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By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

Today marks the twelfth installment of our season preview content, which will run for four weeks up to the first official PIAA competition date on March 24. Each article includes a list of top prospects from amongst the cohort of schools, as well as write-ups of a number of teams in the cohort. The number in parenthesis after each header is the number of state tournament bids allotted to that district or sub-region. Today we begin our look at class 4A with five districts that cut a swath from Northeast PA to the south central part of the state.

We received inquiries in the past regarding how we decide which teams to detail. A team profiled in the article is less an indication of what type of season we expect it to have and more a function of how much information we are able to compile. For example, if we have not recently seen a team in person (there are over 600 baseball-playing high schools in the state), stats are not available on-line, and a school district spam filter gobbled up our e-mails to the coach that contained the questionnaire, we might not have enough information to write a full paragraph on that school.

District II (1 bid)

Top Prospects
1. Vince Cimini, 2019, IF, Scranton Prep (Boston College)
2. Andrew Carroll, 2019, RHP, Honesdale
3. Mason Black, 2018, RHP/C, Valley View (Lehigh)
4. Nick Kocher, 2018, RHP, Dallas
5. Joshua Kopcza, 2017, RHP, Wyoming Area (Army)
6. Nathan Seprosky, 2017, LHP, Valley View (Rhode Island)
7. Noah Granet, 2019, IF, Scranton Prep (Princeton)
8. Jack Dennis, 2019, RHP, Honesdale

Despite the departure of Pittsburgh Pirates signee Max Kranick as one of 14 graduates from last year's team that lost an 11-inning heart-breaker in the old class 3A district title game, Valley View nonetheless has enough talent to make a deep post-season run with former coach Jason Munley back at the helm after a one-year hiatus. Seprosky, Black, and senior RHP Joey Castellani all logged significant innings last year, while Black and senior infielder R.J. Kilmer will buoy a revamped offense. Keep an eye on a pair of freshmen -- infielder Dixon Black and catcher Jeremy Boyle -- to possibly make an early career impact.

A Wyoming Area squad that has been within shouting distance of a state tournament berth the past two seasons will lean on two returning Wyoming Valley Conference all-stars -- Kopcza atop its rotation and senior outfielder Mike Bonita, its line-up sparkplug -- to set the tone on both sides of the ball.

With an offense that lacks proven hitters beyond Cabrini College-bound infielder J.D. Barrett, Dallas will lean on the RHP tandem of 6-foot-3 Kocher and Susquehanna-bound RHP Lee Eckert to keep the team in ballgames, while a host of new position players settle into the line-up.

An experienced Scranton Prep line-up projects to be strong in the middle of the diamond with verbally committed youngsters Cimini and Granet forming the keystone combo and senior catcher Kyler McAllister returning to manage the pitching staff. Lots of innings up for grabs with two rotation stalwarts to replace, which leaves coach Mark Seitzinger turning to the senior RHP trio of Jordan White, Jake Grady, and Dom Giacobbe to fill the void.

Honesdale may be a year or two away, but the Hornets have a strong sophomore class featuring the toolsy, 6-foot-3, 185-pound Carroll, 6-foot-3 Dennis, C/IF Anthony Dell'Aquila, and infielder David Curreri (a Stony Brook commit).

District IV (1 bid)

Top Prospect: Logan Hile, 2019, LHP, Selinsgrove Area

Coming off a district title in the old class 3A, Selinsgrove Area has just one hole to fill on its pitching staff, but it happens to be due to the graduation of its ace who shouldered more than half of the team's workload last spring. A trio of returnees -- Hile, sophomore RHP Blaise Zeiders, and senior RHP Kyle Mertz -- each logged double-digit innings and will see their roles expand, along with senior RHP Evan Poust. Also an outfielder, Mertz will provide a spark for a line-up that graduated two-thirds of its regulars, while senior IF/C Morgan Fisher, third baseman Poust, and senior catcher Jake Nylund (who missed half the season due to injury) will also be primary run producers.

Susquehanna-bound infielder Lance Welsh headlines a veteran group of infielders that remains intact for Jersey Shore Area, which will look for sophomore outfielder Koby Peacock to build on a strong second half of his rookie season. Needing to replace two of the team's top three pitchers, including an ace who logged nearly half of the staff's innings, first-year coach Mike English will lean on his junior trio of LHP Timmy Saar and RHPs Brandon DePasqua and Calvin Lesser.

Having graduated the vast majority of its offensive production, Shikellamy will likely need to lean on the returning senior RHP tandem of Ross Wonsik and Logan Kern to keep the Braves in ballgames.

Lewisburg Area welcomes back two-thirds of its regular line-up and its top two innings-eaters this spring. Powering coach Brian Zysset's offense will be a quartet of seniors -- catcher Wilson Fisher, infielder Jack Marrara, Macalester-bound outfielder Sam Rosevear, and infielder A.J. Ramirez. Junior RHP Aaron Hoover will again serve as the staff ace, while Rosevear was the Green Dragons' bullpen stopper a year ago.

First-year Milton Area coach Ben Barnhart is undoubtedly still learning his new squad, which must replace five line-up fixtures as well as its staff ace. Stepping up to fill the void could be junior RHPs Tony Manzano and Alex Garcia, plus the senior tandem of LHP Drew Trate and RHP Bryan Smith. First baseman Trate, 3B/C Garcia, and junior 3B/C Cade Devlin could be called on to spark the offense.

Eight underclassmen earned significant at-bats and/or innings pitched last spring for Mifflinburg Area, experience that should come in handy as the Wildcats look to replace their staff ace, who doubled as the team's top offensive threat. A trio of sophomores -- third baseman Darin Miller, plus outfielders Eric Zimmerman and Denzel Sampsell -- will team with junior outfielder Maxwell Troutman for primary run production duties for an offense that returns seven regulars. Pitching staff is less settled, although Troutman, Zimmerman, and junior Brian Jordan each logged double-digit innings last season.

Sub-region V/VI (1 bid)

Top Prospects:
1. Adam Cecere, 2019, 3B, Forest Hills
2. Grant Norris, 2019, SS, Somerset Area (Duke)
3. George Coyle, 2017, RHP, Somerset Area (Seton Hill)
4. Logan Mathieu, 2017, 1B, Bellefonte Area (Liberty)

Coming off a season that began by losing seven of eight games, but ended on a nine game winning streak with a state championship, Bellefonte Area welcomes back the bulk of its regular-line-up. Liberty-bound first baseman Logan Mathieu will power the offense along with senior third baseman Tyler Kreger, Shippensburg-bound outfielder Tanner Helms and sophomore outfielder Cade Fortney. Coach Dan Fravel must find a way to replace 70% of the team's innings from last season, including his ace. The staff will get a boost from the return to pitching of Mathieu, who will join junior LHP Adam Armstrong (the only holdover who logged more than eight innings last year) atop a rotation that will find sophomore RHP Adam Wetzler, plus senior RHPs Kreger and Garrett Reiter assume larger workloads. Note: shortly after posting this article, it was brought to our attention that Helms will miss the season due to injury

After three district titles in four seasons from 2011-14, Somerset Area, looks to end a two-year state tournament drought. The bulk of the line-up returns, led by third baseman Coyle, shortstop Norris, and senior outfielder Ethan Hunt. Coyle will front the pitching staff, while junior RHP Tyler Mulhollen will see his role grow for coach Steve Costea.

District XI (1 bid)

Top Prospects:
1. Darion Jacoby, 2017, OF, Pottsville Area (Virginia Tech)
2. Gavin Hinchliffe, 2017, 3B/RHP, Pottsville Area (Virginia Tech)
3. Tyler Schreiner, 2017, OF, Northwestern Lehigh (Lehigh)
4. Noah Nabholz, 2018, RHP, Pottsville Area
5. Brandon Miller, 2017, OF, Wilson Area (St. John's)

Pottsville Area suffered some attrition due to graduation, including one of its top arms, but still features an older staff that includes the live-armed Hinchliffe, senior RHP Ryan Kalinich, and the lean, 6-foot-4 Nabholz. The physical Hinchliffe and toolsy Jacoby will power an offense that will welcome back senior utility Eric Wapinsky, who was a line-up fixture as a sophomore before being sidelined due to injury last spring.

Allentown Central Catholic coach Mike Brosius will again turn to senior RHP Jake Patridge to be a big part of a rotation that will also have junior RHP Justin Welch earning a larger role. The line-up will be anchored by Williams College-bound outfielder Ed Manzella, junior outfielder Robert Roman, and junior 1B/OF A.J. Brosious.

After nursing along a young roster for a few seasons, Wilson Area coach Josh Hinkle now has an upperclass-laden group to roll out this spring. The pitching staff will be led by junior Gabe Karslo, plus seniors Miller and Ethan Smith. Junior first baseman Brandon Smith and senior catcher Nick Strehl will be joined by Karslo and Miller in powering the offense for the Warriors.

An inexperienced group awaits Saucon Valley coach Gary Laub in his first season at the helm. Junior IF/OF Alston Wolfe will again spark a line-up that must replace more than half its regulars, while senior first baseman Thomas Coakley and sophomore catcher Patrick Morrissey could be called upon to assume increased roles. Likewise, the pitching staff returns just one of its four starters, senior RHP Will Smith, while Coakley could soak up some much-needed innings as well.

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