pitcher – Berks Sports Report

Gavin Miller-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sun, 11 May 2025 12:15:57 +0000

Exeter started this month with a 8-1 loss to Fleetwood. “We were kind of dead. It was the end of the year. We were really tired, but we had a little break and got our get back,” said Gavin Miller. The Eagles were motivated for their BCIAA quarterfinal against the Tigers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Miller threw a complete game five-hitter as Exeter defeated Fleetwood 4-1. The Shepherd University commit finished with five strikeouts and no walks. “I preach don’t let anyone get free on base. It’s very important. It doesn’t let them get the momentum,” emphasized Miller. The hard-throwing senior righty has allowed just 26 hits over 40.2 innings this season. Miller (6-0, 1.38) has piled up 50 strikeouts and only eight walks. The game was suspended on Thursday night at Owls Field due to rain. It resumed on Saturday afternoon in the top of the 2nd with one out and a man on second base. Chase Youse, who entered the day with five hits all season, ripped a RBI double to right-center. The No. 8 hitter went 2-for-2 with a walk on his birthday. Youse knocked in a pair of runs and made a nice catch in center field. The fourth-seeded Tigers stranded a runner on third in the 3rd when Brayden Sobjak lined out sharply to right field. They put men on first and second with one out in the 4th, but Miller got a strikeout and popup to end the threat. Youse began the 5th with a walk. A popup that was dropped would lead to two unearned runs for the fifth-seeded Eagles. Brenton Feathers provided a sacrifice fly to center. Jake Franek followed with a high chopper over the third baseman’s head for a RBI single. A two-out bloop single to center by Youse made it 4-0 in the 6th. Sobjak led off the bottom half of that inning with a triple to right field. He scored Fleetwood’s lone run on an infield single by sophomore Gabe Seidel. Nick Noll took the loss despite pitching well. The senior southpaw went the distance for the (13-6) Tigers. He was charged with four runs, two earned, on nine hits. Noll struck out four and walked one. Carter Redding went 3-for-4 and raised his average to .453. “He had an amazing game…He’s been a really important piece to our team all year. He’s getting on base. He’s very fast,” noted Miller. Redding is going to East Stroudsburg for football. He also played basketball at Exeter. Sophomore catcher Brandon Weller added two hits. The (15-6) Eagles will take on top-seeded Gov. Mifflin in the nightcap at FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday. Wyomissing and Berks Catholic meet in the first Berks League semifinal at 3:30pm. Exeter went (4-8) in league play last spring and missed the postseason. “Last year, we had a very young team. This year, we grew into our own. We trust our coaches and our team chemistry has been a lot better,” stated Miller.

Ben Kulp-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:29:56 +0000

Wilson squared off with Exeter in a Division 1 matchup at Reiffton on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs hadn’t played since last Thursday when they were blanked 1-0 in twelve innings at Muhlenberg. Wilson’s bats came alive early against Kamren Martin. The 6’3 junior entered the day with a (3-0) record and a 0.98 ERA. After Ryan Marmolejos was hit by a pitch, Christo Hunsicker launched a triple to center field in the top of the 1st. Ben Kulp followed with a RBI groundout and the Bulldogs were quickly on top 2-0. The (10-3) Eagles got one run back in the bottom half of the frame. Sophomore catcher Brandon Weller ripped a 2-out RBI triple to center. That would end up being one of only two hits allowed by Kulp in a 6-1 victory. The 6’2, 215-pound junior threw 97 pitches over 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. Kulp turned to his curveball after struggling with the slider. “It was an all right day out on the mound, not everything was working,” he said. Kulp (3-1, 0.81) has been much better than just all right this spring. He’s only given up 13 hits while piling up 34 strikeouts in 26 innings. The right-hander, who also plays water polo, got himself in better shape during the offseason. “I did a lot of explosive work and a lot of sprinting to train your body to move faster,” he explained. “I try to stay away from carbs, definitely high protein intake,” added Kulp. He helped himself by going 2-for-4 with a RBI. “I love swinging the bat,” he replied. Wilson went in front 3-1 in the 3rd when courtesy runner Colby Kostelac scored following two wild pitches by Martin. Kulp, who bats from the left side, led off that inning with a double down the right field line. Exeter stranded runners on third base in the first, fourth, and fifth innings. Kulp stopped each of those threats with a strikeout. The (7-3) Bulldogs broke it open with three runs in the 6th. Marmolejos provided a 2-run triple to left-center. The talented sophomore second baseman was 1-for-2 with two runs scored. He’s hitting .333 this year. Hunsicker knocked in Marmolejos with another triple to center field. “Breathing room is nice because then you’re not stressing every pitch,” said Kulp. Hunsicker leads the team with six extra-base hits. The Millersville commit has three doubles and three triples through ten games. He had two of Wilson’s nine hits off of Martin. The tall righty allowed six runs over 5.1 innings. He struck out four, walked two, and hit three batters. Senior Kaden Ballas got the final four outs for the Bulldogs without giving up a hit. Wilson ended its scoring drought and snapped the Eagles’ six-game winning streak. The Bulldogs claimed their 13th Berks League championship in 2024. On Wednesday, they showed that they’re a contender again this spring.

Kamren Martin-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:51:24 +0000

In six career starts, Kamren Martin has thrown two no-hitters. The Exeter junior continued to impress with another quality outing against Twin Valley on Wednesday in Reiffton. The 6’3 righty allowed one earned run on six hits over 6.1 innings as the Eagles held off the Raiders 3-2. “I definitely could’ve located my off-speed [pitches] a little better. They couldn’t hit the fastball and that’s what took me all the way,” explained Martin. He struck out seven and walked four to improve to (3-0) with a 0.98 ERA. Martin has 22 strikeouts over 21.1 innings, while giving up just a dozen hits. Twin Valley put together three singles in the first inning, but only managed one run. Luke Wagner, a senior catcher who’s committed to Alvernia, delivered a RBI single through the left side with two outs. Brandon Weller helped Martin by throwing out two runners attempting to steal second base in the first two innings. The promising sophomore catcher is hitting .321 with a team-high five doubles and ten RBI. Exeter put two runs on the board in the 3rd. Aiden Rhoades, the No. 9 hitter, led off with a double to center. Jake Hafer followed with a triple to deep right field. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Chase Youse to make it 2-1. Hafer is off to a red hot start to the year. He has a .469 batting average with three doubles and three triples. Hafer went 2-for-3 on Wednesday. The 6’2 southpaw is (2-0, 0.88) on the mound. “He’s definitely a dog on this team,” said Martin. The (8-2) Eagles added an important run in the 5th. Rhoades scored on a double steal to give them a 3-1 advantage. The (4-3) Raiders made things interesting late. Logan Crunkleton ripped a RBI double to left-center with nobody out in the top of the 6th. Wagner then hit a ball down the third base line that could’ve been trouble for Exeter. However, Brenton Feathers dove to his right, knocked down the ball, and then threw out Crunkleton who was trying to get back to second base. “That’s definitely a game changer. If he doesn’t get that, they could score a lot more runs,” emphasized Martin. Luke Raines grounded into a double play to end the inning. Martin walked two in the top of the 7th and was taken out after throwing 97 pitches, 61 for strikes. Junior Liam Porter earned the save with back-to-back strikeouts of Brody Majeski and Stevenson commit Ben Vaughan. “It’s huge to have a closer that can come in and finish your work for you,” replied Martin. Kooper Zdimal went the distance for Twin Valley. He limited the Eagles to two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Zdimal (3-1, 1.17) is headed to Kutztown University where his brother Kannon is a sophomore pitcher. The Eagles’ extended their winning streak to four. Gavin Miller hurled a gem in a 10-2 victory over Muhlenberg on Tuesday. “We definitely have a really solid rotation this year,” stated Martin. Miller (3-0, 1.58) is committed to Division II Shepherd. The senior has piled up 27 strikeouts with only two walks in 17.2 innings. Exeter only had two seniors in its starting lineup last year when the Eagles finished (11-9, 4-8). They’re now second in the District 3-5A power rankings behind Palmyra. “I hope to go all the way. We definitely have the talent,” said Martin.

Ethan Grim-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 16:36:46 +0000

One of the top pitchers in the state is headed to the ACC. Ethan Grim, a rising senior at Gov. Mifflin, has committed to Virginia Tech. Grim helped the (24-5) Mustangs capture their first state championship this year. They beat Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the PIAA-5A final at Penn State University. Grim allowed just two hits and one run over six innings. He struck out eleven and walked three. Grim was dominant in the state quarterfinals as well. He limited Whitehall to a pair of hits while striking out ten. Gov. Mifflin cruised to a 10-0 victory in five innings.

Grim (8-3, 1.77) was a first team All-State selection in Class 5A. He finished the season with 113 strikeouts in 71 innings and one save. The righty features a low-90s fastball. Grim also had an outstanding spring at the plate. He hit .410 with ten doubles, one triple, and a homer. Grim racked up 29 RBI.

Virginia Tech went (32-22) overall this year. The Hokies ended up (14-16) in conference play.

Matt VanOstenbridge-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:12:00 +0000

Wilson senior Matt VanOstenbridge had to deal with back tightness this season. It’s safe to say that the Bulldogs’ ace is healthy again. The southpaw tossed a one-hitter in a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood last week. On Wednesday, VanOstenbridge was even better. The Penn State commit fired a no-hitter against Exeter in the Berks County High School Baseball Showcase at Owls Field. “It felt amazing. Everything was working, all four pitches…I felt very effortless. I felt very smooth,” he said. Wilson rolled over the Eagles 11-0 in five innings. VanOstenbridge struck out ten, walked one, and hit a batter. The lefty hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 17 innings. He needed just 68 pitches to get through five frames. VanOstenbridge helped himself with a RBI single in the second inning. C.J. Fernandez followed with a two-run single to center field. Wilson tacked on four runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Cooper Kennedy and freshman Ryan Marmolejos provided RBI singles and VanOstenbridge added a sacrifice fly. Kennedy, a senior outfielder, made it 10-0 with a bases-clearing triple to right-center in the fourth inning. Kennedy and Christo Hunsicker had two hits apiece. Sophomore Jack Gabel went 1-for-3. The shortstop is batting a team-high .422. Nick Fiorini doubled and was hit twice by pitches. The senior center fielder is hitting .413. Fiorini leads the team with 19RBI and nine extra-base hits. “We’re really, really good top to bottom. We don’t have a weak link in our lineup. Our pitching is really good. We have so many arms,” remarked VanOstenbridge. The (10-4, 6-2) Bulldogs are tied with Gov. Mifflin atop Division 1. VanOstenbridge (3-0, 0.52) has 43 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. He’s only given up seven hits. The All-County pick from a season ago explained why he’s headed to Penn State. “It’s close to home. It’s every kid’s dream in Pennsylvania to play for Penn State…The facilities are amazing. The coaches are amazing. Everything about it was the perfect fit,” he replied. Exeter junior Gavin Miller took the loss on Wednesday afternoon. He entered the contest at (6-0) with a 2.36 ERA. Miller was charged with seven runs, five earned, on six hits. He lasted 2.1 innings. Sophomore Liam Porter allowed four runs on four hits for the (8-6, 3-5) Eagles. Meanwhile, Wilson has a mix of experienced players with some young talent. “This is my favorite team. These guys are awesome,” said VanOstenbridge after a Gatorade cooler filled with water was dumped on him.

Matt VanOstenbridge-PSU

Paul Roberts — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 21:37:00 +0000

Matt VanOstenbridge won’t be leaving the state to play college baseball after all. The rising senior at Wilson originally committed to Kent State in mid-May. On Tuesday, however, the southpaw announced that he’ll be going to Penn State.

VanOstenbridge pitched better than his (6-5) record this spring. He had a 2.39 ERA, while allowing just 51 hits in a team-high 70.1 innings. The lefty piled up 91 strikeouts. He walked 19. VanOstenbridge made a dozen starts for the Bulldogs and was 2-for-2 in save opportunities. As a sophomore, he was an all-division pick. The coaches in the BCIAA voted him to the all-county team this year.

Wilson was the runner-up in the Berks County playoffs. The Bulldogs also finished second in the District 3-6A tournament. VanOstenbridge tossed a complete game 4-hitter in a 10-0 victory at second-seeded Cumberland Valley in the quarterfinals. Wilson fell to Central Bucks West 3-0 in the first round of the state playoffs. The Bulldogs finished the season at (19-9).

Deven Sheerin-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sun, 21 May 2023 11:09:00 +0000

Deven Sheerin called it the biggest start of his career. The 6’6, 230-pound right-hander delivered with Exeter’s season on the line. Sheerin struck out eleven and allowed one hit as #15 seed Exeter upset #2 Gov. Mifflin 4-1 in Shillington. “I feel like my fastball was jumping out of my hand,” he said. The (12-9) Eagles advanced to the District 3-5A quarterfinals. They’ll visit #10 Warwick on Monday. The Mustangs blew out Exeter 8-0 and 11-1 in the regular season, but the Berks County champs hadn’t faced Sheerin. The Mount St. Mary’s commit is (7-2) this year with a staggering 97 strikeouts in 44 innings. He’s given up just 15 hits. Gov. Mifflin sent UConn commit Tyler Minick to the mound on Friday. The 2022 Berks Player of the Year piled up ten punchouts and limited the Eagles to two hits in six frames. All four of Exeter’s runs came in the 3rd inning and three were unearned. Minick hit Jake Franek and Gavin Marr. Carter Redding followed with a sacrifice bunt that Minick threw over Xander Velez’s head at first base. It looked like Minick would get out of the jam by only permitting one run to score. However, freshman Joel Ummarino took a very close pitch that was called a ball instead of strike three. Ummarino walked on the next pitch to force in a run. Jake Hafer, another freshman, hit a sinking line drive to left field that knocked in two runs for a 4-0 advantage. Jon Radwanski made a terrific sliding attempt, but the umpires ruled that he trapped the ball. The (18-5) Mustangs got one run back in the bottom of the 3rd when Velez beat out an infield single with two outs. Sheerin hit Matt Koehler to leadoff the 7th inning. After getting one out, Sheerin had reached the limit of 105 pitches. Head coach Justin Freese turned to sophomore Gavin Miller. Following an error on a potential double play ball to second base, Miller struck out Bryce Wunderlich. Freese opted to intentionally walk Minick and load the bases. Promising sophomore Bryce Detwiler grounded out to Luke Giering at second to end the game. Sheerin gave credit to Miller for closing it out. “He’s a character. He competes. He’s got a lot of maturing to do, but the sky is the limit for him,” Sheerin remarked. Freese earned his 300th career victory over 28 years with the Eagles. Exeter went (18-8) a season ago and qualified for the state playoffs. They lost eleven seniors from that club. This year has been more challenging with a young roster. With a win on Monday, however, the Eagles will be headed back to the PIAA tournament. “I love all these guys. I tell them one more, get one more win and we keep playing together,” Sheerin said.

Ethan Grim-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 18 May 2023 14:59:00 +0000

The 2022 Berks County playoffs were a big disappointment for Ethan Grim and the Mustangs. They entered the tournament as the #1 seed, but got upset by #8 Oley Valley 6-1 in the quarterfinals. That left a sour taste in Grim’s mouth. The sophomore right-hander got redemption this year. Grim held second-seeded Wilson to one unearned run on three hits over 5+ innings in Monday’s BCIAA Championship. Gov. Mifflin prevailed 6-3 at FirstEnergy Stadium for its 15th county title. Grim struck out seven and walked two. His fastball hit 88 mph. “I’m good under pressure. I just had to throw strikes,” Grim said. His record improved to (6-2). As a freshman, he went (6-1) with a 1.52 ERA. Grim helped himself against the (16-7) Bulldogs. He went 1-for-2 with 2RBI. His single to right field in the bottom of the 5th gave the (18-4) Mustangs a 6-1 advantage. Grim hit four batters including the first two in the 6th. UConn commit Tyler Minick took over on the mound and got out of the jam without allowing a run. Nick Fiorini ripped a 2-run triple to right in the 7th. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent Gov. Mifflin from claiming its second county championship in three years. Each team finished with five hits. Travis Jenkins was 2-for-3 with a RBI. He’s part of a very talented sophomore class in Shillington. Matt VanOstenbridge, who committed to Kent State this week, was charged with six runs, but only one was earned. The junior lefty gave up five hits while striking out seven in five frames. Wilson’s eight-game winning streak came to a halt. The Bulldogs beat the Mustangs twice in the regular season. Grim gave credit to the twelve seniors on the club. “They have so much leadership. They help us through everything, even when the times are low,” he replied. Gov. Mifflin will face a familiar foe in the opening round of the District 3-5A playoffs. The second-seeded Mustangs host #15 Exeter at 4:30pm on Friday. “There’s a lot of good teams in our district so bear down and get working,” stated Grim.

Xander Velez-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 20:13:00 +0000

Ja Morant was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player on Monday. On the same day, Xander Velez improved to (6-0) and increased his batting average to .524. If there was a Most Improved Player award in the Berks Baseball League, Velez would garner strong consideration. The junior right-hander played a key role in Governor Mifflin’s 12-4 victory over previously unbeaten Muhlenberg. Despite not having his best command, Velez held a dangerous Muhls’ lineup to two runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out five, walked six, and hit a batter. Velez entered Monday’s marquee matchup with a 0.86 ERA. He features a fastball in the high-80s along with a good changeup. As a sophomore, Velez didn’t see much time on the mound. The Mustangs relied on Connor Maryniak (13-0, 1.13), Matt Gehris, and Tyler Minick. Maryniak and Gehris combined to throw 134 innings. Velez had an 8.59 ERA in just 7.1 innings. He’s transformed into one of the top arms in the county and some Division II colleges have taken notice. Velez has also made tremendous strides at the plate, raising his batting average more than 300 points from .205 in 2021. He said, “Last year I couldn’t hit [anything].” Velez leads the (14-0, 7-0) Mustangs with 21 RBI. He has five doubles, two triples, and seven stolen bases. He’s already driven in twice as many runs as a season ago. The No. 3 hitter went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI against Muhlenberg. Velez reached base in three of his four plate appearances. I asked Velez how he would pitch to himself. We also discussed what happened when he faced Minick, a UConn commit, during an intrasquad scrimmage. Minick launched two home runs and a double on Monday in Shillington. The all-county selection knocked in four runs and scored three times. Velez has a lot of confidence in their offense. Gov. Mifflin is averaging 8.9 runs per game. He said they don’t really talk much about their undefeated record. Velez revealed his favorite college baseball team. He also told me about his favorite classes at Gov. Mifflin. The Mustangs are on the road Wednesday afternoon when they battle rival Wilson. Gov. Mifflin took the first meeting with the Bulldogs 3-1 on April 5th. Velez was the winning pitcher for that one. While he certainly wasn’t thrilled with his performance versus Muhlenberg, Velez has a lot to be proud of this season.

Drew Fidler-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 09:37:00 +0000

Don’t be fooled by Drew Fidler’s 5’9, 150-pound frame. The junior lefty knows how to pitch. He’s an extremely valuable arm out of the Muhlenberg bullpen. Fidler proved that again Saturday night against Wilson at Owls Field in West Lawn. The southpaw tossed 2.1 innings of hitless relief with five strikeouts and one walk. The (10-0, 6-0) Muhls beat the (4-6, 3-2) Bulldogs 6-5 on Wilson’s “Senior Night.” Fidler told me that all of his pitches felt great in the bullpen, including his curveball. He struck out the side in the seventh inning which sparked a Muhlenberg celebration. Fidler mentioned that he had a ton of confidence because his teammates trusted him. He enjoyed playing under the lights in front of a big crowd. Luis Beato opened the scoring in the top of the first on a passed ball. The Muhls’ all-division center fielder reached on a 2-out, infield single off of Rueben Livingston. The Bulldogs answered with three runs on one hit in the bottom of the first. Brad Coley started the frame with two walks before hitting Livingston. Lucas Gensemer hit an RBI single to left, one of just two hits for Wilson on the night. Ryan Sekulski knocked in a run on a 4-6-3 double play. The final run of the inning came across on a wild pitch. Coley, a left-hander who’s headed to Alvernia, allowed five runs over 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts and six walks. Muhlenberg tied it at 3-3 in the fourth. Gio Cavanna and Cameron Burr provided 2-out, RBI singles. Cavanna went 1-for-1 with 3RBI out of the No. 9 spot. The right fielder also made a great catch up against the fence in foul territory. Burr finished 2-for-5. The Muhls loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth. Livingston nearly worked out of the jam, but a wild pitch with two outs gave Muhlenberg a 4-3 advantage. After a walk, the Kent State commit was replaced by Jake Kope who immediately hit Cavanna to force in a run. Livingston was charged with five runs, one earned, on seven hits and three walks. The 6’3, 225-pound righty struck out four. Livingston has only given up one earned run in 19 innings this year. The Bulldogs committed three errors on Saturday. Wilson responded with two runs in the bottom of the 5th. Livingston increased his batting average to a team-high .348 with a double. Freshman Christo Hunsicker contributed with an RBI groundout. The Bulldogs knotted the score at 5-5 on an error by Kenay Rodriguez. The Muhls’ senior shortstop bounced back with a leadoff double to left in the seventh. He was 2-for-4 with two runs. After a walk and sacrifice bunt, Cavanna delivered a sacrifice fly to put Muhlenberg back on top 6-5. Fidler shut the door in the bottom of the seventh. He’s (4-0) with a save. Kope took the loss after allowing one run on two hits and a walk in 2.1 innings. Although the Muhls have won ten in a row, Fidler knows there’s always room for improvement. They’re an experienced ball club that’s taking it one game at a time. Fidler said, “Everybody contributes. That’s what I love about our lineup; I trust every guy.” I asked him which teammates would be the toughest for him to face. Fidler emphasized that Muhlenberg has a deep pitching staff to go along with very solid defense. We discussed Monday’s highly anticipated matchup with Gov. Mifflin. The Mustangs are on top of Division 1 at (13-0). They’ll square off with the Muhls at 4pm in Shillington. As for the Bulldogs, they’re still searching for ways to produce runs. Wilson is hitting .173 as a team. The Bulldogs are averaging 4.4 runs. They put up eight runs per game last season when they went (22-3) and captured the District 3-6A championship. Wilson lost twelve seniors and four Division I players from the 2021 squad.