Top cats: Leopards at No. 1 in WPIAL baseball pairings; Connellsville, Uniontown seeded 11th and 13th
Belle Vernon showed toughness and resiliency in battling its way to a late-season, two-game sweep of Latrobe to win the Section 2-AAAA baseball title.
The Leopards were rewarded for that impressive effort by being tagged as the No. 1 seed in Class AAAA according to the WPIAL baseball playoff pairings released on Friday.
Connellsville was seeded 11th in a well-balanced Class AAAAA field and Uniontown was slotted at No. 13 in Class AAAA. Carmichaels and West Greene, who were among three teams that tied for second place in Section 1-A, were put at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively, in Class A.
While Belle Vernon coach Tony Watson appreciated his team being given the top spot in the bracket, he also stressed he wasn鈥檛 taking anything for granted.
鈥淚 feel like it gives us a little validation and certainly winning six out of the last seven gives you some confidence and momentum heading into the playoffs,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淏ut also when you get into the playoffs you can throw all the numbers and seedings away. When it comes down to it, every team蘑菇视频 a playoff team for a reason.鈥�
Belle Vernon and Mount Pleasant, who both won section championships, were the highest seeded teams among the area contingent and both played well down the stretch with the Vikings having won their last nine games.
Mount Pleasant, whose recent two-game sweep of previously undefeated Waynesburg Central earned it first place in Section 4-AAA, was given the No. 3 seed in Class AAA with the Raiders at No. 6.
There are 11 local teams in the postseason with Beth-Center (No. 10 in Class AA), Charleroi (No. 9 in Class AA), Ringgold (No. 15 in Class AAAA) and Elizabeth Forward (No. 11 in Class AAAA) also making the field.
Class AAAA play begins on Wednesday with all four area teams involved in doubleheaders.
The Leopards play No. 16 Blackhawk at 4:30 p.m. at Boyce Mayview Park after Ringgold蘑菇视频 game there with No. 2 Thomas Jefferson which starts at 2 p.m. Uniontown takes on No. 4 Montour in a 2 p.m. game at Peterswood Park which will be followed by Elizabeth Forward vs. No. 6 North Catholic at 4:30 p.m.
Watson is wary of the Cougars.
鈥淪tatistically they had a down year but they鈥檙e well coached,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淟ou Wolber does a great job over there. I certainly see them as a much better seed than 16.鈥�
The Leopards have a deep pitching staff from which to choose a starter for the playoff opener.
鈥淩ight now we鈥檙e looking to keep things similar to the regular season with our starters being Colton Lee and Lucas Judy, and Parker Lind who could fill either a starting or relief role,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淚t could be any one of those three guys depending on who feels the freshest at the time but I have the utmost confidence in all three of them.鈥�
The Red Raiders vs. Montour is a rematch from last year蘑菇视频 first round when Uniontown lost a tightly contested one-run battle.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind where we鈥檙e at in the bracket but I am surprised that Montour was seeded No. 4,鈥� Uniontown coach Ken Musko said. 鈥淚 thought they鈥檇 be a little higher than that. We lost last year蘑菇视频 game to them on a couple routine plays we didn鈥檛 make. But it was a very competitive game.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 feel overmatched at all and I expect the same type of game again.鈥�
Musko said his son, Red Raiders ace left-hander Tate Musko who has committed to Marietta College, will likely start the playoff opener with right-hander Austin Grego at shortstop but ready for a relief role if needed.
鈥淎ustin is a really good reliever as well as a starter,鈥� Musko said. 鈥淭ate has been mainly a starter for us and I like having Austin at shortstop so that蘑菇视频 likely how we鈥檒l go.
鈥淣o matter who we play, with the one-two punch we have we鈥檙e pretty good pitching-wise. We just have to hit the baseball. Our kids know that. Our defense has been pretty solid this year. I always tell the kids defense will keep you in the game and offense will win it.鈥�
In Class AAAAA Connellsville, which takes a season-best four-game winning streak into the playoffs, will face No. 6 Franklin Regional in a 4:30 p.m. first round game on Wednesday at Gateway. The winner will play No. 3 North Hills, which received a first-round bye, on May 20.
Class AAA begins first-round play on Tuesday with Mount Pleasant going up against No. 14 Burrell at 4:30 p.m. at Gateway and Waynesburg playing No. 11 Neshannock at 7 p.m. at Boyce Mayview Park.
If the Vikings and Raiders both win they would play for the third time this season in a quarterfinal game on May 20.
In Class AA, Charleroi goes up against No. 8 Laurel at 4:30 p.m. at Burkett Park and Beth-Center plays No. 7 Riverview in a 7 p.m. game at Gateway, both on Tuesday.
A Cougars win would propel them into the quarterfinals against No. 1 Serra Catholic and a Bulldogs victory would set up a clash with No. 2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, both on May 20. The top three teams in Class AA receive first-round byes.
Class A action begins on Tuesday with Carmichaels and West Greene playing a doubleheader at Peterswood Park.
The Mikes take on No. 9 Carlynton at 2 p.m. with the winner drawing No. 1 Union and the Pioneers battle with No. 10 Leechburg at 4:30 p.m. with the survivor getting No. 2 Eden Christian Academy.
The top four teams in Class A receive first-round byes.
Carmichaels and West Greene wound up tied with Avella, which was seeded sixth, for second place in Section 1-A.
鈥淚 knew that was going to be a tough assignment for the committee because we all played each other and Avella swept West Greene, we swept Avella and then West Greene swept us,鈥� Carmichaels coach Dickie Krause said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to speculate the difference was Avella and West Greene both beat (section champion) Fort Cherry and we did not.鈥�
The Rangers were seeded third and have a first-round bye.
One controversial decision by the committee in the Class A bracket was giving the No. 5 seed to Western Beaver, which finished second behind Union in Section 2-A but went 0-4 in non-section play including a home loss to Avella.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know about that, but as for ourselves, if we wanted to be seeded higher we should鈥檝e won more section games,鈥� Krause said.
鈥淭o be honest, I learned a long time ago, you just get the assignment, who we play, where we play, when we play, and get ready to go. So our job is to get ready for Carlynton. If you get caught up in why weren鈥檛 we a higher seed or lower seed or whatever it may be, you鈥檙e just wasting time.鈥�