District 11 Baseball Preview Capsules
Class A Championship
Tri-Valley (14-8) vs. Pius X (12-8)
When/Where: Today, 4 p.m., Coca-Cola Park
Tickets: $6 adults, $3 students
How they got here: No. 4 Tri-Valley defeated No. 5 Shenandoah Valley 11-1 in six innings and No. 1 Marian 8-2. No. 2 Pius X downed No. 3 Nativity 9-4.
Directions: Take Route 61 south to Hamburg, get on Interstate 78 East. Follow I-78 to Route 22 split, and get on Route 22. Follow Route 22 through Allentown exits to Airport Road South exit. Make right off ramp, merging onto Airport Road South. Follow for several traffic lights before making a right on American Parkway (at intersection with light). Make a left into Coca-Cola Park complex.
About the Bulldogs
Head coach: Bob Felty (12th season, 198-71)
District 11 playoff history: In search of their 10th District 11 crown, Dawgs are 9-4 in district championship games, winning Class AA titles in 1985, 1995 and 1996 and Class A crowns in 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2011 and 2013. Lost in the Class A finals in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2014.
Projected lineup: SS Dawson Schwalm, fr. (.333, 24 H, 18 R, 5 RBIs, 4 2B, 10 SB), CF Tyler Lucas, jr. (.225, 16 H, 16 R, 4 2B), P Hunter Bordner, sr. (.359, 23 H, 15 R, 17 RBIs, 6 2B, 2 HR; pitching — 9-2, 0.71 ERA, 83 K, 59.1 IP), 1B Hunter Herb, jr. (.420, 29 H, 13 R, 19 RBIs, 7 2B, 3 3B), C Logan Yoder, fr. (.279, 17 H, 8 RBIs), 2B Dominic Carado, sr. (.283, 13 H), RF Ashton Buchanan, fr./DH Mark Klinger, sr. (.367, 11 H), 3B Jake Masser, fr. (.143), LF Will Kimmel, fr. (.238, 10 H)
Notes: Dawgs are playing in their fifth straight District 11 Class A title game. Tri-Valley has won every other year, beating Nativity 4-3 in 2011 and Williams Valley 4-2 in 2013 while losing to Pius X 5-1 in 2012 and 6-0 to Schuylkill Haven last year. ... Bordner will be starting his third straight District 11 title game. He fanned 10 in a 4-2 win over Williams Valley in 2013, then got hit hard in last year’s loss to Schuylkill Haven. ... Dawgs are 1-2 at Coca-Cola Park. The 2013 final was played at Blue Mountain. ... Herb was 3-for-3 with two triples, three runs scored and three RBIs in semifinal win over Marian. ... Dawgs have relied on a familiar formula in the postseason: Take advantage of the other team’s mistakes and let Bordner dominate the opposing lineup. Will need that to happen again today to be successful. ... Tri-Valley’s young lineup (5 freshmen start) was overwhelmed at times in semifinals, and Dawgs struck out 14 times. Must put ball in play today.
About the Royals
Head coach: Rocco Vonelli
District 11 playoff history: The Royals are in search of their third District 11 crown in six years, having won in 2010 and 2012. Lost in the finals in 1995 and 2009. Beat Tri-Valley in 2012 title game.
Projected lineup: SS Brody Plante, sr. (.348, 24 H, 18 R, 11 RBIs), CF Alex Farina, sr. (.293, 17 H, 17 R, 11 RBIs), C Cameron Kichline, sr. (.431, 25 H, 18 R, 12 RBIs, 9 2B, 2 HR), P/RF Hunter Beck, sr. (.354, 17 H, 10 RBIs; pitching — 4-2, 2.80 ERA, 38 K, 40 IP), 3B Zach Savelli, sr. (.286, 14 H, 15 RBIs), LF Nate Winchilla, sr. (.235, 12 H), RF/P Landon LaBar, soph. (.242; pitching — 3-1, 1.29 ERA), 1B Logan Rosenberg, sr. (.083), 2B Collin Kichline, jr. (.310, 18 H, 12 R)
Notes: With school closing in a few days, Royals are looking to send out school in glorious fashion. ... Beck started and pitched five innings in semifinal win over Nativity, with LaBar throwing final two. Vonelli wasn’t sure which one would start today. ... Cameron Kichline is Pius’ best player, and was 3-for-4 with a three-run homer vs. Nativity. ... Have wins this season over Marian and Christopher Dock. Among losses were defeats to Notre Dame-Green Pond, Saucon Valley, Phillipsburg, New Hope-Solebury, Scranton Prep and MMI.
Up Next: Winner advances to PIAA Tournament and will face the District 1 champion (either Christopher Dock or Delco Christian) in the first round June 1 at a District 1 site.
Class AAA Championship
Blue Mountain (19-5) vs. Pottsville (20-4)
When/Where: Today, 6:30 p.m., Coca-Cola Park
Tickets: $6 adults, $3 students
How they got here: No. 3 Blue Mountain blanked Palisades 4-0 and beat Saucon Valley 10-7. Top-seeded Pottsville blanked Palmerton 8-0 and ousted Tamaqua 4-1.
About the Eagles
Head coach: Tom Kramer (23rd season, 356-140)
District 11 playoff history: Blue Mountain is in the District 11 title game for the sixth time in eight years, going 4-1 in that span. Overall, Eagles are 5-6 in finals, winning titles in 1965, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014. Lost in finals in 1966, 1968, 1970, 1992, 2007 and 2014.
Projected lineup: CF Adam Hull, sr. (.463, 38 H, 31 R, 15 RBIs, 7 2B), P Dean Stramara, sr. (.377, 29 H, 14 R, 19 RBIs, 8 2B; pitching — 6-2, 1.40 ERA, 74 K, 55 IP), SS Sean Greenawalt, sr. (.355, 27 H, 16 R, 20 RBIs), C Dave Kyslinger, sr./DH Zach Martin, sr. (.309, 21 H, 12 R, 19 RBIs), 2B Troy Moyer, sr. (.346, 18 H, 11 R), 3B Robbie Oliver, jr. (.316, 12 H), RF Jack Barton, sr. (.286, 14 H, 15 R), 1B Austin Krammes, sr. (.333, 18 H, 11 R, 14 RBIs), LF Justin Hammer, soph. (.200, 11 R)
Notes: Eagles won last two District 11 meetings with Crimson Tide, prevailing in wild, 10-9 semifinal last year and winning 2011 crown with 7-3 victory. ... Greenawalt paced 15-hit attack in semifinal win over Saucon Valley by going 3-for-5 with double and triple. Moyer also had three hits, while Hull was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. ... Key for Blue Mountain is two-fold: Playing solid defense and getting an early lead. When Eagles did that, they won regular-season meeting. ... Can Eagles’ eight seniors get final say in rivalry with Tide?
About the Crimson Tide
Head coach: Mike Welsh (5th season, 78-36)
District 11 playoff history: Pottsville hasn’t won a District 11 title since 1998. Overall, Tide claimed crowns in 1977, 1985, 1994 and 1998 and lost in finals in 2006 and 2011.
Projected lineup: SS Travis Blankenhorn, sr. (.469, 38 H, 38 R, 27 RBIs, 6 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 13 SB), 2B Ty Painter, sr. (.338, 26 H, 23 R, 16 RBIs, 7 2B), CF Darion Jacoby, soph. (.385, 30 H, 28 R, 32 RBIs, 6 2B, 2 HR, 14 SB), P Eli Nabholz, sr. (.400, 30 H, 11 R, 29 RBIs, 7 2B; pitching — 9-0, 1.13 ERA, 72 K, 49.2 IP), C Connor Hinchliffe, sr. (.290, 20 H, 10 RBIs, 5 2B), LF Brandon Daubert, jr. (.254, 17 H, 11 R, 15 RBIs), 1B Mike O’Pake, jr./DH Gavin Hinchliffe, soph. (.300, 18 H, 17 R, 4 2B), RF Eric Wapinsky, soph. (.314, 16 H, 15 R, 11 RBIs), 3B Trent Barnes, jr. (.273)
Notes: Lead District 11 playoff series with Blue Mountain 3-2, notching victories in 1993, 2004 and 2006. ... This is the fourth meeting of the season between the teams, with Pottsville winning 9-2 on April 7 in Orwigsburg and 9-5 in Schuylkill League final May 14 in Pine Grove. Eagles won 5-3 on April 27 in Pottsville. ... Nabholz pitched for Crimson Tide in their two victories. He should get ball today. J.J. Spehrley (6-2, 1.42 ERA, 55 K, 54.1 IP) is Pottsville’s No. 2 pitcher, with Blankenhorn the closer. ... Look through Pottsville’s storied past, and when you start naming the program’s all-time best players, they all have one thing in common — they won a District 11 title. Tide’s talented senior class has a chance to join them today.
Up Next: Winner advances to PIAA Tournament and will face the District 3 runner-up in the first round June 1 at a District 11 site.
— Compiled by Leroy Boyer