May 22, 2016 5 min read

Canon-McMillan High School’s baseball team has enjoyed a fabulous run in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs. The Big Macs scored three runs in the seventh inning to rally past North Hills, 7-6, in the first round of the playoffs, then got strong performances on the mound and in the field in a 5-1 victory over No. 2 seed Pine-Richland.

The joy ride continues today, weather permitting, when Canon-McMillan, the seventh-seed in the bracket, plays Norwin, the No. 14 seed, in a 4 p.m. game at North Allegheny High School.

A victory by the 14-7 Big Macs would not only put them in the finals, but also clinch a berth in the PIAA tournament. The top three advance.

“We’re not changing our mindset at all. The bottom line is we are playing it one pitch at a time,” said C-M head coach Tim Bruzdewicz. “That’s been our (motto) all season. The seeds don’t play into our mindset.”

Canon-McMillan has come a long way this season after stumbling to a 5-6 record through the first 11 games. But the Big Macs have won nine of the last 10.

Norwin has an identical record to Canon-McMillan and stood at 7-5 through the first 12 games. The Knights have won their last five, including a 4-3 win over fourth-seeded Shaler and 7-1 victory over sixth-seeded Latrobe in two playoff games.

“We have a lot of information on Norwin but we have not laid our own eyes on them,” said Bruzdewicz. “I know they are a very good baseball team that they hit the ball well.”

Norwin has reached double figures in runs six times this season, which will definitely test the Big Macs defense.

“Every team left in the playoffs is a good team and it’s going to be a dogfight,” said Bruzdewicz. “Our section helped prepare us for this.”

Bruzdewicz said such leaders as catcher Tanner Piechnick, shortstop Connor Coleman and pitcher Zach Rohaley were key to turning the tide.

“Halfway through our section season, we weren’t reaching our goals,” said Bruzdewicz. “Then they started buying into what we were doing as a coaching staff. Keep in mind that these kids were coming into a new coaching staff and we were learning each other’s style. Our style was completely different than the previous staff. It took some time to believe in me. It all (came together) about halfway through the season, when we were 2-4 in the section. They kept coming to work at practice and that was a testament to our team and the captains.”

Six area softball teams are preparing for quarterfinal-round games:

• Canon-McMillan, coming off a 9-2 victory over Fox Chapel, has a difficult task ahead with North Allegheny (18-2), winners of 12 of the last 13 and the No. 3 seed in the Class AAAA bracket. The Big Macs (16-3), winners of eight of their last nine, fell to North Allegheny, 6-3, in last year’s quarterfinals but had a 3-1 win in the quarterfinals two years ago. First pitch is 4 p.m. at West Alllegheny High School.

• In another Class AAAA matchup, Peters Township takes on third-seeded Baldwin in a 5 p.m. game at California University’s Lilley Field. The Indians (11-6) are 3-1 in one-run games after defeating Franklin Regional, 8-7, in a 10-inning, first-round playoff game. Baldwin (11-3) earned a first-round bye and has not played since May 10 because of the weather.

• Burgettstown gets its toughest test of the season when the Blue Devils take on top-seeded Ellwood City in a Class AA playoff game. The Blue Devils (15-6) have won eight of their last nine games and are coming off a 5-3 victory over South Allegheny in the first round. Ellwood City has won all 17 games, including an 11-4 rout of Neshannock in the first round. The game is set for 2 p.m. at West Allegheny High School.

• West Greene is not only the top seed in Class A but one of three teams from the area hoping to advance in the bracket. The Pioneers (20-1) are on a 17-game winning streak that includes seven shutouts and two games in which they allowed just one run. Their next opponent is Union (12-5), which started the season losing three out of four games but pieced together an eight-game winning streak midseason. Canon-McMillan High School is the site and 4 p.m. the scheduled start.

• Monessen is coming off a nail-biting, 1-0 victory over the Class A defending champion Jefferson-Morgan Rockets in the first round. The Greyhounds (14-5) take on fourth-seeded Serra, which is 14-0. But Serra has played just three games since April 27 because of inclement weather. Serra is coming off an unimpressive 7-5 win over Jeannette in the first round. The Jayhawks finished the season with a 7-8 record. First pitch at Baldwin High School is 3 p.m.

• Chartiers-Houston earned the right to play second-seeded Shenango after a 9-4 victory over Leechburg in the first round. Shenango (15-3) defeated Hampton 14-4 in the first round but has been prone to giving up runs. South Side Beaver beat the Wildcats 14-5 early in the season and Mohawk scored 12 runs in a 13-12 loss two weeks ago. Start time at North Allegheny is 3 p.m.