Baseball: Berks III team-by-team preview capsules
Hamburg Hawks
PIAA classification: 4A
Coach: Nick Evangelista, 13th season, 158-88.
Last season: 9-3 Berks III champ, 14-8 overall.
2022 postseason: Berks quarterfinalist, District 3 quarterfinalist.
Must replace: All-Berks P Tristan Baer, all-division 1B Brayden Kamp, all-division P Austin Miller, RF Connor Gruber.
Top players: All-Division CF/P Scottie Dunleavy, all-division 2B/P Conner Licklider, C Nate Gilbert.
Key players: SS/P Luke Bensinger, P Braden Fetherolf, 3B/P Ty Shuey, INF/P Isaac Krick, LF Ricky Clark.
Outlook: Hawks have strong core returning but won’t be able to fall back on ace Tristan Baer any longer. Will need to find an arm to take his spot. Plenty of bats and speed throughout the lineup, with return of .300 hitters Conner Licklider and Scottie Dunleavy. Still the pick to repeat as division champ.
Oley Valley Lynx
PIAA classification: 3A
Coach: Jeff Pinder, second season, 13-9.
Last season: 9-3 Berks III runner-up, 13-9 overall.
2022 postseason: Berks finalist, District 3 semifinalist.
Must replace: All-Berks P Luke Macdonald, all-division Joey Vaccaro, all-division Andrew McMullen, 1B Ty Yerger.
Top players: SS/P Paul Peterson, CF Chase Reifsnyder.
Key players: OF Tyler Drobek, P/1B Sean Hoffman, C Brad Auge, INF Nathan Firek, OF Colin Remmel, P Chase Kegerise, P Gryffin Cappellano.
Outlook: Lynx took some big graduation hits and also start the season without a key part, Chase Reifsnyder, who’s still on the mend from broken right hand suffered during soccer season. He’ll move to CF once he returns. Will rely on young squad, including some freshmen pitchers, to make another playoff run.
Berks Catholic Saints
PIAA classification: 4A
Coach: Brandon Shurr, fourth season, 18-24.
Last season: 7-5 Berks III, 13-9 overall.
2022 postseason: District 3 Class 3A qualifier.
Must replace: All-Berks C RJ Emrich, all-division 2B Kevin Lawlor, all-division OF Chris Avram.
Top players: All-Division P/1B Parker Nein, C Denny Rodriguez.
Key players: SS/P Trey Stricker, OF Matt Sterner, OF Max Mace, P Derek Brynildsen, P Nate Moschak, P William Hess, 1B/P Dante Casantini, All-Division IV P/OF Mike Fidler (transfer from Antietam), C/INF Eli Hearing, INF Michael Bradley, P/OF Sean Kelly, OF/P Brock Shrawder.
Outlook: Saints have big holes to fill in the lineup after losing their three top hitters: RJ Emrich and Chris Avram to graduation and Kevin Lawlor to a knee injury that will cost him the entire season. Denny Rodriguez takes over at catcher and will be key cog in the lineup. Parker Nein is back to anchor a deep pitching staff after going 5-0 with 1.08 ERA as a sophomore.
Wyomissing Spartans
PIAA classification: 3A
Coach: Dave Voigt, fourth season, 24-20.
Last season: 7-5 Berks III, 9-10 overall.
2022 postseason: DNQ.
Must replace: C Nate Koenig, 3B Ryker Jones, SS Dom Colon, 2B Jayvien Wolf, OF Tommy Grabowski.
Top player: All-Division P Matt Kramer.
Key players: 1B Pacen Ziegler, OF Drew Eisenhower, OF Donovan Cruz, 2B Birkley Ziegler, P Gabe Cruz, P Jack Froelich, P CJ Eberhart, 3B Chase Eisenhower, SS Cole Sensenig, SS Noah Rauenzahn, C Cooper Young, C Daniel Noey, OF Derek Macrina.
Outlook: Must replace some big bats, including junior Ryker Jones, who is out for the season with a knee injury from football, and Nate Koenig, who graduated. Matt Kramer returns as one of the top pitchers in the league after going 4-2 with a 2.24 ERA; he also batted .362 with 17 runs scored. Need to develop more starting depth behind him to challenge for playoff spot.
Schuylkill Valley Panthers
PIAA classification: 4A
Coach: Mark Dietrich, fifth season, 30-62.
Last season: 5-7 Berks III, 6-13 overall.
2022 postseason: DNQ.
Must replace: All-Division P/INF Drew Campbell, INF Kyle Spotts.
Top players: SS Eli Houser, P/OF Kelton Faulk.
Key players: C Cody Crills, 1B/P Colin Stoudt, OF/P Julian Kemmerer, INF/P Caden Kline, INF/P Brock DeJesus, 3B/P Gary Wenzel, INF/P Matthew Grumbling, 1B/P Dmitri Aletras, C/P Bodie James, INF Logan Nawrocki, INF/P Luke Spotts.
Outlook: Panthers were hit hard by graduation, losing their top pitcher and top four hitters. Will rely on several sophomores to plug the holes.