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Season Preview: Central League

March 16, 2013

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

                          central League

Returning all-central honorees

Conestoga - 2014 Steve Born (2nd-team OF)

Garnet Valley - [none]

Harriton - 2014 Skylar Katz (2nd-team DH), 2013 Zack Neville (Hon. Men 1B), 2014 Jake Rosenberg (1st-team OF)

Haverford - 2013 Alex Barr (2nd-team 1B), 2013 Tom Carey (Hon. Men OF)

Lower Merion - [none]

Marple Newtown - 2014 Cairan Cahalane (2nd-team P)

Penncrest - 2013 Billie Buckwalter (1st-team 1B), 2013 Shane Donnelly (1st-team C), 2013 Cole Gamber (Hon. Men OF), 2013 John Geffre (Hon. Men P)

Radnor - 2013 Ellis Schaefer (Hon. Men IF)

Ridley - [none]

Springfield - 2013 Joe Sheeran (1st-team IF)

Strath Haven - 2014 Kevin Mohollen (2nd-team C), 2013 Dave Splain (2nd-team IF)

Upper Darby - [none]


College Bound


Conestoga - 2014 IF Tommy Richter (Penn State)

Garnet Valley - 2013 LHP/OF Dalton Mayberry (Marist)

Haverford - LHP Alex Barr (Millersville)

Penncrest - RHP John Geffre (Delaware)

Radnor - 2013 LHP/1B Billy Greenfield (Furman)


A Walk Through Central Park


A seasoned group of seniors will lead a Penncrest team that finished a just one game out of first place in the regular-season.  Buckwalter led the team in hitting (.415) and OBP (.529), while 6-foot-2, 210-pound Donnelly set the pace in SLG (.783) and RBI (23).  Geffre should step into the ace role after going 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA, 10 BB and 33 K in 31.2 IP.

Starting pitching appears to be a strength for Radnor with the return of Greenfield (4-3, 2.79) and 2013 IF/RHP Adam Erkis, who will contribute with the bat (.344 AVG, 12 SB) as well.  Leadoff man Schaefer will pair with 2015 IF Sean Corelli to form the Red Raiders keystone combo, as coach Mark Jordan welcomes back seven starters from last season.

A Strath Haven offense that returns six starters from a year ago will be led by Mohollen (.354 AVG, 25 R, 19 BB, 9 K) and Splain (.354 AVG, 17 R, 14 BB, 13 K), who will also anchor what is expected to be a solid defense.  Coach Brian Fili is hoping an ace will emerge from a number of arms at his disposal, including 2013 IF/RHP Donovan Davis, who went 4-1 with a 2.76 ERA last season.

2013 OF Geoff Warrington is a proto-typical leadoff man for Lower Merion who combines foot-speed with a high on-base percentage.  He will set the table for 2013 RHP/IF Matt Wasson, who is expected to be the primary run-producer for the Bulldogs.  Beyond those two, coach John Hyman will try to coax production out of an otherwise inexperienced group of underclassmen.

It's easy for Harriton coach Scott Kurzinsky to have high hopes for this season when he returns his entire starting nine, many of whom are juniors with two years of varsity experience.  Rosenberg is a multi-tooled performer who was named PHSBCA class AAAA 2nd-team all-state as a sophomore.  Left-handed hitting 2014 OF Andre Pendleton is an athlete who totaled over 1000 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns on the gridiron this fall.  Katz, Neville, and 2013 IF Chris Morris will contribute offensively as well.  Not to be outdone, the pitching staff returns its entire rotation, including 6-foot-5, 190-pound 2014 RHP Corey Neal (2.13 ERA).

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