Fort Cherry baseball gets top seed in Class 2A
This year’s Fort Cherry baseball team keeps making history for longtime coach Bob Sawhill.
For the first time in his 38 years at the helm, the Rangers will enter the WPIAL playoffs as a top seed.
Fort Cherry received the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A tournament and are one of a dozen local baseball teams in the WPIAL brackets, which were released on Friday.
“With the top seed, you never really know what to expect with who it’s going to be,” Sawhill said. “We could’ve been anywhere from No. 1 to No. 4. It’s great, but it doesn’t mean a thing now. We still got to go play.”
Canon-McMillan is seeded second in Class 6A and Belle Vernon received the fifth seed in Class 4A.
Fort Cherry (16-1) was undefeated entering the final game, which they lost to Burgettstown. That loss still sticks in Sawhill’s craw, but he’s happy that his players were rewarded for one of the best regular seasons in program history.
Now they’ll try to win their first title since 1986.
“They’re a unit,” Sawhill said of his players. “They believe in each other and what they can do, what their weaknesses are and what their strengths are, and they play to that.”
With the top seed comes a first-round bye and a week off. The first playoff game for the Rangers isn’t until Monday May 18. Sawhill said they’ve scheduled two scrimmages next week to stay sharp.
There could be a potential third meeting with California in the quarterfinals. The Trojans are the No. 8 seed and play No. 9 Freedom, 4 p.m. Monday at Peterswood Park.
Burgettstown received the No. 12 seed and faces No. 5 Laurel, 6:30 p.m. Monday at Burkett Park.
Like Fort Cherry, Canon-McMillan has a week off before its Class 6A quarterfinal game against No. 7 Seneca Valley, May 18 at 4 p.m. at Boyce Mayview Park.
The Big Macs will look to reach the semifinals for a second consecutive season.
Belle Vernon plays No. 12 Hampton, 6:30 p.m. Monday at Gateway. Ringgold is the No. 11 seed in Class 4A. The Rams play No. 6 Hopewell, 6:30 p.m. Monday at Peterswood Park.
In Class 5A, South Fayette is seeded 10th and meets No. 7 Franklin Regional in the first round at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at West Mifflin.
Two local Class 3A teams will be part of a doubleheader Tuesday at Ross Memorial Park.
No. 9 Charleroi plays No. 8 Mt. Pleasant at 4 p.m. and No. 16 Waynesburg meets top-seeded Avonworth in the nightcap at 6:30 p.m.
Carmichaels’ journey to trying to get back to EQT Park for the WPIAL Class A championship starts as a No. 8 seed.
The Mikes face No. 9 Sewickley Academy, 4 p.m. Monday at Ross Memorial Park. A win sets up a meeting with top-seeded Eden Christian the following Monday.
Avella is the No. 6 seed and plays No. 11 Aquinas Academy, 4 p.m. Monday at Burkett Field. The Eagles are seeking a playoff victory for a third straight year.
If they win in the first round, then they’ll play defending Class A champion Serra Catholic in the quarterfinals.
Jefferson-Morgan is the No. 7 seed and faces Union, 6:30 p.m. Monday at Ross Memorial Park. The Rockets will try to get longtime coach John Curtis a win in his final season.
Boys volleyball
Following an undefeated regular season, the South Fayette boys volleyball team is the No. 3 seed in the WPIAL Class 2A tournament.
Three-time defending champion Shaler got the top seed and Seton LaSalle is seeded second.
South Fayette got a first-round bye and will host the winner of No. 11 Trinity and No. 6 Derry in the quarterfinals 7 p.m. Thursday. Trinity plays at Derry in the first round,7 p.m. Tuesday.
Peters Township got the No. 8 seed in Class 3A and hosts No. 9 Norwin, 7 p.m. Tuesday. The winner advances to play at top-seeded North Allegheny, 7 p.m. Thursday.