Diamond Stars: Mustangs, Mikes lead H-S All-Area Baseball Team
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands pitcher Joe Chambers goes into his windup during the WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game against Knoch at Ross Memorial Park n June 1. Chambers is the Herald-Standard All-Area Baseball Team Big School Player of the Year.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Carmichaels’ Drake Long fires a pitch in a WPIAL Class AA first-round baseball playoff game against Apollo-Ridge at Greater Latrobe High School on May 17. Long is the Herald-Standard All-Area Baseball Team Small School Player of the Year.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
West Greene coach Lenny Lohr has a chat with the home plate umpire during a WPIAL playoff game against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Burkett Field. Lohr is the Herald-Standard All-Area Baseball Team Small School Coach of the Year.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands coach Brad Yohman talks to his players during a mound visit in the WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game against Knoch at Ross Memorial Park. Yohman is the Herald-Standard All-Area Baseball Team Big School Coach of the Year.
Laurel Highlands, Carmichaels and West Greene all had stellar baseball seasons and were thus well represented on the 2022 Herald-Standard All-Area Baseball Team.
The Mustangs reached the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals for the third season in a row and claimed the program’s first ever PIAA victory. The Mike and Pioneers both won section championships and a playoff game before falling in the district quarterfinals.
The leader for Laurel Highlands was senior pitcher Joe Chambers, who is the Big School (Class 3A-5A) Player of the Year.
The Mustangs’ ace pitcher was one of LH’s best hitters also during the regular season but it was the postseason where Chambers stamped his name as an elite talent.
Chambers batted .363 and was 3-0 on the mound with a 2.45 ERA in the playoffs. One of those victories came in the PIAA tournament against Erie Cathedral Prep, regarded as one of the best teams in the state.
Chambers pitched a combined 20 innings in the playoffs and recorded 35 strikeouts with just six walks.
Brownsville junior Derrick Tarpley was also a strong candidate as the area’s leading hitter with a .611 average and 26 runs.
The Big School Coach of the Year is Brad Yohman, who faced an emotional situation in replacing the late and beloved Scott DeBerry and handled it well by keeping the Mustangs’ baseball machine rolling along.
Also worth of consideration were Uniontown’s Ken Musko, who guided the Red Raiders into the postseason for the first time since 2014, and Yough’s Craig Spisak who led the Cougars to a section title and a playoff win over Mount Pleasant.
The Small School (Class 1A-2A) Player of the Year is Carmichaels senior Drake Long who was 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA while batting .462 with 24 runs. Long had 54 strikeouts against just 11 walks in 39 innings pitched during the regular season. He also threw a one-hit shutout in the first round of the playoffs in the Mikes’ 12-0 win over Apollo-Ridge.
Carmichaels’ senior Nick Ricco was a strong candidate as well with a .545 batting average, 20 RBIs and 20 runs.
The Small School Coach of the Year is West Greene’s Lenny Lohr, who guided the Pioneers to their first ever outright section title and only their second playoff victory in program history.
Also worthy of consideration were Carmichaels’ Dickie Krause, Bentworth’s Shawn Chory, who guided the Bearcats into the playoffs in his first year there, California’s Lou Pasquale, who rallied the Trojans into the postseason after a 1-6 start, and Jefferson-Morgan’s John Curtis whose Rockets played their 33rd playoff game in his 38th year as coach.
The complete Herald-Standard All-Area Baseball Team follows:
Big School (Class 3A-5A)
Player of the Year: Joe Chambers, Sr., Laurel Highlands
Coach of the Year: Brad Yohman, Laurel Highlands
First Team
Derrick Tarpley, Jr., Brownsville
Christian Thomas, Jr., Uniontown
Alex McClain, Sr., Laurel Highlands
Tyler Sankovich, Jr., Laurel Highlands
Nick Pegg, Sr., Albert Gallatin
Lincoln Pack, Jr., Waynesburg Central
Allen Novacek, Sr., Yough
Andrew Sokol, Sr., Belle Vernon
Anthony Govern, Sr., Southmoreland
Aaron Alakson, Sr., Mount Pleasant
Second Team
Albert Gallatin: Tristan Robinson, Sr.; John Skochelak, Sr. Elizabeth Forward: Isaiah Hart, Sr. Belle Vernon: Brady Hoffman, Sr. Connellsville: James Domer, Sr.; Laurel Highlands: Braeden O’Brien, Jr.; Carson D’Amico, Sr.; Frank Kula, Jr. Uniontown: Clay Dean, Jr. Waynesburg Central: Matt Ankrom, Sr.; Alex Van Sickle, Fr. Southmoreland: Ty Keffer, So.; Brok Potoka, Sr. Yough: Taylor Odelli, Sr.; James Shoman, Jr. Brownsville: Tyler Wible, Sr.
Third Team
Connellsville: Zakary David, Sr.; Beau Bigam, Jr. Laurel Highlands: CJ Gesk, Jr.; Devan Krivosky, So. Ringgold: Lorenzo Glasser, Jr.; Hunter Mamie, Jr. Belle Vernon: Matt Bamford, Sr. Uniontown: Tate Musko, So.; Hunter Chaikcic, Sr. Yough: Christian Park, Sr.
Honorable Mention
Albert Gallatin: Nate McCusker, Sr.; Caleb Matzus-Chapman, Sr. Elizabeth Forward: Nate Ratica, Sr. Connellsville: Mason May, Sr.; Jacob Puskar, Sr.; Jared Hough, Sr. Ringgold: Gianni Cantini, Jr. Uniontown: Colton Sparks, Sr.; Eric Odum, Sr. Brownsville: Davey Timko, Jr.; Hunter Pelehac, Fr.; Rylan Johnson, So. Waynesburg Central: Mason Switalki, Jr. Yough: Kaden Bizzozero, Sr.
Small School (Class 1A-2A)
Player of the Year: Drake Long, Sr., Carmichaels.
Coach of the Year: Lenny Lohr, West Greene
First Team
Nick Ricco, Sr., Carmichaels
Jacob Fordyce, Jr., Carmichaels
Cory Wise, Sr., West Greene
Hunter Hamilton, Sr., West Greene
Trenton Carter, Sr., Carmichaels
Dalton Lucey, Sr., West Greene
Hunter Assad, Sr., California
Colton Brightwell, Sr., Bentworth
Ethan Varesko, So., Beth-Center
Landan Stevenson, Jr., Mapletown
Second Team
West Greene: Morgan Kiger, So.; California: Connor Vig, Sr.; Jordan Kearns, Sr. Bentworth: Noah Martin, Sr.; Lucas Burt, Fr. Beth-Center: Riley Henck, Sr. Charleroi: Ben Shields, Jr. Mapletown: Dan Fox, Fr. Jefferson-Morgan: Patrick Holaren, So.; Ethan Hanko, Sr.; Liam Ankrom, Sr. Frazier: Dan Olbrys, Sr. Carmichaels: Liam Lohr, So. Monessen: Jack Sacco, Sr.
Third Team
Mapletown: AJ Vanata, So. California: Aiden Lowden, Jr. Charleroi: Jake Beveridge, So. Frazier: Brock Alekson, So; Logan Brown, So. Beth-Center: Greg Nopwasky, Sr.; Dylan Kninzer, Sr. Jefferson-Morgan: Mason Sisler, So.; Brody Ross, Jr.; Brock Bayles, So. Carmichaels: Chris Barrish, Sr. Monessen: RJ DiEugenio, Fr.
Honorable Mention
California: Brody Todd, Jr.; Kris Weston, Jr. Bentworth: Seth Adams, Ayden Bochter. Jefferson-Morgan: Brenton Barnhart, Fr. Frazier: Dom Dorcon, Sr.; Trent Hayes, Sr. Bentworth: Seth Adams, Sr.; Ayden Bochter, Sr. Monessen: Kody Kuhns, Sr. Mount Pleasant: Connor Drzal.