Return to the Island? Nope

Tuesday afternoon, the Harrisburg Senators pulled the plug on the game between Trinity and Boiling Springs, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. at Metro Bank Park on City Island.

The Senators said it was due to wet grounds.

Three days later, Boiling Springs baseball coach Chris Barnett confirmed that the two rivals will not play at Metro Bank Park this spring. Rather, the rescheduled game will be held at Dickinson Park on May 13. First pitch is set for 4:15 p.m.

Barnett said it was disappointing because his team had raised the money to play a night game on City Island but instead the Bubblers will settle for a college field. It's not the refurbished Metro Bank Park, but Dickinson Park is a nice facility that deserves a high school game.

Games of the Week (April 28-May 1)

From what's left of a damp week:

Cedar Cliff at Cumberland Valley, Wednesday, 4:15 -- Colts look to improve to 13-0 against the 6-6 Eagles, who nearly beat Cedar Cliff in the first meeting. Left-hander Eric Sawyer will likely draw the unenviable task of shutting down this high-powered Cedar Cliff (right) offense.

Red Land at Chambersburg, Wednesday, 4:30 -- Red Land took the first meeting in Lewisberry that featured a little shoving afterward. This has slowly progressed from merely a division rivalry to one of bad blood. Another installment should be just as fun.

Waynesboro at Susquenita, Wednesday, 4:15 --The Blackhawks regained some swagger Tuesday by beating Bishop McDevitt, 12-7. This will be where we can tell if this team is totally out of its funk. Susquenita handled the Indians in the first meeting, but as of late these teams appear to be headed in opposite directions.

Mechanicsburg at Hershey, Friday, 7 -- Mechanicsburg needs to rebound from its no-hit loss to Lower Dauphin on Wednesday against Bishop McDevitt before it heads to Hershey for this night game. Now two games behind those pesky Falcons, coach Clay McAllister's crew needs a win here.

Area athletes moving on

Carlisle Area School District board of directors hired a new football coach Thursday night but that's not the only thing going on today. We had three football and/or baseball players announce their next destination this afternoon.

Trinity baseball player Will Kerr will play collegiate ball at perennial PSAC power California while Mechanicsburg's Tarik Leftenant will continue his exploits as an explosive running back under Jay Foster at resurgent Clarion of the PSAC.

Moving up a level, Mechanicsburg's Nik Cremo will call the Southeastern Conference his next home and play football for legendary coach Steve Spurrier at the University of South Carolina. Cremo made 20 of 25 extra points as a senior and booted six field goals to help Mechanicsburg qualify for the District 3 Class AAA playoffs two years in a row.

Leftenant, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, finished third in the area last fall with 1,003 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Leftenant's late touchdown on a screen pass from quarterback James Rusenko in the closing minutes of a District 3-AAA first-round contest was called back due to a hold. The touchdown would have made the score 35-35 but the Wildcats lost, 35-28.

Kerr is having an outstanding year for the unbeaten Shamrocks baseball team. Kerr is batting .375 (9-for-12) and has a 4-0 record as a pitcher with a 3.20 ERA in 16 innings with 21 strikeouts and eight walks.

Games of the Week (April 20-24)

One day late but here goes nothing:

Red Land at Cedar Cliff, Wednesday, 4:15 -- Another installment of this can't-miss grudge match. Cedar Cliff leads the Commonwealth while Red Land is a close second. This isn't the game at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York but it should be a great atmosphere for a nasty showdown. There's really nothing better than two rivals butting heads while they're having outstanding seasons. It's Kyle Zimmerman (RL) vs. Jordan Lawson (CC) ... buckle your seat belts.

Susquenita at West Perry, Wednesday, 4:15 -- What happened to the Blackhawks in Newville? Talk about the wheels falling off and rolling back to Duncannon. If the wheels aren't back on by this game, coach Jeff Sanno's Mustangs will be ready to take advantage. West Perry is going through a rough patch but pushed Waynesboro on Monday in a 7-3 loss. If Susquenita isn't ready, West Perry will garner a victory.

Palmyra at Mechanicsburg, Friday, 4 -- Palmyra was one of the few teams to beat Mechanicsburg in the Keystone Division last year. At the time, it looked like an awful loss, but the Cougars eventually qualified for the PIAA Class AAA playoffs. The Wildcats, already with one division loss, need to win this to keep pace with front-running Lower Dauphin. And don't look now, but Hershey is playing really well.

Trinity at Greencastle-Antrim, Friday, 4:15 -- Unless one of these two giants slip up, this will be Round 1 for the Capital Division title. Both are unbeaten in the division at this writing, which makes this game huge. The two will meet again but the winner obviously has the inside track to winning the crown. We think this is the year Trinity stakes its claim to the title and qualifies for the Mid-Penn Tournament.

Pictured: Mechanicsburg senior pitcher Andy Nauss

East Pennsboro forced to forfeit to West Perry

The ruling came down Wednesday from Mid-Penn baseball chairman Scott Govern that East Pennsboro cannot keep its Colonial Division victory over West Perry.

East Pennsboro failed to rest right-handed pitcher Zach Nye (left) for three days after the junior tossed a complete game Saturday against Boiling Springs. Nye went the distance again Tuesday at West Perry and delivered a win with eight strikeouts and one walk. The Mustangs could muster only four hits and one unearned run off Nye, who qualified for the PIAA Class AAA wrestling finals at 215 last month.

West Perry coach Jeff Sanno declined to comment and East Penn coach John Frantz said it was a simple mistake. The second-year coach was under the impression that once a new calendar week begins, all pitching stats are wiped clean.

Phone calls made to Govern on Wednesday evening were not immediately returned.

Due to the ruling, West Perry improves to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in the division while East Penn dips to 3-4 and 1-1 after the Panthers' 13-12 loss to Palmyra on Wednesday.

Games of the Week (April 13-17)

Here is our first installment of what should be a weekly look at the top games in the coverage area.

Red Land at Central Dauphin, Wednesday, 4 -- Rams open their division slate with the three-time defending champs, who beat conference-favorite Chambersburg last week. Red Land is 4-1 with a baffling loss to West York. Central Dauphin, the 3-AAAA runner-up last spring, seems a bit down this year but is still 4-2.

Hershey at Mechanicsburg, Wednesday, 4 -- These teams are off to surprising starts. Mechanicsburg was supposed to be rebuilding but is 5-1 while Hershey was expected to run away with the division and contend for a 3-AAA title. But the Trojans are 2-3 and badly need a win at Shirley/Rickenbach Field for a boost of confidence. Mechanicsburg, the reigning division champion, is king until someone says otherwise.

Chambersburg at Cedar Cliff, Thursday, 4:15 -- Trojans are the favorites to win the division and the conference but Cedar Cliff is the team off to an unbeaten start (6-0). The Colts have been shaky of late with narrow wins against Cumberland Valley and Spring Grove so this should be a nice test.

Shippensburg at Susquenita, Thursday, 4:15 -- The young Greyhounds are playing well despite a 2-3 record. The pitching is a tad suspect, which isn't a good thing against a Susquenita team that kills the ball. The Blackhawks (above) are our division favorites so if Shippensburg pulls out a win, we'll be impressed.

Milton Hershey at West Perry, Friday, 4:15 -- Entering Tuesday, Milton Hershey had a 1-2 record and West Perry was 2-4, but don't be fooled by the records. Each team badly needs a win here to keep postseason hopes alive, which should make for a fun game. West Perry can't afford to lose many more outside of the Colonial if it wants to return to the 3-AAA field after missing out last season. A win against the Spartans is crucial.