Mar 21, 2018 3 min read

Earlier this week, the WPIAL announced the new sites for its softball and cross country championships.

With California University’s Lilley Field scheduled to undergo major renovations throughout the spring, the softball title games will be played at Seton Hill University in Greensburg.

The renovations forced the move from Cal, which has been the host for many years.

Seton Hill’s field, which has an turf field except for the pitching circle, doesn’t have permanent seating. Bleachers will be brought in for the championship games.

The WPIAL also considered Pitt as a site.

While Cal is losing the championships in softball, it’s gaining cross country.

After Cooper’s Lake Campground in Butler County, where runners have migrated for the cross country championships since 2005, decided it would no longer host meets, the WPIAL settled on Cal’s well-established course. The course also is used for the Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet.

It is a two-year commitment.

WPIAL seeking venue for football championships

The WPIAL is still searching for locations for its Class 5A and 2A football championship games. Those are the two classifications that are playing titles games this year at Heinz Field.

Last year’s Class 2A and 1A championship games were played at Robert Morris’ Joe Walton Stadium. The concern about Robert Morris is that the stadium’s capacity of 3,000 is not large enough for the crowd expected for the 5A game.

Weather forces changes to basketball schedule

The snow across the state is impacting not only the start of the spring athletic calendar but also the end of winter sports.

After snow forced several PIAA semifinal basketball games Tuesday to be postponed, the PIAA announced Wednesday morning a significant changes to the schedule for the finals.

The 12 championship games will be played next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with four games each day. The days will follow the same format of the NCAA tournament with an afternoon session (games starting at noon and 2 p.m.) and a night session (6 and 8 p.m.).

Recruiting news

The two players the Monessen High School baseball team is going to lean on to improve a 7-10 record from a season ago, Cory Fleming and Antonio Rhome, recently made college commitments.

Fleming, a multi-sport athlete, has chosen to play baseball at Westminster. He led the Geyhounds with a .488 batting average, 20 hits, six doubles, three triples and a home run last season. He also led the team with 19 runs.

Rhome, a fixture a first base, batted .410 in his junior season with five doubles and 10 RBI. He committed to play at Penn State-New Kensington.

• California fullback Jelani Stafford has received two offers in the past month.

The University of Buffalo and Fordham have offered the junior, who amassed 1,586 yards and scored 25 touchdowns in last season to earn a spot on the Observer-Reporter Football Fabulous 15.

Stafford averaged 12 yards per carry and scored a touchdown an average of every five times he touched the football.

• Two local boys basketball players committed to play for head coach Mark Christner at Waynesburg University. Chartiers-Houston center Zach Ford and Belle Vernon guard Bryce Washington plan to be Yellow Jackets next winter.
• Carmichaels volleyball player Kristina Aeschbacher recently committed to West Virginia Wesleyan College.