Bill Beckner stories, Page 215
Surging Indiana State pitcher Collin Liberatore garners conference honors
Collin Liberatore has been dealing, as they say. The big right-hander has found a groove in the Indiana State pitching rotation and is taking full advantage of his opportunity. Liberatore, a Greensburg Central Catholic product who began his college career at Pitt before transferring, is 8-0 this season and has...
No. 1 Mt. Pleasant hangs on, beats No. 2 YoughVideo
A large ice wrap resting heavily on her right shoulder in the dugout after the game was a stark contrast to the heat lamp of pressure that radiated down on Carolyn Alincic. Mt. Pleasant softball’s only senior took the pitching circle on senior day to face a menacing opponent with...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: WCCC rallies past Butler for title
Westmoreland County Community College scored eight unanswered runs to topple Butler County Community College, 12-8, in the WPCC softball championship game over the weekend at Seton Hill. It was the team’s first title since 2007. The Wolfpack trailed 5-1 and 8-4 before rallying. Sophomore Brianna McCulley had a two-run single,...
Saint Vincent set to host PAC softball tournament
The PAC softball championship will be settled in Latrobe. Saint Vincent earned the top seed in the conference tournament and with it, the right to host the event on Thursday and Friday. Saint Vincent (25-13, 13-3) has not hosted since 2012 and will be seeking its first conference title since...
Seton Hill pitcher Devyn Terry tosses no-hitter
Backed by a strong defense, Seton Hill lefthander Devyn Terry pitched a no-hitter Sunday afternoon against visiting Cal U in PSAC softball action. Terry struck out five and walked three as the Griffins won, 1-0. The senior from Elberton, Ga., induced nine groundouts and seven flyouts as she improved to...
WCCC claims WPCC softball title
Westmoreland County Community College scored eight unanswered runs to topple Butler County Community College, 12-8, in the WPCC championship game Saturday at Seton Hill. It was the team’s first title since 2007. The Wolfpack trailed 5-1 and 8-4 before rallying for the victory. WPCC Champions!!!! pic.twitter.com/fCrC6nuKTr— Wolfpack Athletics (@WCCCAthletics) April...
Chris Common breaks Pitt-Greensburg hits record
A common name keeps appearing in the Pitt-Greensburg baseball record book. Senior left fielder Chris Common, a Penn-Trafford graduate, became the Bobcats’ all-time leader in hits during a doubleheader against D’Youville Saturday at Bobcat Park in Greensburg. On senior day, Common singled three times to move past Greg Lynn for...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Penn-Trafford has its own Mr. Baseball
Dan Miller is Penn-Trafford’s Mr. Baseball. He lives and breathes the game year-round and gets to see it from a number of perspectives. This is a guy who once bought a Volkswagen Beetle “baseball car.” The 2000 model with red “stitching” detail on both ends and baseball glove-like leather interior...
Cal (Pa.) hosting golf regional at Totteridge
College golf is coming to the area. Cal (Pa.) will host the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Region Championships May 9-11 at Totteridge Golf Club near Greensburg. As hosts, the Vulcans receive an at-large bid to the tournament. Twenty teams will compete in the event, which also features an individual competition....
IUP’s Matt Cocorikas takes hot streak into regionals
Matt Cocorikas is on a roll, just in time for the postseason. The IUP senior golfer has won three consecutive tournaments, four overall, this spring season. His latest win came this week in Crofton, Md., when he finished with a 2-under-par 214 to take the Crofton Invitational. He shot a...
Latrobe grad Kokoska finds his ‘place’ with Kansas State baseball
Feeling wanted on a team and knowing you’re in its future plans can do plenty for any baseball player’s confidence. The opposite seemed to happen for Latrobe’s Zach Kokoska, though, when he arrived at Virginia Tech last year. A new coaching staff came in with little to no knowledge of...
Belle Vernon softball to play game at football stadium
Belle Vernon does not have a turf softball field, but that won’t stop the Leopards from playing a home game on an artificial surface Saturday. And a pretty cool one at that. The 10 a.m. game will be played at the school’s football stadium — James Weir Stadium — with...
Sweet victory for Mt. Pleasant baseball, Secosky
Fresh off an extra-inning win, Mike Secosky took a bite out of a chocolate chip cookie loaded with extra M&Ms. Eager to grant an interview request, he shoved the half-eaten treat neatly into the back pocket of his game pants. It peeked out like a batting glove. “I’ll eat it...
WCCC softball hosting conference playoffs
The Westmoreland County Community College softball team earned the top seed in the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference and will host the conference tournament Saturday at Seton Hill University. There are three teams in the bracket. Butler County Community College will play Garrett College (Md.) at noon. WCCC (6-8) will face...
St. Francis (Pa.) hires Keila Whittington as women’s hoops coach
Keila Whittington’s first head coaching job in Division I women’s college basketball will be at Saint Francis (Pa.). A Louisiana native, Whittington replaces Joe Haigh, who resigned after 10 seasons with the program, seven as head coach. Whittington will officially be announced Thursday afternoon during a press conference on Loretto....
Softball coaches walk line between winning and potential over-use of pitchers
While softball is different from baseball when it comes to pitchers’ throwing motion and wear and tear on their arms, a risk of over-usage still exists. Latrobe might have found out the hard way. Jordan Tallman threw 165 pitches against Yough earlier this season. The Wildcats sophomore has been near...
JJ Matijevic homers on consecutive nights
Houston Astros prospect JJ Matijevic enjoyed his first Double-A home run so much on Monday that he belted another one Tuesday night. The former Norwin and Arizona star sent a 1-1 pitch climbing down the first base line and off the foul pole as the Corpus Christi Hooks beat Northwest...
Quartet of ‘pleasant surprises’ helps Penn-Trafford baseball climb to No. 2 ranking in Class 6A
Even the best baseball teams don’t completely know what they have until the section schedule gets rolling. Some returnees pan out, others fade out. Chemistry takes reps to be uncovered and even more reps to be intensified. Penn-Trafford baseball coach Dan Miller has a group of players he calls his...
Hempfield’s Mekayla Dedo commits to Air Force
Hempfield junior Mekayla Dedo sometimes skies to make a block or deliver a kill. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter could be soaring to new heights in the near future, and her volleyball talents could help her get there. Dedo announced Tuesday she will play at the Air Force Academy. An all-section...
Westmoreland campus clippings: GCC grad Collin Liberatore stays unbeaten for Indiana State
Junior pitcher Collin Liberatore is in control of his game at Indiana State. The Greensburg Central Catholic graduate improved to 7-0 this season after working eight strong innings in an 8-2 win Sunday over Evansville. The 6-foot-4 right-hander struck out two and gave up eight hits in the victory. Liberatore,...
Courtney Grove named field hockey coach at Seton Hill
Anybody who followed Seton Hill women’s lacrosse in recent years will know the name Courtney Grove. Now, Griffins field hockey fans will know it as well. The 10th-year coach of the lacrosse team was announced Tuesday as the new field hockey coach. She left Seton Hill in 2011 to become...
Quaker Valley grad Garbee tosses no-hitter for Mercyhurst
Maybe Tyler Garbee should pitch seven innings more often. Garbee, a senior righthander at Mercyhurst, pitched a no-hitter Monday during his second straight complete game performance, a 2-0 victory against host Slippery Rock. The Quaker Valley graduate and Pitt transfer struck out 12, walked one and hit a batter as...
Jeannette softball gaining recognition for section success
As a math teacher at Jeannette, Zac Karas deals with numbers on a daily basis. As the school’s softball coach, he is starting to see things add up. “I was unsure how it would all play out this year,” said Karas, the Jayhawks’ sixth-year coach. “We had a lot of...
Campus clippings: Penn’s Nedley in running for nation’s top freshman
With a fast transition to college softball, and big numbers to match, Emma Nedley has proven she is one of the top freshmen in the Ivy League. But now the Penn outfielder is on a ballot to be considered the nation’s top newcomer. Nedley, a Penn-Trafford graduate, is one of...
Westmoreland lookahead for Week of April 22, 2019
MONDAY Softball Belle Vernon usually doesn’t have to work this hard for a WPIAL playoff spot, but the Leopards are in position to get into the postseason again. A sweep of Ringgold in Section 2-4A could go a long way. TUESDAY Baseball Penn-Trafford, closing in on the Section 2-6A title,...
