Todd Thorpe takes a look at the 12 SOL baseball squads that will be competing in the District One Tournament this week. Photo provided courtesy of Tracy Valko (https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p994414961)
By Todd Thorpe
The first season is over for high school baseball – the regular season.
It’s time for the second season – the District One playoffs – and if history is any indication, expect surprises and don’t be shocked if some high seeds go out early or a lower seed goes on a long run and keeps on playing into states.
It’s just the nature of baseball.
The Suburban One League is represented by eight teams in Class 6A, two in Class 5A and one in Class 4A. Champions Hatboro-Horsham, Souderton and Pennsbury are the second, fourth and fifth seeds in the 6A field, while Upper Dublin got hot late and climbed all the way up to a second seed in Class 5A.
Let’s take a look at those squads:
Class 6A
#2 Hatboro-Horsham (16-3)
The Hatters have won a lot of games this spring and done so with great team chemistry. If not for a late season upset loss to Upper Dublin, they likely would have been the top seed in this tournament. Even still at #2, they enter as one of the favorites.
Center fielder Trey Porter has been the most dominant hitter in the entire SOL this season, with triple crown-like numbers, hitting .484 with six home runs and 24 RBIs. He also has a .532 on base percentage, 31 hits, 32 runs scored and five doubles.
He also has pitched for H-H, going 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 27 innings on the mound.
Third baseman Nick Katherine hit .377, with 20 hits, 17 runs and 13 RBIs, while pitcher/infielder Cole Fisher hit .357 with 21 RBIs, and second baseman Will Bruner hit .333 with three home runs and 21 RBIs.
On the mound, Fisher went 5-0 with one save and a 0.96 ERA in 28 innings pitched but has pitched sparingly over the last few weeks with a hamstring injury. Sophomore Stephen Plefka has stepped up nicely, going 5-0 with a 1.32 ERA in 35 innings pitched.
On Wednesday, H-H will host the winner of #15 Boyertown and #18 Downingtown East in the second round.
#4 Souderton (17-3)
Few teams have played as well as the Indians over the last month, as they enter the postseason on a 12-game win streak and have done so in every different way. They rode the pitching of senior Will McCausland, they’ve had games where they’ve hit a ton and they’ve won a lot of close games as well. This is a team that, on paper, looks very capable of a championship run in districts and states.
If there was a Cy Young Award in the SOL, that honor would go to McCausland, who went 7-1 with an 0.61 ERA, with 82 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched, including a no-hitter against Bensalem on May 2.
Junior Jackson Morrisette has been very good too, going 4-0 with an 0.83 ERA, with 50 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched.
Offensively, Luke Pollock led the team with a .469 batting average, and 23 hits and 20 runs scored, as well as five doubles and 12 RBIs. Leadoff hitter Shanley Wall hit .377 with 23 hits, 23 runs, eight doubles and 12 RBI. Justin Dicesare led the team with 19 RBIs, as well as eight doubles, three home runs and a .352 batting average.
Souderton will host the winner of #13 Springfield (Delco) and #20 Council Rock North in the second round on Wednesday.
#5 Pennsbury (17-3)
Offensively, defensively and on the mound, this Pennsbury team has played very good baseball all season and has both depth and talent to make a long run in districts and states. The Falcons enter the game on a nine-game win streak and have scored in double figures in six of their last seven games.
At the plate, catcher Reece Hirsh leads the team with a .382 batting average with 21 hits and 20 RBIs. But as a team, the Falcons hit over .300, they have eight hitters with double figure RBIs, and they’ve hit 53 extra base hits.
Shortstop Ryan Zuckerman hit .362 with five doubles, five home runs, 20 runs scored and 18 RBIs. Pitcher/1B Callan Fang also has 18 RBIs and 9 extra base hits. Third baseman Joe Tiroly hit .379 with 22 hits, including six RBIs.
On the mound, Pennsbury has ridden the trio of junior Kayden Faulcon and seniors Fang and Justin Mitrovich. Faulcon went 6-0 with a 1.40 ERA, with 55 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched. Fang is 5-1 with one save and a 1.44 ERA, with 53 strikeouts in 34 innings. Mitrovich went 4-1 with a 2.12 ERA, with 54 strikeouts in 33 innings.
The Falcons open at home against #12 Quakertown in the second round Wednesday.
#10 Plymouth Whitemarsh (15-5)
In a SOL Liberty Division with the likes of Hatboro-Horsham and Upper Dublin, the Colonials may enter districts a little under the radar, but they do have a ton of big-game, postseason experience.
Senior catcher Mike Miller has stepped up with a big season at the plate, hitting .500 with a .554 on base percentage, to go with 28 hits, 23 RBIs, six doubles and two home runs.
Infielders Jesse Jaconski and Luke Gartland hit .380 and .379, respectively. Jaconski has 22 runs scored, five doubles and three home runs. First baseman Lincoln Sharpe hit .370 with 23 RBIs.
On the mound, PW has been led by seniors Alex Wilkie-Viscio (6-1, 1.98 ERA, 42 innings pitched) and Ray Tomassetti (2-2, 2.18 ERA, 45 innings pitched).
As the #10 seed, the Colonials play at #7 Coatesville in a second-round game on Wednesday.
#12 Quakertown (10-7-1)
The Panthers finished fourth in the SOL Liberty Division but had some big wins along the way to earn the 12-seed in districts. They face a daunting task, playing at #5 Pennsbury in the second round Wednesday, but have played very good baseball so can’t be counted out either.
Third baseman Ty Everitt has led the team this season at the plate, hitting .465 with an eye-popping .574 on-base-percentage. He has 20 hits, four doubles, 17 runs scored and 13 RBIs.
Outfielders Ethan Beil and Brandon Pierce have been very productive driving in runs with 14 RBIs each. Beil hit .385 with 20 hits and three home runs, while Pierce hit .372 with a .509 OBP, including eight doubles and two homers.
On the mound, watch for Cooper Natisin (2-0, 2.90 ERA, 29 innings pitched) and Carl Wiess (2-1, 1.86 ERA, 26 innings pitched)
#16 Neshaminy (11-7)
Some close losses in the first half of the season made it seem like Neshaminy might not be headed for the postseason at all, but it played very well late, going 7-3 in May to earn a spot in the district playoff field. It will host #17 CB West on Monday in a rematch of a 3-1 win by the Bucks just last week in the regular-season finale.
The key for Neshaminy this season has started with the pitching of senior Matt Mays, who has been the workhorse for the pitching staff, going 5-1 with one save and a 1.15 ERA. In 42 innings pitched, he has just eight walks, while striking out 44. He’ll be aided by senior Liam DelGuerico (1-2, 3.78 ERA), who has a ton of big-game experience from the team’s deep playoff run a year ago.
At the plate, players to watch include first baseman Anthony Trommer, who hit a team-best .368 with a .458 OBP, 14 hits, 11 runs scored and 12 RBIs. Left fielder Jake Kozlowski hit .352 with 19 hits, eight doubles, two home runs, 11 runs scored and 13 RBIs.
#17 CB West (11-9)
The Bucks were on the playoff bubble down the homestretch, and they earned their spot in the Class 6A field with three wins in its last four games, including a huge double-header sweep against Pennridge and Neshaminy on Tuesday. To advance out of the first round, they’ll need to go on the road and beat Neshaminy once again in a first-round game on Monday.
It will start on the mound. Senior Cole Ferhman has been the ace of the pitching staff, going 4-1 with a 1.16 ERA, with 60 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. The staff also has some depth, with big outings from Sam Greer, Max Slaymaker, Connor Dobos and Julio Ermigotti at different times during the season.
Third baseman Aidan Quinn has had a huge season offensively, hitting .375 with three doubles, three home runs, 24 hits, 15 runs and 15 RBIs.
#19 CB South (12-8)
Very few teams enter the playoffs on more of a roll than the Titans, who at one point were 0-4 and looked to be heading nowhere this season. CB South went 7-1 down the stretch, allowing just four runs in its last five games.
It starts on the mound with 6-foot-8 senior Robby Porco, who was 3-3 with a 1.37 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched. Senior Joe Rooney (2-0, 1.59 ERA, 3 saves) has been clutch out of the bullpen, while Justin Marraccini went 2-2 with a 3.54 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.
At the plate, center fielder JT Anderosky hit a team-best .459 with 28 hits, five doubles, 13 runs scored and 11 RBIs. Shortstop Logan Hinds hit .343 with 23 hits, three doubles and 12 runs scored.
South goes on the road Monday to play a first-round game against #14 Ridley.
#20 Council Rock North (10-8)
Few teams have rode the up-and-down roller coaster more this season than CR North, which started the season with seven straight wins and was 8-1 after nine games. Costly injuries made things difficult for the Indians, who went 2-7 over their last nine games and scuffled into the playoffs as the final seed in the tournament.
That being said, there’s precedent to the final qualifier going on long runs, and North has the ace on the mound in Collin Williams who is capable of leading a team on such a run. The team opens up at #13 Springfield (Delco) on Monday.
Williams has two no-hitters on the season, to go with a 4-4 record and a 1.25 ERA. In 50 innings pitched, he has 103 strikeouts.
Shortstop Austin Stalker lead the offense with 19 hits, five doubles, two home runs, 16 runs scored and 10 RBIs, to go with a .358 batting average. Third baseman Josh Huddy hit .375 with 15 hits.
Class 5A
#2 Upper Dublin (14-6)
When the calendar turned to May, the Flying Cardinals really stepped up their game, as they went 6-2 and scored in double figures in all six of those wins to play themselves into a high seed and one of the Class 5A favorites. And in their last two games they scored 14 and 11 runs in games against Hatboro-Horsham and Quakertown.
Catcher Kyle Rizzo, hitting in the leadoff spot, has been on a tear, hitting .520 with five doubles, one home run and 13 RBIs in May alone. On the season, Rizzo hit .417 with 25 hits, nine doubles, and 19 RBIs.
First baseman Nick Harley leads UD with a .431 batting average, with 25 hits, 19 runs scored, 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 21 RBIs. Shortstop Nick Lombardo has 19 hits, two homers and 20 RBIs and is hitting .322.
On the mound, the Cardinals have relied heavily on senior Tristan Cairnes, who went 5-2 with a 3.31 ERA, with 45 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched.
On Wednesday, Upper Dublin hosts the winner of a first-round game between #7 Interboro and #10 Bishop Shanahan in a quarterfinal round game.
#12 Upper Moreland (9-8)
The Golden Bears played improved baseball over the second half of the season and not only won the SOL Freedom Division title but earned the 12th and final playoff spot in the 12-team Class 5A field. They’re on the road Monday at #5 Strath Haven.
Shortstop Shawn Townsend, out of the leadoff spot, has made the Upper Moreland flow, leading the team with a .412 batting average with a .483 on base percentage. He has 21 hits, 15 runs scored and 15 RBIs, as well as two doubles, three triples and a home run. Center fielder Nate O’Connor hit .341 with 15 hits, six doubles, 15 runs and 11 RBIs.
Jimmy Torpey has been the ace of the pitching staff, going 4-3 with a 1.81 ERA and one save. He has 42 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched.
The UM-Strath Haven winner will play at #4 Phoenixville in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Class 4A
#2 New Hope-Solebury (10-7-1)
Only four teams make the Class 4A field and just one advances to the state playoffs. It won’t be easy, but New Hope-Solebury is battle-tested and will host a semifinal game on Tuesday as the second seed. The Lions host #3 Pope John Paul II out of the Pioneer Athletic Conference.
New Hope rode the pitching of Matt Jermyn, who had a huge win over Upper Moreland late in the season. He went 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA in 32 innings pitched.
Shortstop Kyle Campbell hit .431 in SOL play with a .508 on base percentage. He had 22 hits, 18 runs scored and 13 RBIs, to go with three doubles, one triple and two home runs.
Third baseman Saul Carmenini hit .400 with two doubles, one home run, 18 hits and eight RBIs.
About the Author
Neshaminy Matt Mays
Matt Mays stats for 2022 are
7-1 with 1 save