2015 PIAA Class AAA State Tournament Preview
May 31, 2015
By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting
And then there were sixteen. The first round of the 2015 PIAA Class AAA state tournament starts tomorrow, with first pitches for the eight games scheduled virtually every half hour between 3:30pm and 6:00pm at various sites across the state. Below is a preview of each participating team (listed in bracket order, separated by first-round match-up), followed by how our staff sees the tournament playing out (teaser: there is a consensus favorite).
Notes:
X-Y before a school name = District-Bid (e.g. 3-2 is the runner-up from District III).
If multiple districts are listed before a school name, those districts combined to form a sub-regional to determine that bid.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-1 Holy Ghost Prep Firebirds (19-3)
If the state tournament were a double-elimination or three-game series set-up, the Firebirds would be the prohibitive favorite due to their enviable depth on the mound. Seniors Tim Brennan (St. Joseph’s), Luke Duris (Villanova), and Curtis Staropoli, along with junior Nolan Jones (Virginia) have logged the bulk of the innings. Ryan Malloy (Lehigh) and Nick Payesko (Rider) join Brennan and Jones in powering a balanced line-up that also gets contributions from Duris and Ben Decembrino (Washington & Lee).
3-4 Manheim Central Barons (19-8)
If it’s possible for a team to be considered as limping into the state tournament, the Barons might qualify, having gone just 3-4 in their last seven games. But they won the games that counted and will have the opportunity to let Messiah-bound Dan Wiederrecht (.485 AVG, 11 XBH, 19 SB) and his fellow seniors Frank Bowman (.416 AVG) and Blake Reiff (.448 AVG, 16 BB vs 1 K, 20 XBH, 14 SB) swing their way to a title. Senior Tanner Fahnestock (56.2 IP, 69 H, 26 BB, 25 K) has fronted a pitching staff with three others who have logged at least 27 IP.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-1 Abington Heights Comets (15-3)
The Comets ride a twelve-game winning streak into their third straight state tournament, having outscored their opponents 27-5 in sweeping through the district playoffs. Monmouth-bound Tyler Ksiazek (45 IP, 23 H, 17 BB, 67 K) and Arcadia-bound Zach Manasek (38 IP, 22 H, 16 BB, 35 K) will be asked to carry the load for a pitching staff that lacks proven depth, although sophomore Ryan Harvey has pitched well in limited mound time (13.1 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 6 K). Ksiazek (.474 AVG, 9 BB vs 1 K), junior Zach Campbell (.406 AVG), and Misericordia-bound Jimmy Fayocavitz (.288 AVG, 15 BB vs 2 K, 12 SB) spearhead an offense that doesn’t hit for much power, but averages around 2.5 steals per game.
4-1 Jersey Shore Area Bulldogs (15-7)
After an up-and-down early part of the season, the Bulldogs ripped off seven wins in a row on their way to a fifth straight district title, setting up yet another first round match-up with Abington Heights (the teams split the past two seasons). An offense with a composite .427 OBP is led by senior Brody Smith (.471 AVG, 11 SB), senior Zach Miller (.373 AVG), and junior Allen Saar (.373 AVG). Junior Travis Bradley (39.2 IP, 30 H, 26 BB, 32 K) fronts a spread-the-wealth pitching staff on which four others have logged between 19 and 25 innings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11-1 Pottsville Area Crimson Tide (21-4)
Captured the Schuylkill League Division 1 regular-season crown and followed it up with the league tournament championship. Four losses are by a combined six runs. La Salle-bound Connor Hinchliffe shepherds a pitching staff led by co-aces in Penn State-bound Eli Nabholz (56.2 IP, 37 H, 26 BB, 81 K) and junior J.J. Spehrley (54.1 IP, 37 H, 12 BB, 55 K). The offense is sparked by Kentucky-bound Travis Blankenhorn (.459 AVG, 18 XBH, 19 BB+HBP vs 6 K, 13 SB), Nabholz (.410 AVG), and sophomore Darion Jacoby (.370 AVG, 14 SB).
3-2 Spring Grove Area Rockets (17-8)
The Rockets turned a neat trick this spring, graduating eight of their nine starters from last season, leaving only one senior on the entire roster, but still managed to capture the York-Adams Division I regular-season crown. The lone senior, Anthony Reed (50.1 IP, 38 H, 19 BB, 58 K), and athletic junior Matt Brooks (59.2, 37 H, 17 BB, 96 K) carried the pitching staff through its five post-season games in the conference and district tourneys, logging 32 of 35 innings. They receive support from an offense, sparked by freshman Trent Baker (.400 AVG, .500 OBP), Brooks (.342 AVG, 12 SB), and sophomore Derek Hoiles (.316 AVG) at the top of the order, that didn’t simply lack varsity experience coming into the season, but is just flat-out young (two-thirds of the line-up is freshmen and sophomores).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12-1 Archbishop Wood Vikings (17-4)
Overcame the loss of the team’s #2 starter midway through the season to capture the Philadelphia Catholic League regular-season and tournament titles. Senior Justin Rubin (22.1 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 10 K) and sophomore Sean Hughes (27.2 IP, 23 H, 15 BB, 29 K) stepped up to join sophomore ace Joey Lancellotti (47.1 IP, 29 H, 20 BB, 58 K), a North Carolina commit. Senior Tom Rosenbaum (.357 AVG, 11 SB) and Arcadia-bound Anthony Zupito (.308 AVG, 14 SB) spark the offense at the top of the order, while Lancellotti (.349 AVG) and junior Sean Kelly (.404 AVG) provide some thump behind them.
3-3 Twin Valley Raiders (18-7)
A balanced pitching staff that has five members with at least 18.2 IP is led by live-armed junior A.J. Alexy (48.1 IP, 29 H, 14 BB, 53 K), junior Casey Fitzsimmons (38.1 IP, 43 H, 20 BB, 26 K), and sophomore Colby Hiddeman (35 IP, 28 H, 17 BB, 35 K). An offense powered by Hiddeman (.364 AVG, 12 2B) and senior Colin Hartey (.300 AVG, 23 SB) got a lift from senior Kris Otto (.378 AVG) when he joined the line-up in mid-April.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-1 Donegal Indians (21-5)
The Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three co-champ has won 12 of its last 14 games, including sweeping through the district tournament by a combined score of 25-10 in four games. Seniors Sam Lazowski (66 IP, 51 H, 21 BB, 54 K) and Camren Ney (54 IP, 44 H, 21 BB, 49 K), along with junior Ethan Hess (32.2 IP, 20 H, 9 BB, 29 K), have combined to throw 88% of the team’s innings. Cecil CC-bound Ney (.314 AVG, 14 BB vs 6 K) and senior Ryan Myers (.354 AVG, 8 BB vs 0 K, 12 SB) make the offense go.
12-2 Franklin Towne Charter Coyotes (17-4)
Tied for second place in Philadelphia Public League Division A with district 4A representative Olney Charter (and behind 4A Frankford) before winning the PPL tournament over Olney in the championship. 95% of the team’s innings have been thrown by senior Steve Callahan (54 IP, 52 H, 9 BB, 60 K), sophomore Eric Sanchez (32.1 IP, 28 H, 12 BB, 22 K), and junior Cristian Diaz (32.1 IP, 21 H, 21 BB, 38 K). Callahan (.340 AVG, 11 XBH, 12 SB) teams with sophomores Rob Henry (.411 AVG, 17 BB vs 9 K, 16 SB) and Jason Santiago (.364 AVG) to power the offense.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5-1/6-1 Bellefonte Area Red Raiders (13-7)
The Red Raiders appear to be an underdog in this bracket, as in order to capture the state crown, they will have to accomplish something they have yet to do this year: win four games in a row. Junior Dominic Masullo (40 IP, 26 H, 43 BB, 54 K) fronts a pitching staff hoping for a couple weeks of improved command, as it has allowed more BB+HBP (121) than strikeouts recorded (114). Sophomore Logan Mathieu (.404 AVG), along with seniors Adam Kuhn (.361 AVG) and Trent Fortney (.315 AVG, 18 BB+HBP in 19 games) power the offense.
7-2 West Allegheny Indians (16-6)
The defending district champs fell in this year’s title game, but had already secured their second straight state berth. A deep pitching staff that is fronted by Indiana of PA-bound Colin Claus (42.1 IP, 34 H, 24 BB, 47 K) and California of PA-bound Tyler Eritz (41.2 IP, 20 H, 17 BB, 43 K) took a hit when closer (and starting shortstop) Tyler Amedure suffered an arm injury that pushed him to a DH-only role in mid-April, but sophomore Connor Johnsen (20.1 IP, 17 H, 3 BB, 20 K) stepped up to log valuable innings. A setback has the state tournament status for Alderson Broaddus-bound Amedure (.367 AVG, 3:1 BB+HBP to K ratio) still up in the air, leaving primary run-production for an offense with a composite OBP of .400 to seniors Michael Cummings (.403 AVG, 21 SB) and Brandon Pouch (.312 AVG, 17 BB vs 5 K).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7-1 Knoch Knights (19-2)
Behind the junior duo of Cole Shinsky and Alex Stobert, the WPIAL Section 5 champs get it done on the mound, allowing zero or one runs in ten games, three or less in 14 games, more than four only twice all season, and five in four games on its way to the district title. From the top of the order, toolsy sophomore Dominick Bucko and Seton-Hill-bound Chris Law spark an offense that on Monday will be without senior third baseman Garrett Traggiai, who was ejected from the WPIAL title game for a collision on a slide and subsequently suspended from the opening round state game.
8-1/9-1 Punxsutawney Area Chucks (18-1)
After suffering their first, and only, loss of the season (against District VI 4A champ State College Area), the Chucks have allowed just seven runs in six games leading up to the state tournament. Senior Ryan Sloniger, junior Kent State commit John Matthews, and Pitt-Johnstown-bound Dakotah Byers lead a pitching staff that has allowed two runs or less in twelve games. Penn State-bound Sloniger, Matthews, and toolsy junior Braxton Giavedoni anchor the offense and middle of the diamond defense for a program making its 12th straight state appearance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10-1 Cathedral Prep Ramblers (19-2)
Junior RHP Carter Cross (29.2 IP, 13 H, 11 BB, 50 K) leads a deep pitching staff that has seven members who have thrown double digit innings and a composite strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 3:1. Four position players -- Cross, freshman Matt Bauer, junior Austin Braendel, junior Owen Means -- are hitting over .400, while the entire offense has a composite .471 OBP (101 BB, 29 HBP, 80 K). Only losses on season are to 4A McDowell (split season series) & Cleveland St. Ignatius, a power in Ohio. Played 8 games vs out-of-state teams (AZ, NY, OH); overmatched most PA teams they faced.
7-3 Montour Spartans (13-10)
Don’t be deceived by this team’s record, as seven of its losses came by two runs or less and sophomore Trent Vietmeier (42.1 IP, 22 H, 10 BB, 60 K), who is verbally committed to Louisiana State, can quickly level a playing field. Anticipated rotation stalwart Charlie Placek, a Cuyahoga CC commit, hasn’t pitched since mid-April, but junior Brian Dabney (26.1 IP, 26 H, 9 BB, 23 K) has ably stepped up, allowing classmate Chris Hanlon (29 IP, 30 H, 15 BB, 28 K) to slide into the closer role. The offense is led by Canisius-bound catcher Billy Krull (.403 AVG), Vietmeier (.387 AVG), and senior Adam Check (.348 AVG, 10 BB vs 4 K).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Williams | Gill | Leitzel | Chimel | |
| Quarterfinalists | Holy Ghost Prep Abington Heights Pottsville Area Archbishop Wood Donegal West Allegheny Knoch Montour |
Holy Ghost Prep Abington Heights Pottsville Area Archbishop Wood Donegal West Allegheny Punxsutawney Area Montour |
Holy Ghost Prep Abington Heights Pottsville Area Archbishop Wood Donegal West Allegheny Punxsutawney Area Cathedral Prep |
Holy Ghost Prep Abington Heights Spring Grove Area Archbishop Wood Franklin Towne Charter Bellefonte Area Punxsutawney Area Montour |
| Semifinalists | Holy Ghost Prep Archbishop Wood West Allegheny Knoch |
Holy Ghost Prep Pottsville Area West Allegheny Punxsutawney Area |
Holy Ghost Prep Archbishop Wood West Allegheny Punxsutawney Area |
Holy Ghost Prep Archbishop Wood Bellefonte Area Montour |
| Championship | Holy Ghost Prep over Knoch |
Holy Ghost Prep over Punxsutawney Area |
Holy Ghost Prep over Punxsutawney Area |
Holy Ghost Prep over Montour |
Previous PA News
- PA 2015 PIAA Class A State Tournament Preview5.31.15
- PA 2015 State Tournament Tracker5.31.15
- PA PA Top Prospect Games Rosters Released5.30.15
- PBRPlus The Buzz: Ryan Eiermann (IL) Commits to TCU5.29.15
- PA Game Recaps: District 3 Championships5.29.15
- PA On the Road to Omaha: PA Products Dot NCAA DI Tournament Rosters5.29.15
- PA 2015 District Tournament Tracker5.29.15
- PBRPlus Pennsylvania Scout Blog 5.29.15
