baseball – Berks Sports Report

All-State Baseball Teams

Paul Roberts — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 14:07:55 +0000

For the first time in several years, the Pennsylvania State Baseball Coaches Association released All-State selections. There are first and second teams for all six classifications in Pennsylvania. Gov. Mifflin and High Point Baptist each have three All-State picks. The Mustangs won their first state championship in school history this season. Here are all of the players that were chosen from Berks County.

Nick Fiorini-1st Team-Wilson-Sr.

Matt VanOstenbridge-2nd Team-Wilson-Sr.

Bryce Detwiler-1st Team-Gov. Mifflin-Jr.

Ethan Grim-1st Team-Gov. Mifflin-Jr.

Travis Jenkins-1st Team-Gov. Mifflin-Jr.

Alex Kelsey-1st Team-Exeter-Sr.

Liam Hilburt-1st Team-Fleetwood-Sr.

Bradon Howe-1st Team-High Point-So.

Landon Richard-1st Team-High Point-Jr.

Jacob Davenport-2nd Team-High Point-Jr.

Connor Maryniak-DIII Player of the Year

Paul Roberts — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 14:30:22 +0000

What a spring it’s been for Connor Maryniak. The former Gov. Mifflin standout helped Misericordia win the Division III Baseball Championship. Maryniak started all 55 games for the Cougars and hit .345 with a .631 slugging percentage. The shortstop set a single-season school record with 70 RBI. He also got the job done on the mound. His eleven victories were the second-most in Misericordia history. On Monday, Maryniak was named the ABCA/Rawlings Division III National Player of the Year. He tied the school record with 13 homers. Maryniak added five triples and ten doubles.

In 2021, Maryniak was named the Berks County Player of the Year. He led the Mustangs to a BCIAA Championship that season. Gov. Mifflin beat rival Wilson 5-4 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Bryce Wunderlich-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 05:57:34 +0000

After earning silver medals in the BCIAA and District 3 tournaments, the Mustangs are bringing gold back to Shillington. Gov. Mifflin used dominant pitching to top Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the PIAA-5A championship at Penn State’s Medlar Field. It’s the first state title for the (24-5) Mustangs. “It feels amazing…it means a lot,” said Bryce Wunderlich. The outfielder was one of just two seniors in the starting lineup. He drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out, RBI single through the middle in the 4th inning. “Just trying to roll the ball with two strikes, do my job. It worked out the way it did. I’m thankful for it,” explained Wunderlich. Dylan Barrett reached on a throwing error by Keagan Hockey at second base. A sacrifice bunt by Matt Koehler and an infield single from sophomore R.J. Weaver set the stage for Wunderlich. Weaver was thrown out at home on Wunderlich’s hit, but two runs is all Gov. Mifflin needed with Ethan Grim and Bryce Detwiler on the mound. “It’s almost a cheat code, honestly, having them on the team. It’s insane what they do,” emphasized Wunderlich. Grim limited the (17-7) Golden Tigers to a pair of hits and three walks over six frames. The hard-throwing righty piled up eleven strikeouts. Grim (8-3) punched out the side on 13 pitches in the top of the 1st inning. He finished the season with 113 strikeouts in 71 innings. “He’s a stud. He’s gonna go somewhere big. I can’t wait to see what he does in the future. He shoved today,” said Wunderlich. Hollidaysburg’s lone run came in the 3rd on a RBI single up the middle by leadoff hitter Jake Hileman. The senior outfielder came into Friday with a .469 batting average and a team-high 38 hits, including ten doubles. The Mustangs answered with a run in the bottom half of the 3rd. Detwiler ripped a ground-rule double to right-center. The UConn commit later scored on a groundout to first base by Travis Jenkins. Branson Adams collected two of the seven hits by Gov. Mifflin. Paul Wedel gave up two runs, one earned, in 5.1 innings. The junior struck out two and walked none. The Golden Tigers brought in their ace, Carson Kensinger, with one out in the bottom of the 6th. The lefty was dealing with a foot injury. Kensinger picked up his tenth win of the year in the semifinals against Monsignor Bonner. The Frostburg State commit went 6.2 innings in that 3-1 victory. Hollidaysburg was also making its first appearance in the state finals. Detwiler wrapped up the game in style by striking out the side in the 7th. The Mustangs are the first Berks County team to win a PIAA crown since Conrad Weiser did it in Class 3A in 2010.

PIAA-5A Championship Preview

Paul Roberts — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 04:19:32 +0000

History will be made on Friday afternoon at Penn State’s Medlar Field. Gov. Mifflin squares off with Hollidaysburg in the PIAA-5A championship at 4:30pm. The winner will claim its first state title. The Mustangs are making their fifth appearance in the PIAA tournament. They hadn’t won a game in the state playoffs prior to this season. The Golden Tigers reached the PIAA tournament for the first time since 2012. This is their third appearance overall.

The (23-5) Mustangs were the District 3 and BCIAA runner-up. Their bats have come alive after scoring just six total runs in the District 3 playoffs. Gov. Mifflin has piled up 24 runs in its three contests during the state tournament. UConn commit Bryce Detwiler leads the team with eight homers out of the leadoff spot. The 6’2, 215-pound junior was voted the Berks County Player of the Year.

Ethan Grim is in line to make the start against Hollidaysburg. That allows the Mustangs to put Detwiler at shortstop which is their best defensive lineup. Grim (7-3, 1.82) has 102 strikeouts in 65 innings. Several Division I programs have shown interest in the hard-throwing junior. Grim held Whitehall to two hits in a 10-0 rout in the PIAA quarterfinals. He’ll be throwing to Travis Jenkins. The junior catcher is a defensive wizard behind the plate who can also swing the bat. Jenkins and Grim were All-County selections this spring.

Hollidaysburg is the District 6 champion. The (17-6) Golden Tigers are led by senior Carson Kensinger. The southpaw tossed a complete game with nine strikeouts in the District 6 final. Kensinger (10-0, 1.05) lasted 6.2 innings in the state semifinals before reaching the pitch limit versus Monsignor Bonner. Hollidaysburg prevailed 3-1. The Mustangs are expecting to see Kensinger on three days rest. The Frostburg State commit has 119 strikeouts over 73 innings. He’s only allowed 46 hits. Junior Paul Wedel (5-1, 2.29) has thrown 33.2 innings.

Kensinger can certainly help himself at the plate. He’s batting .366 with a team-high 28 RBI and 7 HR. Senior outfielder Jake Hileman leads the Golden Tigers with 38 hits, 31 runs, ten doubles, and a .469 average. Ethan Karageanes is hitting .347 with eight doubles. Hollidaysburg has been in three tight games during the PIAA tournament. The Golden Tigers have outscored their opponents 10-5.

Dylan Barrett-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 14:00:47 +0000

Being able to handle failure is a key for any successful baseball player. Gov. Mifflin designated hitter Dylan Barrett has the right mentality. “I was always taught if anything goes wrong, just move on. You can’t change the past,” he said. Barrett struck out with men on second and third base to end the top of the 1st inning. Two innings later, he responded in a big way with a two-run double to left-center that gave the Mustangs a 2-1 edge. They never trailed again in a 7-2 victory over District 4 champion Selinsgrove in the PIAA-5A semifinals. Bryce Detwiler held the (21-3) Seals to two runs on six hits over six innings. The UConn commit entered the game at Hershey with a (9-2) record and 1.58 ERA. “He’s always been that guy to go up and shove and do his job,” noted Barrett. Detwiler struck out eight, walked two, and hit three batters. The 6’2, 215-pound junior was able to get out of jams including the 5th inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Detwiler struck out Griffin Parker and Owen Santiago. Selinsgrove left eight men on base. The Seals were without senior shortstop Mason Richter. He led the team with a .455 average and 35 RBI. Gov. Mifflin was missing senior first baseman Dante Casantini due to a family vacation. Sophomore R.J. Weaver got the start and provided a two-out, opposite field RBI single to left in the third frame. That hit, one of ten for the (23-5) Mustangs, made it 3-1. Ethan Grim launched a two-out, RBI double to right-center that gave Gov. Mifflin a 4-2 advantage. Detwiler helped himself with a rocket off the wall in left-center that knocked in a pair of runs in the 5th inning. That double also came with two outs. Matt Koehler scored the Mustangs’ final run in the 7th after a throwing error at shortstop. Koehler, Detwiler, Grim, and Travis Jenkins had two hits apiece. Jenkins, an All-Berks catcher, threw out three runners. Grim fired a hitless 7th inning to close the door. Selinsgrove ace Josh Domaracki was charged with six runs, four earned, on nine hits in 5.1 innings. The senior southpaw had five strikeouts and two walks. The Seals committed four errors. Barrett is one of six juniors in Gov. Mifflin’s starting lineup. “We grew up playing together. We’ve always been on the same team so you have that chemistry with us,” he replied. The Mustangs advanced to the state championship game for the first time in program history. They will meet District 6 champ Hollidaysburg on Friday at 4:30pm at Penn State’s Medlar Field. “It feels amazing. We worked hard for this…to go play at Penn State is gonna be an honor,” said Barrett.

Berks/L-L team falls in Carpenter Cup

Paul Roberts — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 03:06:55 +0000

The Berks/Lancaster-Lebanon team lost to Inter-Ac 11-4 in the Carpenter Cup at FDR Park on Monday morning. Inter-Ac took control early with six runs in the 2nd inning. Wilson southpaw Matt VanOstenbridge struggled with his command. The Penn State commit allowed six runs, five earned, on two hits and four walks. VanOstenbridge struck out five over three frames. Daniel Boone junior Anthony Manogue and Wyomissing sophomore Noah Rauenzahn each gave up two runs in relief. Inter-Ac finished with ten hits. The Berks/L-L squad scored all of its runs in the 8th inning. Wilson’s Christo Hunsicker provided a two-run double with two outs. Kevin Rodriguez of Muhlenberg also doubled earlier in the game. Sophomores Nate Lord (Twin Valley), Jake Hafer (Exeter), and Maddox Roy (Daniel Boone) each singled. The Berks/L-L team was limited to five hits. The Carpenter Cup is a single-elimination tournament in Philadelphia.

Ethan Grim-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 13:36:30 +0000

If the barking from the Whitehall dugout was designed to rattle Ethan Grim, it didn’t work. “I just get in my zone. I don’t really listen to what anyone says. I just focus on Travis’ mitt,” said Grim. The hard-throwing junior held the Zephyrs to two hits in a 10-0 victory at Kutztown Park. The (22-5) Mustangs only needed five innings to end the PIAA-5A quarterfinal against the District 11 champion. Grim (7-3) felt good as soon as he took the mound. “In the [bullpen], I felt amazing, probably the best of the year,” he noted. The righty threw his slider away and mixed in a curveball to go along with a low-90s fastball. Grim had ten strikeouts and two walks. Gov. Mifflin supported him early with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the 1st inning. “Then you can pitch different and relax. You don’t have to overthrow,” replied Grim. The Mustangs finished with eleven hits including four straight to begin the game. Travis Jenkins, a junior catcher, ripped a two-run double to right-center. Grim followed with a RBI single to center to make it 3-0. Joey Berg’s infield single to shortstop gave Gov. Mifflin a 4-0 edge. Branson Adams and Jenkins provided opposite field RBI singles with two outs in the 2nd inning. Whitehall trailed 6-0 when East Stroudsburg commit Evan Kovalcik was replaced by Matt Hansen on the mound. Kovalcik had only thrown 3.2 innings this season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was charged with six runs on eight hits in 1.2 innings. Grim helped himself again in the 4th with a sacrifice fly to center. The Mustangs wrapped it up with three runs in the 5th off Hansen. UConn commit Bryce Detwiler walked with the bases loaded. Adams hit a two-run single through the middle with one out to seal the deal. Jenkins and Adams each went 3-for-3 with 3RBI. Grim was 1-for-1 and knocked in a pair of runs. Dante Casantini added two hits from the No. 8 spot in the batting order. Gov. Mifflin advanced to the state semifinals for the first time. “We wanted it real bad. Our coach was saying let’s go make history,” said Grim. Shippensburg and District 4 champ Selinsgrove meet Friday at 6pm at Hershey. The Mustangs will square off against the winner on Monday.

Carpenter Cup Roster

Paul Roberts — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 09:44:00 +0000

A tryout was held on Sunday for the 2024 Berks County/Lancaster-Lebanon Carpenter Cup baseball team. Their first game is on Monday, June 10th against Inter-Ac. First pitch is at 10:30am at Richie Ashburn Field in FDR Park in Philadelphia. The Carpenter Cup is a single-elimination tournament. Here is the Berks/L-L roster.

Gryffin Cappellano-So.-Oley Valley

Aidan Curley-So.-Berks Catholic

C.J. Fernandez-Sr.-Wilson

Tim Fries-So.-Oley Valley

Ethan Gola-Sr.-Ephrata

Jake Hafer-So.-Exeter

Christo Hunsicker-Jr.-Wilson

Eli Keller-Jr.-Muhlenberg

Matt Koehler-Jr.-Gov. Mifflin

Hayden Lee-Jr.-Daniel Boone

Aaden Lopez-Jr.-Muhlenberg

Nate Lord-So.-Twin Valley

Anthony Manogue-Jr.-Daniel Boone

Parker Nein-Sr.-Berks Catholic

Noah Rauenzahn-So.-Wyomissing

Carter Redding-Jr.-Exeter

Evan Rittle-Jr.-Conrad Weiser

Kevin Rodriguez-Sr.-Muhlenberg

Maddox Roy-So.-Daniel Boone

Josh Smeltzer-Sr.-Muhlenberg

Trey Stricker-Jr.-Berks Catholic

Dillon Walls-So.-Berks Catholic

R.J. Weaver-So.-Gov. Mifflin

Kooper Zdimal-Jr.-Twin Valley

Bryce Detwiler-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 21:33:00 +0000

Bryce Detwiler can beat you on the mound and at the plate. The 6’2, 215-pound junior homered and tossed a complete game in the opening round of the PIAA-5A playoffs. Detwiler was more pleased with his pitching performance in a 7-2 victory over Frankford at Shillington. He allowed four hits and a walk while striking out eight. Both runs against him were unearned. Detwiler hammered his eighth homer of the season to left field in the 6th inning. “I had to make an adjustment and stay back. It was a fastball middle-in and I put a good swing on it,” explained Detwiler. He drew a walk from Enmanuel Roman in the first frame and then stole second base. Ethan Grim knocked in Detwiler with an infield single to shortstop. Dante Casantini’s RBI triple down the right field line gave the (21-5) Mustangs a 2-0 edge in the 2nd inning. Casantini scored on a wild pitch. The Alvernia commit doubled down the left field line in the 4th. Bryce Wunderlich drove in Casantini with a single through the middle for a 4-0 advantage. Gov. Mifflin, the District 3 runner-up, added two more runs in the 5th inning. Travis Jenkins launched a towering RBI triple to right-center. Courtesy runner Reese Hohl raced home on a wild pitch to make it 6-0. Gabriel Perez then replaced Roman on the mound. Roman was charged with six runs on eight hits over four frames. The Mustangs’ lineup didn’t have a single strikeout. The Pioneers scored a pair of runs in the 6th on three hits and an error. Alexis Zhagui led off with a single. Detwiler then threw low to second base after a bunt back to the mound. Jose Rivera and Yuniel Ramirez followed with consecutive RBI singles. Detwiler retired the side in order in the 7th. Frankford, the #2 seed from District 12, finished (14-5). Casantini went 2-for-2 with two runs out of the No. 8 spot in the order. “He’s definitely turned it on these past couple of games. It’s amazing having someone like that at the bottom of your order to flip it over to the top,” said Detwiler. Gov. Mifflin piled up ten hits. The Mustangs will face District 11 champion Whitehall in the state quarterfinals on Thursday. Detwiler will follow in the footsteps of Tyler Minick and head to UConn after his high school career. Minick was voted the Berks County Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023. Detwiler earned that honor this season. He discussed his decision to commit to the Huskies. “I fell in love with where it’s at and how good their facilities are to develop me as a player. The coaches treated me like family,” noted Detwiler.

PIAA Tournament-Baseball

Paul Roberts — Fri, 31 May 2024 13:38:00 +0000

The sites and times for first round games in the PIAA baseball tournament were released on Friday. Here are Monday’s matchups involving teams from Berks County.

Wilson travels to District 7 champion North Allegheny at 4pm.

Gov. Mifflin hosts District 12 runner-up Frankford at 4pm.

Fleetwood takes on District 7 champion North Catholic at Seneca Valley High School at 4:30pm.