May 15, 2016 5 min read

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There’s been plenty of debating on who was seeded too high and who was seeded too low in the WPIAL baseball and softball playoffs. It’s no different than every other year, but I’ve actually heard a few valid points floated when it comes to where certain teams are seeded.

Regardless, it’s a relief that the games will finally begin across the WPIAL.

Canon-McMillan baseball has the chance to prove it deserves the seventh seed, and the Big Macs’ softball team has the opportunity to show that they, rather than Baldwin, deserved a top-four seed.

There will be intriguing pitching matchups in baseball and softball, and West Greene has the chance to redeem its lost to Greensburg Central Catholic in last year’s playoffs.

The baseball and softball playoffs are a great time of year (weather permitting), so let’s jump in and take a look at some storylines to watch.

The Big Macs are the fifth seed and will play Fox Chapel Monday at North Allegheny. That’s what we know. What we don’t know is will it be Abi Michelluci or Kaylee Gohring in the circle?

Your guess is as good as mine, but Canon-McMillan also needs to find a way to make teams pay for walking senior shortstop Linda Rush, a Drexel recruit. You rarely see a softball player get pitched round like Rush does, so how the Big Macs handle that could play a factor in just how far they go.

The Leopards finished second in Section 4-AAA, dropping them to a ninth seed in the Class AAA playoffs. It’s not a favorable matchup against Chartiers Valley, but I like Belle Vernon’s chances.

The Colts’ section was weak this year, so it’s difficult to tell just how good they are. You could argue the same about Belle Vernon’s section, but the Leopards saw better pitching. That matters this time of year.

They didn’t just face good pitching, they excelled against it. Jordan Zilka is batting .403 with 18 RBI and Evan Hannan is .397 with 14 RBI. Belle Vernon is batting .342 as a team, but does it have the pitching to make a run?

It has four different pitchers that threw at least 20 innings, including Jacob Callaway, who has a 1.40 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 20 innings. The biggest question is who takes the mound against Chartiers Valley? We’ll find out Monday night.

Burgettstown saw another shot at earning a Section 1-AA title fall by the wayside with a late regular-season loss, but can the Blue Devils bounce back with a playoff win?

If you don’t remember, Burgettstown was the sixth seed last year after falling short against South Side Beaver and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Neshannock.

The perceived strength of the section – or lack thereof – has Burgettstown seeded eighth with a first-round game against South Allegheny Wednesday.

So, is this the year Burgettstown earns a playoff win in Class AA? The committee didn’t do it any favors by giving South Allegheny the ninth seed.

The Gladiators, who just beat Section 4-AA champion South Park 10-7 last week, scored at least nine runs in eight games and usually utilizes two pitchers.

The numbers are impressive, but can they hit Burgettstown pitcher Katie Tarr? I’m skeptical, which means they’ll need the pitching to shut down the Blue Devils’ offense.

I don’t see that happening.

Just how good is California baseball in Nick Damico’s third year as head coach? The offense is as good as ever and the defense has been solid, so the better question is does California have the pitching to win a WPIAL title?

Louden Conte will likely start Tuesday’s game against Brentwood and if the Trojans grab an early lead, look for Damico to relieve him after three or four innings. They’ll need another pitcher to step up in the postseason.

I don’t see them having much trouble with Brentwood in the first round, but a potential quarterfinal game against Vincentian is intriguing. The Trojans are also on the same side of the bracket as Serra Catholic. Both have great pitching.

California will go as far as its pitching takes it. We’ll see how far that is and how Damico manages his pitching in the postseason.

West Greene is going to win the WPIAL Class A softball championship. There’s my first prediction of the blog most – a little over 750 words in. I think that’s a record.

Until another team proves it has the pitching, depth and incredible offense that West Greene possesses, I don’t see it losing in the playoffs. I’ve never seen a Class A softball team hit for power like the Pioneers do.

Getting the first playoff win will be a large hurdle for a young team. The biggest question is how does West Greene handle high expectations? Well, there have been high expectations for this team since last May and so far so good.

Sleeper in Quad-A

Canon-McMillan is a sleeper in Quad-A. The offense needs to be better and the same goes for the defense, but the Big Macs have the pitching depth to compete for a title, especially in a classification that’s pretty wide open outside of Plum.

They get a nice first-round game against North Hills, which I can’t pretend to know much about. What I do know is Canon-McMillan’s young players learned how to win at the right time and the Big Macs have the pitching to get it done.

Baseball

Quad-A: Plum

Class AAA: Blackhawk

Class AA: Neshannock

Class A: Serra Catholic

Softball

Quad-A: Hempfield

Class AAA: Yough

Class AA: Deer Lakes

Class A: West Greene