May 30, 2016 4 min read

Getting a team to bounce back from a disappointing loss can often be difficult for high school coaches dealing with the psyches of young players.

But Canon-McMillan baseball coach Tim Bruzdewicz feels his team has the right mindset, leadership, and, oh yeah, a little bit of recent history, to show them the way.

Bruzdewicz will find out today if that’s good enough when the Big Macs (14-8) play Hempfield (16-7) at Washington & Jefferson’s Ross Memorial Park in the WPIAL Class AAAA consolation game. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Canon-McMillan dropped an 8-5 decision to Norwin last Tuesday in the WPIAL semifinals and has had a week to stew about the loss, as has Hempfield, which was beaten, 3-0, by top-seeded Plum.

“I spoke with some coaches I know, like Bryan Cornell from West Allegheny and he told me that losing in the semis is the hardest thing to come back from,” said Bruzdewicz, who is in his first season with the Big Macs. “You’re just so close to the finals. We had a lousy first practice back, but we got that out of our system and I think we’re ready.”

The winner of the game will have a keen interest in what’s going on across the parking lot at Consol Energy Park Wednesday night. On June 6, the WPIAL’s third-place team will face the WPIAL champion in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs.

The loser of today’s game sees its season come to an end.

Canon-McMillan will rely on the battery of pitcher Zack Rohaly and catcher Tanner Piechnick, an Ohio University commit, to extend its season. And if that’s not enough, there’s a little history lesson, as well.

The Big Macs fell into the Class AAAA consolation game in 2008, dropping a 6-5 decision to Plum. But they rebounded to win their next five games by a combined score of 45-13 en route to a PIAA championship.

“We’re in the exact same spot,” said Bruzdewicz. “They were in the 3-4 game and they won five in a row, so it is possible.”

For that to happen, Canon-McMillan will need big games out of Rohaly and Piechnick, though Bruzdewicz said he will have freshman pitcher Cam Weston ready to go as well.

“Rohaly has been a front-line guy for us all season,” he said. “And Watson couldn’t pitch early in the season for us but he’s got really good stuff, not just for a freshman, but anyone.

“Piechnick has been a guy who’s stepped up for us all year. He’s been great behind the plate, like a coach on the field. I give him the ability to make his own calls out there. He’ll make some calls before I get a chance and they’re the right ones.”

The Big Macs will need to be on their game against Hempfield. The Spartans allowed more than six runs in a game just four times this season and in Matt Tarabek, a Fordham commit, have a pitcher capable of keeping the Canon-McMillan bats in check.

“It’s going to be an all-day sucker,” Bruzdewicz said. “The team that gives up the fewest walks and makes the fewest errors is probably going to win. They’re a good hitting team and Tarabek is a very solid pitcher. But I feel good about where we’re at.”

Monessen vs. North Catholic: Canon-McMillan won’t be the only local team trying to play its way into the PIAA tournament today.

The Monessen softball team will attempt to earn a spot in the Class A state tournament for the first time when the Greyhounds play North Catholic at West Allegheny (2 p.m.).

Monessen (15-6) will rely on the dominant pitching of sophomore Dana Vatakis, who finished third in the WPIAL during the regular season in strikeouts with 167.

North Catholic (15-5) will counter with senior Alayna Derzak. Derzak had 88 strikeouts in the regular season.

The Greyhounds defeated defending WPIAL champion Jefferson-Morgan, 1-0, in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs and then knocked off previously unbeaten Serra Catholic, 10-0, in the quarterfinals before losing to top-seeded West Greene in the semifinals.

North Catholic topped Bishop Canevin and Western Beaver in the first two rounds before losing to Chartiers-Houston, 3-1, in the semifinals. It was North Catholic’s second loss of the season to the Bucs.

Chartiers-Houston had beaten North Catholic, 8-7, March 29.

The winner of today’s game will advance to next Monday’s opening round of the PIAA playoffs against the District 10 champion. Union City (19-2) will play Saegertown (14-8) today in the District 10 final.