Seton-La Salle waits for next year
The last loss of any season tends to deflate a team. So, after a 7-2 loss to Franklin in the first round of the PIAA baseball playoffs, Seton-La Salle hardly looked at the future.
“We were not ready and we were not into it,” said manager Shawn Trainor of the contest that came on the heels of the Rebels’ disappointing defeat to Steel Valley in the WPIAL finals. “It’s always tough to get back up for the state playoffs.
“That being said, however, Franklin was a good team. We faced a good left-handed pitcher and we made mistakes. We stranded runners. They hit, pitched and fielded better than us. That’s why we lost.”
Southpaw Zach Guth, indeed, pitched well. The Indiana recruit struck out 11 and scattered eight hits. The Rebels stranded eight runners and committed three fielding errors in the Class AAA contest played at Jerry Uht Park in Erie.
SLS scored its runs in the first and fifth frames.
Danzel McKinley-Lewis doubled and scored on Liam Sweeney’s base hit to lift the Rebels to a 1-0 lead. Andrew Lease walked and scored on Matthew Wilke’s double to narrow Franklin’s advantage, 6-2.
Of the players who contributed to the Rebels’ run production, only Wilke graduated. The infielder is bound for Ohio University in the fall. He ranked as one of the team’s top hitters with a better-than .470 average with over 20 runs scored and more than 16 RBI.
David Boehme led the Rebels in batting during the regular season with a .528 average, complete with 18 runs and 20 RBI. The senior, who owned a 17-game hitting streak during the regular season, is headed for Penn State-Behrend.
Ken Curran, an outfielder, and Dom DelGreco, an infielder, were the only other seniors on the roster. Curran will play baseball at CCAC while DelGreco will kick for the football team at Indiania University of Pennsylvania.
“Those four provided us with great senior leadership,” said Trainor. “They helped lay a strong foundation.”
In 2015, the Rebels plan to build upon its 15-7 record. They finished runner-up to South Side Beaver and Quaker Valley in Section 1-AA.
Lewis leads a strong class of rising seniors that also includes Carson Rebel, Matt Reinmund and Christian DelGreco. Pitcher Joseph Deegan is also a member of the Class of 2015.
Rebel was the ace of the staff. During the regular season, he compiled a 5-1 record. Despite taking the loss in the WPIAL final, he pitched well, surrendering six hits, walking only one and striking out four.
Rebel will also have the backing of his battery mate as Sweeney just completed his sophomore year of high school. He batted .443 with five doubles and two round trippers during the regular season. He drove in more than 22 runs.
Nico Popa and Andrew Lease, likewise, are rising juniors that handle the corners. Lease is a reliable first baseman while Popa also starts at third base. Popa, who also spells Rebel on the mound, carries a big stick. He batted .412 with three homers, three doubles and two triples this spring. He drove in 14 runs during the regular season.
While sophomore Andrew Adamsky shared time on the mound and in the outfield, three freshmen also contributed to SLS’s success this spring. Nicholas Krugh played in the outfield. Jared Capozza is an infielder and Jacob Hinish is a catcher.
“So,” said Trainor, “the future is very bright. We plan on being very competitive.”
David Boehme earned Player of the Game honors during the 11th annual WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association doubleheader played at Butler’s Kelly Automotive Park. The Seton-La Salle senior spearheaded the Class AA all-star squad to victory, 8-2, against the Class A club. He smashed a shot that landed in front of the 385-foot sign in left-center field in the second inning and he scored the game’s first run.
In the night-cap, Class AAA edged Quad-A, 4-3. Tyler Godwin of South Fayette was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive home the winning run.
Taylor Lehman and Brendan McKay headlined the Class AAA all-stars.
A Keystone Oaks product, Lehman was selected in the 34th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Miami Marlins. A southpaw, Lehman was chosen just ahead of McKay, who was picked by the San Diego Padres.
While he did not pitch in the game because he started for the Steel City Wildcats the day before the all-star game, Lehman said that he enjoyed participating in the event.
“It was fun,” he said. “It was nice to be with guys I have known. There was a lot of talent. It was fun to watch and it was nice that a lot of people came up to me and congratulated me on being drafted.”
On being selected by the Marlins as one of 15 high schoolers and one of nine left-handed pitchers, Lehman added, “it’s definitely one of the best feelings. Different for sure.”
Lehman will not make a decision regarding his future until late-July. He also has a scholarship offer to Penn State, where he plans to major in business.
In addition to Godwin and Lehman, who has a scholarship offer to Penn State, Josh Lapiana from Chartiers Valley also competed on the Class AAA all-star squad.
Area players on the Quad-A all-star roster included: Zach Bahm from Mt. Lebanon, Teagan Piechnick from Canon-McMillan, Phil Pisarcik and Tyler Schmidt from Peters Township.
Matt Wilke from Seton-La Salle joined Boehme on the Class AA all-star list while John O’Donnell from Bishop Canevin competed for the Class A club.