Pine-Richland Baseball is Ready for Action

Pine-Richland earned four WPIAL championships, a PIAA crown and a PIAA runner-up, and the Rams baseball coach has confidence that players this season know what needs to be done to get there too.

Rams coach Kurt Wolfe recently told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that having six of nine returning starters this year is huge for the team. 

“The boys are excited to get this going,” Wolfe told the newspaper. “They are ready to show missing the playoffs last season was a fluke and want to get back to where they need to be.”

In addition to help from Neil Walker, Ryan Schleiden, Dan Passione and most recently Russell Clark, Wolfe believes Sophomore Joey Professori will be able to line up in the catcher position for a few more years, according to the Tribune Review.

With that position settled, the Trib reports that Pine-Richland will have a versatile lineup from game to game with junior J.T. Riley playing first base, David Laylock on second and Daane Berezo as the shortstop.

Jack Hudak and Jamie Switalski will handle third base and in the outfield, Shea Sullivan will handle left field, Shane Heim in center and Andrew Nussbaum and Nick Roth in right.

With batting, Marcus Colella will head up a rotation that includes starting pitchers Matt McCarthy, a lefty, Berezo, Houdak, and Brendan Burnham. In the bullpen are Morgan Means, James Fonzi, Matt Graf and Laylock are ready to go.

The Trib reports Wolfe also has players like Matt Caminicky, a utility infielder and backup catcher; Matt Clark, who can play second and third; Alex Roth, who can play first base; Zac Hunkele; and Nick Chavara, who will miss the season with an injury, but whom Wolfe asked to remain on the team as a manager to get some experience.

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