Baseball: Berks III team-by-team preview
2024 Berks baseball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Oley Valley Lynx
(PhilMarPhoto)
PIAA classification: 3A
Coach: Jeff Pinder, third season, 27-18.
Last season: 10-2 Berks III champ, 14-9 overall.
2023 postseason: Berks quarterfinalist, District 3 semifinalist.
Holes to fill: All-Division CF Chase Reifsnyder, OF Tyler Drobek.
Top players: All-Berks SS/P Paul Peterson, all-division P Chase Kegerise, all-division 2B/P Gryffin Cappellano.
Key players: 1B/P Sean Hoffman, C Brad Auge, OF Cole Remmel, OF Timmy Fries, OF Nick Palmiotti, INF Luke Petersen, DH Nate Firek, OF Cole Remmel.
Outlook: Lynx managed to win the division with just two seniors in the lineup last season. They return all but two innings from what was the best pitching staff in the division, led by All-Berks pick Paul Petersen and a pair of freshmen, Chase Kegerise and Gryffin Cappellano. True, they must replace two of their better hitters but they still should prevail.
Berks Catholic Saints
(PhilMarPhoto)
PIAA classification: 4A
Coach: Brandon Shurr, fifth season, 31-32.
Last season: 6-6 Berks III, 13-8 overall.
2023 postseason: District 3 qualifier.
Holes to fill: OF Matt Sterner, P Derek Brynildsen, 2B Nate Moschak, 1B/P Dante Casantini.
Top players: All-Division P/1B Parker Nein, all-division C Dennys Rodriguez, all-division 2B/SS/P Dillon Walls, 2B/SS/P Trey Stricker,
Key players: OF Michael Bradley, OF Maxx Mace, 3B Aidan Curley, OF/P Will Hess, P/OF Mikey Fidler.
Outlook: Saints took a big offseason hit, with several key pieces transferring out, but they’ve still got the pitching depth to compete in the division and make a playoff push. They’ve got strong 1-2 pitching punch in Parker Nein and Trey Stricker, a solid receiver in Dennys Rodriguez and several emerging young players.
Hamburg Hawks
(PhilMarPhoto)
PIAA classification: 4A
Coach: Mark Dietrich, first season (38-72 in six seasons at Schuylkill Valley).
Last season: 7-5 Berks III, 9-11 overall.
2023 postseason: Did not qualify.
Holes to fill: All-Berks 2B Conner Licklider, all-division SS Luke Bensinger, C Nate Gilbert.
Top players: All-Division CF/P Scottie Dunleavy, all-division 3B/P Tyler Shuey, P/OF Braden Fetherolf.
Key players: 2B/SS/P Isaac Krick, P/OF Ricky Clark, SS/2B/P Ethan Horvath, 2B/OF Cohen Correll, C/2B Blaise Ernst, P Gavin Kauffman, C/OF Brady Breininger, 1B Austin Gould, 1B Brody Kutzler.
Outlook: Hawks lost a ton of hitting to graduation and their longtime coach, Nick Evangelista, who moved on the college ranks. Return a strong core and plenty of pitching. If young arms take step up they could make a playoff push.
Wyomissing
PIAA classification: 3A
Coach: Dave Voigt, fourth season, 24-20.
Last season: 5-7 Berks III, 8-12 overall.
2023 postseason: Did not qualify.
Holes to fill: All-Division P Matt Kramer, all-division CF Drew Eisenhower, 1B Pacen Ziegler.
Top players: 3B Ryker Jones, DH Birkley Ziegler,.
Key players: C Daniel Noey, OF Chase Eisenhower, OF Derek Macrina, OF/P Craig Eberhart, 2B Cole Sensenig, P Noah Rauenzahn.
Outlook: Return of Ryker Jones will be a big boost to the lineup; he was one of the premier hitters in the league as a sophomore before missing last season with knee injury. Took a big graduation hit, with loss of No. 1 pitcher, several other pitchers and veteran hitters. Must find pitching to be competitive in a balanced division. Need to improve on last year’s 5.09 staff ERA.
Schuylkill Valley Panthers
PIAA classification: 4A
Coach: Taylor Grim, first season.
Last season: 5-7 Berks III, 8-10 overall.
2023 postseason: Did not qualify.
Holes to fill: All-Division SS Eli Houser, P/OF Kelton Faulk.
Top player: C/P Cody Crills.
Key players: 1B Julian Kemmerer, OF Aiden Moyer, SS Logan Nawrocki, OF/P Matthew Grumbling, P/1B Dmitri Aletras, P/OF Bodie James, SS Logan Nawrocki, 2B Derek Grim, C/P Wisten Ramos, 3B/P Salinger Kehs-Rossi, OF Chase Keller, INF/OF Tristan Goda.
Outlook: Young team with little depth and little experienced pitching has a lot of ground to make up on division’s top contenders. Must find a way to replace nearly two-thirds of innings lost to graduation or injury. Colby Crills, one of the league’s bests catchers, will open the year as the center fielder because of a need there.