Four for 2012 Part I

Here is our annual look at the four teams we think we make deep runs in next year's postseason. Please check back tomorrow morning for the second half of our list.

Northern (23-5 in 2011; PIAA Class AAA champions) – Out of all of our selections, this one is clearly the easiest because the Polar Bears return most of their starters from this year’s state championship team.

Joe Tuschak (sixth-round pick of the New York Mets), Andrew Keirn (playing in college at Pitt-Johnstown) and Dom Apicella will leave sizeable voids, but if coach Brian Robison can find a solid pitcher to back up ace left-hander Vince Apicella, this team will be hard to beat again next spring.

Cody McLaughlin (.471), Jon Mayer (.423) and Dylan Tamekci (.423) will pace what is sure to be a scary offense next year.

Northern is also set at all but second base with Anthony Salomone (third), Tyler Betz (shortstop) and Tamecki (first) back.

Vince Apicella (right) was absolutely lights out this year with a 0.86 ERA in 81 1/3 innings. The junior struck out 126 and walked only 18 in compiling a 12-1 record. He has a little more eight months to get even batter. That’s hard to believe.

But, there is bad news.

Keirn, who also played second, was 7-1 this year with a 1.26 ERA in 49 2/3 innings pitched. If the Polar Bears can’t find someone to fill that role, they’ll have a difficult time escaping what is arguably the deepest Class AAA district in the state.

Camp Hill (2-18 in 2011; failed to qualify for District 3 Class A playoffs) – The Lions had a year to forget in 2011 with six losses via the 10-run mercy rule.

Camp Hill also failed to score a run in eight games.

So, why is coach Brad Shover’s team on this list again? Because his youngsters will make serious noise in the District 3 Class A playoffs if they qualify next May.

Consider: Reading Central Catholic grabbed the district’s 10th and final bid this year with a 4-13 record, won the district title and advanced to the PIAA Class A final before losing to Serra Catholic, 4-0.

Had the Lions gotten in, who’s to say it wouldn’t have been them at Medlar Field playing for another state title? Camp Hill’s schedule is that tough: Nothing the Lions would have seen in the playoffs would have been near the competition they annually face in the big-school Mid-Penn Conference.

It’s easy to forget that Camp Hill is awfully young and that Chad Bronson, despite an 0-10 record this year, finished ninth in the area with 55 strikeouts.

Plus, Robbie Thompson (he’s the younger brother of L.K., who plays at West Virginia University), will be back for his sophomore year after batting .220 in his first season of varsity baseball.

Bronson (.400), Kevin Chrenick (.380) and Ben Eppley (.290) will power the offense.

Plus, Cameron Resuta and Cameron Ward, two solid pitchers who suffered through a myriad of injures this year, are back. If the Lions stay healthy and cut down on the errors, they’ll be on the short list of district-title favorites next year.