Prep Baseball Report

2015 PIAA Class AA Preseason Super 16 Revealed



By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

We are trying something a little different with our team "rankings" this season. Instead of going down a rabbit hole by attempting to order teams from various parts of the state who play against vastly different levels of competition, we are going to try to compare apples to apples a bit more. Each week, we will present the schools we think are in the best position to earn state tournament berths out of their respective districts. Below are our predictions, in bracket order, for how we see the PIAA class AA state tournament shaping up.

A couple of notes:

1. X-Y under "Berth" = [District]-[Bid]. For example, 3-2 is the runner-up from District III.
2. If multiple districts are listed on one line, those districts will form a sub-regional to determine that bid.
3. Don't kill the messenger. This is a PBR staff effort.
4. If you don't like that your team isn't included, you've got the next three months to prove us wrong!

2015 Preseason PIAA Class AA Super 16
Berth School Notes
3-1 Delone Catholic
Veteran roster (seven position players starters and three experienced pitchers) returns for the Squires, who won this district in 2013.
4-2 Towanda Area
With graduation creating major question marks on the majority of PHAC staffs, it could leave the door open for an NTL team like the Black Knights, who return the league's top pitcher among a significant number of key contributors.
     
12-1 Neumann-Goretti
It would take an act of God, or, perhaps only slightly more likely, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia cancelling the season, for the Saints to miss the state tourney. One of the two most physically talented programs in the state.
1-1 Devon Prep
The defending class A state champs move up a level, but may not miss a beat in this five-team district. Two-thirds of the starting line-up and the front of the pitching staff all return for the Tide.
     
4-1 Loyalsock Township Back-to-back state champs. Lots of the usual suspects return, including the Lancers top three rotation guys and six position player starters.
2-1 Lakeland Back-to-back district champs. Two-thirds of the starting line-up and six pitchers with varsity experience return.
     
11-1 Salisbury Township District appears wide open. Falcons return two-thirds of their starting line-up and two of their four primary pitchers. Six of eight losses last year by 2 runs or less. Can experience in their dugout and attrition in others make up the difference?
12-2 Prep Charter The Huskies look to repeat their state tournament appearance from 2013 after falling in the Public League title game last season.
     
5-1/
6-1
Central Staff ace and five line-up regulars return for the Scarlet Dragons, who went undefeated last year until falling to Loyalsock Township in the state title game.
3-2 Lancaster Catholic
Despite losing their top player (who exhausted his PIAA eligibility after his junior year), the Crusaders are still in solid shape as they reclassify down from AAA. Two experienced pitchers and a number of talented youngsters are in place.
     
8-1/
9-1
Cranberry Area The defending District XI class A champs return both KSAC 1st-team pitchers, including one of the top southpaws in the state.
7-2 Neshannock Both primary starting pitchers return for a Lancers team that lost two games all season (by a total of three runs) and allowed more than three runs in only five of twenty contests.
     
7-1 Seton-
La Salle
Catholic
The Rebels return the bulk of their roster, including two experienced pitchers, from last season's district runner-up.
6-2 Bellwood-Antis Six starting position players are back for a Blue Devils team that suffered all four of its losses last year by one run. The top pitching prospect in the district is a nice anchor to have for the team's rotation.
     
10-1 Franklin Area Two words: Zach. Guth.
Six stats: 50.1 IP, 18 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 17 BB, 108 K.
And two more words: Total. Domination.
7-3 Riverside Five starting position players are back for this perennial contender. A pair of junior pitchers return from injury to help make up for the loss of the vast majority of the Panthers' innings.


Other Contenders
District I: New Hope-Solebury, Springfield Township
District II: Greater Nanticoke Area, Holy Cross, Holy Redeemer, Mid Valley, Mountain View
District III: Camp Hill
District IV: Hughesville, Line Mountain, Southern Columbia Area, South Williamsport, Troy Area
Sub-Regional V/VI: Bald Eagle Area, Bedford, Bishop McCort, Forest Hills, Mount Union Area, Philipsburg-Osceola
District VII: Keystone Oaks, New Brighton Area, Quaker Valley
Sub-Regional VIII/IX: Karns City, Moniteau
District X: Mercyhurst Prep, North East, Northwestern, Sharpsville Area, Wilmington Area
District XI: North Schuylkill, Notre Dame Green Pond, Schuylkill Haven Area
District XII: MaST Community Charter, Philadelphia Academy, Roxborough

Season Preview Schedule

2/27-3/15: District Previews Archive
March 16: PAISAA Preseason Fab Four
March 17: PIAA Class A Preseason Super 16
March 18: PIAA Class AA Preseason Super 16
March 19: PIAA Class AAA Preseason Super 16
March 20: PIAA Class AAAA Preseason Super 16