Trio to be ranked or watched

Early indications from Pennsylvania Football News headquarters are three area teams will be mentioned in the publication's preseason polls.

Almost a lock to crack the Class AA top 10 is Trinity. The Shamrocks, who open at Lancaster Catholic on Aug. 29, have a solid nucleus back from last year's District 3 runner-up team that finished 12-1. Lineman Nick Kindler has committed to West Virginia University while split end/safety Christian Kuntz has verballed to Penn State University.

Two other teams should start 2008 on the PFN's Others to Watch List. In Class AAA, East Pennsboro, led by speedy senior running back Tyler Rivera and senior quarterback Wes Strayer, should make some noise after going 4-6 last year. An important note is that half of those losses were by four points or fewer.

In Class A perennial district challenger Camp Hill will appear just outside the top 10. The Lions have the same issue a very good Millersburg team had the last two years. To make it out of Distirct 3, one has to beat defending state champion Steelton-Highspire. Last fall, Camp Hill beat the Rollers, 28-21, in the regular season before losing, 33-0, in the district semifinals. Quarterback Tyler Shover, The Sentinel's Offensive Player of the Year in 2007, is back to lead offensive coordinator Steve Shover's dynamic attack, which appears to grow a new set of legs each week.

Keystoners blanked again

The final national high school baseball rankings were released in the most recent edition of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and, once again, a Pennsylvania team failed to crack the top 30.

What's more, the ABCA High School All-Americans were also without a Pennsylvania standout. ABCA named first, second and third-team All-Americans yet none were from the Keystone State.

Despite the absence of players recognized at the high school level, Shippensburg University left-handed pitcher Matt Wright, a graduate of Mid-West High School, made the NCAA Division II All-American list as a third-team pitcher. Wright, now in the Blue Jays organization, led Shippensburg to the Division II College World Series where the Red Raiders went 1-2.

Wright pitched Shippensburg to a 9-2, loser's bracket win over Franklin Pierce on May 26.

Four for 2009 take two

Here's the final two teams we should should make some noise and have a good shot to go deep into the District 3 playoffs.

Northern
All-Sentinel first-team pitcher Cam Richardson and second-team shortstop Tyler Follmer are gone but the Polar Bears, who made a run to the 2006 PIAA semifinals, should have a solid team in 2009.

Middle infielder/pitcher Sam Crater, who will be a junior next year, should pace the team. He's been a force since his freshman year and hit .302 with 12 RBIs and three doubles this year. On the mound Crater struck out 34, walked 17 and posted a 3.27 ERA in 33 innings to go 4-2.

Hank Sanders, an All-Sentinel first-team first baseman, will be back for his senior year after hitting .390 with 10 RBIs this spring.

Pitcher Quintin Taylor will be expected to improve his 6.00 ERA and 3-3 record as he steps into a more prominent role in the rotation.

Trinity
The biggest loss coach Al Hobby will have to deal with his All-Sentinel second-team outfielder Brooks Watts, who hit .458 with 14 RBIs.

On the mound the Shamrocks return their top two pitchers, Mike Hnatuck and A.J. Weaver. Either one is capable of being the team's ace, which means Trinity's No. 2 will be better than most its opponents'.

Plus, Ted Spinelli and his .333 average, 16 RBIs and 12 extra-base hits is back to anchor the offense.

The bad news is that the team should have been better than its 9-10 mark in 2008. Worse is that Trinity moves from Class AA to the ultra-competitive Class AAA for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Bottom line: Trinity will have pitching and that goes a long way in high school baseball.

Four for 2009

Before we focus on high school football for the next six or seven months, it's time to officially wrap up the high school baseball season. To take a page out of Baseball America and it's Eight for Omaha feature, here's our Four for 2009.

These are the teams we think have the best chance to advance deep in the District 3 playoffs and possibly qualify for the state tournament.

Camp Hill
This one's a no-brainer. The defending PIAA Class A champion Lions return all but one player to their title team. Stepping in to the outfield spot vacated by the graduated Jim Rish will be Jordan Weber, who elected to participate in track this spring.

Matt Spiegel, who won five playoff games including the state final to be named The Sentinel's Player of the Year, should be better than this year and the offense will put up mounds of runs.

Catcher Tyler Shover will lead a potent offense and the likes of L.K. Thompson, Seth Crossley and Matt Robertson will solidify a tough lineup.

The main question is who will be the No. 2 pitcher? Shover was solid during the season but struggled in the playoffs. Michael Frankenfield, who posted a 1-4 record in the regular season, will have to work on his control if the Lions are to get past the PIAA quarterfinals.

Susquenita
The team came out of nowhere this year and finished fourth in the highly competitve Mid-Penn Colonial Division. The Blackhawks squeaked into the district field by beating West Perry on the final day of the regular season. In the postseason Susquenita made Gettysburg sweat in a 5-2 loss.

Unlike Camp Hill, the team will need to replace a few key holes. Right-handed ace Kyle Gilbert (6-4, 5.42 ERA in 63 innings), David Bauer (.306, seven RBIs) and Devan Wieland (.343, 14) are gone but the Blackhawks have a lot back.

Bobby Kohl, a freshman in 2008, hit .424 with 12 RBIs and seven doubles will anchor the team's offense and defense as a sure-handed first baseman.

Check back Tuesday for two more teams that should be tough outs in 2009.

All-Sentinel Baseball Team Revealed

In The Sentinel on Tuesday, July 1 is the 2008 All-Sentinel Baseball Team, headlined by Camp Hill junior right-handed pitcher Matt Spiegel, our Player of the Year. Also on the first team, as a second baseman, is last year's Player of the Year, Kyle Otstot.

Overall, the first team is senior-heavy. The lone first-teamers who will return next season are Northern junior first baseman Hank Sanders and Camp Hill sophomore center fielder Matt Robertson. West Perry coach Jeff Sanno garnered Coach of the Year honors for taking his Mustangs, seeded No. 22, to the District 3 Class AAA quarterfinals.

First Team
Player of the Year — Matt Spiegel, jr., Camp Hill
Catcher — Kasey Cooper, sr., Cedar Cliff
First base — Hank Sanders, jr., Northern
Second base — Kyle Otstot, sr., Red Land
Third base — Christopher Davis, sr., Shippensburg
Shortstop — Teed Wertz, sr., Red Land
Designated hitter — Jimmy Baum, sr., West Perry
Outfield — Kyle Pellman, sr., Cedar Cliff
Outfield — Andrew Kramer, sr., Cumberland Valley
Outfield — Matt Robertson, soph., Camp Hill
Pitcher — Cam Richardson, sr., Northern
Pitcher — Ricky Ott, sr., Shippensburg
Pitcher — K.C. Beshore, sr., Red Land
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Second Team
Catcher — Tyler Shover, jr., Camp Hill
First base — Bobby Kohl, fr., Susquenita
Second base — L.K. Thompson, soph., Camp Hill
Third base — Zach Nyce, sr., West Perry
Shortstop — Tyler Follmer, sr., Northern
Designated hitter — Nico Delerme, jr., Red Land
Outfield — Brooks Watts, sr., Trinity
Outfield — Derrick Mease, jr., Carlisle
Outfield — Ben Anderson, jr., Mechanicsburg
Utility — Zack Piper, jr., Shippensburg
Pitcher — Kory Mann, sr., West Perry
Pitcher — Jeremy Shepps, sr., Cumberland Valley
Pitcher — Andrew Hunt, sr., Red Land

Want to discuss the teams and/or selections? Contack me via e-mail at tpickens@cumberlink.com or on the phone at 717-240-7125.