Twenty years ago, Wash High baseball had swagger, WPIAL and PIAA titles
Players from Washington High School's baseball team celebrate after winning the PIAA Class AA title in 1998. The Prexies became the first Washington County team to win a state baseball title. Head coach Bob Peton ended a 35-year career in 2007 with 393 career victories.
Observer-Reporter
Washington High School baseball coach Bob Peton congratulates Diontae Walker after the pitcher threw a no-hitter against Freeport in the 1998 WPIAL Class AA championship game at Three Rivers Stadium. Washington went on to win the state title.
”Wanna be happy for an hour? Eat a steak. Wanna be happy for a day? Play golf. Wanna be happy for a week? Go on a cruise. Wanna be happy for a month? Buy a new car. Wanna be happy for a year? Win the lottery. Wanna be happy for a lifetime? Win a championship.” – Lou Holtz, legendary football coach.
To this day – nearly 20 years later – the members of the 1998 Washington High School baseball team completely understand what Holtz has told athletes many times.
Wash High rolled through the WPIAL playoffs in 1998 to win a second consecutive championship. The Little Prexies then won four straight games in the PIAA tournament to claim a state title.
It was an impressive and dominating run.
A special bond has endured.
“I still remember it like yesterday,” said Brad Auld, who was the team’s catcher. “Twenty years later, that’s how memorable it was. That’s how amazing it was for all of us.
“Honestly, we knew then it was going to be one of the best times we would have in our lives.”
“As I get older and reflect on it, I realize what an accomplishment it was,” said Scott Belcastro, one of the team’s two ace pitchers and an excellent center fielder. “We were determined and confident. We are all like brothers.”
The 1998 Little Prexies had a 20-3 record.
Most impressive is how Wash High played and dominated throughout eight postseason games. They outscored their opponents, 86-17. That is an average of 10.75 runs per game, and allowed opponents just a bit more than two runs a contest.
“We just believed we were going to win,” said Belcastro, who had a 12-1 record his senior season and went 22-1 in his career at Wash High. “We all remember that whole season and what baseball meant to all of us. We weren’t a team. We were a family.”
The Little Prexies’ average margin of victory was 8.62 a win. That is against the best competition.
They won the WPIAL championship, 7-0, over previously undefeated Freeport as Diontae Walker pitched a no-hitter at Three Rivers Stadium.
They won the PIAA title with a 13-3 whitewash of Wyalusing as senior second baseman Joey Gregula – the heart and soul of the team – had two hits and drove in four runs and started a defining double play with the bases loaded to halt a Wyalusing rally in the third inning that cut Wash-High’s lead to 4-3. The Little Prexies responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to retake command.
“The double play, wrapped it up,” Coach Bob Peton said.
“Those kids . . . there was just something very special about them individually and certainly collectively. We had some really good teams at Wash High through the years. But that was the greatest team I ever coached – just a special group with special young men.”
In addition to Belcastro (pitcher and center field), Gregula and Auld, other starters included first baseman Corey Francis, third baseman Steve Skaggs, left fielder Tim Carl, right fielder Dan Staniszewski , Walker, utility man Randy Thomas and designated hitter Nick Humbert.
Other notables were Aaron O’Leary, Mark Clark, Eric Fergus, Ryan Moye, Matt Ardeno, Dan Larkin, Kip Peters, Jay Bell, Derek Balent snd Jim Haburn.
Gregula said the special blend of leadership, work ethic, talent, confidence and a belief that the WPIAL and PIAA championships were the team’s destiny is what led to a wondrous season and achievement.
“You realize that you can draw back on those experiences in your life at just about anytime,” Gregula said. “We had a stage of maturity and leadership that is uncommon of people that young.
“We set goals. We worked so hard every day to reach those goals. Luck went in our direction because we prepared so well and so diligently. What we were able to do together is rare. No team did some of what we did in those playoffs. It was because of great focus and determination.
“We played with an edge and our opponents knew that. We were only interested in getting the victory. I think it certainly impacted the way some teams played against us. We believed we were going to win. We had a little swagger, no doubt. But the vision we had as a team and willingness to do great things is something none of us will forget. In many ways, what we accomplished seemed that it was meant to be.”
Francis said a willingness of everyone to put in extra practice time and the togetherness was so important that season.
“We’d practice on our own on Sundays and got 10 or 11 guys,” Francis said. “We’d run a whole practice. I think we learned a lesson that if you are willing to be focused, work hard and practice, then it’s amazing how good you can get at something. We always put the work in.”
Peton, who won three WPIAL titles and the state championship in his long career, admits that the team’s determination and willingness to do whatever was needed to be successful, and to ultimately win a state title made it easy to coach.
“They could run, and did run, their own practice,” Peton said. “I felt and they felt in the postseason that we were not going to lose. We had good pitching and good defense, most of the time, and we could smash the ball. We overwhelmed some pretty good teams in the playoffs.”
Perhaps the Little Prexies had extra motivation in 1998. After winning the WPIAL title in 1997 by beating highly-regarded Canevin, Wash High fell flat in the PIAA playoffs, exiting early.
“Yes, the loss in the state playoffs in 1997 hurt,” Gregula said. “We wanted another chance.”
The Little Prexies rolled through the regular season but had two missteps in section play, losing twice to Fort Cherry.
Peton said the losses helped keep the Little Prexies from becoming overconfident and defeat served to steel the resolve to claim a PIAA championship.
Gregula said the losses to the Rangers were impactful but not deflating.
“Fort Cherry had a history of success and competitiveness,” he added. “They had a better sense of who we were and what we were about. We were familiar opponents. That worked to their favor and the fact is they just beat us. And they played us tougher and better than anyone we played in the playoffs.
“In the postseason, those teams didn’t have as good a read on us and didn’t deal with how hard we played or the edge we played with. We understood that.”
The Little Prexies pummeled the opposition through the WPIAL payoffs and took apart Carlynton, another proud program, 15-0, in the semifinals.
That set the stage for Walker and Wash High’s command performance at Three Rivers Stadium.
The Little Prexies scored one in the first and added four in the fifth. With some breathing room, Walker’s teammates started filling him in about not allowing a hit.
Peton, who preferred splitting pitching duties between Walker and Belcastro, allowed Walker to continue.
The closest the Yellow Jackets got to a hit came in the bottom of the fifth with two on and two out. Gregula ranged behind second to stop Joe Charlton’s ground ball from going into center field. He flipped the ball to Thomas, who was playing shortstop and was a key postseason defender, covering second base to end the inning and preserve the no-hitter.
The Little Prexies added two runs in the seventh to hold a seven-run lead as Walker flirted with history. After two groundouts, Walker struck out a pinch-hitter to give Wash High back-to-back WPIAL titles and himself a ride on the shoulders of his teammates.
“I was not perfect that day,” Walker said. “If it were not for our defense, running down fly balls, making plays on ground balls and Joey’s great play in the fifth inning, there would not have been a no-hitter.
“But that’s who were were. We just had a lot of guys able to make a lot of plays. We were known for our defense in tight situations.”
Those Little Prexies will be forever remembered for their postseason excellence and domination.
“What a way to end your high school days with winning those championships and sharing the whole ride with your friends,” Gregula said.
“I remember the parade and all the excitement. It really made you feel like you had it all.”