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By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

Today marks the ninth installment of our season preview content, which will run for four weeks up to the first official PIAA competition date on March 24. 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. The number in parenthesis after each header is the number of state tournament bids allotted to that district or sub-region. Today we finish up the eastern half of the state for 3A.

We received inquiries in the past 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 recently 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.

District III (2 bids)

Top Prospects:
1. Dillon Marsh, 2018, LHP/1B, Lancaster Catholic (Kentucky)
2. Bryce Behmer, 2020, C, Lancaster Catholic
3. Cam Barto, 2019, IF, Lancaster Catholic
4. Nick Breznak, 2019, LHP/1B, Lancaster Catholic
5. Brayden Clair, 2017, OF, Lancaster Catholic (Shippensburg)
6. Tyler Peters, 2017, C, Lancaster Catholic (USC-Sumter)
7. Peter Vaccaro, 2017, IF, Oley Valley (Evansville)
8. Mitch Eck, 2017, IF, Lancaster Catholic
9. Jarod Bingaman, 2018, IF, Upper Dauphin Area

Coming off a first-round state tournament loss to eventual state champ Neumann-Goretti, Lancaster Catholic has a number of holes to fill on its pitching staff, but just one in its line-up. Marsh returns to front the rotation and provide the biggest bat on offense, while Breznak will join him as a two-way contributor. The senior double-play tandem of steady shortstop Eck and second baseman Bryan Downey anchor the defense and top of the order, while toolsy Peters, Clair, and junior outfielder Gabe Cicala all return as multi-year starters. Also keep an eye on switching-hitting Barto and advanced defender Behmer to force their way into action for coach Ty Book as well.

Oley Valley, which won the 2016 district title in the old 2A, will lean on a veteran line-up as it works to replace the players who held down the top two spots in the rotation and the line-up. A foursome of infielders -- seniors Tyler Wentzel and Vaccaro (a left-handed hitter with a good feel for the barrel), sophomore Gavin Troutman, and junior Reese Kauffman -- will power coach Rick Harrison's offense, while junior LHP Gavin Blankenbiller and the senior RHP tandem of Daymond Zweizig and Nate Christman settle into their new roles.

Annville-Cleona welcomes back two of its top three pitchers, including its staff ace, along with more than half of its line-up, although the four graduates were all major offensive contributors. The senior two-way duo of Frederick CC-bound OF/LHP Mitch Long and RHP/IF Eli Setlock are the top returners on both sides of the ball for coach Scott Shyda, who welcomes back senior LHP Brandon Uhrich after a year missed due to injury.

Needing to replace its top three pitchers, Brandywine Heights Area will roll out a revamped pitching staff. LHP Drew Swire and RHP Brett Swire, both committed to Cabrini College, will fill the void along with sophomore RHP Joseph Fatzinger. When not on the mound Brett will hold down shortstop and Drew will roam the outfield, while senior outfielder Brody Lesher and junior catcher Alex Flicker will also help solidify coach Chris Cole's line-up.

Just three seniors will populate the roster in Delone Catholic coach Dave Neumayer's first season at the helm. One of those, RHP Ethan Slusser, will front the rotation, with junior RHP Evan Haymaker and sophomore transfer RHP Shane Kecken also slated for significant mound time. Middle infield duo of Haymaker and Kecken will also help spark the offense, along with junior outfielder Ryan Hart and Hagerstown CC-bound catcher Wes Deporter.

Roster overhaul time at Upper Dauphin Area, which graduated virtually its entire pitching staff and returns just two position players -- Binghaman, a solid defender with wiry strength in his frame, and his fellow junior Connor Deitrich -- who received regular at-bats.

District XII (2 bids)

Top Prospect: Shane Souchuck, 2017, RHP/1B, Conwell-Egan Catholic (Cabrini College)

Conwell-Egan Catholic took its lumps in coach Scott Haws' first season, but welcomes back a group ready to contend for a state tournament berth. 6-foot-2, 200-pound Souchuck is a fast-working competitor on the bump and will also contribute heavily with the bat. Junior Ryan Crowell and senior Tommy Reilly are in the mix to log innings, while junior catcher Will Zimmerman and senior infielder Bryce Trimble could help anchor the the Eagles' line-up.

Prep Charter, Science Leadership Academy, Roxborough, and Philadelphia Academy Charter are routinely among the last Philadelphia Public League teams among this group alive in the PPL tournament, and will likely be again.

Season Preview Content