Bethel Park expects success on the diamond despite new look


Ryan Walsh is expected to be one of the aces on the Bethel Park piching staff this spring. The junior is a Virginia Tech recruit.
Novelty surrounds the Bethel Park varsity baseball team this season.
The Black Hawks return only one hitter in shortstop Ryan Petras (.427 with 19 stolen bases) and one pitcher who started the majority of last season. So while there are question marks, there is plenty of excitement this spring as Bethel Park attempts to return to the WPIAL finals for the second time in a row and the PIAA championship game for the third time in four years.
The Black Hawks were 18-7 in 2023 with a Class 5A runner-up showing and a state quarterfinal appearance after winning back-to-back PIAA crowns in 2021 and 2022.
“Even with so many new faces our goals remain the same,” said BP skipper Patrick Zehnder. “We have a lot of learning and growing to do as a young and inexperienced team this year, but we have plenty of talented and team-first competitors that are hungry for their chance to show everyone what they can do.”
During a busy offseason, where the players dedicated themselves to the weight room and drills. the Black Hawks have honed their skills to the level where they anticipate battling for section, WPIAL and state championships.
In turn, Zehnder and his coaching staff have been putting in the work to get to know the newcomers and fashion a squad that is ready to compete in a highly-competitive division.
“I feel like I learn something new almost everyday from our players and our great assistant coaches. The players have been so coachable and hungry to learn. They ask questions and make suggestions, and I have learned a lot just from those interactions.
“As a coach, you have to always keep learning and growing with your team,” Zehnder continued. “No team is the same from one year to the next, no matter how many players or coaches return from the previous season. The more I can learn about who they are as people and what motivates them, the better I can try to enhance their strengths and remediate their weaknesses, and do it in the most effective way possible for each individual.”
Bethel Park opens section action with a home-and-away series with rival Upper St. Clair on April 2 at 4 p.m. at Purkey Field and April 3 at 7 p.m. at Boyce-Mayview Field. The challenge continues with South Fayette April 8-9 and Peters Township April 15-16.
“As usual, the section is loaded, and will make for very exciting back-to-back games,” said Zehnder. “Trinity has a ton of high level college talent. Peters Twp always plays us tough, and makes for exciting games, South Fayette lost some D1 talent, but still are very good, and USC will be a tough team to beat.”
Despite their youth, the Black Hawks have already shown they will be a tough out this spring. They crushed Canon-McMillan, 11-1, in their home opener on March 20. They also battled Seneca Valley to a 4-4 draw. The contest was suspended because of rain and darkness after eight innings.
In the win against the Big Macs, Santino Diulus scattered four hits and struck out six in three innings of work before yielding to Nick Rillo and Dylan Paul, who both tossed a scoreless frame.
Ryan Tierney went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and two runs scored while Petras socked two hits, walked once, swiped two bases, scored three times and drove in a run. Ethan Stanoff drove in three runs with a double and a single while Ryan Walsh and Paul each drove in two runs.
Against the Raiders, Walsh worked four frames, striking out four, allowing one hit and no earned runs, before yielding to Dylan Schumacher and Mike Bruckner. Offensively, Tierney and Stanhoff had two hits. Bruckner doubled while Diulus and Petras had RBI singles.
Diulus and Walsh should be BP’s aces. Both are right-handed hurlers with the most experience on the staff with 16 and seven innings pitched last spring. Walsh is a Virginia Tech recruit.
The pair along with Paul, Dylan Schumacher, Joey Levis and Owen White look to fill the void on the mound caused by Evan Holewinski’s matriculation to Kent State. Holewinski owned a 20-3 career record with a 0.68 ERA and two state titles.
Additionally the Black Hawks are looking to fill the spot behind the plate. A four-year starter, John Chalus is now catching at Mercyhurst. Standoff, Rillo and Noah LeJeune have battled for those duties while also splitting time at other infield positions.
Mike Bruckner, who started half of last season and batted .261, doubles as an infielder and outfielder as does his brother, Jack. Both are getting a late start because they just finished helping the basketball team reach the PIAA state quarterfinals for the first time since 2000.
In addition to Tierney and the Bruckners, Randy Bergia and Aaron Hofbauer are outfielders. While Levis is a versatile player beyond his pitching skills, Ben Lentz, Kaden Flambard are infielders along with Owen White, who also doubles as a pitcher.
“The team’s strength should continue to be pitching and defense,” Zehnder said. “A lot of new players will be filling positions defensively and offensively, but they have plenty of talent. They have worked very hard to get themselves ready for the season. The pitching staff returns a few arms, but also has multiple guys that had little to no varsity innings last season that will fill major roles this year.”
With so many new players filling positions, Zehnder acknowledges that the Black Hawks have a lot of work to do and they will surely have to make some adjustments especially during the early stages of the season. But that is what makes managing fun, he notes.
“I am very excited to see how the rest of the unit gels together and grows together throughout this season,” he said.