It’s that time of year again. Late July heat has settled in and prime baseball season for young boys and girls all over the country who are looking to make an August trip to South Williamsport is here. The Pennsylvania champion will compete against teams from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware in hopes of returning to the center of their state in a few weeks. Last year’s defending state and Mid-Atlantic champion, Media, is not represented this year, falling in their district tournament. Some familiar names from 2023 have returned, along with some new representatives, and they will clash in Newville beginning on Wednesday morning. We take a look at the eight section champions and how they got here.
SCHEDULE: All four games on Day 1 will be heard on the Eastern PA Sports Network with Scott Johnston of EPASN and Cody Brady of LSVSports
10:00AM – West Point v Tri-Town – LISTEN
1:00PM – Back Mountain National v Coventry – LISTEN
5:00PM – St. Mary’s v Northern Lebanon – LISTEN
8:00PM – Council Rock Newtown v Greencastle – LISTEN
Section 1 – St. Mary’s(9-2, District 10)
Distance to Newville: 150mi
Last District Title: 1988
Last Section Title: N/A
St. Mary’s will make its first ever trip to states at the Majors level on Wednesday. The run began in the District 10 tournament with a 10-0 victory over Potter McKean. Brayden Steinbach went 3/3, including 3RBI and a home run as St. Mary’s banged out 17 hits. Blake Stauffer, Kade Caskey and Leo Simbeck combined on a four-hitter, striking out seven. The hit parade continued in a 13-2 win over Warren. Simbeck hit a 3 run shot over the fence, while Carson Dellaquia and Cohen Swanger combined to go 5/5 with 4RBI. Easton Straub, Cael Stauffer and Caskey allowed just two total hits and fanned six.
Historically, and in recent years especially, DuBois has dominated District 10. If St. Mary’s was going to make a run, they’d need to get by the team that went to states three years in a row and won four consecutive district titles. The first meeting would be a 6-2 victory in favor of St. Mary’s. Simbeck’s 3-run homer in the opening frame put the pressure on early, and St. Mary’s bookended the game with three more in the sixth on RBI hits by Steinbach, Cael Stauffer and Dellaquia. Simbeck pitched a complete game on 87 throws, allowing five hits and striking out six. The winners bracket final saw St. Mary’s dispose of Bradford Regional by a 15-0 count in four innings. Simbeck continued to be a constant, going 3/3 with three runs scored and three more knocked in. Blake Stauffer completed a two-hitter on 54 pitches to put the team into the district title game.
It’d be a familiar foe in DuBois for the title, with DuBois needing a win to force the if-necessary game. In the first game, the offense was dried up. Only Steinbach and Cael Stauffer managed a hit, and St. Mary’s was shutout 2-0. The second game was a different story. St. Mary’s exploded for four runs in the first inning after falling behind 1-0. The first two would come on an error in right field, allowing Blake Stauffer and Jonathan Chapman to score. Cael Stauffer’s 2RBI single to left with two outs in the inning drove home Steinbach and Easton Straub. Blake Stauffer threw six innings of four-hit ball, fanning nine and walking none. The 4-1 victory advanced St. Mary’s to their first Majors district title in 36 years.
The high-flying offense returned in the Section 1 opener against Fairview, with St. Mary’s winning 11-1. Steinbach tallied four RBI and Straub knocked in two more. Butler Township then stymied the offense in a 3-1 victory. St. Mary’s had an uncharacteristically sloppy game, with a couple of fourth inning errors extending the inning and leading to two runs. In the elimination bracket, St. Mary’s again met Fairview, defeating them 8-3 behind a five run sixth inning that brought them back after trailing 3-2. Richy Hurd tied the game on an RBI single up the middle and an E3 put the team ahead for good. Steinbach capped the scoring with a two run home run to right, setting up a rematch with Butler for the title and potential if-game.
Entering the top of the fourth, Butler led the first game 3-1. Cael Stauffer’s groundball to second base resulted in an E4, scoring Simbeck and Caskey. Cohen Swanger walked with the bases loaded and St. Mary’s went on top 4-3. Back-to-back errors in the top of the fifth broke a 4-4 tie, giving St. Mary’s a 6-4 lead that they would not relinquish, despite two wild pitches that got Butler within 7-6 in the bottom of the inning. Butler totaled six errors in the loss, which forced an if-necessary title game.
The decisive game would also go the way of St. Mary’s, as a tightly contested 4-2 game quickly unraveled for Butler in the fourth inning. A wild pitch, bases loaded walk, and bases loaded hit by pitch led to three straight runs and before the dust settled, six runs had crossed the plate and St. Mary’s led 10-2. On a 10-5 victory, St. Mary’s claimed their first ever section championship and first trip to states at the Majors level. Newville will not be a strange place to many players, however, as many played there at the Juniors state tournament in 2021. St. Mary’s will open tournament play with Section 4 champions Northern Lebanon.
Section 2 – West Point(6-1, District 26)
Distance to Newville: 148mi
Last District Title: 2023
Last Section Title: 2023 (0-2 in states)
Unlike the other teams in this preview, West Point’s road to Newville began with an abrupt defeat. With District 4 being absorbed into District 26, a Section 2 foe in Ingomar Franklin Park became a district opponent this year. West Point took a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Sebastian Shine led off with a walk, moved up on a passed ball and scored on an error at third base on a pickoff attempt. After striking out in the second, West Point left the bases loaded in the third and fourth after falling behind 3-1. West Point had another chance to tie or walk it off in the sixth, but three consecutive strikeouts with two on base ended the game in favor of IFP. West Point struck out 12 times while Croix Lattanzio fanned ten in defeat.
West Point needed a victory to get out of the pool play stage of districts. They got one in a big way, beating Quaker Valley 14-0. Nick Hisman, son of manager Greg Hisman, had himself a day, going 3/3 with three runs and five RBI and a 3-run homer. Santino Facciani pitched a four inning two-hitter, shutting out Quaker Valley on just 50 throws. The win advanced West Point to the district semifinals, where they faced Shaler. Gavin Braden’s two-out first inning RBI single scored Facciani and ended up being the game winning run in a 2-0 victory. Hisman pulled a Houdini act in the fourth inning, escaping a bases loaded no outs situation by inducing two fly outs and striking out one. Facciani struck out two in the sixth to nail down the win and send West Point to the district championship.
West Point faced West Allegheny for a spot in the section 2 tournament. Things were nip-and-tuck into the fourth inning, with the boys from Greensburg leading just 1-0 on a Rocco Obney RBI double. From the second to fourth inning, Facciaini struck out seven in a row to keep West Allegheny at bay. The offense came alive with four in the fourth and Jackson Woitkowiak walked off the title with a fifth inning grand slam to bring home a 12-0 mercy rule victory.
The team opened Section 2 play with a matchup against Hermitage. Gavin Braden’s first inning 2-run home run put West Point up early. They’d need those runs badly later on, as Hermitage responded with five in the top of the second. West Point chipped away with two in the second and third, retaking a 6-5 lead. Max Siemon put his team in the lead with a two out 2RBI single. Hermitage never had another true threat in the game, sending West Point to the semifinals to face Somerset. There, another one-run decision would go the way of Greensburg. Dylan Forbes had the game-winning RBI double in the fifth, after a walk and error prolonged the inning. Hisman pitched a nine strikeout one-hitter in West Point’s 2-1 victory.
Somerset defeated Hermitage 6-0 to setup a rematch with West Point. This time, Lattanzio and Facciani combined to fan eleven and give up just four hits in a 7-1 championship game rout. West Point rattled off fifteen hits and now looks for its first victory in a Majors state tournament game since a round one win over Harborcreek in 2019. They will open up against Tri-Town from Lycoming county on Wednesday.
Section 3 – Tri-Town(7-1, District 12)
Distance to Newville: 96mi
Last District Title: 1986
Last Section Title: N/A
Tri-Town consists of players from Montgomery, Muncy and Hughesville in eastern Lycoming county, the home county of South Williamsport. They will be making their first appearance in state tournament history Wednesday when they face West Point.
The Tri-Town road to Newville opened with a 4-2 victory over Jersey Shore. Jase Spangler’s RBI single in the first inning looked like it might hold up for the game, as the lead remained 1-0 going to the sixth inning. Tri-Town left the bases loaded in the third and two on in the fourth, but RBI singles by Roman Meckbach and Kellynn Wool in the fifth extended the lead to 4-0. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth and two runs in, Wool struck out Jersey Shore’s last two batters, allowing Tri-Town to advance in the winners bracket.
Williamsport was the next test. Wool threw a complete game shutout on two hits and six strikeouts. The offense came alive late, scoring five in the fifth for an 8-0 victory. Meckbach led off the second inning with a solo shot to center. Jameson Smith, Kaden Caster, Kameron Caster, Conner Gordner, Cash Jumper and Brayden Swartz all contributed with an RBI.
The winner’s bracket final was against a District 12 powerhouse in Keystone. With the game knotted at 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Lyle Huggler cracked a 2-run home run and Tri-Town piled on six runs for an 8-2 victory. Huggler and Kaden Caster combined on a two-hitter and fanned ten Keystone batters. The two met again in the championship game and all scoring happened in the first inning. An error allowed two to score on a ball hit by Huggler, and then both Swanger and Wool singled to knock in a run each. Wool and Huggler again combined for a two-hitter and Tri-Town entered sections for the first time in 38 years.
Tri-Town blew the doors off of Towanda in the section opener, scoring 16 runs on 13 hits, with nine different players getting at least one RBI. Towanda was held to just one hit in the 16-0 game. Next up was Blue Mountain. The boys from Lycoming county put up another crooked number, scoring seven in the third, propelling them to a 10-2 victory. Kaden Caster went 3/4 with 3RBI and both Wool and Jumper knocked in two runs.
The tables turned in the championship game, as the two met again and Blue Mountain dropped nine runs in the first inning in an 11-1 mercy rule victory in four innings.
In a winner-take-all game, Kaden Caster threw a two-hit gem, fanning ten. Huggler’s RBI single up the middle in the first put Tri-Town in front and Kaden’s sac fly RBI in the third got them to the final score of 2-0. On the win, Tri-Town enters the state tournament for the first time.
Section 4 – Northern Lebanon(8-0, District 6)
Distance to Newville: 63mi
Last District Title: 2023
Last Section Title: 2023 (2-2 in states)
Last year’s Northern Lebanon squad finished third in the state, ultimately falling to East Side in the elimination bracket final. They are back, including two returning players in Nolan and Jacob Anspach. Nolan, along with Luke Copenhaver, got started early, each with 2RBI in a 10-3 victory over East Pennsboro. Each had an RBI hit in a five run second inning that put the game out of reach quickly. Shelbie Fry pitched four innings, allowing three runs on four hits and fanning four. They carried the momentum into their second pool play game, blanking Hershey 10-0. Parker Wright and Taven Zang combined on a no-hitter and Isaac Good cracked a 3-run home run along the way. Greyson McQuaide was the star in the final pool play round. In a 9-6 victory over Camp Hill, he went yard twice, racking up 6RBI.
McQuaide was strong again in the district semifinals, going 2/3 with 3RBI in a 7-0 shutout of Eastern Lebanon. Shelbie Fry pitched another great game, fanning 12 and giving up five hits.
The district title game was a rematch with East Pennsboro, and each was pushed to the brink in a ten inning marathon. Despite Nolan Anspach, Weright and Zang combining to strikeout 18 opposing batters, five errors allowed for seven unearned runs. it seemed Northern Lebanon had gone ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth when Fry was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Nate Marley scored on a passed ball to go ahead 4-3. But an error with just one out left tied the game. East Pennsboro took an 8-6 lead in the eighth and Northern Lebanon was able to tie it up on two out RBI singles by Fry and Nolan Anspach. McQuaide re-tied the game at 7-7 in the ninth on an RBI single to right. After walking the bases loaded in the tenth, Wright struck otu two but then walked another to put East Pennsboro up 8-7. Jacob Anspach came up again in the bottom of the inning and singled to right, scoring Gunner Noel. With a new East Pennsboro pitcher on, one out away from forcing an 11th inning, Brody Harding scored on a passed ball to send Northern Lebanon back to the section tournament.
The Section 4 tournament opened with another thriller, as Northern Lebanon got by State College 4-3 in seven innings. Zang homered in the fifth and Good walked the game off on a two run shot in the extra frame. Fry and Nolan Anspach again combined on impressive outings, striking out 12. In the winners bracket final, Northern Lebanon and Hollidaysburg exchanged blows, resulting in a 4-4 tie heading to the fifth. That’s when Northern Lebanon broke it open, scoring six for a 10-5 victory. The bases were walked loaded and Good hit a 2-RBI double to center, followed by three bases loaded walks and a hit by pitch.
In the championship game, Northern Lebanon rematched with State College, this time defeating them 13-2. Nolan and Jacob Anspach, Good, McQuaide, and Noel all contributed 2RBI. Nolan threw a complete game, striking out 11 and giving up six hits. Northern Lebanon will open state tournament play against St. Mary’s on Wednesday.
Section 5 – Back Mountain National(10-1, District 31)
Miles from Newville: 147mi
Last District Title: 2023
Last Section Title: 2023 (2-2 in states)
The boys from Dallas are back, as Back Mountain National makes another appearance in the state tournament. Carter Samanas, with his father now the manager, and Ben Nulton return from last year’s team that went to the elimination semifinals, ultimately falling to East Side.
This year’s District 31 run was very similar to last year. Back Mountain outscored its district opponents 75-1 over six games, blanking Greater Wyoming Area 15-0 to claim the title and cruise into Section 5 play.
After zooming by Valley View 16-3, Back Mountain met their best match against Abington. Nulton and Nick Federici each went yard for solo shots, keeping their team even with Abington at 3-3 into the fourth. A passed ball, however, gave Abington the 4-3 lead and led to Back Mountain’s first loss of the postseason. Back Mountain took out their frustration on Plains, blowing by them 11-2 and into the championship series, once again against Abington.
Federici again proved dangerous in the first game, opening the second inning with a solo home run and cracking a two run bomb in the fourth, giving his team a 4-1 lead. Samanas provided two important insurance runs on a 2RBI double to right after Abington had cut the deficit to 4-3. Nulton and Federici got Abington in order in the final frame and Back Mountain forced the decisive if-game. Samanas and Nulton turned the title game in to a home run derby, each cracking two over the fence for a combined six runs batted in in a 7-2 victory. Nulton, after being touched for two runs in the first inning, went the rest of the way not allowing another real threat for the remainder of the night. Back Mountain National now faces Coventry in its state tournament opener.
Section 6 – Council Rock Newtown(11-0, District 30)
Distance to Newville: 148mi
Last District Title: 2023
Last Section Title: 2023 (0-2 in states)
After a disappointing 2023 state tournament, in which Newtown found itself on the wrong end of two very close games against DuBois and Northern Lebanon, the league has returned to the state tournament for some unfinished business.
During District 30 play, Newtown allowed seven runs while scoring 93 and played six straight games decided in mercy rule fashion.
Pool play kicked off with a 10-3 victory over Council Rock Holland, in which Gavin Caudill clocked two homeruns. Wes Esteves went 2/3 with 2RBI. Tyler Neeld went three innnings, striking out five and allowing just two hits. Brayden Peiffer and Dean Hamilton also saw time on the mound, giving up two hits and an earned run each.
Pool play continued with a 15-0 victory over Lenape Valley and 10-0 shutout of Plumstead. Against Lenape Valley, Neeld was 2/2 with 4RBI, while Siveter, Esteves and Sav Longo all drove in two. Tyler Wexler struck out four in three innnings of no-hit work. Against Plumstead, Longo threw four shutout innings and struck out nine on just 44 pitches. Neeld and Cummins each had 3RBI. Pool play concluded with a 16-0 victory over Warwick. Peiffer had 4RBI and Ryan Uhl went yard.
After seeding for the bracket portion of district play, Newtown opened with a 13-0 win over Lenape Valley and then beat Deep Run 13-2. Siveter, Uhl, Longo, and Greyson and Brody Gage knocked in two runs apiece against Lenape Valley and capitalized on four errors. Longo homered twice against Deep Run, plating four runs.
In the semifinals, Newtown continued rolling, plating eight in the fourth inning to beat Northampton 12-2. Longo struck out ten more in 3.2 innings pitched. The victory moved Newtown into the title game for a second meeting with Council Rock Holland.
Longo got the scoring started against Holland with a first inning RBI single. He singled again in the third to extend the lead to 3-0, scoring Neeld and Peiffer. Peiffer’s sac fly RBI in the 5th capped a 4-0 victory and berth into the section tournament. Longo again pitched strong, striking out 12 in a complete game one-hitter.
The section tournament opened with a 5-2 victory over Franklin Township. Council Rock Newtown broke through in the fourth inning after Greyson Gage led off with a double and moved up on a wild pitch. Gavin Caudill walked and stole second base, putting two in scoring position. Rocco DaBronzo’s RBI single to right scored Gage and Brody Gage picked up an RBI on a 6-4 fielders choice. Miles Mann took the mound for Franklin Township but was greeted with a double to center by Ryan Uhl and then a passed ball scored Brody Gage to cap the scoring.
Franklin Township threatened in the fifth, after teams returned from a rain delay that lasted over an hour, but Brody Hunsicker hit a bullet to Rocco DaBronzo and Parker Cummins met the same fate on a liner to Dean Hamilton to strand two on.
In a matchup with rival Southern Lehigh, Council Rock Newtown had one of the most improbable victories of any team headed to states. After Sav Longo was walked in the bottom of the sixth, and with two outs, Greyson Gage knocked a triple to the wall, scoring Longo. The throw came in and got away from infielders, so Gage headed home. He was tagged out, but the plate was blocked, resulting in obstruction and the run counted for the improbable 4-3 win.
The Section 6 title game came against Franklin Township, after they defeated Southern Lehigh 2-0. Newtown scored three in the first inning and that’d be all they need with Sav Longo on the mound in a 4-1 victory. Council Rock Newtown opens state tournament play against Greencastle.
Section 7 – Greencastle(9-1, District 14 West)
Distance to Newville: 37mi
Last District Title: 2023
Last Section Title: 2022(3-2 in states)
Greencastle makes another trip to the state tournament after most recently being the state runners-up in 2022 to Hollidaysburg. This time around, the team rolled through the District 14 West tournament, outscoring opponents 84-4. The winners bracket final and district title games saw Greencastle defeat state hosts Newville 14-2 and 11-0 respectively.
The Section 7 tournament took place in Reading, over two hours from Greencastle. The travel didn’t bother them, as they opened up with a 19-1 victory over Warwick. They scored nine runs in back to back innings to force the mercy rule. Bryce King, Reed Sholes and Brody Sprague all knocked in three runs. In the winners bracket final, they faced defending section champions East Side(West Chester). Greencastle jumped on ESLL early, with RBI singles from King and Chase Cordell. They added two out damage in the second inning on an RBI single from Jake Stephens and 2RBI single by Greer Barkdoll.
Greencastle met East Side again in the section title game, with East Side needing two victories to get back to states. They got it done in the first game, shutting out the powerful offense 3-0 despite a complete game seven strikeout effort by Kolston Piper. The second game, however, saw Greencastle return to dominance in a 10-0 five inning victory. Mayze Gordon pitched a two-hitter on just 58 throws. The offense was spread around the lineup. Noah Ambrose led the way with 2RBI. Greencastle will face Council Rock Newtown Wednesday in their state tournament opener.
Section 8 – Coventry(9-1, District 27)
Distance to Newville: 105mi
Last District Title: 2005
Last Section Title: N/A
Coventry, from the Pottstown area, had perhaps not an improbable run to the state tournament, but one of the most impressive in an ultra-competitive district and section.
To get through districts alone, Coventry would need to beat powerhouses such as Upper Providence, Lower Merion, and Berwyn-Paoli, and then get by other perennial forces such as Aston-Middletown and Morrisville. Coventry passed nearly every test with flying colors, starting with their district opener against Upper Providence.
Coventry scored in all four innings of a 13-1 victory over Upper Providence. Weston Kernan had two hits and knocked in a run, while Ryan Shady had a 2RBI hit. Trent Vermillion threw three innings and struck out four while not giving up a hit.
Lower Merion was the next opponent, and two first inning solo home runs would be enough for them to beat Coventry 3-1. Gray Brilla grounded into a fielders choice that scored Coltun Wadsworth for the only run of the game. Vermillion was once again stellar in the loss, throwing 3.1 innings and giving up one hit, striking out six. Coventry would need five consecutive wins to come back in districts to advance. They began their run with a 13-0 blowout of Chester Valley. Vermillion was 2/3 with 3RBI and Wadsworth went 2/3 with 2RBI. A lopsided eight run third inning broke open an 11-0 lead. Mason Raab proved to be another solid arm on the mound, throwing three innings of one-hit ball. Coventry then defeated Berwyn-Paoli 11-1 in four innings to get to the elimination bracket final versus Lower Merion. This time, an Aaron Duff RBI double in the second inning would hold up in a 1-0 victory. Vermillion threw a complete game on 74 pitches, giving up one hit and striking out seven.
Coventry then needed to defeat Lower Perkiomen twice to claim their first district title in nearly two decades. The first game was tightly contested through four innings. Leading 6-5, Coventry delivered their fans a victory with ten runs over the final two innings. A wild pitch to Wadsworth and bases loaded walk drawn by Kaiden Kirby began the scoring in the fifth inning. Three consecutive defensive errors kicked off the sixth, allowing Coventry to load the bases and put the game out of reach, 16-5. The decisive if-game was led by Lower Perkiomen 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth. That’s when Vermillion turned on a pitch and hammered a three-run home run to put Coventry up 8-6. Raab came in to pitch the sixth and worked around a two out single, notching the victory and trip to sectionals.
Sections brought a whole new level of competition. Host Aston-Middletown and Morrisville each had hopes of not just winning the section, but were talked about as potential state champions all around Southeast PA. The section opener came against Morrisville and Coventry was up to the challenge. After back to back strikeouts to open the third, Jake Wallace singled to left and Raab walked. The bases were loaded on Shady being hit by a pitch. Kernan doubled to on a fly ball to right, scoring two. Morrisville loaded the bases in their final turn at bat, but could not push across the tying or winning runs.
In the winners bracket final, Coventry came up against section hosts Aston-Middletown. Another crooked number helped Coventry to victory, as they scored five in the fourth. Vermillion scored on a passed ball and Matthew Mungin brought two runs home on a single to right. Wadsworth added an RBI single to put Coventry up 6-1 and they would go on to win 6-2.
The two met again in the championship game, with AMLL needing to win twice. However, Coventry took a 7-0 lead early, scoring six in the third. Kaiden Kirby led off the game with a solo home run to right and Jack Emerich also had a solo shot later in the game. Leading 8-1, Coventry had to weather the storm, as Aston-Middletown scored five straight runs and loaded the bases in the final frame. Kirby induced a groundball and Coventry won its first ever section title. They now begin state tournament play against perennial power Back Mountain.
LSV Sports 
Leave a comment