Berks Sports Report https://berkssportsreport.com Paul Roberts Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:03:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 Berks County Baseball Recap https://berkssportsreport.com/berks-county-baseball-recap/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:03:43 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5614 The 2025-26 high school sports year came to an end on Saturday at Penn State University. It’s time to take a look back at what happened on the baseball diamond in Berks County.

Muhlenberg was the last team standing from the BCIAA. The (18-9) Muhls caught fire after a (7-7) start to the season. They won their first District 3 championship since 2008 and fourth overall. Muhlenberg was the only school from Berks County to reach the PIAA playoffs. The Muhls fell to Owen J. Roberts 7-2 in the Class 6A quarterfinals at FirstEnergy Stadium. Cole Moody ended his campaign with a perfect (11-0) record and nine complete games.

Wilson earned its 14th BCIAA title with a 10-0 victory over Muhlenberg in six innings. West Chester commit Ben Kulp was voted the Berks County Player of the Year, while Bill Underwood took home Coach of the Year honors. The (17-7) Bulldogs were upset 3-1 by #13 seed Northeastern in the first round of the District 3-6A tournament. Freshman Pat Lengle demonstrated his potential with a .441 batting average. His older brother, Tim, hit .426 with a team-high 32 RBI.

Exeter suffered a pair of tough losses in the postseason. The (15-8) Eagles came up short against Wilson 1-0 in the BCIAA semifinals. Exeter was then tripped up at home 2-1 by #10 seed Spring Grove in the opening round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Jake Hafer was once again one of the toughest outs in the league. The East Stroudsburg commit hit .432 and led the Eagles with 27 runs.

Tom Frees returned to Berks Catholic and guided the Saints to the Division 3 crown. Berks Catholic lost to Exeter 7-5 in the county quarterfinals. The (15-7) Saints got doubled up at second-seeded Trinity 12-6 in the District 3-3A semifinals.

Oley Valley claimed the Division 4 championship. The (15-7) Lynx dropped a nailbiter to #7 seed Daniel Boone in the BCIAA quarterfinals. Oley Valley had a rough draw in the District 3-4A tournament. The Lynx were defeated by perennial power East Pennsboro 10-3 in the quarterfinals.

Kutztown advanced to the District 3-3A semifinals before running into top-seeded Bermudian Springs. The (14-9) Cougars lost 6-1 in their season finale. Kutztown was eliminated in the BCIAA quarterfinals 13-3 by #1 seed Wilson.

It was a much different year in Shillington. The Mustangs lost eight starters and five All-State picks from the 2025 squad. They were blanked 4-0 by third-seeded Muhlenberg in the Berks County quarterfinals. Gov. Mifflin barely missed out on the District 3-6A field. The (10-11) Mustangs ended up 15th in the power rankings and only 14 teams qualified.

Daniel Boone was in a similar boat. The (10-11) Blazers finished 15th in the District 3-5A power ratings and missed the cut by one spot. Muhlenberg shut out Daniel Boone 5-0 in the league semifinals. Sophomore Greyson Bell delivered as advertised. The 6’2, 185-pound southpaw was (6-1) with a 1.01 ERA. Bell limited opponents to only 12 hits over 41.2 innings. The top-rated lefty in the Class of 2028 piled up 75 strikeouts.

Wyomissing and Twin Valley had winning records and made it to the postseason. The (11-9) Spartans lost 6-1 at fourth-seeded Kutztown in the District 3-3A quarterfinals. The (12-9) Raiders fell 5-0 at #8 seed New Oxford in the first round of the District 3-5A tournament.

Hamburg went (12-8) this spring, but didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Isaak Stewart was selected to the All-County team. The junior hit .433 and pitched a team-high 46 innings with a 2.38 ERA.

Reading showed improvement and ended up with a mark of (9-11). The Red Knights knocked off Muhlenberg, Wilson, and Exeter. They also beat Berks Catholic twice. Janser Paredes had another outstanding season. The senior hit .462 and was voted onto the All-County team.

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Camara Transfers to Penn Charter https://berkssportsreport.com/camara-transfers-to-penn-charter/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 01:42:40 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5612 As it turned out, Jeremiah Camara played in just one basketball game for Berks Catholic. The 5’9 guard has enrolled at Penn Charter. The Quakers are part of the Inter-Ac League. He suffered a knee injury in the Saints’ season opener and missed the rest of the year.

Camara averaged a team-high 14 points per game as a sophomore at Reading. He was voted to the all-division team that season. Camara transferred to Berks Catholic and helped the Saints on the football field last fall. Despite missing the first three games, he finished second on the team in rushing yards with 758 and averaged 7.2 yards per carry. Camara scored seven touchdowns for the (9-3) Saints. Berks Catholic finished as the District 3-3A runner-up.

Camara’s basketball career at B.C. came to a halt just as it was getting started. A torn meniscus in the first game against Carver E&S ended his season. The Saints went on to win the Berks County and District 3-4A championships.

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Wildcats End Muhls’ Run in PIAA Quarterfinals https://berkssportsreport.com/wildcats-end-muhls-run-in-piaa-quarterfinals/ Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:09:10 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5610 All good things must come to an end. Muhlenberg’s remarkable run from (7-7) to a District 3 championship was derailed by Owen J. Roberts at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Wildcats used a four-run fifth inning to knock off the Muhls 7-2 in the PIAA-6A quarterfinals. “They put the program back on the map at the highest level. The seniors [did] an amazing job leadership-wise. Your heart goes out to them because you know the blood, sweat and tears that they put out on the field every day,” said head coach Brian Kopetsky. He completed his 27th season at the helm in Muhlenberg. The (18-9) Muhls reached the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2008. Meanwhile, Owen J. Roberts advanced to the state semifinals for just the second time in school history. The (22-5) Wildcats will face District 7 champion Butler on Monday.

The top pitchers on both teams, Cole Moody and Lucas Campbell, were unavailable on Thursday night after throwing in the first round of the PIAA-6A tournament. Moody finished the year (11-0) with nine complete games for Muhlenberg. Campbell is (9-0) with a 1.13 ERA and 71 strikeouts. The York College commit has established a school record with 68.1 innings this spring. Head coach Alex Condello gave the ball to senior Adam Stahl. Kopetsky turned to John Martin. The 6’2 sophomore made just his third start of the season due to back issues. Martin limited Owen J. Roberts to two runs on four hits over four innings. He struck out three and walked none. Stahl gave up two runs on four hits in three frames. He had three strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Cooper Burr opened the contest with a triple that deflected off the glove of center fielder Ryan Hatt. After Marvin Frias walked, Gavin Moody singled through the left side to put the Muhls on the board first. Cole Moody, Gavin’s twin brother, then hit a fly ball to shallow center. Right fielder Gavin Winnick came over to make the catch, but collided with Hatt. That miscue in communication allowed Frias to tag up and score from third base.

Muhlenberg had an opportunity to expand its lead in the top of the second. Martin ripped a one-out double to right-center and Aidan Bonte walked. However, Cooper Burr hit a pop-up to first base with runners on second and third to end the threat. Campbell began the bottom of the third with a double. AJ Murray, the No. 9 hitter, delivered a RBI single to center to make it 2-1. In the fourth, Nolan Fisher launched a solo homer to left field to even the score. The sophomore catcher went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Frias hit a one-out triple to left-center in the top of the fifth, but was stranded there. A pop-up to Fisher in foul territory by Gavin Moody was followed by a strikeout of Cole Moody by Owen Waltimyer.

Ryan Rosenberry took over on the mound for the Muhls in the fifth and immediately hit Winnick. Sophomore Mike Canfield then committed a costly error on Murray’s sacrifice bunt down the third base line. Rosenberry struck out the next two batters. Following a wild pitch, Muhlenberg opted to intentionally walk Stahl and load the bases. Stahl entered the game with a single-season school record 38 RBI and a .395 batting average. He has a team-high 13 extra-base hits including five homers. Waltimyer made the Muhls pay with a three-run triple to right. “You look at the scouting report and the kid has one hit to right field all year…He hit it just far enough over Carter Burr that it went for the triple,” explained Kopetsky. Fisher added a RBI single up the middle to give the Wildcats a 6-2 cushion. They tacked on one more run in the sixth with Cooper Burr on the hill. He walked Campbell and Winnick. After a sacrifice bunt by Murray, Albright commit Matt Smola flew out to right field. Campbell ventured too far down the third base line and got caught in a rundown. He managed to score on a very close play at the plate.

In addition to his pivotal triple, Waltimyer was outstanding in relief of Stahl. The junior righty fired four scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no walks. “Owen has come through all year for us in big spots. We have a lot of confidence in him on the mound and at the plate. We always know he’s gonna compete and give us a chance,” replied Condello. Waltimyer (4-0) has 62 strikeouts in 37 innings this season. Rosenberry took the loss. He was charged with four runs, all unearned, on two hits and a walk in one frame. Each team ended up with six hits and one error. Cooper Burr was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. He will continue his career at Penn State Schuylkill, along with Gavin Moody.

Kopetsky noted that the highlight of the spring was their first District 3 title in 18 years. The eleventh-seeded Muhls defeated Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings at Penn Medicine Park. “The fact that these guys were cast into this underdog role; they absolutely took it 100 percent. They lived it, they became it, they were it,” emphasized Kopetsky. He added, “I said you have nothing to be ashamed of. Their legacy is a team that kind of came out of nowhere. It’s pretty amazing,” remarked Kopetsky.

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Carter Burr-Muhlenberg https://berkssportsreport.com/carter-burr-muhlenberg/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:17:41 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5607 “Wow.” That’s the word longtime Muhlenberg coach Brian Kopetsky used to describe Carter Burr’s throw to home plate in the seventh inning. “He’s a kid that goes out there and makes plays. In practice, he’s always making accurate throws. Carter made a perfect throw to the plate. Kudos to him; game-saving, season-saving kind of throw,” emphasized Kopetsky. Courtesy runner Pete Manaras was on second base with one out and Haverford trailing 2-1. Shane Durkan singled through the right side off Ryan Rosenberry, but Burr fired a one-hop throw from right field to catcher Carlos Castillo for the out. “He got jammed up a little bit. Carlos made a hell of a play because that ball got into him and then he had to come back out and get the runner. It was a bang-bang play at the plate,” said Kopetsky. Burr, a freshman, also praised Castillo. “Oh my God, I give him 75% of the credit,” remarked Burr. Rosenberry struck out Rocco Kelleher to end it and send the (18-8) Muhls to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2008.

The (20-4) Fords were making their first appearance in the PIAA playoffs after finishing sixth in the District 1 tournament. They’ve been without standout first baseman Cam McCormack for most of the season due to a torn meniscus. The 6’2, 205-pound junior is already committed to Pittsburgh. Haverford got on the board in the top of the first against Muhlenberg ace Cole Moody. The 6’3, 215-pound senior entered Monday with a (10-0) record and a sparkling 0.90 ERA. After Jimmy Boyle led off with a single, Durkan ripped a RBI triple to right-center. Moody then picked Durkan off third base which cost the Fords a run because Sam Sturman singled two batters later. Moody, who tossed a three-hitter in the District 3-6A Championship against Chambersburg, allowed three hits in the first frame. “To be honest with you, I don’t think he had a good slider tonight. He was struggling to throw that pitch in situations where he likes to throw it, but he’s a gamer. He reads the opponents’ hitters really well,” explained Kopetsky.

The Muhls responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first. Boyle, a Thomas Jefferson University commit, hit leadoff batter Cooper Burr and walked Gavin Moody. Muhlenberg had runners on the corners with one out for Cole Moody. His squeeze bunt went right back to Boyle who flipped the ball to Durkan and Burr was called out at the plate on a close play. After Liam Vargas walked, sophomore Mike Canfield hit a hard ground ball past second baseman Andrew Brown which resulted in two runs. The Muhls’ scorekeeper ruled it a hit for Canfield. Neither team scored after that adventurous first inning.

Moody and Boyle both settled in nicely after their struggles in the first frame. Moody, who’s headed to Northampton Community College, had seven strikeouts and one walk over 6.1 innings. He had to come out after reaching the limit of 105 pitches. “Cole is phenomenal. We have full faith in him,” replied Carter Burr. Moody allowed seven hits. He struck out the final three batters he faced. Moody has 95 strikeouts in 76.1 innings this year. Boyle went the distance for the Fords. He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks. “He’s a very good pitcher. He has good velocity and he has a good slider that he starts at your front hip. He threw a heck of a ball game,” acknowledged Carter Burr. Boyle limited Muhlenberg to three hits.

Haverford loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but failed to score. Moody struck out Bobby Menear and got Boyle to ground out to second. The Fords threatened again in the fifth when Sturman hit a two-out double to left. He was stranded, however, as Owen Klick flew out to deep left field. Rosenberry walked the first batter he faced in the top of the seventh. A wild pitch advanced the potential tying run to second base with one out. Carter Burr then provided the defensive play of the night. “I took a deep breath before that play. I knew I had to keep the throw low and give my catcher a chance,” he said. Haverford left eight men on base.

After splitting their first fourteen games of the season, the Muhls have won eleven of their past twelve contests. They will face District 1 runner-up Owen J. Roberts on Thursday in the PIAA-6A quarterfinals. “All along we’ve been the underdogs. The team that can’t, the team that won’t, the team that shouldn’t, and the team that keeps doing it. I’m gonna tell you right now everybody is picking Owen J. Roberts. There’s no doubt about it,” stated Kopetsky.

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PIAA Baseball Playoffs https://berkssportsreport.com/piaa-baseball-playoffs-2/ Fri, 29 May 2026 16:40:43 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5602 The PIAA released the bracket for the baseball playoffs today. Muhlenberg is the only team from Berks County that qualified this season. Last year, Gov. Mifflin and Fleetwood reached the state quarterfinals. Berks Catholic advanced to the semifinals in Class 3A before falling to Mount Carmel 4-3.

The (17-8) Muhls won the District 3-6A championship on Monday. They rolled over Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings. It’s the first District 3 title for Muhlenberg since 2008 and the fourth overall. The Muhls have been led by senior righty Cole Moody. The All-County selection and Northampton Community College commit is (10-0) this year with nine complete games.

Muhlenberg will host Haverford at 7pm on Monday in the first round of the state playoffs. The Fords won the Central League and finished in sixth place in the District 1 tournament. Cam McCormack, a Pittsburgh commit, has missed most of the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. The 6’2, 205-pound junior is ranked #14 in the country among first basemen in the Class of 2027 by Perfect Game. Senior southpaw Lucas Rothstein will continue his career at West Chester, while righty Jimmy Boyle is headed to Thomas Jefferson University. The winner of the game in Laureldale will play either Owen J. Roberts or Stroudsburg in the quarterfinals.

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Cooper Burr-Muhlenberg https://berkssportsreport.com/cooper-burr-muhlenberg/ Tue, 26 May 2026 12:02:54 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5597 Muhlenberg head coach Brian Kopetsky knew who he was giving the ball to for the District 3-6A championship game. “It was an easy decision for us,” said Kopetsky. The eleventh-seeded Muhls brought back Cole Moody on three days rest and their ace delivered another gem. The 6’3, 215-pound righty fired a three-hitter as Muhlenberg rolled over #5 seed Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster. “It’s electric when he’s on the mound. We know we’re gonna get a win,” replied senior Cooper Burr. Moody needed just 67 pitches to give the (17-8) Muhls their fourth District 3 crown. “His pitch count was so low. It was unbelievable. Thankfully, they went up there swinging early for a guy coming back on short rest. Early on, he wasn’t real sharp and then the breaking ball started kicking in,” explained Kopetsky. Moody improved to a perfect (10-0) this season with nine complete games. The Northampton Community College commit finished with six strikeouts and one walk as Muhlenberg earned its first District 3 title since 2008. “It feels amazing. This is what we’ve been working for the last four years,” emphasized Burr.

Moody and Chambersburg senior Ryne Mills both threw complete games in the semifinals on Thursday. Mills only allowed one hit in a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Hempfield. The St. Joseph’s commit is (9-0) this spring with a 1.37 ERA over 66.1 innings. The (17-7) Trojans went with Brady Truett on Monday night. The junior entered the day at (4-1) with a 0.62 ERA. Truett had 26 strikeouts and 14 walks in 34 innings. “I’m not gonna lie, No. 5 through No. 9 hitters, I gave everyone a take until they got a strike,” noted Kopetsky. That strategy worked as Truett walked four and lasted just 1.1 innings. The Muhls ended up with nine hits and eight walks. Burr, Moody, and shortstop Liam Vargas provided two hits apiece. Vargas walked twice and scored a pair of runs. Burr and Moody each drove in two runs. Mike Canfield went 1-for-2 with a walk and 2 RBI. The sophomore third baseman also made a tremendous defensive play. Gavin Moody, Cole’s twin brother, was 1-for-3 with a walk. He scored two runs and knocked in another.

Muhlenberg took control early with four runs on two hits and three walks in the top of the second inning. Sophomore John Martin hit a pop up to shallow right field with men on the corners. Second baseman Brycen Murray made the catch on the run as his momentum took him into foul territory. Vargas alertly scored the first run by tagging up from third base. After walks to Aidan Bonte and Carter Burr, leadoff hitter Cooper Burr ripped a 2-run single through the left side for a 3-0 edge. Senior lefty Hayden Lyons replaced Truett on the mound. Marvin Frias bunted the ball back to Lyons and Carter Burr slid head-first to avoid the tag by catcher Ceagan Truett. The home plate umpire never signaled safe which led to some confusion, but the Muhls had a 4-0 cushion. That was plenty of support for Moody. He’s limited opponents to 45 hits in 70 innings with 88 strikeouts this season.

Muhlenberg tacked on two runs in the fourth. Frias stole second after an infield single. He scored on a two-out single through the left side by Gavin Moody. Cole Moody then hammered a RBI double to right-center. Canfield made it 7-0 with a RBI groundout to second in the fifth. Junior southpaw Cam Wadel took over on the hill for the Trojans in the sixth. RBI singles by Cole Moody and Vargas put the Muhls on top 9-0. A sacrifice fly to right field by Canfield brought home their final run. Truett was charged with four runs on two hits and four walks. Lyons gave up three runs on four hits and three walks over 3.2 innings. Wadel allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in one frame.

Chambersburg has won a record eleven District 3 championships with the last coming in 2009. The Muhls’ first District 3 title was against the Trojans in 1980. Kopetsky was on Muhlenberg’s 1982 team which also brought District 3 gold back to Laureldale. He’s in his 27th season as the Muhls’ head coach. “It’s exciting. This is for everybody who has played in the program. These kids went out and they played for Muhlenberg baseball, and they play for each other. This means an awful lot to a lot of people,” said Kopetsky.

The Muhls have won ten of their past eleven games. The PIAA-6A tournament begins on Monday, June 1st. “There’s no limit to us now. We can keep extending the bar. I think we got a good shot in State’s,” remarked Burr.

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Tri-County All-Star Game https://berkssportsreport.com/tri-county-all-star-game-2/ Sat, 23 May 2026 17:32:24 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5594 The 24th Tri-County All-Star Game was a defensive battle on a rainy night at Manheim Central. Each team managed a few big plays and the Lancaster squad came away with a 23-7 win over Berks/Lebanon. “Even though we didn’t come out on top, it was a great experience for all of the coaches,” said Alan Moyer of Conrad Weiser. He served as the head coach of the Berks/Lebanon team. Lancaster improved to (4-0) under the current format for the All-Star Game. Victor Ridenour from Lampeter-Strasburg was their head coach this year.

Lancaster got points on the opening drive thanks to a 24-yard field goal by Peter Fiorello from L-S. Gabe Martin then broke off a 41-yard run on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter. Garden Spot’s dual-threat quarterback took the ball down the right sideline to the 18-yard line. However, Lancaster wasn’t able to cash in on the red zone opportunity. A missed 32-yard field goal kept the score at 3-0 with 7:49 remaining in the first half.

Berks/Lebanon responded with its best series of the night. Wilson’s Mason Young, an Albright commit, lofted a perfect pass down the left sideline to Jayden Ware of Exeter for a 34-yard gain. They hooked up again to cap the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone. Ware, who’s going to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, finished with three catches for 65 yards. “Jayden is certainly a playmaker. He has a real true competitive spirit. Kids like that never want to leave the field and coaches love guys like that,” remarked Moyer. Berks/Lebanon was in front 7-3 with 1:57 left in the second quarter.

Lancaster’s offense answered immediately. Martin rolled right and was under pressure when he lofted a pass deep down the right sideline to Kris Burgos-Wise from Solanco. The ball just made it over the hand of Reading cornerback Idris Weaver. Burgos-Wise made the grab at the 25-yard line and cut back into the middle of the field for a touchdown. Momentum shifted quickly as Lancaster went on top 10-7 with 1:38 to go in the half. Burgos-Wise, a Gettysburg commit, wasn’t done. On Lancaster’s next possession, he reeled in a 50-yard pass over the middle from Sawyer Esbenshade of Conestoga Valley. Lancaster couldn’t add to its lead because of a low snap on a 29-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

The only turnover of the contest came on the first play of the second half. Northern Lebanon quarterback Bryan Mitzel ran to his left where defensive tackle Taylor Veilleux of Manheim Township forced a fumble. His teammate with the Blue Streaks, Zach Bomberger, scooped up the ball and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. Lancaster increased its advantage to 17-7 just nine seconds into the third quarter. Berks/Lebanon tried a 45-yard field on the ensuing series, but it was well short.

Lancaster put together a drive that lasted almost six and a-half minutes. All-State running back Johnny Garcia from Solanco and Marcos Fernandez of Manheim Township split time in the backfield. Fernandez took an inside handoff and lowered his shoulder at the goal line for a 7-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but Lancaster seized control with that 80-yard march. Berks/Lebanon was behind 23-7 with 10:03 left on the clock. They turned the ball over on downs at Lancaster’s 40-yard line with 4:29 remaining. Cam Small, Muhlenberg’s all-time leading rusher with 3,817 yards, was bottled up for most of the game. He ended up with 58 yards on 16 carries. Will Milazzo, another standout from Manheim Township, provided a pair of sacks.

Despite the outcome, Moyer enjoyed working with the players on the Berks/Lebanon roster. “I told the kids they are certainly a special group, truly All-Stars and really a bunch of class acts,” he noted. Moyer added, “I met many parents after the game and made a point to tell them what great kids they have.”

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Brian Kopetsky-Muhlenberg https://berkssportsreport.com/brian-kopetsky-muhlenberg-6/ Fri, 22 May 2026 15:16:13 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5591 At 6’2 and 215 pounds, Cole Moody looks like a linebacker playing baseball. The Muhlenberg senior is an intimidating presence on the mound. Moody’s fastball touches 90 mph and he comes right after hitters. “He wants the ball, he’s a workhorse, and he’s very economical with his pitches. Coach [Jason] McCord does a great job calling the game,” said longtime Muhls’ head coach Brian Kopetsky. Moody fired a two-hitter with eleven strikeouts as #11 seed Muhlenberg beat #2 seed Ephrata 2-0 on Thursday night at War Memorial Field. The (16-8) Muhls will face fifth-seeded Chambersburg for the District 3-6A Championship on Monday at 6:45pm at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster. Moody is (9-0) this season with an eye-popping eight complete games. “He has worked at his craft; the time and the effort and the energy that he put in in the off-season. This is the stuff that he’s worked for and he’s gonna continue to get better,” emphasized Kopetsky. Moody, who’s going to Northampton Community College, entered the contest with a 1.10 ERA. He walked two batters, hit two others, and finished with 104 pitches. “I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t feel my best. It’s the mentality, that’s all it is,” noted Moody.

The Mounts’ ace, Camryn Simes, was unavailable after pitching in their 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Mechanicsburg on Monday. Simes (5-3, 0.88) has held opponents to 25 hits in 47.2 innings this spring. The Millersville commit is a four-year starter with 300 career strikeouts. Ephrata ended Muhlenberg’s season last year. The Mounts defeated the Muhls 2-0 in the opening round of the District 3-6A tournament. Kopetsky expected another low-scoring affair with Moody and Collin Miller on the hill. Miller came into the semifinal with a (5-1) record and a 2.10 ERA.

Ephrata had men on first and second in the bottom of the third, but Chase Prange grounded out to shortstop to end the inning. Miller, who cruised through five frames, ran into trouble in the sixth. The junior righty hit Carter Burr and his older brother, Cooper, to begin the inning. Miller was replaced on the mound after 74 pitches by Prange. Marvin Frias got down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third. Carter Burr scored the first run on a passed ball. Gavin Moody then delivered a RBI double to right field for a 2-0 advantage. Moody had struck out and popped out in his previous two at-bats. “I walked up to him and said you’re the No. 3 hitter. You’re one of the best hitters on the team, just go out there and be one of the best hitters on the team. He went up there and put a great at-bat together,” replied Kopetsky.

The (16-6) Mounts put men on first and second with one out in the sixth. After Cole Moody hit Prange and walked Landry Weidner, Simes lined out sharply to center field. Ethan Gockley then struck out for the third time. Moody added two more strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh. He retired Ephrata in order as Muhlenberg won for the ninth time in its last ten games. “It’s who gets hot late. The Muhls are hot right now,” said Moody. Miller was charged with two runs on one hit in five innings. He hit four batters and struck out three. Prange allowed three hits over the final two innings with a pair of strikeouts. Carter Burr, Cole Moody, and John Martin singled for Muhlenberg. Jake Buckwalter and freshman leadoff hitter Hayden Mietelski had singles for the Mounts. Their five-game winning streak came to a halt.

The Muhls took down Lancaster-Lebanon League champion Manheim Township 6-3 in the first round. They made the long trip to third-seeded Waynesboro on Monday and returned to Laureldale with a 9-7 victory. After shutting out Ephrata, Muhlenberg is one win away from its fourth District 3 title. The last time the Muhls hoisted the trophy was in 2008. “The kids look at each new game as a challenge and they’re playing confident. They’re kind of feeling like why not,” remarked Kopetsky.

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Chris Bergstrom-Kutztown https://berkssportsreport.com/chris-bergstrom-kutztown-2/ Tue, 19 May 2026 15:09:06 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5587 The same teams met in the same round of the playoffs a season ago, but this time there was a different result. Kutztown lost to Wyomissing 13-12 in eight innings in a wild District 3-3A quarterfinal last year. On Monday night, the fourth-seeded Cougars flipped the script with a 6-1 victory over the fifth-seeded Spartans. “That’s a good team over there. They can hit the crap out of the ball. It felt really good to win against them,” said senior Chris Bergstrom. The Penn State Schuylkill commit drove in two runs and struck out seven over the final three innings. “He’s our leader, he’s our clutch guy. He led the team in quality at-bats. When he takes the ball, we expect to win,” remarked longtime head coach Tim Mertz. He’s in his 26th season at the helm of Kutztown. Mertz’s 389 career wins are the most in school history. The (14-8) Cougars visit #1 seed Bermudian Springs in the semifinals on Thursday at 4:30pm. Wyomissing was limited to five hits and left twelve runners on base. The Spartans’ campaign ended with a mark of (11-9).

Kutztown struck first thanks to a two-out RBI single by Zane Cherrie in the bottom of the first. A second run scored on the play as the ball rolled past the right fielder. “It was a huge hit. It felt like a little bit of relief on our backs,” noted Bergstrom. Wyomissing had two men on base in the first and the fourth innings. Elliot Knutsen got out of both jams with strikeouts. The junior righty held the Spartans to three hits over four scoreless frames. “Elliot has been a huge piece all year. He’s been pitching and catching. I don’t know how he does it,” emphasized Bergstrom. Knutsen struck out three and walked four. “He does a very good job mixing pitches and keeping a batter off balance,” explained Mertz.

Bergstrom took over on the mound in the fifth. He struck out Zander Westwood with runners on first and second to get out of trouble. Sophomore Ryan Walters led off the bottom half of the inning with a single. After Chase Schuler was hit by a pitch, Bergstrom delivered a two-run single to center that made it 4-0. “I tend to overthink when I go up to the plate. Don’t think, just hit the ball hard somewhere,” said Bergstrom. Wyomissing loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. Bergstrom struck out Teddy White and Ryan Graham to avoid any damage. White and Graham hit .427 and .455 respectively this year. Graham, an Alvernia commit, went 2-for-4 on Monday.

The Cougars tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth. A RBI groundout to shortstop by Walters gave them a 5-0 cushion. Schuler followed with a two-out RBI single through the left side. The Spartans finally got on the scoreboard when Westwood hammered a solo homer to left in the seventh. It was the fourth home run of the season for the 6’3, 225-pound junior. Westwood is also a linebacker and fullback on the football team. Noah Rauenzahn was charged with three runs, one earned, on three hits in four innings. The Alvernia commit had five strikeouts and three walks. Chase Bailey gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits in two innings. He hit three batters and struck out two. Wyomissing committed a pair of errors, while Kutztown only made one.

The Cougars have won six District 3 championships. They’re (45-27) overall in the District 3 tournament. “Kutztown is a baseball town. I love it here. We play on this beautiful field and all of the community was out here. It’s great to play for Kutztown,” stated Bergstrom.

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All-Berks Baseball Team https://berkssportsreport.com/all-berks-baseball-team-3/ Mon, 18 May 2026 19:35:42 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=5582 The BCIAA All-Star baseball players were revealed today. The voting was done by the head coaches in Berks County. Ben Kulp was selected as the Player of the Year. The Wilson senior went (7-1) on the mound with a 1.14 ERA. He racked up 82 strikeouts in 49 innings with just 13 walks. Kulp also helped himself at the plate by hitting .339 with a pair of homers. The West Chester commit knocked in 23 runs.

Bill Underwood was chosen as the BCIAA Coach of the Year. He guided Wilson to its 14th league championship. The Bulldogs defeated Muhlenberg 10-0 in six innings at FirstEnergy Stadium. Wilson played a very challenging schedule and finished its season with a record of (17-7).

Here is the 2026 All-County team. You can find the all-division picks on the BCIAA website.

Ben Kulp-Wilson-Senior-Player of the Year

Jake Hafer-Exeter-Senior

Greyson Bell-Daniel Boone-Sophomore

Janser Paredes-Reading-Senior

Timmy Fries-Oley Valley-Senior

Cole Moody-Muhlenberg-Senior

Henry Pflomm-Berks Catholic-Senior

Nate Lord-Twin Valley-Senior

Jack Gabel-Wilson-Senior

Brandon Weller-Exeter-Junior

Isaak Stewart-Hamburg-Junior

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