Season preview: Centre County high school baseball set for full swing over the fences
Centre County baseball teams are set to take the field this week in various leagues. Each team is looking to cash in on an opportunity to build from last year in their first full seasons since COVID-19 robbed the area of sports.
Bald Eagle Area is looking to continue to improve on its 13-6 season, bringing back six starters under head coach Jim Gardner. The Red Raiders are in the midst of a roster overhaul after winning a district championship in 2021 — and losing a multitude of key contributors. Penns Valley is in its first year under new leadership, while Philipsburg-Osceola looks to strike with another year under their starters’ belts. Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy has a pitcher that threw a no-hitter and State College is looking to build a baseball powerhouse with their bevy of Division I-level collegiate players.
Here’s a snapshot look at BEA, Bellefonte, Penns Valley, Philipsburg-Osceola, Saint Joe’s and State College:
Bald Eagle Area
The Eagles lost their first two games of the season, prior to going on a 13-4 run in the regular season. BEA dropped its opening round playoff game 2-0 against Forest Hills. Head coach Jim Gardner is set to lead the team for the 22nd year in a row and hopes to build off their 13-6 record in 2021.
“We look to build off of that with 5-6 starters returning,” Gardner said. “I feel like we have had a very strong purposeful preseason with guys really trying to raise their levels. They come to work every day to get better. We want to have a strong regular season good enough to gain a good seed for playoffs. Our level ( District 6 AAA) is one of the best in the state, with Central and Tyrone to compete with.”
Wyatt Coakley led the way for BEA’s pitchers with a 3-0 record last season and victory over Mountain League rival Tyrone. Hayden Vaughn led the team with a .436 batting average and four home runs on the season, along with Alex Gavlock packing a punch with a .346 average and McGwire Heverly’s .361’s two home runs and seven doubles being nothing to sneeze at either. Ryan Kresovich (.333) and Kahale Burns (.286) also give BEA a threat for extra-base hits.
Justin Bisel, Parker Quick, Tyler Lidgett, Mikey Snyder, Tyler Serb, Logan Lehman, Health Basalla. Cameron Watkins, Mikey Snyder and Westin McClain are among the team’s newcomers. Coakley, Heverly, Tyler Serb, Justin Bisel, Westin McClain, Snyder, Quick, Gavlock and Kresovich are the team’s pitchers.
Coach: Jim Gardner, 22nd year
Last Year: 13-6
Key Players: Ethan Koleno (C, senior), Hayden Vaughn (OF, senior), Alex Gavlock (2B, P, senior), McGwire Heverly (1B, P, senior), Ryan Kresovich (3B, P, senior), Wyatt Coakley (3B, P, junior), Kahale Burns (SS, sophomore), Gavin Eckley (utility, junior)
Returning Starters: 6
Current Record: 1-0
Next Game: Home vs. Philipsburg-Osceola, Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Bellefonte
There are a great deal of changes to Bellefonte’s roster following its PIAA District 6 4A championship victory last season. The Red Raiders are set to return five players, but lost 11 seniors last season including Nick Capparelle, Bobby Marsh and Seth Shuey, who played on the team since their freshman year.
Head coach Jon Clark is looking to have all hands on deck for the upcoming season with two smaller teams and more coaches to aid his younger players. He brings in a total of 24 players to pair with five coaches between both the junior varsity and varsity levels. Each has the ability to play multiple positions in the infield and outfield.
“I am excited to get the season underway, get past this winter weather and see what this group can do,” Clark said. “That’s part of the excitement, the challenge in figuring out the pieces that need to come together and how they come together to build a successful program and then watching them compete and work to experience success. It’s an evolving process.”
Coach: Jon Clark, fifth year
Last Year: 12-8, PIAA District 6 4A Champions
Key Players: Derek Fravel: 1B, 3B, P, senior, Alex Ebeling: OF, P, junior, Triston Heckman: SS, 2B, sophomore, Trevor Johnson: OF, P, sophomore, Braedyn Kormanic: C, INF, sophomore
Returning Starters: 5
Current Record: 0-1
Next Game: Home vs. Huntingdon, Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Penns Valley
Rich Sweitzer has coached at every level from Little League baseball to 18U travel for 10 years. From each step that he’s taken, he’s picked up bits and pieces along the way become more well-rounded in player development.
Sweitzer is now in his first season as Penns Valley’s head coach and looks to improve from the team’s 6-12 2021 campaign. In his eyes, a baseball culture must be built from the ground up — from junior high school to varsity — in the Penns Valley community. He looks to support his players and create a foundation for future athletes.
“The exposure of the experience seeing different programs throughout the country at certain tournaments — that experience is valuable,” Sweitzer said. “You just can’t replace it. It’s valuable with everything you do; you pick up ideas from other coaches and vice versa. With what experience I’ve picked up and acquired over the years, along with great support from our administration and our community, we’re in the process of building on the program that’s already there and continuing to go in the right direction.”
Coach: Rich Sweitzer, first year
Last Year: 6-12
Key Players: Hayden Houser: 2B, SS, OF, junior, Malachi Thompson: OF, P, senior, Miles Brooks: OF, junior, Ty Houtz: SS, 2B, P, senior, Owen Miller: 1B, senior, Dakota Brodzina: C, P, junior, Maclain Welshans: utility, P, senior, Kyle Niewinski: OF, senior, Colby Sweitzer: utility, senior
Returning Starters: 9 returning letterwinners
Current Record: 0-0
Next Game: @ Tyrone, Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Philipsburg-Osceola
P-O suffered one of its biggest losses with TJ Wildman set to miss the year due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery during the offseason to repair the damaged ligament, putting him on track for a return in his senior season. Wildman batted .303 and had 13 runs batted in last season.
Luckily for the Mounties, Jeremy Whitehead will man the outfield and utility man Colby Hahn will return to the lineup. Whitehead had a .365 batting average with and batted in 16 runs last season as the top returning starter, while Hahn had a .333 batting average last year.
Nick Coudriet, Gavin Emigh, Dave Meersand and Parker White will fill the rotation for the Mounties. Coudriet had a 1-1 record and 3.50 earned run average in 2021. Emigh worked exclusively from the bullpen in 2021, posting a 1-0 record and a 2.21 ERA. Meersand posted a 2-1 record and 2.39 ERA last season and won a Centre Daily Times Athlete of the Week Award for his no-hitter, while White held a 1-1 record and held a 4.46 ERA.
“Despite losing our ace (Ryan Whitehead), we bring back a lot of depth at pitching,” head coach Doug Sankey said. “All three of our starting outfielders also return. Our leading hitter and starting catcher graduated (Nate Gustkey), and we are hoping that his brother Ben Gustkey can step right in for us.”
Coach: Doug Sankey, 25th season
Last Year: 8-9
Key Players: Jeremy Whitehead: OF, senior, Oliver Harpster: 2B, SS, junior, TJ Wildman: P, Gavin Emigh: OF, P, junior, Colby Hahn: utility, P, senior, Parker White: SS, P, senior, Jake DeSimone: CF, P, junior, Zack Eckberg: OF, junior, TJ Wildman: 3B, SS, P, junior, Nick Coudriet: 2B, P, senior, Dave Meersand: 3B, RF, P, senior,
Returning Starters: 9 returning letterwinners
Current Record: 0-0
Next Game: @ Bald Eagle, Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy
“Our players work very hard on the field and are equally committed to our schools core values off of the field,” Hendrick said. “It is an honor to lead this team and I expect to see our program bringing home a district championship in 2022.”
Coach: Ryan Hendrick, second year
Last Year: 5-7
Key Players: Evan Roach: P, senior, Thomas Delahoy: C, senior, Chris Forstmeier: P senior, Jason Dreibelbis: junior, Spencer Gigante: junior, and Nick Warner: utility, junior
Returning Starters: 9
Current Record: 0-1
Next Game: @ Bellwood-Antis, Friday at 4:30 p.m.
State College
State College has a ton of talent returning for another season under head coach Jeremy Dinsmore. It all begins with Ethan Schimony, an Akron commit, who batted .391 as a junior with 13 RBI, 14 walks, five strikeouts and two stolen bases.
“Ethan is a tremendous leader that knows the game of baseball,” Dinsmore said. “As a coaching staff he is an extension to us by being a coach on the field. Ethan can really play any position and when he goes our team goes.”
The team’s weaponry of future collegiate players in Brady Bendik (Navy), Charlie Bakken (Junianta College), Cooper Ryan (Penn State) and Drew Moerschbacher (Marietta) should cause opposing team’s fits. Dinsmore is excited for Ryan’s glove and the team has high expectations for him on the mound.
Right-handed pitchers Bendik, Ryan and Moerschbacher, and left-handed pitchers Owen Stout and Jack Messina round out the rotation. Four of the five starters (Bendik, Ryan, Moerschbacher and Messina) top out at over 85 miles per hour on the radar gun.
Stout (P, 1B, senior), Cooper Albert (3B, P, junior), Tony Herzing (INF, junior) Eric Weaver (INF, junior) Carter Salvato (INF, OF, junior), Carter Weaverling (INF, junior), Robert Rothrock (1B, junior) Jack Bechtal (OF, P, junior) and Ethan Wolfe (OF, junior) are set to provide depth from the bench.
Coach: Jeremy Dinsmore, seventh season
Last Year: 6-10
Key Players: Ethan Schimony: C,CF senior, Brady Bendik: P, senior, Jack Messina: 1B, P, junior, Cooper Ryan: 2B, P, junior, Drew Moerschbacher: SS, P, senior, Adam Cooper: C, 3B, junior, Evan Summerson: OF, junior, Charlie Bakken: OF, senior, TJ Yoder: OF, senior.
Returning Starters: 5
Current Record: 0-0
Next Game: @ Mifflin County, Thursday at 4:15 p.m.
