Prep Baseball Report

Updated PIAA Class AAAA Super 16 (4-20-15)



By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

One month into a precipitation-filled spring, we are releasing our first in-season update to the PIAA Class AAAA Super 16 (i.e. the teams we believe are best positioned to reach the state tournament, if district tournaments started today). 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.

2015 PIAA Class AAAA Super 16
Berth School Record Notes
1-1 North Penn
7-0 The Knights, who sit atop the rugged SOL Continental division, haven't allowed more than two runs in a game yet this spring.
3-3 Penn Manor
10-1 Strength of schedule still leaves some question marks, which should get answered this week with three solid teams on the schedule. Beat a quality Warwick club and played Hempfield tough in a 6-4 loss.
       
11-1 Parkland
10-0 Probably not giving up this spot anytime soon. The Trojans have outscored opponents 102-6, while posting double-digit runs six times (an issue for them last year) and not allowing more than one run in any game.
1-3 Conestoga
8-1 Lose virtually your entire starting line-up to Division I baseball? No problem for the Pioneers, who had their season-opneing 8-game win streak halted on Friday. LHP Brendon Little attracting throngs of scouts to his outings.
       
2-1/
4-1
Wyoming Valley West
5-0 Beat reigning district champ, and the preseason holder of this spot, Hazleton Area by a score of 5-4 last week. Haven't allowed more than one run in other four wins.
3-2 Lower Dauphin
11-1 Doesn't seem to matter who graduates, this program just knows how to win. Falcons have allowed three runs or less in ten games, including six shutouts.
       
12-1 La Salle 7-3 The Explorers have a tenuous hold on this spot, although a recent 4-game winning streak helped them stay here for now. Three losses are by a combined five runs, with half of their contests decided by one run.
1-4 Pennridge 5-2 Two close losses to contending clubs (3-2 vs North Penn, 3-1 vs Hatboro-Horsham) last week. Still, this is a talented club that gets consistent, quality pitching (only allowed three runs in a game more than once).
       
3-1 Hempfield 10-2 The Black Knights haven't done anything to drop out of our top spot in this district. Both losses are to solid clubs and they enter this week on a 4-game winning streak.
1-5 Wissahickon 7-1 Balanced club that has ripped off seven straight wins since a competitive season-opening 6-2 loss to North Penn.
       
1-2 Spring-Ford 8-2 Sustained a couple setbacks during a six-games-in-eight-days stretch (which doesn't remotely resemble the district tournament). We have no doubt a team this talented will be there at the end.
12-2 Central 6-4 Close call here between the Lancers and Frankford (who have one PPL loss to Central's two), but the nod still goes to Central based on playing a stronger schedule to this point than the Pioneers.
       
7-1 Shaler Area 10-2 The Titans remain in our top spot in this district. Two losses to solid clubs by a combined three runs, while only one other team has kept the final margin at less than five runs.
7-3 Plum 11-1 Schedule strength in Section 4 doesn't match others in the WPIAL, but only allowed more than two runs twice.. Only loss was 4-1 to Shaler Area. Enter week with back-to-back solid wins over Franklin Regional & Hempfield Area.
       
6-1/
8-1/
9-1/
10-1
Central Mountain 4-0-1 The Wildcats hold onto this spot having outscored their opponents 39-7, while posting an 0.42 team ERA and better than 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
7-2 Mt. Lebanon 8-1 The Blue Devils find themselves already two games up in the loss column in a solid WPIAL Section 5. Have ripped off six straight wins since the first full week of the season.


Other Top Contenders
District I: Pennsbury, Hatboro-Horsham, Boyertown Area, Council Rock North, West Chester East, Penncrest, Central Bucks South, West Chester Rustin
Sub-Region II/IV: Hazleton Area, Scranton
District III: Cedar Cliff, Exeter Township, Governor Mifflin, Warwick, Central Dauphin, Mechanicsburg Area
Sub-Region VI/VIII/IX/X: Mifflin County, State College Area, McDowell
District VII: Bethel Park, Hempfield Area, Seneca Valley, Franklin Regional
District XI: Stroudsburg
District XII: Roman Catholic, Father Judge, St. Joseph's Prep, Frankford, Olney Charter

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