May 17, 2015 6 min read

The highly coveted first-round bye in a postseason tournament is designed to give one of the top teams the advantage of added rest, while its looming opponent grinds out its opening playoff game.

No one told the WPIAL Baseball Steering Committee that when it scheduled the 2015 playoffs. Coaches of teams seeded lower breathed a collective sigh of relief when the district created a six-day break from the first round to the quarterfinals. The same cannot be said for teams such as California (17-1), which is the top seed in the Class A playoffs.

When the Trojans face eighth-seeded Western Beaver (9-5) today at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park in the quarterfinals, they will have not played a game in 11 days. Meanwhile, the Golden Beavers, especially ace pitcher Cody Acon, got plenty of rest prior to 4:30 p.m. first pitch. Garitt Woodburn will take the mound for Cal on a busy day for playoff games.

“I don’t think there’s really an advantage in it at all – getting the bye,” California head coach Nick Damico said. “We’d rather play, definitely. There is no advantage with the way they set up the (playoffs) this year. It is what it is, and we’ll just make the adjustments as needed.”

One of those adjustments was a scrimmage Friday against one of the top teams in Class AA. Seven pitchers threw for the Trojans, who have won 12 consecutive games. It’s not that Damico was searching for a starter. He was simply preparing for the unpredictable nature of playoff baseball.

Prior to Friday, Cal was relegated to intrasquad scrimmages, bullpen sessions and simple drills to perfect the nuances of the game. Western Beaver defeated Brentwood, 2-1, last Tuesday to earn its fifth consecutive win.

“The practices were beneficial, but not playing is always worrisome as a coach,” Damico said. “It’s tough when you have a layoff and don’t play for almost two weeks. That’s always a concern, but I think the guys are up for the challenge and they are ready to go.”

California has been crushing the baseball as it prepares to defend its WPIAL title. The Trojans are averaging more than 12 runs per game and have four players batting above .500 in Nathaniel Luketich (.592), Louden Conte (.564), Aaron Previsky (.545) and Johnny DeFranco (.533).

Previsky and Luketich are the top two RBI leaders in the WPIAL with 48 and 39, respectively. Conte leads the WPIAL with 42 runs, Previsky is tied for second with six home runs and Woodburn is second with seven wins.

The Trojans picked up where they left off in 2014, when they went 20-1 and captured the program’s fourth WPIAL title

Six starters are gone, including pitcher Josh Luko, the 2014 Observer-Reporter Player of the Year, but California rolled to its 25th section title, winning all 10 Section 1-A games by a combined score of 126-20.

In recent years, California’s program has become synonymous with pitching and defense. While success remains, it’s a new brand of Trojans baseball.

“Last year was more of our defense. Our pitching staff didn’t give up many hits or walks,” Damico said. “It’s our offense that’s getting us through the games. It’s helping our pitching, helping our defense by scoring so many runs. It’s baseball. It changes every year. It’s crazy how it works.”

Mikes surprise

Carmichaels (13-3), the 10th seed in WPIAL Class A, entered the season with a new head coach and eight starters gone from 2014, which ended with a loss in the PIAA Class A quarterfinals.

Few people outside of Carmichaels thought this spring would be anything more than a rebuilding year for first-year head coach Dickie Krause. Thanks to the unexpected growth of a young pitching staff and the steady play of senior catcher Michael Blasinsky, the Mikes are back in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

After defeating Sewickley Academy in the first round, Carmichaels will face second-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic (17-3) today at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park with first pitch at 7 p.m.

“Honestly, this group of kids has always been told they can’t do it,” Krause said. “At every level, people compared them to that strong group that graduated last year and thought they weren’t as good. People thought they wouldn’t amount to much, but all they’ve done is prove to people they can play.”

No kidding. Not only did Carmichaels dispatch Sewickley Academy with a 6-1 win, but it has won eight of its last nine games with pitching playing a pivotal role.

The next test won’t be easy. The Centurions have not lost to a Class A opponent this year with senior pitcher Collin Liberatore, who also is GCC’s cleanup hitter.

“The only thing I asked is for our team to not be overwhelmed or intimidated by any team,” Krause said. “There are games where GCC didn’t blow teams out. They may be the heavy favorite, but we embrace the underdog role.”

C-H back in top spot

Chartiers-Houston’s softball team is again the top seed in the WPIAL Class A playoffs after spending the past two seasons in Class AA.

The Bucs (17-2) have scored double-digit runs seven times and are succeeding behind freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Dittrich.

They open the playoffs after a 13-day layoff today against eighth-seeded Monessen (11-3) at Fairhaven Park. First pitch is 4 p.m.

The long break is something head coach Tricia Alderson is used to. C-H had three scrimmages last week and does have experience with six senior starters, but Alderson admits the first-round bye is not always an advantage.

“It can be a blessing or a curse,” Alderson said. “We just try to keep the girls as focused as possible and get as many scrimmages as we can. It’s important to see good pitching.”

The last time the Bucs had the top seed in the Class A playoffs was 2012. The result: The program’s fifth WPIAL title since 2004 and a trip to the PIAA semifinals.

Rockets soaring; C-M the underdog

Third-seeded Jefferson-Morgan (12-2) continues its quest for the program’s first WPIAL title today against sixth-seeded Sewickley Academy (13-1) today at Fairhaven Park. First pitch is 2 p.m.

They have not allowed more than two runs in a game since a 4-2 loss to Chartiers-Houston April 1 and have outscored their last six opponents, 62-2.

Canon-McMillan (13-4), the seventh seed in Class AAAA, faces No. 2 North Allegheny (19-1) today at Baldwin High School (5 p.m.)

The Big Macs defeated the Tigers, 3-1, in the quarterfinals last year.