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By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

Today marks the eleventh 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 our look at class 3A with the WPIAL and the sub-region formed by Districts V, VIII and IX.

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.

Sub-region V/VIII/IX (1 bid)

Top Prospect: Phillip Dull, 2018, IF/RHP, Chestnut Ridge (West Virginia)

As athletic as anyone in the state, Dull is a game-changer for Chestnut Ridge with the bat and on the mound, where the Lions must develop some depth after graduating their two other most-used pitchers. Junior Justin McCoy and sophomore LHP Brodie Harbaugh each logged double-digit innings last spring and could see their roles grow. Dull will be the catalyst for an offense that welcomes back two-thirds of its regular starters, including outfielder Harbaugh and junior C/IF Ty Diehl, plus a pair of seniors in 1B/OF Shawn Brady and outfielder Cody Lohr.

Coming off a district title and state quarterfinal appearance, Moniteau must find a way to replace the production of its top two starting pitchers and four line-up stalwarts. Senior RHP Lake Pry, along with junior RHPs Jake Jewart and Nathan Sogosian, each logged double-digit innings last spring and are poised to increase their workloads this season for coach Ross Martin. A young line-up will be powered by the catching duo of junior Wyatt Geibel and sophomore Jared Lominski, plus the junior trio of outfielder Jewart, third baseman Nick Sogosian, and outfielder Brice Williams.

Virtually the entire roster returns for first-year Everett Area coach Jordan Mills, including seven of eight line-up regulars and all but one pitcher. Stepping up one rung on the staff depth chart will be senior LHP Joel Colledge, junior RHP Austin Price, and Point Park-bound RHP Mason Akers. Sophomore catcher Jared Colledge will again manage the staff and key the offensive production with Potomac State-bound outfielder Cory Ullman and junior third baseman Austin Brown.

District VII (3 bids)

Top Prospects:
1. Hunter Robinson, 2017, OF/RHP, Waynesburg Central [California (PA)]
2. Noah Winjen-Riems, 2020, OF, New Brighton Area
3. Adam Jeannette, 2017, RHP, Riverside [Mercyhurst]

Steel Valley coach Tim Vickers will be staring at a familiar line-up card this spring, as he welcomes back his entire pitching staff and eight of nine line-up regulars. A still relatively young line-up core has a couple more years together, led by sophomore outfielder Andre Good, and the junior left side of the infield duo of Ray Chuba and Alex Ligeros. Senior LHP Tanner Cannon will again front the pitching staff, with junior LHP Mike Sullivan and 6-foot-2, 180-pound freshman RHP Nick Harhai also slated for significant innings.

2016 WPIAL 2A champ and state semifinalist Riverside is faced with replacing two of its three primary pitchers and four of its biggest offensive contributors. The lanky 6-foot-5 Jeannette is the only staff holdover to have logged more than four innings last spring. The core of the line-up is a bit more settled with the return of four line-up stalwarts in junior outfielder Austin Dambach, plus a trio of seniors -- IF/OF Ricky Wass, outfielder Cristian Cicchinelli, and infielder Dylan Speicher.

Virtually the entire roster returns for Beaver Falls Area, with just two position player starters to be replaced. The left side of the infield again will be held down by junior shortstop Michael Filauri and senior third baseman Dalton Cleckley, with sophomore outfielder Dayln Brickner joining them in primary run production duties for coach Rich Rowe. The entire pitching staff is back in the fold, led by 6-foot-3 senior LHP Daunte Hill, senior RHP Matt Veon, and sophomore RHP Cameron Kern.

Brownsville Area welcomes back virtually its entire pitching staff, as well as two-thirds of its regular position player starters. The junior RHP trio of Dylan Brosky, Mason Kelly, and Trevor Stewart are slated to log the bulk of the innings for coach Skooter Roebuck. The senior tandem of third baseman Tyler Herman and outfielder Jaryn Addis will team with junior outfielder Josh Davison and sophomore catcher D.J. Zimcosky in anchoring the line-up.

Burrell coach Mark Spohn's pitching staff will be fronted by senior RHP Dean Edwards and junior LHP Drew Cambal, while the outfield duo of junior Nick Hwostow and senior Max Garda will again be joined by sophomore third baseman Luke Virag to power the offense. Keep an eye on freshman LHP/OF Tanner Spohn to make an immediate impact with his arm and bat.

A senior-laden pitching staff for New Brighton Area will feature RHPs R.J. Debo and Kyle Bolland, along with LHP Austin Ackerman. Coach Mick Campbell's offense will be powered by the left side of the infield duo of junior third baseman Cody Kidd and senior shortstop Chandler Turoczy. Physical left-handed hitting Winjen-Riems will undoubtedly make an impact on the Lions program eventually, if not this season.

A roster stocked with seniors, including shortstop Connor Bedillion, utility Jackson Interval, and C/1B Steven Shallcross, greets Washington coach Anthony Belcastro in his first season filling out the line-up card. Junior IF/OF Jordan Swart will also aid in run production for the Prexies, while the RHP trio of Bedillion, Kevin Patterson, and Shallcross should soak up a majority of the innings.

Just two position player regulars must be replaced in a Waynesburg Central line-up that saw six underclassmen receive significant playing time last spring. Tooly right-handed hitter Robinson leads a trio of returning run producers that also includes junior SS/C Brandon Turcheck and junior IF/OF Trey Rohanna. The RHP tandem of Robinson and Turcheck will also front the pitching rotation for coach Scott VanSickle.

Southmoreland coach Daniel Boring will be tasked with developing a young roster in his first season at the helm. The Scotties offense will be led by junior catcher Max Zimmerman, senior first baseman Anthony Hunt, sophomore outfielder Kade Richter, and junior utiilty Jaden Datz. The majority of the mound work should be soaked up by LHP Hunt, sophomore RHP Travis Sipple, and RHP Richter.

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