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By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

Today's installment of our season preview content, which will run for four weeks up to the first official PIAA competition date on March 24, takes us to opposite corners of the state for Districts X and XII in class 4A. 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.

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 X (2 bids)

Top Prospects:
1. Kyle Shingledecker, 2017, IF, Grove City (Mercyhurst North East)
2. Danny Williams, 2017, IF, Slippery Rock Area (Seton Hill)
3. Gunner Becker, 2017, RHP, Slippery Rock Area (Niagara County CC)
4. Tyler Passmore, 2017, RHP, Harbor Creek (Mercyhurst)
5. Derek Fay, 2019, OF/LHP, General McLane

Looking for its first district title since 2013, Slippery Rock Area welcomes back its 1-2 rotation punch of funky slinger Becker and junior RHP Dylan Dingel, who combined to log nearly 75% of the staff's innings last spring. Even with the graduation of three significant offensive pieces, more than half of the regular line-up returns, led by slugging left-handed hitter Williams and senior C/OF Zach Van Dyke.

Despite the graduation of its staff ace, Harbor Creek appears in solid shape on the mound with a trio of returning RHP -- projectable Passmore, junior  Linden Hoover, and senior Brandon Burnett -- who logged at least twenty innings each last season. Two-thirds of coach Tim McQueeney's regular line-up is back as well, led by the junior trio of outfielder Nick Trombetta, infielder Lucas Folmar, and catcher Ryan MacGum.

A senior-laden group returns for General McLane, which took eventual 2016 3A champ Cathedral Prep to extra innings in the district semifinals. Two-thirds of the regular-lineup is back, led by the athletic, left-handed hitting Fay, plus the senior outfielder Jon Solberg and the senior left side of the infield pair of third baseman Alex Jay and shortstop Ethan Laird. Coach Mike Dombkowski must replace his top two pitchers, but has a trio of senior returning staff members who logged double-digit innings last spring in Laird, Thomas Peyton, and Solberg.

Senior infielder Joey Gasior highlights an otherwise junior-laden offense for Hickory that graduated three regular starters, but just one major run producer. Gasior is also a key cog for a pitching staff that graduated just one member who toed the rubber last spring and welcomes back 6-foot-3 senior ace RHP Aaron Erimias.

Coming off a season during which it routinely started six underclassmen, Grove City hopes that experience will pay off. Also a RHP, Shingledecker will front a pitching staff that also features Penn State Harrisburg-bound RHP Brayden Large and junior LHP Trey Adams. The toolsy Shingledecker will team with sophomore outfielder Carter Chinn, junior first baseman Logan Minch, and 3B/OF Large to power coach Billy Herman's offense.

A now senior-laden Corry Area team graduated just two from last year's roster, leaving seven of nine position player regulars in place, highlighted by seniors Tanner Martin, Logan Triscuit, and Cole Redrup. An even more intact pitching staff lost just 2.2 innings from last spring with the returning trio of Kameron Beerman, Tanner Martin, and Nick Marrs combining to log more than 90% of the mound work.

Meadville Area welcomes back two-thirds of its starting line-up, led by sophomore catcher Nick Frantz and senior outfielder Antonio Ferraro. On the mound, coach Bruce Stewart must replace his staff ace and will turn to a trio of RHP -- senior Matt Burchard, junior Chad Neugabauer, and sophomore Nick Rinella -- each of whom logged double-digit innings, to assume additional workload this spring.

Senior LHP/OF Jesse Richards and junior RHP/IF Chance Lloyd will provide two-way production for coach Todd Greenawalt's Conneaut Area team that will also need to have junior RHP Sam Andrew, senior C/OF Jeff Mifflin, and senior infielder Mason Reese make an impact.

District XII (2 bids)

Top Prospects:
1. Bryce Cunningham, 2018, IF, Lansdale Catholic (Maryland)
2. Matt Headley, 2019, OF, Bonner-Prendergast
3. Tim Dougherty, 2017, 1B, Bonner-Prendergast (Widener)
4. Evan Raiburn, 2017, RHP/3B, Bonner-Prendergast
5. Brian Dunphy, 2018, IF, Bonner-Prendergast
6. Matt Scanlon, 2018, RHP, Bonner-Prendergast
7. Ryan McSorley, 2017, IF, Lansdale Catholic (Penn State Harrisburg)
8. Nate Furman, 2020, IF, Bonner-Prendergast

With thirteen seniors on the roster, nearly half of whom have committed to college baseball programs, Bonner-Prendergast enters this season as the overwhelming favorite to capture the district crown. An experienced RHP trio of Raiburn, Scanlon, and 6-foot-4 Alvernia-bound RHP Eli Chase returns having logged at least 20 innings apiece last spring. Widener-bound RHP Joe Nestal and Cabrini-bound LHP Chris Huyette will provide depth after seeing varsity mound time last season as well. Third baseman Raiburn will also help power coach Joe DeBarberie's offense, along with slugging left-handed hitter Dougherty and the college-bound outfield duo of Dom Dellabarba (Immaculata) and Brian O'Neill (Misericordia).

The addition of Cunningham via transfer will help bolster a Lansdale Catholic line-up that will also feature Penn State Harrisburg-bound infielder Ryan McSorley, junior infielder Shane McCarthy, and Penn State Abington-bound 1B/3B Ryan Ungurean. McSorley and Cunningham have some experience on the mound, although roles on the pitching staff for first-year coach Nick Villucci could be fluid into the early part of the season.

Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter is the favorite out of the Philadelphia Public League.

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