regional won seven consecutive Section 3 games before losing a nonsection game to Penn-Trafford to close the season. Frey leads a good pitching staff that includes Palmer Jackson, who went 5-0. The Panthers lost to West Allegheny in the quarterfinals last year. … Montour lost its last three Section 2 games but finished in a tie for fourth. Veitmeier, a Marietta commit, is one of the top hitters and run producers in the WPIAL. The Spartans lost to Latrobe in the quarterfinals last season.

No. 10 Latrobe (11-9) vs. No. 7 Chartiers Valley (8-7)

4:30 p.m. Tuesday at West Mifflin

Winner plays: No. 2 West Allegheny (12-1)

Coaches: Matt Basciano, Latrobe; Curt Cairns, Chartiers Valley

Players to watch: Griffin Clark, Latrobe (Sr., P/OF); Caysen O'Keefe (Sr., INF), Chartiers Valley

Extra bases: Latrobe had a mostly new group from last year's WPIAL and PIAA championship team but returns to the postseason after a fourth-place finish in Section 3. The Wildcats topped the Colts in the semifinals last year. Clark is one of only two returning starters along with infielder Isaac Echard. … Chartiers Valley placed third in Section 2 behind Moon and West Allegheny, which are the top two seeds in the tournament. The Colts won the Class 3A title in 2016. The Colts returned seven starters in the field, including O'Keefe.

Class 4A

No. 8 Greensburg Salem (11-5) vs. No. 9 South Park (14-6)

4 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway

Winner plays: No. 1 Blackhawk (16-1)

Coaches: Bill Wisniewski, Greensburg Salem; Steve Bucci, South Park

Players to watch: Jack Oberdorf, Greensburg Salem (Jr., SS); Michael Kentzel (Sr., INF), South Park

Extra bases: Greensburg Salem is seeking its first playoff victory since 2012. The Golden Lions were third in Section 1 and ended the season by winning five in a row. Oberdorf and Matt Wicker tied for the team lead with 17 RBIs. Wicker hit .520. … South Park, the runner up in the WPIAL and PIAA last season, enters the playoffs winner of eight in a row. The Eagles outscored opponents 68-10 during the streak. Kentzel, a Salem International recruit, had a pair of homers in the Eagles' final regular season game, a 10-0 win over McGuffey.

No. 7 Belle Vernon (11-5) vs. No. 10 Hopewell (11-9)

4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hempfield

Winner plays: No. 2 Knoch (14-3)

Coaches: Daryl Hixenbaugh, Belle Vernon; Mike Shuleski, Hopewell

Players to watch: Josh Hoffman (Jr., SS) Belle Vernon; Joey Rock (Sr., P), Hopewell

Extra bases: Belle Vernon won its last four Section 2 games and finished tied for second. Hoffman hit .382 and led the team with 21 RBIs, seven doubles and four homers. The Leopards sport a trio of tough pitchers with seniors Jordan Hartman and Joe Sabolek having ERAs under 2 and junior Cole Naylorat 2.10. … Hopewell was a WPIAL semifinalist and PIAA qualifier a year ago. The Vikings finished tied for third in Section 2. Rock, an Ohio recruit, had 73 strikeouts and 1.36 ERA in 46 ¹⁄₃ innings. Rock pitched three shutouts in the WPIAL playoffs last year, including a no-hitter against Deer Lakes in the consolation game.

Class A

No. 12 Leechburg (4-10) vs. No. 5 Jeannette (11-3)

2 p.m. Tuesday at Fox Chapel

Winner plays: No. 4 Quigley Catholic (13-1)

Coaches: Ed Kriger, Leechburg; Marcus Clarkson, Jeannette

Players to watch: Corey Kerecz (Sr., P) Leechburg; Tre Cunningham (Sr., P/INF) Jeannette

Extra bases: Leechburg qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2011 after finishing fourth in powerful Section 1-A, which includes top teams Vincentian and Union. The Blue Devils are seeking their first playoff victory since 2001. Seniors Tyler Leech and Corey Kerecz led the way at the plate for Leechburg this season, and Kerecz anchored the pitching staff. Kerecz had perhaps the most important hit of the season, a two-run single against St. Joseph that virtually locked up the Blue Devils' playoff berth. … Jeannette is the defending WPIAL Class A champion, winning its first title last season by beating Greensburg Central Catholic. The Jayhawks finished second, behind GCC, in the Section 2-A standings this season, closing the year with back-to-back losses. Before those losses came a string of 10 consecutive wins in which Jeannette reached double digits in runs nine times. Senior Tre Cunningham, a three-sport star, is a top two-way player for the Jayhawks.

No. 7 Monessen (10-6) vs. No. 10 Western Beaver (9-7)

2 p.m. Tuesday at Burkett Complex, Robinson

Winner plays: No. 2 Union (12-3)

Coaches: Bill Matush, Monessen; Chad Miller, Western Beaver

Players to watch: Nick Baker (Sr., P/INF), Monessen; Sean Tanner (Sr., P), Western Beaver

Extra bases: Monessen won its last four Section 2 games to finish in a tie for second with Jeannette. The Greyhounds posted double-digit run totals in six of their 10 wins. Baker and Antonio Rhome had batting averages near .500. They Greyhounds lost in extra innings to Union in the first round last year. … Western Beaver placed second in Section 3 and won four of its last five games. Like Monessen, Western Beaver has a knack for putting up runs, scoring in double-digits seven times. The Golden Beavers lost in extra innings to Jeannette in the first round last year. Tanner has excelled on the mound and at the plate.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Canon-McMillan, Chartiers Valley, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Hopewell, Jeannette, Leechburg, Monessen, Montour, Norwin, South Park