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By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

The eighteenth and final district preview entry of our season preview series, which is running for three weeks up to the first official PIAA competition date on March 24, takes us to the city of Brotherly Love. Each article includes a list of top prospects from amongst the cohort of schools, as well as write-ups of a number of teams in the cohort.

We received inquiries last year regarding how we decide which teams to detail. A team profiled in the article is less an indication of what type of season we expect it to have and more a function of how much information we are able to compile. For example, if we have not seen a team in person (there are over 600 baseball-playing high schools in the state), stats are not available on-line, and a school district spam filter gobbled up our e-mails to the coach that contained the questionnaire, we might not have enough information to write a full paragraph on that school.

[mouse over pics for player names]

PIAA District XII Top Prospects

1. Joe Lancellotti, 2017, OF/RHP, Archbishop Wood (North Carolina)
2. Dan Hammer, 2016, RHP, Father Judge (Pittsburgh)
3. Jack Colyar, 2019, RHP, La Salle
4. Andrew Cossetti, 2018, C, La Salle (St. Joseph's)
5. Joe Miller, 2018, LHP/OF, La Salle
6. Joseph Messina, 2019, RHP, Neumann-Goretti
7. Jack Pogyor, 2017, C, La Salle
8. Gregg Sywulak, 2017, OF, La Salle
9. Ethan Pritchett, 2016, RHP, Neumann-Goretti (Wagner)
10. Jeffrey Ciocco, 2016, RHP, Neumann-Goretti (Western Kentucky)
11. Brian Dunphy, 2018, IF, Bonner-Prendergast
12. Nick D'Amore, 2016, 3B, Neumann-Goretti (Wagner)
13. Colin Scanlon, 2017, LHP, St. Joseph's Prep
14. Lou Testa, 2016, 1B, Neumann-Goretti (Rowan College at Gloucester County)
15. Chris Altopiedi, 2016, LHP, Archbishop John Carroll (La Salle)

Philadelphia Catholic League

Class AA
After state semifinal and championship game appearances the past two seasons on the strength of veteran rosters, Neumann-Goretti will have a bit of a different look this spring as coach Kevin Schneider must replace seven major contributors. The offense will be sparked by run-through-a-wall, West Chester-bound outfielder Brian Verratti, while D'Amore and Testa continue as run producers and junior Jared Healey gets a shot to fill one of the vacated middle infield spots. The pitching staff will need to develop depth, but has experienced anchors as well in the college-bound duo of Pritchett and Ciocco, a highly-regarded transfer from Paul VI HS in New Jersey. The freshman battery of Messina and catcher Eric Nardini (unconfirmed, but the Cold War may have just ended the last time there wasn't a Nardini on the Saints roster) will join a group of sophomores -- LHP/1B Joe LaFiora, infielder Aiden Baur, 1B/OF R.J. McGettigan, and OF/P Colin Eiser -- who could make an impact early in their careers.

A number of transfers have depleted what had been the makings of a solid young core of talent for Conwell-Egan Catholic in coach Scott Haws' first season. Senior 2nd-team all-PCL shortstop Ameir Uzzell will spark the line-up, while spectators better get there early on days that junior RHP Shane Souchuck pitches, as up-tempo doesn't begin to describe the pace at which he works.

 

Class AAA
Archbishop Wood will look to stage an encore performance to its 2015 regular- and post-season PCL championships.  Lancellotti is a presence in the middle of the order, while Chestnut Hill-bound shortstop Matt Cummiskey and Mount St. Mary's-bound catcher Sean Kelly, along with senior outfielders Ryan Logan and Bobby Heck, are capable of doing damage if teams choose to give Lancellotti a free pass nearly once per game as happened last year. Reigning PCL MVP Lancellotti will also front the rotation for coach Jim DiGuiseppe, Jr., who will turn to US Merchant Marine Academy-bound LHP Logan (a transfer from Lansdale Catholic), plus junior RHPs Sean Hughes and Kody Cracknell to log significant innings as well.

Altopiedi ascends to the top spot on the depth chart for an otherwise fairly green Archbishop Carroll pitching staff that will also see junior RHP James Kelly assume a large role. Also a first baseman, Altopiedi will chip in offensively for coach Chris Dengler, who will also lean on junior 2nd-team outfielder Nick Argentieri (.310 AVG) and senior third baseman Nick Zambella (.304 AVG) to buoy the offense.

Iona-bound 1st-team all-PCL catcher Steve Furman (.404 AVG) is the lone returning starter for Bonner-Prendergast, which graduated a dozen from last year's roster. Looking to fill some of the void will be a trio of untested juniors -- first baseman Tim Dougherty, OF/3B Dom Dellabarba, and outfielder Brian O'Neill -- and senior outfielder Ryan George, who returns after missing 2015 due to injury. Coach Joe DeBarberie's largely inexperienced pitching staff will feature senior RHP Anthony Martinelli, plus junior RHPs Evan Raiburn, Eli Chase, and Nick McDonald.

 Lansdale Catholic coach Dave Scott welcomes back six starters, led by Chestnut Hill-bound IF/RHP Nick Smalley (1st-team all PCL as a position player). Three-sport athlete Ryan Quigley (headed to Princeton to play football) will join Mike Ottomano and Nolan Dougherty in logging innings as well.

Cardinal O'Hara will feature a junior-heavy roster, led by the two-way duo of RHP/3B Brian Bromley and RHP/2B Pete Klein. Senior RHP Kevin Sessa and junior LHP Bill Neill will also log innings for coach John Grossi, who will ask a pair of youngsters in sophomore outfielder Jim Beaky and freshman shortstop Jim White to step in and produce.

Class AAAA
Despite all its young talent, La Salle will be led on the mound by a pair of competitive senior RHPs in Joe Peluso (16 IP, 10 H, 3 BB, 17 K) and Jerry Mangan (22 IP, 17 H, 15 BB, 14 K). Strike-throwing junior RHP Zach Moretski (21 IP, 16 H, 6 BB, 13 K) also returns, while a group that includes junior RHP Kade Jones, plus sophomore LHPs Miller and Shane Manieri will vie for innings. Sywulak (.367 AVG) and Cossetti (.352 AVG) bring some thump to the middle of the line-up, which will also feature senior first baseman Kyle Hemcher (.298 AVG), senior outfielder Langston Livingston (.278 AVG), and switch-hitting sophomore shortstop Eric Marasheski. Keep an eye on other youngsters such as sophomore catcher Hunter McGarvey, plus freshmen Colyar and Gavin Moretski to potentially make an early-career impact for second-year coach Kyle Werman.

The script flips this year for state quarterfinalist St. Joseph's Prep, which last year leaned on a senior-laden offense to support a young pitching staff, but will now feature an experienced staff and largely untested line-up. The 6-foot-5 Scanlon (the only underclassman to earn 1st-team all-PCL honors), junior RHP J.T. Gosweiler, and senior RHP Billy Matz all return after playing key roles in extending last year's season into June. Coach Joe Falcone's run production will be driven by a trio of returning starters -- senior second baseman John Coppola (2nd-team), West Chester-bound third baseman Keith Flaherty, and senior outfielder Joe DiProsperos -- who will be joined by junior transfer IF/C Jeff Manto, a Villanova commit who earned 2nd-team honors at Conwell-Egan Catholic, and sophomore catcher Logan Kellerman.

Roman Catholic features its own trio of seasoned pitchers in the junior RHP tandem of Santino Nave' (22.2 IP, 18 H, 8 BB, 25 K) and Aidan Welch (29.1 IP, 22 H, 9 BB, 23 K), plus Immaculata-bound RHP Greg Grandelli (19.1 IP, 15 H, 6 BB, 15 K). An experienced offense for coach Anthony Valucci welcomes back six starters and is led by Millersville-bound 1st-team shortstop Noah Clement (.439 AVG), senior catcher Kevin Glynn (.352 AVG), senior outfielder Phil DiWilliams (.304 AVG), junior infielder Shane Flaherty, and senior utilityman Kevin Flaherty.

Archbishop Ryan coach Gerald Eck's line-up will be extremely young, with no senior position player starters and a quartet of freshmen -- C/3B Andrew Salcinski, OF/1B Adam Estrada, shortstop Nick Dean, and utilityman Pat Kajder -- who could join the junior tandem of catcher Matt Romano and first baseman Brian Yost in generating offense. Gwynedd Mercy-bound Shane McGrody (a 2nd-team honoree) will front a youthful pitching staff that will also feature sophomore RHPs Jason Keane and Brennan Hatala, as well as Dean.

Other schools with returning all-PCL selections
Father Judge - senior RHP/SS Dan Hammer (1st-team as pitcher and infielder)

Philadelphia Public League

Class A
It has been nearly a decade since anyone other than GAMP and Masterman represented the PPL in the state tournament. Defending district champ GAMP welcomes back a solid offensive core, as well as two of its top three pitchers, both groups of which are led by senior 2nd-team all-PPL Division A selection Matt Ventus. Masterman returns its own 2nd-team pitcher in junior Liam Shanahan.

Class AA
Note: MaST Community Charter competes in the Bicentennial Athletic League (all teams from District I) during the regular-season, but participates in the District XII post-season tournament.

Defending district champ MaST Community Charter, which dropped a heart-breaking 11-inning game in the first round of the state tournament, must replace its two workhorses on the mound who accounted for 71% of the team's innings last spring. Nonetheless, junior RHP Kyle Wenclawiak (14.1 IP, 11 H, 5 BB, 25 K) and senior RHP Kalen Mundy (19 IP, 21 H, 19 BB, 25 K) do have some experience, while first-year coach Mark Roth will also ask junior RHP Greg Wenclawiak to assume a larger role. The offense graduated its top hitter, but seven of the nine line-up regulars returns, led by junior shortstop Matt Carter (.386 AVG, 8 XBH, 11 SB) and sophomore catcher Jack Lawson (.345 AVG).

Other contenders with returning all-PPL selections
Philadelphia Academy (Division A) - none
Prep Charter (Division A) - senior 1st-team catcher Dean D'Angelo
Science Leadership Academy (Division C) - senior outfielder Kevin Courtney, junior pitcher Lukas Supovitz-Aznar, sophomore outfielder Ijustice Avery, and junior P/3B Nick Clark.

Class AAA
Franklin Towne Charter is the bully of this PPL class, having advanced to the state tournament in four of the past five seasons. The Coyotes must compensate for the graduation of their ace, and will look to senior RHP Cristian Diaz (38.1 IP, 32 H, 23 BB, 41 K) to ascend the depth chart. Junior RHP Rob Henry will slot in behind Diaz, while coach Chris Lauber hopes to get something out of junior RHP Eric Sanchez (32.1 IP, 28 H, 12 BB, 22 K), who is recovering from a torn ACL. Two-thirds of the starting line-up returns, led by the 2nd-team all-PPL Division A duo of shortstop Rob Henry (.407 AVG, 16 SB) and outfielder Matt Schlernitzauer (.263 AVG, 15 BB vs 8 K). Junior catcher Jason Santiago (.351 AVG), outfielder Diaz, and junior third baseman Brenden Beltran will also help anchor the line-up.

Other contenders with returning all-PPL selections
Boys' Latin (Division B) - junior shortstop Abdur Mujahid
Esperanza (Division A) - senior 1st-team outfielder Joe Romero, senior 2nd-team first baseman Guillermo Castillo, senior 2nd-team DH Hector Morales
Swenson (Division B) - sophomore catcher Alex Bautista

Class AAAA
Regular-season Division A champ Frankford welcomes back two-thirds of its position player regulars and its top three pitchers. Senior first baseman Edgardo Bernard (.545 AVG), the Division A MVP,  will power the offense in his swan song season. The experienced line-up will also get major contributions from junior catcher Josh Pagan, senior third baseman Gio Burgos, senior 2nd-team shortstop Xavier Sanchez, and senior outfielder Weslly Delgado. Coach Juan Namnum's pitching staff will again be fronted by Burgos (1st-team) and Sanchez, with LHP Bernard picking up innings as well.

Central will feature an experienced pitching staff, as five members who logged double-digit innings return, led by junior 2nd-team LHP Danny Holdsman (53.1 IP, 49 H, 31 BB, 67 K), senior RHP Kyle Rosenberg (23 IP, 24 H, 18 BB, 31 K), and junior RHP Aaron Freeman (14 IP, 21 H, 8 BB, 11 K). Coach Rich Weiss must replace four primary offensive contributors, while the returning core will be solidified by a group that includes 2nd-team infielder Rosenberg (.371 AVG, 12 BB vs 7 K, 15 SB), senior catcher Danny Feyler (.292 AVG), and sophomore infielder Rawyn Mercado (.304 AVG, 12 SB). Keep an eye on freshmen Blake Mayberry and David Ortiz to make an early-career impact as well.

The entire pitching staff, which sported a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio last year, returns for state tournament qualifier Olney Charter. The Trojans offense also welcomes back five line-up regulars, led by a pair of senior 1st-team all-PPL Division A selections: infielder Giovanni Ortega (.658 AVG) and outfielder Cesar Loya (.407 AVG, 7 BB vs 1 K).

Other contenders with returning all-PPL selections
Washington (Division A) - senior 1st-team pitcher Eddie Tingle

Season Preview Schedule

3/2 - PAISAA
3/3 - PIAA District V
3/4 - PIAA District IX
3/5 - PIAA District VI
3/6 - PIAA District IV
3/7 - PIAA District X
3/8 - PIAA District III (Class A & AA)
3/9 - PIAA District VII (Class A)
3/10 - PIAA District VII (Class AA)
3/11 - PIAA District II
3/12 - PIAA District XI
3/13 - PIAA District I (Class A, AA & AAA)
3/14 - PIAA District III (Class AAA)
3/15 - PIAA District VII (Class AAA)
3/16 - PIAA District I (Class AAAA)
3/17 - PIAA District III (Class AAAA)
3/18 - PIAA District VII (Class AAAA)
3/19 - PIAA District XII