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The first round of the District 3 baseball postseason was filled with upsets, contested matchups and the occasional runaway victory.
More excitement is sure to hit the diamond Monday when seven local teams jump into the quarterfinal-round mix across four classifications. Cumberland Valley and Cedar Cliff will compete in 6A, Mechanicsburg and Shippensburg go head-to-head in 5A, Boiling Springs and East Pennsboro have games in 4A and Trinity hosts a 3A scrap.
Camp Hill earned the top seed in the 3A field but received a bye into Thursday’s semifinals.
Below is a look at each Sentinel-area matchup.
Class 6A
No. 7 Wilson (15-6) at No. 2 Cumberland Valley (15-4)
When/where: 6 p.m., at Cumberland Valley High School
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How they got here: Penn Manor took Wilson to 10 innings in Friday’s first round, but the Bulldogs persevered and eked out a 5-4 victory. CV received a first-round bye as the second seed, and the Eagles rattled off eight straight wins to finish the regular season.
What’s next?: The winner goes on to face Dallastown or Manheim Township in Thursday’s semifinals.
Common opponents: The Bulldogs and Eagles’ one common opponent was Central Dauphin. The Rams bludgeoned Wilson 12-2 while CV split with CD, dropping a 4-3 decision and winning by the same outcome. The 4-3 defeat was the Rams’ only loss this season.
Notes: Wilson has qualified for the district postseason each year since 2017 and reached the quarterfinals last spring. Six Bulldogs are batting above .300 entering Monday’s contest, led by Jordan Shutter’s .377 average. Wilson will likely throw Cristo Hunsicker Monday, a sophomore that’s compiled a 4-0 record, a 1.99 earned-run average and 18 strikeouts across seven appearances.
CV is rife with playoff experience, having punched its ticket each year since 2005. The Eagles advanced to last year’s district semifinals and made a run to the PIAA semis. Brady Grimes or Aidan Barrow-Somers will likely take the ball Monday with the pair combining for an 11-4 record and 92 strikeouts this spring. At the plate, Grimes has blasted six home runs to go along with a .371 average while Alex Sauve, Brady Hawkins, Kaden Schoenly and Ryan Rubin are the Eagles other prominent swingers.
No. 5 Cedar Cliff (15-6) at No. 4 Hempfield (16-4)
When/where: 4:30 p.m., Hempfield High School
How they got here: Cedar Cliff overcame a three-run deficit in Friday’s first round to top Northeastern 6-3. Hempfield earned a first-round bye after winning six of its last seven regular-season games.
What’s next?: The Colts or Black Knights will draw the winner of Central Dauphin and Red Lion in the semifinals.
Common opponents: Hempfield opened its regular season against Northeastern and downed the Bobcats 10-2.
Notes: Cedar Cliff and Hempfield are familiar foes, having squared off in district openers the last two seasons. The Black Knights came out on top in both meetings with decisions of 11-1 (six innings) and 6-0. After blanking the Colts last year, Hempfield’s run ended in the quarterfinals against Governor Mifflin.
With the pitch count resetting over the weekend, Cedar Cliff could send Friday starter Luke Minium back out to the bump or turn to a fresh arm in southpaw Jordan Negley. Devin Niemiec spurred the Colts’ comeback Friday, driving in two runs. Carter Enders and Sam Grube also recorded RBIs.
Class 5A
No. 14 Shippensburg (12-8) at No. 6 Mechanicsburg (15-6)
When/where: 4:30 p.m., Rickenbach-Shirley Field at Memorial Park
How they got here: Shippensburg stunned third seed Susquehannock 3-1 Friday, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh. Mechanicsburg held off Donegal 2-1 in a pitcher’s duel.
What’s next?: A win sends either team to Thursday’s semis and sets up a scrap with Exeter or Warwick.
Common opponents: Northern was the teams’ only common opponent. Both clubs struggled against the Polar Bears, dropping a combined three meetings. Northern edged Mechanicsburg 6-4 in a nonleague contest while Ship fell in 14-0 and 9-8 Mid-Penn Colonial affairs.
Notes: With the victory against Susquehannock, Ship captured its first playoff win since 2013. Until Friday, it had been eight years since the Greyhounds qualified for the postseason. Tucker Chamberlin went the distance in the win, spinning nine strikeouts. Everson Weller was responsible for the two runs in the seventh, drilling a two-run home run to break a 1-1 tie.
Mechanicsburg broke a postseason spell Friday, securing its first playoff win since 2015. Will Hummel pitched six innings of one-run ball before handing off to Reese Young for the save. Shawn Karpaitis steered the Mechanicsburg offense, posting on a wild pitch and driving in the other run on an RBI single.
Class 4A
No. 5 East Pennsboro (12-7) at No. 4 Fleetwood (12-7)
When/where: 4:30 p.m., at Fleetwood High School
How they got here: The Panthers and Tigers both bypassed the first round. East Penn won eight of its last 10 regular-season games while Fleetwood closed out on a 7-2 stretch.
What’s next?: The winner meets Bermudian Springs or Middletown in the semis.
Notes: East Penn begins its title defense, having cleared Littlestown 9-4 in the 2022 4A final and advanced to the PIAA quarters. Ryan Stover will likely toe the rubber Monday after forging a 5-2 record and a 2.13 ERA in 11 appearances. Andrew Swenson is a menace with the bat, slashing .478 with two home runs, two triples and 16 RBIs.
Fleetwood garnered third place in the 4A bracket last year and stamped its ticket to the state tournament. Prior to last year’s district berth, the Tigers hadn’t reached the postseason since 2018.
No. 7 Northern Lebanon (15-6) at No. 2 Boiling Springs (14-6)
When/where: 4:30 p.m., Boiling Springs High School
How they got here: Northern Lebanon tangled with West Perry in Friday’s opening round and pulled out a 7-6 triumph. Boiling Springs booked a direct trip to the quarters as the second seed and completed its regular season with six wins in its last seven.
What’s next?: The Vikings or Bubblers draw the winner of Kennard-Dale and Hanover Thursday.
Common opponents: Camp Hill crossed over with Northern Lebanon and Bubbletown. The Lions blitzed the Bubblers 7-1 in a regular-season opener but fell to the Vikings 5-4 April 7.
Notes: Friday’s win was Northern Lebanon’s first in the district tournament since 2006 and marked as its first appearance since 2014. The Vikings bat .300 as a team and have senior ace Owen Walmer, who’s twirled a 3-1 record and 1.24 ERA across seven appearances (three starts).
The Bubblers are making their return to the postseason after a year’s absence and seek their first victory since 2018. Liberty commit Maddex LaBuda (1.53 ERA) and Delaware pledge Jonah Richardson (0.80) are a double-edged sword on the pitcher’s mound. Richardson doubles as Bubbletown’s premier bat, knocking a .484 average with six round-trippers and 18 RBIs. Lead-off hitter Matt McNair slashes .420 with a pair of home runs.
Class 3A
No. 6 Pequea Valley (12-8) at No. 3 Trinity (15-5)
When/where: 4:30 p.m., at Wass Park
How they got here: Pequea Valley hung on for the six seed with three wins in its last five. Trinity finished the regular season on an eight-game tear.
What’s next?: The winner advances to Thursday’s semifinals against Lancaster Catholic or Annville-Cleona.
Common opponents: Antietam and Lancaster Catholic were the Braves and Shamrocks’ common opponents. Both clubs blanked Antietam 15-0 and went a combined 1-2 against the Crusaders. Trinity snared the win in an 8-2 affair while PV dropped 3-0 and 7-0 decisions.
Notes: The Braves last qualified for districts in 2019 and captured the program’s first postseason win a 3A quarterfinal against Lancaster Catholic. Senior Peyton Temple leads PV with a .423 average while freshman Logan Zynn is the featured arm of the rotation, working a 1.72 ERA in 12 appearances.
The Shamrocks make their third straight district appearance Monday and hope to lay the groundwork for a third consecutive trip to the district final. Trinity has been red-hot at the plate, scorching a .342 team average. Recent Manhattan commit Landon Kuntzelman has yet to allow an earned run in 21 innings pitched this spring.
Photos: Pitching sends Shippensburg baseball past Boiling Springs
Boiling Springs’ Maddex LaBuda fires in a strike during the second inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Shippensburg on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Boiling Springs’ Nick Truax, left, has a quick talk with Maddex LaBuda during the second inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Shippensburg on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg ‘s Tucker Chamberlain makes a safe slide in third base ahead of the tag from Boiling Springs’ Jonah Richardson during the second inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg’s Troy Chamberlin throws in a strike during the second inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Boiling Springs on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg’s Kaden Shope. left, catche s a high pop fly ball to make the out during the second inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Boiling Springs on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Boiling Springs’ Jonah Richardson fields a ground ball to the infield in time to make the out at first base during the third inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Shippensburg on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg’s Kaden Shope hits a bunt during the third inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Boiling Springs on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg’s Melvin Urena, left, scored a run during the third inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Boiling Springs on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Boiling Springs’ Joey Serafin, left, scores a run during the fourth inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Shippensburg on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg’s Everson Weller, front, avoids getting hit with the throw intended for Boiling Springs’ Colby Bubb, back, during the fourth inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg’s Kade Rumbaugh, left, gets the out at first base against Boiling Springs’ Keegan Williamson, right, during the fifth inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Boiling Springs’ Matthew McNair, left, avoids the pick off attempt at first base from Shippensburg’s Kade Rumbaugh during the fifth inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg has a quick conference on the mound during the sixth inning of a Mid-Penn Colonial game against Boiling Springs on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Shippensburg’s Tucker Chamberlin throws a strike during the sixth inning of their Mid-Penn Colonial game against Boiling Springs on Monday evening at Shippensburg Area High School.
Christian Eby is a sports reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com. You can contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at: @eby_sports
