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Season Preview: Bicentennial Athletic League

March 15, 2013

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

bicentennial athletic league

Even the high school ranks are not immune to the sort of conference realignment that has been rampant in college athletics recently.  Witness the Bicentennial Athletic League, which said goodbye to Springfield Township (now in the Suburban One League) and added Church Farm School and Faith Christian Academy for this school year.  As a result, the BAL now totals 15 members split into three divisions (as opposed to two divisions of seven in past years).  The new alignment (along with returning all-conference selections) is as follows:

Independence Division

  • Bristol - 2013 Gino Cefalone (Hon. Men. P), 2013 Sean Coughlin (1st-team OF), 2014 Dylan Evert (1st-team P), 2014 Coliean Malone (1st-team 2B), 2013 Michael Petrino (1st-team SS), 2013 Angelo Tisone (1st-team DH), 2013 Derek Whitfield (1st-team OF)
  • Devon Prep - 2014 Zach Schellenger (1st-team P), 2013 Justin Wright (1st-team 3B)

Constitution Division

  • Delaware County Christian - 2014 DL Browne (1st-team 1B), 2013 Ed Driscoll (1st-team OF), 2013 Michael Kyne (1st-team 3B)
  • Faith Christian - [new to BAL]
  • Phil-Mont Christian - [none]
  • Plumstead Christian - 2013 Max Drake (2nd-team OF), 2014 Tyler Seelig (Hon. Men. 2B), 2013 Josh Sharik (1st-team P)

Presidents Division

  • Calvary Christian - 2013 Tony Burgess (2nd-team 2B), 2014 Mark Farley (1st-team DH), 2013 Jesse Geisler (1st-team OF), 2013 Josh Molyneux (Hon. Men. OF), 2013 Tyler Scheuer (1st-team P)
  • Church Farm School - [new to BAL]
  • Morrisville - [none]

Bicentennial Bullet Points

If Lower Moreland is going to continue its steady climb up the BAL standings, it will likely do it on the back of its offense.  Coach Dennis Murphy's biggest question mark will be in the rotation, as 2015 RHP/OF Lance Goodman and 2013 LHP Mark Dougherty will be counted upon to fill the void of seven graduated pitchers who combined for 80% of the team's innings.  Pocrass (.479 AVG, 13 XBH in 73 AB) and Killion (.438 AVG, .556 OBP, 10 SB) spearhead the Lions offense, while welcoming back 2014 IF Tyler Hunn, who is expected to add some power to the line-up after missing most of last season due to injury.

With a number of experienced sophomores and juniors poised to play significant roles, New Hope-Solebury could be in position to begin a multi-year run of success.  Coach Tony Vlahovic's offense will be led by Vesling (.396 AVG, .547 SLG) and 2014 OF/RHP Jack Dougherty (.360 AVG).  2015 LHP/OF Anthony Vlahovic adds a southpaw to a group of right-handed arms that includes Vesling and Dougherty, as well as 2014 RHP David Cherkowsky (led team in appearances) and 6-foot-3 2015 RHP/IF Spencer Tinkel, who saw time as the closer as a freshman.

Delaware County Christian graduated nearly two-thirds of its innings pitched and will look to Grove City-bound 2013 RHP/OF Brad Warmhold, who led the team in ERA, to stabilize a Knights pitching staff that otherwise lacks significant experience.  Driscoll (.317 AVG, .481 OBP, 19 SB) will set the table for Kyne (.429 AVG, 11 XBH, 24 RBI) and Browne (.386 AVG, .478 OBP, 8 SB) in coach Jeff Wisnewski's offense.

As he waves goodbye to five seniors who received post-season recognition, coach George Vafiadis welcomes an athletic freshman class that he hopes will help replenish the talent base at Jenkintown.  The youthful Drakes will follow the lead of 2013 1B Ned Hull (.340 AVG, .466 OBP) and Wagner, who was a primary run-producer (.317 AVG, 15 R, 12 RBI, 10 SB) as well as the staff ace (2.30, 5-3, 48.2 IP, 22 BB, 52 K) as a sophomore.

The imposing 6-foot-5, 205-pound Sharik (6-2, 1.83 ERA, 16 BB, 95 K in 53 IP; committed to Rider) features an easy delivery, a fastball with some armside action, and a solid curveball at the top of the rotation for Plumstead Christian.  While the Panthers shouldn't need to generate much offense when Sharik toes the rubber, Drake, Seelig, and 2013 C Ryan Blough (an intra-league transfer from Christopher Dock Mennonite) will be the primary run-producers for coach Mike Wells.

Coming off back-to-back PIAA District I class A titles, Calvary Christian will lean on its pitching in its quest for a three-peat.  Coach Darrell Benjamin will call on Scheuer (8-2, 1.75 ERA; committed to Palm Beach Atlantic), 2013 RHP/IF Reilly Degen (6-1; committed to University of the Sciences) and Geisler (3-1, 2.80 ERA) to lead the staff.  Geisler (.387 AVG, .710 SLG), Burgess (.396 AVG, only 1 K), Farley (.348 AVG), and Molyneux (.364 AVG) will look to fill the void left by the departed 1- through 4-hitters in the line-up.

6-foot-2, 190-pound Hautzinger (.274, 12 R, 12 RBI) returns to lead the offense for Christopher Dock Mennonite.  2014 IF Connor McCoach, 2013 C/OF Ryan Thomas, and 2014 Util Derek Cassel will support him in the line-up as well.  First-year coach Ed Melendez's biggest challenge will be cobbling together a pitching staff that lost nearly all of its innings to graduation or transfer.

A senior-laden group of position players will be the strength of coach Derrick Savage's team, as MaST Charter reclassifies from class A to AA.  All seven returning hitters are multi-year starters who carry with them plenty of experience.  Leading the way offensively will be Landgon (.512 AVG) and Sweeney (.458 AVG).  6-foot-2, 215-pound 2015 RHP/1B Bryan Kaelin was the staff ace as a freshman, racking up four wins and leading the team in strikeouts.

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