Brian Kopetsky-Muhlenberg

Muhlenberg baseball coach Brian Kopetsky has been around long enough to know that a loss in early April won’t define your season. The Muhls got roughed up by Gov. Mifflin 15-3 in their league opener on Monday. Kopetsky, a 1983 Muhlenberg graduate, is in his 24th year as the skipper in Laureldale with a record of (325-202). He reminded his players that the sky isn’t falling. “There’s gonna be adversity. You’re not gonna go (20-0). One loss doesn’t count as five,” emphasized Kopetsky. Muhlenberg bounced back with a 7-0 victory over Exeter on Wednesday. Dalton Follweiler tossed a complete game two-hitter with six strikeouts. The righty is one of eleven seniors on the roster. “It’s a real tight-knit group of seniors. They support one another. The team concept that these guys have is really, really strong,” noted Kopetsky. Cam Burr is back at the top of the lineup after being voted to the all-county team as a sophomore. The infielder hit .400 with a .543 on-base percentage. Burr led the club with 25 runs, 19 walks, and 13 stolen bases. “He’s got the total package. He runs well, he throws well, he plays great defense [and] he’s an outstanding hitter,” said Kopetsky. Burr is getting back into the swing of things after qualifying for the PIAA swimming championships. The Muhls also return three all-division selections in outfielder Gio Cavanna, shortstop Kenay Rodriguez, and catcher Shane Rosenberry. Rodriguez received a hardship waiver to play one more season. He hit .414 last year with a 1.005 OPS and five doubles. Cavanna was named a first team running back by the BCIAA. He finished with 1,001 rushing yards and scored 15 touchdowns. Cavanna is a standout defensive player and baserunner who hit .367. He scored 20 runs and knocked in 15. Rosenberry had a .357 batting average and .913 OPS as a sophomore last year. Muhlenberg claimed its 13th Berks County championship in 2022. The (19-4, 10-1) Muhls defeated #8 seed Oley Valley 11-3 in the county final at FirstEnergy Stadium. Muhlenberg has moved up to Division 1 this season. Kopetsky replied, “We always considered ourselves a Division 1 team…We’ve become the third largest school in Berks County. We’re gonna be 6A next time this thing goes through.” The Muhls will have to navigate a challenging schedule this spring. Later this month, they’ll face Twin Valley, Gov. Mifflin, Exeter, and Wilson in the span of eight days. Kopetsky probably won’t have much free time for movies, but we did discuss some of his favorite baseball films.