Brian – Berks Sports Report

Wrobel Joins the Eagles

Paul Roberts — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:14:08 +0000

A former head coach in the Berks Boys Basketball Conference has joined another coaching staff in the county. Brian Wrobel is headed to Reiffton. He spent the past two years as the head coach at Gov. Mifflin. Wrobel will be the head coach of Exeter’s JV team. He’ll also serve as an assistant to Jeff VanGorder. The Eagles finished (19-10) in VanGorder’s first season. Exeter reached the second round of the PIAA-5A tournament this year.

Brian Kopetsky-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Sat, 18 May 2024 15:23:00 +0000

Muhlenberg and Manheim Central are very familiar with each other. They’ve met in the District 3 playoffs three times in the past four years. They also squared off in the 2024 season opener with the Barons winning 4-3. Brian Kopetsky, who’s in his 25th year as the Muhls’ head coach, expected a tight game and that’s exactly what he got. Eli Keller sprinted home with the winning run on a wild pitch in the 9th for a 6-5 victory. “Keller is one of our best baserunners, he’s aggressive. There was no hesitation, there was no flinch. He was gone as soon as he saw the ball hit the dirt,” noted Kopetsky. Muhlenberg advanced to the District 3-5A quarterfinals at second-seeded Mechanicsburg on Monday at 4:30pm. Manheim Central finished (13-9). The seventh-seeded Muhls scored three runs on three hits and an error in the second frame. Sophomore Gavin Moody hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Lincoln High and Cam Burr followed with RBI singles. Burr, a two-time All-County selection, got the start on the mound. The Kutztown University commit allowed a three-run homer to left by Mount St. Mary’s commit Nolan Book in the 3rd. Muhlenberg responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Aaden Lopez crushed a RBI double to center. He stole third base and scored on a bunt by Josh Smeltzer with two outs. The tenth-seeded Barons got one run back on a two-out error by High at third base. A sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher Carter Kyle tied it at 5-5 in the 6th. Smeltzer tossed three scoreless innings of relief. The senior southpaw gave up just one hit with two strikeouts. “His fastball has a lot of tail on it…You get a lot of fly balls out of Smeltzer,” said Kopetsky. Book walked Keller and Shane Rosenberry to begin the bottom of the 9th. Those were the only free passes issued by Manheim Central’s four pitchers. Kevin Rodriguez hit a bloop single to load the bases with nobody out. Keller then raced home to end the tense first round matchup. Rodriguez, who missed about two weeks with a broken hand, had four of the Muhls’ twelve hits. Smeltzer and High contributed two hits apiece. Barons’ starter Chase Travitz was charged with five runs, three earned, on six hits over three innings. Kyle Mylin fired 2.1 innings of shutout relief and Trevor Lowe got two key outs in the 6th. Book took over on the hill in the seventh frame. Muhlenberg got the leadoff hitter on base in the 7th and 8th innings, but couldn’t score. Book struck out three. Burr allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits over six innings. The Muhls’ seniors may have arrived at prom a little late on Friday, but they kept their season alive. “It does show a lot about their character that they’re willing to fight and battle all the way to the end,” stated Kopetsky.

Brian Kopetsky-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 09:29:00 +0000

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.

Brian Kopetsky-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 20:32:00 +0000

The Muhlenberg baseball team has experience on the field and in the dugout. There’s a lot of optimism in Laureldale as the season approaches. Head coach Brian Kopetsky surpassed 300 career victories last year. He enters his 23rd season as the Muhls’ manager with a record of (305-196). He reflected on being part of the Muhlenberg community for such a long period of time as a coach and a teacher. Kopetsky told me that this year’s ball club knows what it takes to be successful. Luis Beato and Gio Cavanna return in the outfield. Infielders Sean Levan, Sam Martinez, Jacob Rodriguez, and Cameron Burr are back as well. Beato and Levan were all-division picks a season ago when the Muhls reached the Berks County and District 3-5A semifinals. They lost 11-5 to Southern Lehigh in the opening round of the state playoffs to finish (14-11). Beato will patrol centerfield. The 6’3, 195-pound senior is headed to Panola Junior College in Carthage, Texas. Kopetsky said, “He’s got the size, he’s got the speed, he’s got the arm, he hits for power.” 13 of Beato’s 22 hits last year went for extra bases. He led the team with 25 runs and 5 triples. Kopetsky emphasized that Levan is like a coach on the field. The senior SS/P had a 1.83 ERA over 42 innings with 38 strikeouts. Brad Coley made just five appearances last season due to an injury. The 6’1 lefty (1-0, 1.14 ERA) is committed to Alvernia. He punched out 17 in 12.1 innings. Coley will be a workhorse on the mound, according to Kopetsky. The veteran skipper has a handful of reliable pitchers including Burr, Drew Fidler, and Derek Wilson who features a nasty slider. Burr hit .302 as a freshman. Martinez provides some pop at first base. He was second on the squad with 21 RBI. Rodriguez drew a team-high 22 walks to go along with 5 doubles, 3 triples, and a home run. Kopetsky noted that this is a very competitive group of players. They’re trying to repeat as Division 2 champions. We talked about playing under the lights at Gochnauer Field. Kopetsky believes that his team thrives off of that atmosphere. The Muhls kick off their schedule at home on Saturday night against Stroudsburg.

Brian Hollis-Daniel Boone

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 20:13:00 +0000

The key to a good running game is the offensive line. Experience and size always help the cause. Daniel Boone has a three-year starter at right tackle in Brian Hollis. The 6’1, 295-pound senior loves when the Blazers pound the rock. He has helped senior RB A.J. Hofer run for 773 yards, fifth-best in Berks County. Hofer is averaging nearly six yards per carry. He rumbled for 140 yards and 2TD last week against Reading. Hollis told me about the energy that head coach Rob Flowers brings to the team. Flowers is in his 4th season in Birdsboro. Hollis knows that beating Gov. Mifflin won’t be easy on Friday, but he’s confident in his teammates. The Mustangs are ranked #1 in the state in Class 5A. Hollis also talked about what he likes to do to relax off of the field. Daniel Boone is (5-3) overall and (2-1) in Section 1 of the Berks Football League.