Season review: Berks baseball sizzles . . . then fizzles

The Berks baseball season was filled with big performances, a series of exciting walk-off wins, dominant teams and a near-perfect run by Gov. Mifflin . . . but it all seemed to fizzle at the end.

Despite seeing two teams earn top seeds, and another a No. 2 seed, no Berks teams won a District 3 title — and none won a state playoff game.

Mifflin dominated play during the regular season, claiming its first 19 games by an average of six runs. The Mustangs stumbled in the postseason, losing to eighth-seeded Oley Valley in the Berks League quarterfinals and then, with Berks Player of the Year Tyler Minick sidelined by injury, twice in their three district tournament games.

Most programs would celebrate a 20-4 finish; the Mustangs had higher aspirations.

“If they gave out prizes for 20-win seasons, there’d be more of a feeling of accomplishment,” said Mifflin coach Chris Hole, “but that’s not what you hang your hat on.”

Muhlenberg enjoyed a huge season with 19 wins and its second league title in four seasons but the Muhls went out in the opening round of districts, leaving a sour taste. They were taken out by the No. 16 seed, Gettysburg, which rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to win 8-7 in 10 innings.

“The stuff that happened in the 10th inning alone was surreal,” said Muhlenberg coach Brian Kopetsky of a controversial ending that saw the game end on a strikeout after what everyone in the Muhls’ dugout felt was the second strike.

That loss was all the more puzzling because the Muhls had played so well the week before in sweeping to the league championship. They wiped out Kutztown, Exeter and Oley Valley in succession, piling up 30 runs and 34 hits with a lineup that included four .400 hitters.

“They put on one of the most impressive displays that I’ve seen in the years,” Kopetsky said of the league playoff run. “They just steamrolled teams.”

Exeter, which played in the shadow of Mifflin and Muhlenberg all season, came up with clutch performances in districts, fighting its way through the consolation bracket to earn a berth in the PIAA Class 5A Tournament.

Even more surprising was Fleetwood’s district run. The Tigers finished third in Berks II, and with a 7-12 regular season record, but knocked off top-seeded West Perry in the quarterfinals, then beat third-seeded Susquehanna Township in a state qualifier to finish third in Class 4A. They made their first trip to states in 14 years.

Three weeks before the league playoffs began Muhlenberg and Gov. Mifflin met in what was the biggest game of the year: A rare midseason match-up of unbeatens. The Muhls were 10-0, the Mustangs 13-0. Minick dominated the showdown, homering twice in a 12-4 Mifflin win.

That was just part of a massive season for the junior UConn recruit, who batted .500 and compiled an incredible 1.018 slugging percentage. He was just as dominant on the mound, going 4-0 with a league-best 0.93 ERA.

Wilson, the defending District 3 Class 6A champ, struggled to return to the playoffs after graduating all but one starter. That starter, Kent State recruit Rueben Livingston, helped keep the Bulldogs afloat with another huge season.

The two-time All-Berks pick become dominant on the mound as well as at the plate and helped Wilson squeeze into the Berks playoffs; then — a day after a league semifinal loss — he pitched the Bulldogs past Boyertown to clinch a district playoff berth.

Hamburg, powered by All-Berks right-hander Tristan Baer, went on a seven-game midseason win streak to help it lock down the Berks III title. Baer won seven games and led the league in innings pitched and strikeouts. The Hawks also faded0 fizzled late in the season, losing four of their final five games, including a District 3 Class 4A opener at home.

Oley Valley, which started slowly, nearly ran down the Hawks for the Berks III title. Luke Macdonald, a senior right-hander, pitched incredibly, with six straight scoreless appearances, back-to-back shutouts, and a complete game in a 6-1 over Mifflin in the Berks playoffs.

He came on to get the final five outs in an 8-6 semifinal win over Wilson that sent the Lynx to the Berks championship game for the first time in nine years.

The Lynx, the defending champs in Class 3A, entered districts as the No. 2 seed but went out quickly, losing their opener at home 10-6 to Trinity.

Berks Catholic, powered by Kevin Lawlor’s bat and five-game winner Parker Nein’s right arm, improved from 5-15 to 13-9 and won its district opener. Lawlor hit for the cycle in a 15-1 win over Reading High, had nine straight hits at one point and batted .400 for the season.

Wyomissing and Conrad Weiser didn’t have many highlights but each saved its best for Owls Field. The Scouts and sophomore Riley Civiello upset Exeter 3-1 in the Berks County High School Showcase; it was doubly special for first-year Weiser coach Dylan Boll, who played Legion ball at Ted Palka Park for West Lawn.

A week later at the same venue Wyomissing pulled off another surprise, beating Hamburg 6-0 behind Matt Kramer’s nine-strikeout performance.

Kutztown, led by All-Berks left-hander Grant Fitzgerald, enjoyed a bounce-back season and won the Berks IV title, its second division crown in three seasons. The Cougars won their district opener before being eliminated by top-seeded Camp Hill for the second straight year.

Antietam won a game for the first time since 2019, beating Pottstown 10-8 to snap a 23-game losing streak. Then the Mounts won again, beating Conestoga Christian 4-1 in their next game.

Exeter rattled off a series of late-game comebacks. It came from six down to beat Central Dauphin 11-7, scored in its final at-bat to beat Twin Valley 3-1 in early April, then walked it off against the Raiders in a 3-2 district opener.

The Eagles’ biggest comeback came against Mifflin when they overcame an early 9-5 deficit to win 16-10 in nine innings. That snapped the Mustangs’ 19-game winning streak and preventing them from becoming the first team in modern Berks baseball history to record a perfect regular season.

“What a great group of kids,” said Exeter coach Justin Freese, after seeing his team score twice in the top of the seventh to tie its state opener before Upper Dublin walked it off in the bottom half. “They don’t quit. They’re awesome young men. I would go to battle every day of the week with each and every one of those kids.”