Canon-McMillan eager to defend WPIAL, state titles
Canon-McMillan players dogpile near the pitcher’s mound after winning the PIAA Class 6A baseball championship at Penn State in June.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan players celebrate after beating North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class 6A baseball championship game last year.
There are some old faces mixed with a lot of new ones on the Canon-McMillan High School baseball team.
The defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 6A champions all have the same mindset, however.
“Those are ours until somebody takes them,” said Canon-McMillan coach Tim Bruzdewicz. “We have every intention of holding onto those titles until somebody rips them away. We want high expectations. We are excited to defend them.”
Bruzdewicz and the Big Macs will have to do so with a much different roster than one season ago. In 2018, Canon-McMillan became the first WPIAL team in the largest classification to win both district – the first in school history – and state championships since 1996. The Big Macs are the only team in the largest classification to win PIAA gold since 2000, also winning in 2008.
Now, to try and repeat that feat, Canon-McMillan will attempt to merge some experience with a lot of youth.
The three predominant pieces returning for the Big Macs are seniors Cam Walker, Cam Weston and Brandan Rea.
“We have a tremendous leadership group back,” Bruzdewicz said. “It’s like having three extra coaches out on the field.”
Walker, entering his fourth season as the Big Macs’ shortstop, hit. 317 with four doubles, one triple and 13 RBI. He is a Saint Joseph’s recruit.
Weston, a Michigan recruit, hit .320 with 11 doubles and five home runs. One of the C-M’s ace pitchers for the past few seasons, the other being three-time Observer-Reporter Player of the Year and since graduated Zach Rohaley, the hard-throwing righty will try to build on a strong finish from last season.
“We have always treated Cam like an ace,” Bruzdewicz said. “He went 6-0 as a sophomore and was striking out about two (batters) per inning. Last year, he had some command issues early and the pitch count was against him. I have supreme confidence that he can fill Zach’s shoes and go above and beyond.”
Rea, who has already built a rapport with Weston behind the plate as the team’s catcher, will look to guide several new faces on the mound. Lefty Nick Popielarcyzk and right-hander Alex Gregory also will be starters for C-M. Tyler Greenleaf and Austin Abel, the team’s second baseman, could serve in relief.
“A lot of those guys are unproven,” Bruzdewicz said. “They can all do different things on the mound. That’s our biggest job as a staff. If we can master what we have and don’t have, then we are going to be a tough out come playoff time.”
Other new starters include Jon Quinque at first, outfielders Noah Burke and Brycen Virgili and a three-way competition that has yet to be settled at third base.
The Big Macs went 2-0 in Vero Beach, Fla., and return this week to play a pair of teams they knocked out of the playoffs one season ago. Canon-McMillan will take on Central Catholic today and North Allegheny, which it defeated in the WPIAL championship and PIAA playoffs, Thursday at Wild Things Park.
First pitch against North Allegheny is 4 p.m.
“We do feel there is some benefit (to last year’s run), but being so young and having some new guys there will be some struggle early,” Bruzdewicz said. “That doesn’t mean we are planning on losing games. We want to be playing our best baseball come playoff time. The key to playoff baseball is having a slow heartbeat. We will be OK.”