"Mr. High School Sports" Makes His WPIAL Baseball Playoff Picks

By Matt Popchock

CLASS AAAA:

FIRST ROUND:

(8) Shaler over (9) Latrobe

(4) Butler over (13) Penn-Trafford

(5) Kiski Area over (12) Hempfield

(2) Norwin over (15) Penn Hills

(7) Pine-Richland over (10) Bethel Park

(3) Seneca Valley over (14) Pittsburgh Central Catholic

(11) Upper St. Clair over (6) Plum

QUARTERFINALS:

(1) Peters Township over (8) Shaler

(5) Kiski Area over (4) Butler

(7) Pine-Richland over (2) Norwin

(3) Seneca Valley over (11) Upper St. Clair

SEMIFINALS:

(1) Peters Township over (5) Kiski Area

(3) Seneca Valley over (7) Pine-Richland

CHAMPIONSHIP:

(1) Peters Township over (3) Seneca Valley

WHY PETERS TOWNSHIP WILL WIN: The Indians haven't lost to a District 7 team all season, and they have lots of pop in the middle of their order.

WHY SENECA VALLEY WILL REACH THE FINAL: When you look at the incredibly stiff competition in Section 1 (North Allegheny missed the playoffs for the first time in a quarter-century), it's hard to bet against the team that won it.

UNDER THE RADAR: Pine-Richland is the defending champion and can hit the ball almost as well as any team in the field.  Norwin is loaded on offense, though one wonders if that will matter against teams like Peters, Seneca, and P-R that have talented young arms, and if their own pitching can hold up.

CLASS AAA:

FIRST ROUND:

(9) Central Valley over (8) Greensburg-Salem

(4) Blackhawk over (13) Indiana

(5) Chartiers Valley over (12) Belle Vernon

(7) Thomas Jefferson over (10) Moon

(11) Hopewell over (6) Montour

QUARTERFINALS:

(1) Elizabeth Forward over (9) Central Valley

(5) Chartiers Valley over (4) Blackhawk

(7) Thomas Jefferson over (2) Hampton

(3) Mars over (11) Hopewell

SEMIFINALS:

(1) Elizabeth Forward over (5) Chartiers Valley

(7) Thomas Jefferson over (3) Mars

CHAMPIONSHIP:

(1) Elizabeth Forward over (7) Thomas Jefferson

WHY ELIZABETH FORWARD WILL WIN: When you look at their resume, is there anything the Warriors can't do? If this isn't the best baseball team they've fielded in school history, it's pretty darn close.

WHY THOMAS JEFFERSON WILL REACH THE FINAL: The Jaguars have a good stable of pitchers who can buckle down and help them win tight games, particularly games in which runs and hits come at a premium.

UNDER THE RADAR: When you look at Hopewell's seed, it's somewhat deceiving, even though the Vikings haven't played well down the stretch, considering they're the defending champs and still have a lot of power in their lineup.  Chartiers Valley shared the crown in brutal Section 3, and the Colts' pitching has been pretty consistent.

CLASS AA:

FIRST ROUND:

(8) Burrell over (9) Mohawk

(4) Deer Lakes over (13) Steel Valley

(12) Freedom over (5) Riverside

(2) Laurel over (15) Washington

(7) Greensburg Central Catholic over (10) South Fayette

(14) Freeport over (3) Waynesburg

(6) Carlynton over (11) Frazier

QUARTERFINALS:

(1) Shady Side Academy over (8) Burrell

(12) Freedom over (4) Deer Lakes

(2) Laurel over (7) Greensburg Central Catholic

(6) Carlynton over (14) Freeport

SEMIFINALS:

(12) Freedom over (1) Shady Side Academy

(2) Laurel over (6) Carlynton

CHAMPIONSHIP:

(2) Laurel over (12) Freedom

WHY LAUREL WILL WIN: There really isn't a clear-cut favorite in Class AA this season; defending champ Beaver Falls actually missed the playoffs.  Any team that can hit the ball consistently, and get steadfast pitching support from multiple arms is going to have a shot, and the Spartans have done that as well as any team.

WHY FREEDOM WILL REACH THE FINAL: Usually at least one team from Beaver County makes a statement in the playoffs, and this year it could be the Bulldogs' turn.  Their starting nine is good enough to get there, though admittedly the big question is whether or not their pitching will get out of its recent funk.

UNDER THE RADAR: Shady Side Academy is in the rare position of having its two best hitters also be its best pitchers, and Deer Lakes and Burrell are two other Allegheny Valley area teams that have excelled among stiff competition.  Waynesburg was playing lights out coming into the postseason, although the Raiders haven't faced the same level of competition, in my opinion.

CLASS A:

FIRST ROUND:

(9) Carmichaels over (8) Rochester

(4) North Catholic over (13) Western Beaver

(12) Avonworth over (5) Chartiers-Houston

(7) Beth-Center over (10) Vincentian Academy

(11) Leechburg over (6) Bentworth

QUARTERFINALS:

(1) Serra Catholic over (9) Carmichaels

(12) Avonworth over (4) North Catholic

(2) Neshannock over (7) Beth-Center

(3) California over (11) Leechburg

SEMIFINALS:

(1) Serra Catholic over (12) Avonworth

(2) Neshannock over (3) California

CHAMPIONSHIP:

(1) Serra Catholic over (2) Neshannock

WHY SERRA CATHOLIC WILL WIN: The two-time WPIAL Class A champions have proven in the past they can handle the pressure of wearing that bulls-eye, and the Eagles have been just as unhittable this year as they have been during those other title runs.

WHY NESHANNOCK WILL REACH THE FINAL: Although the Lancers can't quite match Serra's pitching, they've been hitting the ball just as well, and overall they've been one of the most consistent teams in Class A, if not the entire district.

UNDER THE RADAR: Leechburg has a couple talented arms, and once the Blue Devils' offense gets in a groove, slowing them down is anything but easy. They play in Section 4, in which all three playoff qualifiers won at least ten section games, including section winner North Catholic, and Avonworth, which owns two victories over the Trojans.

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For continuing coverage of the WPIAL Baseball Playoffs, be sure to check back with Mr. High School Sports later this week!