Aug 6, 2015 5 min read

Tanner Piechnick spent much of his childhood traveling from baseball game to baseball game, learning the nuances of several positions and developing a passion for those hours spent on the field.

He has played everywhere on the diamond and had the opportunity to compete alongside his older brother, Teagan. As Tanner grew, so did his ability to hit. Once he reached high school, the Canon-McMillan senior did so against the WPIAL’s top competition.

A little more than a year after Teagan earned a Division I scholarship to Rider University, Tanner got an offer he could not refuse. Piechnick accepted a scholarship to Ohio University last weekend and will join the Bobcats in 2017.

“I was looking at a couple other schools, but that was my only actual offer,” Piechnick said. “They kind of pushed me to make a decision. There were a lot things about the school I liked and there was nothing I didn’t like. I figured by committing early there was much more to gain than lose if I made an early decision and stuck with it.”

After being selected Observer-Reporter first team all-district as a junior, Piechnick joined the Steel City Wildcats of the Western Pennsylvania Elite Baseball League. As the Wildcats’ starting catcher, Piechnick made an adjustment to his swing and the results are showing. He is batting .345 in 28 games with 24 runs, five doubles, four triples, a home run, 21 RBI and a .495 on-base percentage.

His approach at the plate caught the eye of Ohio’s coaching staff at a tournament near Cincinnati early this summer and he was invited to make an on-campus visit. After viewing the facilities and hearing the coaches’ thoughts on him, Piechnick grew fond of the Mid-American Conference school in Athens.

Ohio’s coaches watched him compete in WPEBL games before offering a scholarship as a catcher – a position he is still learning.

“They like what they see out of me, but they think there are things for me to improve on defensively,” Piechnick said. “They like the way I swing the bat, but there’s always room to improve. They want me to work on having quicker feet when I come up to make a throw.”

After Buzz Boggio, Canon-McMillan’s starting catcher in 2014, graduated, former Big Macs head coach Frank Zebrasky began thinking of potential replacements. Replacing Boggio’s defensive prowess would be difficult.

Shifting Piechnick, a power-hitting right-handed hitter, from first base was ideal. His 6-2, 180-pound frame fit the bill and his approach on offense made him aware of how pitchers should attack opponents.

Piechnick helped Canon-McMillan reach the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs and the Big Macs’ pitching staff was among the best in the district.

“He did a wonderful job at catcher for us,” Zebrasky said. “He had command and he knew his pitching staff. We were comfortable with him calling most games because of his maturity. Growth as a catcher is important and we definitely saw that.”

It was a switch Piechnick took seriously. He spoke to Canon-McMillan’s pitchers at practice, picking their brains on what they like to throw in different situations. The relationship between catcher and pitcher is arguably the most important in baseball, and Piechinck approached the situation like a future Division I athlete.

“It wasn’t a tough switch, really. I just had to stick with it,” Piechnick said. “I like being a leader on the field. Whenever I started, I figured I would keep going. In a game, it just came naturally. If I called a pitch and they didn’t like it, they could shake me off.”

With his decision made, Piechnick can focus on becoming a refined defensive catcher. Those days of playing with Teagan made the commitment memorable.

“It’s really nice. Now, I can just go out and not worry about anything,” Piechnick said. ” I’ll focus on my game and not look around me.”

The future is bright for Canon-McMillan wrestling and that was evident last month at the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D.

Juniors Camden Fontenot, Blaze Kansco, Brendan Furman and sophomore Logan Macri each competed in the freestyle tournament.

Furman placed sixth in the 285-pound weight class and earned All-American status for placing with the top eight. Macri, who qualified for the PIAA tournament last March, had a 2-2 record at 106. Fontenot won four of six bouts at 138 and Kansco went 2-2 at 182.

Fontenot and Kansco also wrestled in the Greco-Roman tournament.

MSA Sports released its Kennywood All-Star preseason football team and several local athletes made the cut. The results come after a round of voting that was open to the public.

South Fayette’s Hunter Hayes and Beth-Center’s Anthony Welsh made it at running back. Hayes averaged almost eight yards per carry as a junior and finished second in the WPIAL with 2,103 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Welsh, who is one of the most powerful runners in the district, rushed for 1,582 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging more than 13 yards per carry.

South Faytte’s Nick Ponikvar and Avella’s Luke Lloyd were chosen as all-stars at wide receivers.

Others who made the list are South Fayette offensive lineman Nick Dabrowski, Bentworth kicker Levi Jordan, Washington defensive lineman Thomas Cherry and Washington defensive back Jordan West.

Canon-McMillan’s hockey club wanted an experienced coach to replace Terry Virtue, who resigned after two years and a PIHL Penguins Cup last winter.

They found one this week when Joe Rodella, who coached Pitt’s Division II club program for six seasons, signed a one-year contract. He led the Panthers to five winning seasons in the ACHA.