“Roberts Rankings”-Baseball

Here are my high school baseball rankings for the Berks League. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow! It’s also important to keep in mind that pitching is the name of the game. A great starter can neutralize a more talented club. We saw this last season when Luke Macdonald helped #8 seed Oley Valley upset #1 Gov. Mifflin and #5 Wilson in the county playoffs.

Unfortunately, some teams are already dealing with significant injuries. The Mustangs are considered the favorite, but they need to improve defensively to get back to the level of last year’s squad. Muhlenberg is the defending BCIAA champion. The Muhls have won two county titles since 2018 and 13 overall. When junior southpaw Matt VanOstenbridge is on the mound, Wilson can beat anyone. Exeter needs to replace eleven seniors. Meanwhile, Twin Valley returns eight starters. Fleetwood, Hamburg, Kutztown, and Oley Valley bring back several of their top players. All four of those teams are very well-coached. You could certainly make a case for the Lynx and the Cougars to be in my poll. Division 3 will be extremely competitive in 2023. Berks Catholic will have to overcome the loss of Kevin Lawlor. He suffered a serious knee injury late in the basketball season.

The records listed below are from last year. Play ball!

“The Great 8”

1. Gov. Mifflin (20-4)

2. Muhlenberg (19-4)

3. Wilson (11-11)

4. Twin Valley (12-9)

5. Exeter (18-8)

6. Fleetwood (10-14)

7. Hamburg (14-8)

8. Berks Catholic (13-9)