Twin Valley confident it can keep pace in arms race vs. Mifflin, top Berks title contenders
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After a 10-10 finish that left them out of the league baseball playoffs a year ago the Twin Valley Raiders seemed to be pushed to the back burner this season when it came to discussion of Berks League championship contenders.
Even after an 11-1 finish in league play and a Berks II title, even after four crossover wins against Berks I teams, even after battling defending champ Gov. Mifflin to the wire.
“No matter what we do, everyone would think (Mifflin and Wilson) are the favorites for the league title,” said Raiders coach Corey Schnoke.
Even though the Raiders (14-4) enter today’s tournament as the No. 2 seed there’s more focus on the big boys from Berks I — the top-seeded Mustangs (15-3), third-seeded Wilson (13-6), fourth-seeded Muhlenberg (13-6) – or Berks III champ Berks Catholic (16-3), which compiled the best record and scored the most runs in the league.
The Raiders are a dark horse and that’s fine with Schnoke.
“We’ll play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders,” he said.
Baseball is the most unpredictable of sports because the game relies so much on pitching and because a team can’t ride a single ace to the title – especially with a condensed tournament schedule that has semifinals set for Saturday and the championship game on Monday.
With rain in the forecast for the next several days that makes the tournament all the more unpredictable; it’s possible there could be games on three straight days – even on Sunday, if necessary.
PIAA rules require mandated rest periods for pitchers, based on number of pitches thrown, which means having a stable of quality arms is of the utmost importance in the postseason. The top contenders all have strong No. 2’s but it could take more than that to win a title in the next week. That could give the Raiders an edge.
“Our depth does set up well for the playoffs,” allowed Schnoke, who can call upon three seniors who have thrown 25 or more innings this season, each of whom has averaged more than a strikeout per inning.
Owen Rhoads, an all-division pick as a junior, is 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings. Kevin Eden is 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 25 2/3 innings. Jon Oxendine has 46 strikeouts over 31 innings and a 3.16 ERA.
“All three have similar stuff,” Schnoke said, “and I have confidence in any of our guys.”
In an arms race the Raiders feel they can go toe-to-toe with Mifflin, Wilson, and the other top contenders.
Rhoads and Oxendine combined on a four-hitter in a 10-3 early season win over Wilson. Matt VanOstenbridge, Wilson’s ace, started that game but was removed after five innings and 88 pitches. The Raiders broke loose for eight runs after he departed. That win, Schnoke said, sparked what has been Twin Valley’s best season since they won 19 games eight years ago.
“At the time it was huge,” he said. “In hindsight it may have been even bigger than I imagined. It definitely set the tone for us. It put a lot of belief in our players, and confidence is so important in baseball.”
The Raiders also beat Muhlenberg 4-3 at midseason when Rhoads struck out seven over five innings and Eden finished with two hitless innings for the save.
That was one of many close games between contenders throughout what proved to be a very competitive and balanced season.
Muhlenberg squeezed out one-run road wins over Mifflin and Wilson on consecutive days.
Playoff pitching leaders
(Ranked by ERA; minimum 25 innings pitched)
| Player, school | Won-Loss | ERA | Innings | Ks | |
| Matt VanOstenbridge, Wilson | 3-1 | 0.86 | 32 2/3 | 50 | |
| Cam Burr, Muhlenberg | 4-1 | 0.91 | 30 2/3 | 51 | |
| Ethan Grim, Gov. Mifflin | 4-1 | 1.67 | 37 2/3 | 58 | |
| Paul Petersen, Oley Valley | 4-2 | 1.70 | 33 | 27 | |
| Wylie Loy, Fleetwood | 3-1 | 1.81 | 34 2/3 | 29 | |
| Owen Rhoads, Twin Valley | 2-0 | 1.83 | 34 1/3 | 37 | |
| Kevin Eden, Twin Valley | 4-0 | 1.91 | 25 2/3 | 31 | |
| Bryce Detwiler, Gov. MIfflin | 5-2 | 1.97 | 32 | 41 | |
| Parker Nein, Berks Catholic | 6-1 | 2.16 | 35 2/3 | 45 | |
| Liam HIlburt, Fleetwood | 5-1 | 2.16 | 32 1/3 | 28 | |
| Ethan Weiler, Muhlenberg | 3-1 | 2.46 | 31 1/3 | 22 | |
| Trey Stricker, Berks Catholic | 5-0 | 2.47 | 28 1/3 | 35 | |
| Ben Kulp, Wilson | 4-1 | 2.54 | 30 1/3 | 36 | |
| Chase Kegerise, Oley Valley | 2-1 | 2.59 | 27 | 29 |
Mifflin had taut contests in all its crossovers: It beat Conrad Weiser, Daniel Boone, and Fleetwood each by one run and saw the Raiders put the tying run on base in the final inning before Bryce Detwiler came in to record the final out of a 4-3 win.
Detwiler, who has struck out 41 over 32 innings, gives the Mustangs a pair of mound aces. Ethan Grim, who’s drawing Division I interest, is 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA and 58 punchouts over 37 2/3 innings.
Sixth-seeded Berks Catholic has the league’s deepest lineup but also a pair of proven pitchers: Parker Nein is 6-1 with a 2.16 ERA, Trey Stricker is 5-0 with a 2.47 ERA.
Fifth-seeded Fleetwood has been one of the league’s stingiest teams and can throw Liam Hilburt (5-1, 216) or Wylie Loy (3-1, 1.81) out there.
Fourth-seeded Muhlenberg and seventh-seeded Oley Valley each are dangerous first-round opponents because they have two of the best arms in the league: Cam Burr has struck out 51 over 30 2/3 innings for the Muhls; Paul Petersen has a 1.70 ERA for the Lynx.
Wilson, as usual, is well-armed. VanOstenbridge (3-1, 0.86) has the lowest ERA among pitchers on playoff qualifiers. Sophomore Ben Kulp is 4-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 30 1/3 innings. And junior Christo Hunsicker started and pitched well in both the Bulldogs’ wins over Mifflin.
For the second straight year Wilson swept Mifflin in the regular season. Last year the Mustangs took the third meeting, beating VanOstenbridge and the Bulldogs 6-3 in the title game to win their second title in three years and record 15th overall.
Pitching, as always, remains the great equalizer. Two years ago the Mustangs won their first 19 games and cruised into the league tournament as the No. 1 seed only to be taken out by Oley Valley and Luke MacDonald, the hottest pitcher in the league at the time.
Mifflin was 18-4 and the No. 2 seed in the District 3 Class 5A Tournament a year ago but was eliminated in the first round another hot pitcher, Exeter’s Deven Sheerin.
