Team of the Year runner-up – Ringgold baseball

The Ringgold baseball team learned how to win the close ones, and the big ones, this year and surprised everybody, except maybe themselves, by winning the PIAA Class 4A championship. Considering that Ringgold had never won a state playoff game before this year, it was indeed a landmark season for the Rams. Ringgold finished the year with a 20-4 record and defeated District 2 champion Valley View in the state championship. The Rams won seven of their last eight games, the lone setback being a loss to South Fayette in the WPIAL final. Ringgold won an amazing 12 games by two runs or fewer, which made the Rams the Cardiac Kids of high school baseball. Led by a deep pitching staff, Ringgold bounced back from a loss to South Fayette in the WPIAL finals to beat St. Mary’s (4-3), Hopewell (12-0) and Meadville (3-2) before erasing an early deficit to topple Valley View, 6-4. The Rams became the third school from Washington County to win a state baseball championship.