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Conference Preview: York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association

March 16, 2014

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

York-Adams Division I

Returning York-Adams Division I Honorees
  1st-team Honorable Mention
Central York   '14 OF Zane Knaub
Dallastown Area '14 RHP Tyler Butcher
'14 OF Rob Catchings
'14 OF Tanner Forry (Shippensburg)		  
Red Lion Area '14 C Drew Landis
'14 OF Brady Taylor		 '15 LHP Scott Rissler
'14 OF Mike Godfrey
South Western    
Spring Grove Area
 '14 IF Nick Spangler (Shippensburg)
 '14 IF Will Maughlin

 

  • StriebigThe success of coach Robert Alkhas' Dallastown Area team will likely be based on pitching and defense this spring.  Butcher and '14 RHP James Striebig (right) will front the staff. The speed of Catchings and Forry is a huge asset in the field and on the bases, while '14 IF/RHP Jon Snyder and '14 C/OF Max Naill will be called on as major contributors as well.
  • Spring Grove Area coach Eric Zeigler can boast of a couple of quality two-way guys in Spangler, who is also the main man on the mound for the Rockets, and '14 Util/RHP Dalton Hoiles (Shippensburg). '16 IF/RHP Matt Brooks is one young player looking to follow their example.
  • SmithLandisLandis (left), Taylor, and Godfrey have all shown extra-base pop and are among eight Red Lion Area position players who saw significant playing time last spring. That number doesn't even include '15 C Jonny Smith (right), who performed well after being inserted into the line-up in mid-April.
  • '14 RHP Dan Sepic (Indiana U of PA) and '15 RHP Kyle Arganbright will give Central York a solid 1-2 punch atop the rotation.
  • TaylorRaubenstineIt could end up being a rebuilding year for South Western, which returns only one pitcher who recorded any varsity innings last year. '15 RHP/OF Kyle Raubenstine (left) will jump into the ace role. Beyond '15 OF Matt Taylor (right), who has a solid stroke and good wheels, coach Mike Resetar will have the opportunity to get valuable experience for younger players such as '16 Util Miles Francis.

 

York-Adams Division II

Returning York-Adams Division II Honorees
  1st-team Honorable Mention
Dover Area '14 OF Grant Hoover (Shippensburg)
Kennard-Dale '14 RHP Matt Belt '14 RHP Collin Crowell
New Oxford '14 IF Austin Kibler '14 IF Jake Toal
Northeastern '14 IF Steve Shimkus '16 C Devon Blymire
West York Area '14 C Cole Bixler
'14 OF Chase James		 '14 IF Carson Fries (Misericordia)

 

After back-to-back state class AAA titles, you could be forgiven for thinking West York Area might be headed toward a down talent cycle. That, however, would be an incorrect assumption.  Returning along with the three players listed above for coach Roger Czerwinski are '15 OF/LHP Brett Kinneman (NC State), '14 IF Brandon Wetzel (Methodist), '14 3B/OF Mike Santiago (Allegany College of MD), '15 1B Logan Stover, and '15 2B Andrew Copeland. The question mark surrounding a potential three-peat is whether or not Kinneman, Fries, and '15 RHP Nick Traettino can step up to replace the 74% of last year's innings that departed due to graduation.

Four starters return to a Kennard-Dale team that graduated eight seniors.  The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Belt is a behemoth who is headed to Shippensburg to play football. Also a 1B, he joins Crowell (also an IF) as solid two-way guys for coach Bill Yosca.

Shimkus is the leading returning hitter and pitcher for Northeastern.  Blymire more than held his own as a varsity starter his freshman year (.297 AVG, more BB than K, threw out 26% of attempted basestealers).  '15 IF Nick Sprenkle's swing isn't the prettiest mechanically, but he takes a short path and has exhibited a knack for finding the barrel.

 

York-Adams Division III

Returning York-Adams Division III Honorees
  1st-team Honorable Mention
Bermudian Springs
   '14 OF Alex Orwig
'15 IF/RHP Derek Starner
'14 RHP/1B Aaron Rebert
Eastern York
 '14 LHP/1B Terry Godfrey (Delaware State)
'14 C Clayton Miller
'14 IF/RHP Dalton Renn
 '14 IF/RHP Thomas Taylor
'15 OF Bobby Hendrick
Littlestown

Susquehannock
 '14 OF/RHP Sammy Miller (Longwood)
'16 IF Connor Hood
'14 IF/RHP Josh Hauser
'14 OF Bryan Kerr
  
York Suburban
'14 LHP/1B Lewis Myers

 

  • HoodFour returning 1st-teamers, including the 2013 YAIAA Division III Player of the Year in Miller, is more than a solid starting point for Susquehannock. Coach Tim Hare actually welcomes back all but one regular from last year's squad, and will have the ability to supplement them with '15 OF Dakota Dennis and '15 OF/RHP Alex Palmer. While his body may outgrow SS at some point, Hood (right) has an arm and quick release (not to mention power potential) that would ease the transition to the hot corner, if necessary.
  • Bermudian Springs coach Eric McClintic returns most of his line-up from last season. Orwig and Rebert are joined by a junior class that includes Starner, '15 LHP/OF Clayton Hoff, and '15 C Toby Sponseller.
  • ShimmelDunnVirtually the entire roster returns for Eastern York, as the Golden Knights aim to capture the division crown. Godfrey is the leader of the pitching staff that also includes 6-foot-3 '14 LHP Michael Dunn (left), '15 RHP Kyle Billet, and Renn. A senior-heavy line-up, which sees 3-hole hitter '14 Util Devin Strickler (Randolph-Macon) join all five players listed above, also features '16 IF Colby Shimmel (right), who was effective on the mound as a freshman as well.

 

York-Adams Division IV

Returning York-Adams Division IV Honorees
  1st-team 2nd-team Honorable Mention
Biglerville
 '14 IF Koby Griest
'14 IF Zach Sheets		  
Delone Catholic
 '14 RHP Dalton Haymaker
(Frederick CC)
 '14 IF Devon Craig  
Fairfield
  '15 Util/RHP Austin Ford
Hanover
 '14 IF Zac Sheaffer
'14 OF Brad Irvin		 '14 RHP Jared Peterman
'14 OF Nick Trish		 '14 Brady Goodfellow
York Catholic
 '14 IF/RHP Erich Hartman (Kentucky)
'14 OF Clint Bohn
 '14 IF Matt McKim
'15 OF Jake Krevetski
York County Tech     '14 IF/RHP Derrick Smith

 

Class AA quarterfinalist Delone Catholic returns its top two arms in Haymaker and Craig, as well as their battery-mate in '15 C Austin Roth, as the Squires prepare to make another run at the district title. Haymaker and Craig will be among the primary run-producers for coach Doug Arnold's offense, which graduated six starters.

York Catholic returns a veteran group that graduated only two seniors and should be a strong contender in class A. Coach Joe Gurreri's line-up hit a collective .330 last year and includes all four players listed above, as well as '14 Util Patrick Clement (York).

Sheets and Griest will be called upon to lead a Biglerville roster with nine returning players.  The biggest questions for coach Jeff Taylor are whether his pitching and defense will be up to the challenge.

 

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