#8 Oley Valley at #1 Wyomissing

The Lynx hung around for the first quarter, but the Spartans pulled away for a 58-33 victory. Wyomissing was on top 31-12 at halftime. The Spartans limited the Division 4 champions to 19 points through three quarters. Amaya Stewart, a two-time All-State selection, finished with a game-high 19 points. The 6’1 senior forward is committed to Albany. Karly Hyde added ten points. The sophomore guard sank a pair of 3-pointers. Wyomissing went just 9-of-21 from the free throw line. Kadyn Rhoads led Oley Valley with 17 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. Julia Wagner chipped in with nine points. The Spartans improved to (20-3). They’ve won back-to-back BCIAA championships.

#5 Conrad Weiser at #4 Reading

The short-handed Red Knights overcame a slow start to beat the Scouts 44-28 at the Geigle Complex. Reading was without Elyssa Spring, Tamyia Collier, and Kailani Ocasio. They were serving the final game of a two-game suspension for their involvement in a fight at Wilson on January 30th. Collier is second on the team in scoring at 9 ppg. Conrad Weiser had a 7-6 edge after eight minutes. The Scouts, who were (6-16, 2-9) a season ago, were outscored 13-to-5 in the second quarter. They trailed 28-20 entering the fourth quarter. Yamilex Rodriguez jammed eight of her fifteen points into the final period. The senior guard got some help from freshman Xiani Beatty. She ended up with eight points and 5’10 junior JilliAnn Laws had seven. The (15-8) Red Knights went 13-for-22 from the foul line, while Conrad Weiser was 11-for-16. Lauren Grabosky, a 6’ senior center, led the Scouts with eleven points. She connected on seven of her eight free throw attempts. Alex Trevena contributed nine points. The senior guard is headed to Kent State for softball. Reading will face top-seeded Wyomissing in the semifinals on Wednesday at Santander Arena.

#6 Twin Valley at #3 Gov. Mifflin

The Division 2 champs gave the Mustangs a bit of a scare in Shillington. The Raiders were in front 16-13 after the opening quarter and 29-27 at halftime. Gov. Mifflin turned the tide in the third period. The Mustangs outscored Twin Valley 18-to-9 in that quarter and went on to win 54-45. Brooklyn George (12), Mia Vasquez (11), and Bella Super (10) all finished in double digits. George, a 5’6 sophomore, was 7-for-9 at the charity stripe. Vasquez scored six points in the pivotal third period. Sophomore Lauren Williams poured in a game-high 20 points for the Raiders. Delaney Hoover chipped in with nine points. Twin Valley went 4-for-8 at the free throw line, while Gov. Mifflin was 14-of-23. The (15-8) Mustangs have to wait to find out who their next opponent will be. They will meet either second-seeded Wilson or seventh-seeded Schuylkill Valley in the BCIAA semifinals on Wednesday at Santander Arena.

#8 Oley Valley at #1 Wyomissing at 12pm

#5 Conrad Weiser at #4 Reading at 11am

#7 Schuylkill Valley at #2 Wilson at 7:30pm

#6 Twin Valley at #3 Gov. Mifflin at 12pm

#8 Antietam at #1 Berks Catholic

#5 Wyomissing at #4 Reading

#7 Schuylkill Valley at #2 Wilson

#6 Exeter at #3 Gov. Mifflin

Muhlenberg had eleven seniors on its roster in 2023 when the Muhls qualified for the state tournament. The cupboard is far from bare in Laureldale. All-County selection Cam Burr is headed to Kutztown University and senior catcher Shane Rosenberry will continue his career at Wilmington. Eli Keller was starting at shortstop as a sophomore for longtime head coach Brian Kopetsky. Keller and Aaden Lopez are two more impact juniors in Berks County. Oley Valley won Division 3 and reached the District 3-3A semifinals with just two seniors. All-County pick Paul Petersen is the anchor for the Lynx. Lefty Chase Kegerise and third baseman Gryffin Cappellano were both All-Division choices as freshman last year. Twin Valley suffered some key injuries early last season and never got on track. The Raiders should bounce back with Elizabethtown commits Owen Rhoads and Jon Oxendine on the mound. First baseman Paul Colombo is a tough out from the left side. He’s going to Division II Anderson University in South Carolina. Outfielder Kevin Eden will be playing at DeSales next year.

Berks Catholic fell out of my poll at the end of last season. Keep in mind, however, that the Saints only had one senior in their starting lineup. Parker Nein and Trey Stricker give Brandon Shurr a nice one-two punch on the bump. Nein averaged 17 points for the basketball team this winter. He’ll play baseball at Penn State Harrisburg. Exeter coach Justin Freese picked up his 300th career victory a season ago. He will be guiding a very young squad this year. 6’6, 230-pound righty Deven Sheerin left some big shoes to fill, literally. Sheerin moved on to Mount St. Mary’s. The good news is that Alex Kelsey will be patrolling the outfield again in Reiffton. The St. Joseph’s commit is one of the most dangerous hitters in the county. Jon Chwatek takes over in Fleetwood after Roland Green retired. Green, who helped Reading win a state title in 1983, had been the Tigers’ head coach since 2000. Fleetwood returns five starters including outfielder Aiden Soumas. He will stay close to home and play at Kutztown University.

Speaking of Kutztown, the Cougars finished atop the Division 4 standings and captured their sixth District 3 championship last year. They had a special senior class. Dalton Furst, Nick Hugo, Bryce Schafer, Matt Remick, and Dom Pizzelanti led Kutztown to 19 wins. Hamburg has some key pieces to replace as well. Conner Licklider, Luke Bensinger, and Nate Gilbert graduated. Mark Dietrich is the new skipper on “Hawk Hill.” Nick Evangelista moved on to the college level as the head coach at Penn State Schuylkill. Taylor Grim is now running Schuylkill Valley’s baseball program. He’s been the Panthers’ boys basketball coach for a dozen years.

It’s time to unveil 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! The records listed below are from last season.

“The Great 8”

1. Gov. Mifflin (18-5)

2. Wilson (19-9)

3. Muhlenberg (16-10)

4. Oley Valley (14-9)

5. Twin Valley (10-10)

6. Berks Catholic (13-8)

7. Exeter (12-11)

8. Fleetwood (13-9)