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WPIAL Class 5A Baseball Championship preview: West Allegheny looks to cap off magical run

noah hiles, beaver county times
·4 min read

The second day of the WPIAL Baseball Championships will take place on Wednesday at Wild Things Park in Washington. West Allegheny, the No. 3 seed in Class 5A, was the only area team to reach the finals, as it's set to take on No. 1 Peters Township on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Here is a preview of the matchup:

Scouting West Allegheny

Head coach: Bryan Cornell (19th year)

Record: 18-4

Path to championship: Defeated No. 14 Fox Chapel 1-0; No. 6 Shaler 6-5; No. 2 Bethel Park 3-0

Key players

  • Colin Marinpetro: Highlighted by Cornell as a new starter who'd be a top contributor for his club, Marinpetro hasn't disappointed. The senior outfielder has been solid at the plate, leading his team with 31 hits and a .413 batting average. Marinpetro will play baseball next spring at Seton Hill.

  • Gavin Miller: The Auburn commit has played only three games this spring for the Indians due to a series of injuries that started in the fall on the football field. However, don't let Miller's inactivity on the diamond make you think he isn't a major threat. The senior designated hitter showed major pop at the plate in his first game back, in the semifinals.

  • Anthony Pass: It can be argued that no player throughout the entire WPIAL has had a better postseason than Pass. In two starts, the senior pitcher has delivered a pair of complete-game shutouts, with the most recent coming against defending PIAA Class 5A champion Bethel Park in the semifinals. On the year, the Washington & Jefferson commit has gone 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA. He'll look to stay hot against a loaded Peters Township lineup on Thursday.

The Scoop: Bryan Cornell will be the first one to say this is far from his most talented team in his nearly two decades at West Allegheny. However, what makes this group different is its chemistry. Each night throughout the season, it seemed as if a different Indians player would come up when the team needed a big hit. Add that to the solid combination of Pass, Nathan Nolan and Austin Buzza on the mound, and you have a winning combination. West Allegheny will certainly be the underdog, which the club will be more than OK with. After losing Miller and VCU commit Devan Zirwas before the season started, many counted the Indians out. Yet, here they are, one win away from WPIAL title No. 5.

Scouting Peters Township

Head coach: Rocky Plassio (3rd year)

Record: 21-1

Path to championship: Defeated No. 16 Connellsville 7-0; No. 8 Penn-Trafford 6-5; No. 12 Thomas Jefferson 11-1

Key players

  • Sam Miller: The Columbia commit has easily been one of the top two-way players in the WPIAL this spring, dominating both at the plate and on the mound. Miller leads Peters Township with seven home runs, 35 RBIs and .442 batting average. The senior is equally impressive on the hill, going 7-0 with a 1.43 ERA in 11 outings.

  • Wes Parker: The hulking 6-foot-4 slugger is set to play baseball at Toledo next spring, and he hopes to have a WPIAL title to his name before his high school career ends. The Indians' first baseman has shown some major pop this year, batting .357 with four home runs and 19 RBIs.

  • Bryce Thompson: Thompson is another very dangerous bat in the Indians' lineup. The senior outfielder enters the WPIAL Class 5A title game with a .431 batting average, a pair of homers and 27 RBIs.

The scoop: The team that no one expected to be here at the start of the season quickly became the major favorite to win it all. A one run loss to Albert Gallatin was the only thing that kept Peters Township from a perfect record entering the postseason. In their three playoff contests, the Indians have tallied 24 runs, 11 coming in the semifinals in a blowout win over Thomas Jefferson. Peters Township hasn't captured a WPIAL title since it won back-to-back Class 4A crowns in 2007 and 2008. With the Indians' most talented group in years, Rocky Plassio and company will look to change that.

Contact Noah Hiles at nhiles@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @_NoahHiles.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: WPIAL Class 5A Baseball Championship preview: West A seeks 5th title