It was a successful WPIAL postseason for several Beaver Valley baseball squads, with two claiming WPIAL championships in the process.
Now with the state playoffs on the horizon, here is what you need to know about the upcoming tournament.
When are the PIAA baseball playoffs?
First-round action for the PIAA baseball playoffs begins on June 2 at regional sites, followed by quarterfinal action on June 5, semifinals on June 9 and the championship games June 12-13 at Penn State University’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
When are the PIAA baseball championships?
Class 1A: June 12 at. 10:30 a.m.
Class 2A: June 13 at. 10:30 a.m.
Class 3A: June 12 at. 1:30 p.m.
Class 4A: June 13 at. 1:30 p.m.
Class 5A: June 12 at. 4:30 p.m.
Class 6A: June 13 at. 4:30 p.m.
Who are the reigning PIAA baseball champions? The number following team denotes district.
Class 1A: Faith Christian (1) def. Eden Christian (7) 4-1
Class 2A: Bald Eagle Area (6) def. Tri-Valley (11) 11-3
Class 3A: Neumann Goretti (12) def. Avonworth (7) 12-0 (5 inn.)
Class 4A: Holy Ghost Prep (1) def. Indiana (7) 6-5
Class 5A: Governor Mifflin (3) def. Hollidaysburg (6) 2-1
Class 6A: Hempfield (3) def. La Salle College (12) 3-2
Who are the Beaver Valley teams in the PIAA baseball playoff field?Freedom Area
The team is on the heels of winning its first WPIAL title in program history as the No. 8 seed with a 1-0 win over OLSH in the WPIAL Class 2A Championship game on May 28. Boden Hilliard drove in the game’s go-ahead run in the sixth inning while pitching a complete game two-hit shutout.
Freedom Area (15-7) will take on District VI runner-up Bishop McCort (13-8), which fell to Mount Union in the district championship game 11-1 at Neshannock High School at 4:30 p.m.
OLSH
After winning its second consecutive section title, OLSH came in as the No. 2 seed in the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs and made its way into the WPIAL Championship game before falling to Freedom Area.
Senior southpaw Iseia Schulz, who has dominated on the mound for the team throughout the season, pitched well in the championship game, going 5.2 innings and allowing four hits and an unearned run while striking out 11.
OLSH (15-8) will travel to take on Tussey Mountain (13-10), the champion out of District V, which is coming off of a 6-3 win over Everett. That game is slated for a 4 p.m. start at Tussey Mountain High School.
Riverside
Riverside makes its return to the state tournament after winning its seventh WPIAL championship in program history by defeating Quaker Valley 1-0.
Senior pitcher Zach Hare is currently riding a streak of 24.1 no-hit innings and recently threw a perfect game in the championship contest.
Along with Hare, ace Christian Lucarelli could be making a return to the mound in the state playoffs after he was limited to playing first base and hitting after exiting the team’s WPIAL first-round playoff game on May 15 with an injury.
Riverside (17-2) will host District VI runner-up Huntingdon (16-5) at 4 p.m.
Quaker Valley
The Quakers return to the PIAA playoffs after dropping their third game of the season to Riverside, most recently in the WPIAL Class 3A championship game.
Despite the loss, the team has gotten solid contributions from its pitching staff in the playoffs during its improbable run to the championship game, which included a shutout against 2024 WPIAL champion and state-runner-up Avonworth.
Nolan Wagoner has posted a 3.07 ERA in 11 appearances this season in 43.1 innings of work. The senior pitched in the WPIAL title game throwing 4.2 innings of shutout baseball and sitting down six.
Ryan Finamore has also been strong in relief for the team during its postseason run and pitched 1.1 innings against Riverside, allowing an unearned run while walking a batter.
Quaker Valley (15-7) will face District V champion Bedford (15-7) at 11 a.m.
Central Valley
It will be a historic day for Central Valley when it hits the field at Mercyhurst University in the first round to take on District 10 champion Cathedral Prep, playing in its first state postseason game in program history.
After coming in as the No. 7 seed in Class 4A, Central Valley rattled off victories over Greensburg Salem and West Mifflin before falling to Elizabeth Forward in the semifinals.
The team would go on to beat Belle Vernon 7-3 in the consolation round, securing the third and final seed out of the WPIAL in the classification.
Cathedral Prep ran the table in 4A defeating Slippery Rock and Harbor Creek in the championship as the No. 2 seed.