Carmichaels baseball mighty in run to quarterfinals
Raise your hand if you expected Carmichaels’ baseball team to reach the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals.
That’s what I thought.
No one outside of the Mikes’ dugout thought the program would continue to be a model of consistency. Despite losing Brandon Lawless, Ty Cole, Brennen McMinn, Reed Long, Justin Newman, Ryan Zalar and Ty Aeschbacher; Carmichaels defeated a heavily-favored opponent in the first round (Sewickley Academy) and lost only one more section game than last year.
What made it possible? For one, head coach Dickie Krause. He’s been an assistant with the program for years and is as knowledgeable as any coach in the WPIAL. The second is senior catcher Michael Blasinsky.
The Mikes’ starting catcher a threat at the plate (.524 average & 23 RBI). Plus, he uses his athleticism to be strong defensively and adds stability to a young pitching rotation. No, Blasinsky isn’t out there throwing strikes, but having a proven batterymate can be key for a young pitcher.
That has helped juniors Jacob Kinsell and Michael Ludrosky combine for 10 wins. Also, Josh Bogucki, Jacob Wamsley, Bill Bowlen and Joel Spishock have been clutch at the plate.
The Mikes’ three losses came against California and Bentworth, which was a very underrated team in Class A. Defeating Sewickley Academy is a tremendous accomplishment, but a different challenge awaits.
Carmichaels will face second-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic (17-3) Monday in the quarterfinals at Washington & Jefferson’s Ross Memorial Park. First pitch is 7 p.m.
The Centurions have not lost to a Class A opponent and were a candidate for the top seed in the tournament. Much of their success has to do with senior pitcher Collin Liberatore, a Campbell University recruit.
Liberatore is a 6-3 righty with a plus-fastball (85-88 MPH), a curveball, changeup and slider. That combination is rare in Class A. The question is how much will Carmichaels see of him?
The semifinal game, where the winner faces either Bishop Canevin or North Catholic, is scheduled for Wednesday. That means if Liberatore throws a complete game against the Mikes, he will be ineligible to pitch in the next round.
GCC head coach Anthony Manley is likely praying for a quick start offensively, so Liberatore is not needed for seven innings. The Centurions have scored double-digit runs in five of their last seven games, including an 11-0 win over Jeannette.
Carmichaels won’t be intimidated. It certainly wasn’t against California on the road earlier this season. If it weren’t for a few bad breaks, the Mikes would have competed with the defending WPIAL champs.
One bad inning, a tight schedule because of postponements and a suspended game caused a collapse in the two teams’ second meeting, but make no mistake: Carmichaels can hang with GCC.
Whether they can hit Liberatore is entirely different. The Mikes have not seen a pitcher like him this season and not many Class A teams outside of Section 2 have.
I’m predicting that Greensburg Central Catholic defeats Carmichaels, 5-1, but the experience of facing the Centurions, defeating Sewickley and overcoming the odds will pay dividends in the future for the Mikes.