Peters Township finds the right mix
Senior shortstop Alex Mundy is batting .433 with nine extra-base hits for Peters Township.
Longtime Peters Township baseball coach Joe Maize, center, believes his players are ready to earn the program’s first playoff victory since 2011.
The journey of Peters Township’s baseball season from being an afterthought in Class AAAA to one win away from a Section 5 title began with the search for seven new starters.
Joe Maize knew the talent was there, but the Indians’ head coach was looking for the right mix of players that would value the team’s success over individual statistics or playing time.
Ask anyone around the program what was missing from the Indians when they missed the playoffs in three of the past four years, and the consensus will be team chemistry. It was a palpable cohesiveness this season that helped Peters Township overcome a two-game losing streak in early April.
When the offense struggled or close games turned into devastating losses, there was no doubt among the players that a playoff run was still possible. It showed in a willingness to lay down a sacrifice bunt or encouragement given in the dugout after a tough plate appearance.
That sentiment hasn’t changed as the Indians prepare for their return to the WPIAL playoffs that begin today.
After finishing in a three-way tie for second place, Peters Township (12-7) received the ninth seed and will face eighth-seeded Fox Chapel (14-5) Tuesday at West Mifflin High School. First pitch is 2 p.m.
“I would say the biggest difference for us is we have a better team comraderie,” junior center fielder Tor Sehnert said. “The chemistry is there and I think it’s been missing the past couple of years. We’re a loose bunch and we’re always having fun out there. It shows in the way we play.”
The importance of that chemistry was magnified after the Indians saw their shot at earning a share of the section title evaporate because of some poor execution in a 14-inning loss to Canon-McMillan. Despite the defeat, the Indians showed moxy by overcoming two deficits to force extra innings, but they lost more than the title.
The loss cost Peters Township a few spots in the seeding as Canon-McMillan got the seventh seed. Maize expected a quick rebound after the loss, but saw a lack of energy during a 4-2 win over Trinity last Monday, but he wasn’t the least bit concerned about his players’ mindset entering the postseason.
“The difference is how much these kids support each other and care for each other,” Maize said. “Because of that and their ability to play together, they’re going to be a team to content with in the playoffs. They’re having fun out there, and I’m having fun coaching them.”
It also helps to have plenty of talent. Sehnert, a Coastal Carolina recruit, has led the Indians as the No. 2 hitter in the order. He is batting .474 with eight of the Indians’ 10 home runs, and has driven in 29 runs.
Senior Alex Mundy, who earned the starting shortstop job during the preseason, is batting .433 with nine extra-base hits and 19 runs.
The two make navigating Peters Township’s batting order an exhausting task for any pitcher, and it’s the Indians’ ace pitcher who has kept them competitive when the offense struggles.
Junior Eric Riotto, who threw only 18 varsity innings as a sophomore, is 3-1 with a 2.98 ERA, 34 strikeouts and eight walks in 40 innings.
“When he’s on the mound, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we feel like as long as we hit well, then we’re going to win the game,” Sehnert said. “He’s taken a big step forward, and he’s doing really well this season.”
In the WPIAL playoffs – a time when a team rarely uses only one pitcher in a game – Peters Township has other options. Junior TJ Dailey, senior Ryan Frizzell, junior Reagan Lawlor and sophomore Nolan Thompson have Maize’s confidence while on the mound.
Pitching will be important against Fox Chapel, which is led by senior pitcher Jacob Pilarski, a right-hander whose fastball topped out at 88 mph at a showcase last summer. Pilarski has a 0.64 ERA – three earned runs in 33 innings – with 30 strikeouts.
Pilarski didn’t pitch against Peters Township when the Foxes defeated the Indians, 7-3, April 1. There’s no clear favorite in the rematch.
The Indians are trying for the program’s first playoff win since 2011, when PT lost in the WPIAL title game and the PIAA quarterfinals to Seneca Valley.
“We’ve had a playoff drought, so we’re all excited to get started,” Sehnert said. “We’re eager to be able to play and experience the playoffs together.”