Bethel Park rings in new year with bling
Forget fireworks. Bethel Park ushered in the new year with bling as the baseball team was awarded championship rings for winning a second straight PIAA title.
The Black Hawks were honored for their accomplishment during a special ceremony held at halftime of the boys basketball game against Trinity on Jan. 6.
“This is unbelievable,” said David Kessler.
Kessler started at shortstop on both of BP’s championship clubs in 2021 and 2022. He was one of a dozen team members that own two rings.
“To not just win one but two with a great group of guys and to have such a great community supporting and being around us is a great feeling,” he said. “Honestly, both of them are special and as amazing as each other but the second one to add on to the first is even better.”
The 2022 rings feature the BP insignia in the center of a baseball diamond. Each base contains an orange gem. The 2021 rings are similar but the script and bases feature black ornamentation.
The 2022 rings cost $5,580. While Dr. Eckerd from Allegheny Physical Medicine made a considerable donation, Bethel Park Baseball picked up the majority of the tab. The parents had to pay $63.50 for each player’s rings. Patrick Zehnder received a complimentary ring because he managed the team. The baseball boosters paid $127 for two additional coaches rings.
While the majority of the BP roster remains intact, a half dozen graduates will not be part of the team’s attempt to make it three in a row this spring. BP returns 17 underclassmen, seven of them starters, from last year’s 21-4 squad.
“We’re disappointed not to have a chance to three-peat,” Kessler said.
Kessler, though, is like many of the graduates that are continuing their baseball careers. He’s looking forward to getting another championship while playing for Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Kessler enjoyed a successful fall campaign on the diamond and in the classroom. Academically, he posted a 3.78, made the Dean’s List and has been nominated for NSLS. Athletically, he has been named to the Blue-Chip NCAA Division II Players Listed to Watch for 2023.
Blue-chip players are those who have proven themselves to be among the best at their positions in their respective sports and are more sought after and wanted than other players. They are typically perceived as “can’t miss.” Blue-chip athletes are likely to have an immediate impact on teams that acquire them and have proven skills. Many top recruits eventually go on to be successful at the professional level, especially in basketball and baseball.
“I’m looking forward to the spring at IUP and winning the D2 championship there,” Kessler said.
“Hopefully, I can help lead my team there to one of these as well,” he said pointing to the rings on his fingers.