Jarred Saffren previews the upcoming SOL baseball season, makes his predictions and highlights some of the top players in each conference.
By Jarrad Saffren
Most Suburban One League National Conference coaches say their league is the best in the state.
“That’s a given in my eyes,” Council Rock North coach Matt Schram said.
“The Lower Bucks area is unreal. It’s probably some of the best baseball in the entire region,” Council Rock South coach Ted Kirner said.
Most SOL Continental coaches say the same thing about their league.
“I think we’re stronger,” Quakertown coach Jon Pallone said.
“This conference is so good. Legitimately four teams could win it every year. It comes down to one or two games at most,” North Penn coach Kevin Manero said.
As usual, the National and Continental conferences will be just about even in 2016. Powers like Pennsbury, North Penn, and Council Rock South reloaded. Upstarts like Abington and Central Bucks East bring back a lot of talent from district playoff teams.
Teams like Neshaminy and Quakertown look poised for big turnarounds.
League title races should go four teams deep. As many as six or seven in each league could compete for district playoff spots.
The SOL American is more top-heavy. American co-champions Upper Dublin and Wissahickon lost only four seniors. Second-place Upper Moreland graduated two. The next best team in 2015, Norristown, went 6-12. If any other American teams compete for playoff spots, it would be a surprise.
So let’s take a quick pre/early season run through each league. Who will finish first? Who will make the playoffs? And who are the players to watch? The answers are below.
SOL National
League Champion:Council Rock North—The defending District One Class AAAA champions return five starters, including ace pitcher Matt Hand and RBI leader Jared Schram.
Other district playoff qualifiers:Pennsbury, Council Rock South, Abington, Neshaminy
First Team
Pitcher: Matt Hand, Council Rock North—Indians’ coach Matt Schram said pitching will carry North in 2016. That starts with Hand.
Pitcher: Zach Conley, Pennsbury—Conley went 7-2 with a 1.29 ERA last season. In the offseason, he raised his fastball from 81 miles per hour to 85 and added bite to his curveball.
Pitcher: Joe Benedetti, Bensalem—Benedetti was in midseason form on opening day against Norristown, allowing one run in five innings while striking out 10.
Catcher: Jared Schram, Council Rock North—Schram drove in 24 runs in 2016. He hits almost every ball hard.
1st Base: Bill Ritchey, Neshaminy—Ritchey made the All-SOL National Second Team last season.
2nd Base: Brian Nicolas, Neshaminy—Nicolas started as a freshman for Conwell-Egan in 2015.
Shortstop: Aidan Coyle, Abington—Coyle was a Second Team All-SOL National selection in his first season as a starter.
3rd Base: Billy Bethel, Pennsbury—Bethel led the 2015 Falcons with a .483 on-base percentage.
Outfield: Shaun Stackhouse, Council Rock South—In 2015, Stackhouse made the All-SOL National Second Team and played for the SOL National/BAL’s Carpenter Cup championship team.
Outfield: Jack Larini, Abington—Larini also made the Second Team and played for the SOL National/BAL team. He went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the team’s semifinal win over Berks County.
Outfield: Cody Kutler, Council Rock South—Kutler hit .422 for Northampton’s senior legion team last summer. He has a sharp eye and can hit for contact and power.
Designated Hitter: Paul McElroy, William Tennent—McElroy was named to the All-SOL National First Team as a sophomore and junior.
SOL Continental
Champion:North Penn—The defending PIAA Class AAAA champions have gone 9-5 or better against league opponents every year since 2008. The Knights return two all-league outfielders.
Other district playoff qualifiers:Pennridge, Central Bucks East, Central Bucks South, Hatboro-Horsham
First Team
Pitcher: Andrew Mayhew, Pennridge—Mayhew went 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA as a junior.
Pitcher: Colin Kennedy, Hatboro-Horsham—Hatters’ pitchers had a 1.75 ERA in league games in 2014 and ’15. “We have a tradition of very strong pitching,” coach Pete Moore said. Kennedy, a 6-foot-2 left-hander and La Salle commit, is next in line.
Pitcher: Dan Klepchick, Central Bucks South—At least four Division I schools—Monmouth, St. Joseph’s, La Salle, and UConn—are recruiting Klepchick.
Catcher: Colin Sheehan, Central Bucks East—Sheehan is entering his third season as a varsity starter.
1st Base: Aaron Gulibon, Souderton—Gulibon will bat third for a team that hit .302 in 2016.
2nd Base: Jared Kishbaugh, Quakertown—Kishbaugh was an all-league player as a freshman last season. “He’s just a strong, athletic, competitive kid,” Pallone said. “He broke into varsity early in the year and found a way to get on base consistently, use his speed, and make things happen.”
3rd Base: Kadar Namey, North Penn–The 6-5 St. Joseph's University signee will anchor the left side of the infield after playing first base and seeing action at designated hitter last year. According to coach Kevin Manero, Namey was 'killing the ball' on the team's trip to Florida.
Shortstop: Dan Long, Pennridge—A first team all-league selection as a shortstop, Long also reaches 90 miles per hour with his fastball. He is committed to play baseball at Monmouth University.
Outfield: Mason Nadeau, North Penn—Nadeau, a Penn State commit, hit .356 with a .437 on-base percentage in 2015.
Outfield: Alex Peterson, North Penn—Peterson slammed 25 hits in 76 at-bats last spring.
Outfield: Matt Peralta, Central Bucks West—Peralta was a second team all-league selection in 2014 and ’15.
Designated Hitter: Will Moller, Central Bucks South—Moller was a second teamer in 2015.
SOL American
Champion: Wissahickon—The defending SOL American champions return their entire pitching staff and five position starters.
Other district playoff qualifiers:Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland (AAA)
First Team
Pitcher: Logan Willans, Wissahickon—Willans, only a junior, is going into his third season as Wissahickon’s ace.
Pitcher: Cole Swiger, Upper Dublin—The Bloomsburg commit is a four-year starter.
Pitcher: Joe Bates, Upper Moreland—Bates made the All-SOL American Second Team as a junior last season.
Catcher: Thomas Juelke, Upper Dublin—Juelke was also a second teamer in 2015.
1st Base: Conor McFadden, Upper Dublin—McFadden was a first teamer as a junior.
2nd Base: Paul Ciampoli, Upper Moreland—Ciampoli is half of the SOL American’s best double-play tandem.
Shortstop: Connor Casey, Upper Moreland—Casey is the other half. He was also Upper Moreland’s team MVP last season. “I expect him to be one of the best players in the league this year,” UM coach Ken Irwin said.
3rd Base: Alex Tappen, Wissahickon—Tappen, a University of Virginia commit, is Wissahickon’s three-hole hitter and number two pitcher.
Outfield: Blake Rapoport, Wissahickon—Rapoport is Wissahickon’s leadoff man and perhaps its most important offensive player. “He has been so consistent in setting the table for the rest of the lineup over the last three years,” said Wissahickon coach John Bernhardt.
Outfield: Terell Dale, Norristown—Dale hit .392 in 2015.
Outfield: Connor Freestone, Wissahickon—Freestone was an All-SOL American Honorable Mention last spring.
Outfield: Reggie Collins, Norristown—Collins batted .380 last season.
Designated Hitter: Matt Shilling, Wissahickon—Shilling, a first team all-league DH as a sophomore, will also get time at shortstop and pitcher.
About the Author
Andrew Mayhew
Andrew is a junior this year. You have his sophomore stats