Bill Beckner stories, Page 8

Luke Williams is hitting reset on his college baseball recruiting. The rising senior shortstop at Franklin Regional committed to Virginia when he was a freshman and has remained loyal to the Cavaliers. But a coaching change has disrupted his plans. Williams opened his recruitment and is looking for a new...

Hempfield has scored 205 runs this softball season and allowed 23. The Spartans have been an offensive machine, sending runners through the turnstiles with the rapidity of a marathon finish line. They have 10-runned their opponents 11 times. So what’s up with these tight games in the playoffs? The team...

Hours after surgery to repair a torn medial patellafemoral ligament and meniscus in her knee May 20, Bailey Snowberger was dugout-side watching her high school alma mater play in the WPIAL softball semifinals. The Maine freshman shortstop didn’t want to miss Norwin going against Seneca Valley in a rematch of...

It will be one more go-round for Norwin senior Rachel Minteer. The first baseman was selected to play in the Western Pennsylvania Softball All-Star Game at 7 p.m. June 24 at Plum. Minteer will play for Team Black against Team Gold in the eight-inning game meant for seniors. It will...

There is a reason they call it prep school. Owen Sinclair knows that better than anyone at this point. The former Franklin Regional standout linebacker spent a year at The Kiski School in Saltsburg to enhance his skills and build his resume for college football. The opportunity gave him a...

After Penn-Trafford lost to Shaler in the WPIAL Class 5A softball championship game, the Warriors gathered for practice the next day, only they didn’t pick up a bat or a ball. Instead, coach Denny Little picked up a remote control. “The first thing we did was have an hour-and-a-half practice...

Citing the desire to pursue opportunities outside of football, Seton Hill coach Dan Day resigned Friday after six seasons. Seton Hill went into a hurry-up offense to replace him, immediately promoting Kevin May, Day’s defensive coordinator. Day, who has the most football coaching wins at the university, went 18-36 leading...

WINDBER — As quickly as Hempfield built its lead, Chambersburg did everything it could to tear it down. And it almost did. It didn’t take Hempfield long to adjust to Chambersburg’s pitching, but the Spartans did have to recalibrate to hold off another opponent in the state playoffs. WPIAL champion...

WINDBER — Sophomore Annabell Carvajal spent some extra time in the batting cage with coach Denny Little this week in preparation for the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals. Penn-Trafford’s top pinch-hitter turned the reps into a walk-off winner. Carvajal sent a two-out single to right field in the bottom of the...

Baseball Class A quarterfinals Greensburg Central Catholic (19-4) vs. Clarion (15-6) 2 p.m. Thursday at Slippery Rock University District-place: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-4; Clarion 9-2 Winner plays: Winner of 7-3 Eden Christian (17-5)/Homer Center (20-5) in semifinals Monday Players to watch: Tyler Samide, Greensburg Central Catholic; Derek Smail, Clarion Extra...

Practice ends and Greensburg Central Catholic baseball players break to greet the day ahead. Maybe an afternoon by the pool awaits? A Sheetz run? Hanging out at a friend’s house? No, it’s time to hit the cages. What’s a little more baseball? Training never seems to stop for the Centurions,...

Riley Miller smiled as she emerged from the Hempfield dugout, a clump of cellophane-wrapped ice cubes resting on her right shoulder and another win in her back pocket. The ace pitcher, just a few days removed from graduation, tossed a two-hitter as the WPIAL Class 6A champion Spartans clipped visiting...

Bella Rubbe gets her quality at-bats, and Rilie Moors consistently puts the ball in play. Cam Ponko pounds the softball out of the park, Giuliana Youngo makes highlight catches in right field and Kylie Anthony cleans up at shortstop. Jadyn Pellis is always ready to come out of the bullpen,...

Hempfield softball players took a mile-and-a-half walk around Twin Lakes Park on Monday morning. Coach Tina Madison wanted the girls to clear their heads and focus for their state playoff opener later in the afternoon. The opener was successful, but it was far from a walk in the park. The...

The Pitt-Greensburg baseball team piled up some serious postseason hardware after a memorable season. Junior outfielder James Domer was named the AMCC Player of the Year, and sophomore Conner Burkey (Hempfield) grabbed AMCC Pitcher of the Year honors. Junior Tommy Smith joined Domer on the D3Baseball.com All-Region First Team, Domer...

PIAA baseball playoffs Class A First round Greensburg Central Catholic (18-4) vs. West Middlesex (12-8) 2 p.m. Monday at Slippery Rock University District-finish: Greensburg Central Catholic 7-4; West Middlesex 10-1 Winner plays: Winner of 7-1 Serra Catholic (20-3)/9-2 Clarion (14-6) Thursday in quarterfinals Players to watch: Ian Shipley, Greensburg Central...

Junior Gabby Dusi is changing course for her college tennis career. The Belle Vernon standout, who won back-to-back WPIAL Class 2A singles championships, announced last week she committed to Duquesne. She previously made a verbal pledge to Saint Francis (Pa.), but with SFU dropping from NCAA Division I to Division...

Sprinter Ryan Schiller came home from Shippensburg with the best Norwin individual finish at the PIAA track championships since 2017. Schiller finished second in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 14.36 seconds. The Knights had plenty of highlights from the state meet, which celebrated its 100th anniversary, at Seth...

From beneath her sunglasses, softball coach Tina Madison peered over a sea of Hempfield players and fans who gathered on the infield at Norwin on Thursday for congratulatory hugs and fist bumps. There was a different celebration, it seemed, at every base and in the pitcher’s circle — an around-the-horn...

The final chapter in a four-year softball rivalry headlined by graduating star pitchers is complete. Powerhouses Hempfield and Seneca Valley met for the final time in their current iterations Thursday and added another one-run result to the pile — their sixth in 11 meetings. There were many more hits than...

So many things about this softball championship game seemed off. Not the matchup itself — that was about as good as it gets. It was the different day, the morning start time, the alternate site, that were peculiar. “We all agreed this doesn’t feel like a WPIAL championship game,” Hempfield...

Hempfield and Penn-Trafford will play for WPIAL softball championships a day later than expected — at different sites. Both are scheduled to play Thursday after rainouts Wednesday at Cal (Pa.). Now, top-seeded Hempfield (20-1) will take on No. 2 Seneca Valley (16-3) at 11 a.m. at Norwin in the 6A...

WPIAL Class 5A softball final No. 1 Penn-Trafford vs. No. 2 Shaler 3:30 p.m. Thursday at North Allegheny On the air: Audio: Trib HSSN; Video: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Penn-Trafford 0; Shaler 3 (2014, ’05, 1982) Penn-Trafford (20-2) Coach: Denny Little Projected starting lineup 18, Rilie Moors, LF, Jr. 32,...

Class A Third-place game Greensburg Central Catholic (18-3) vs. Eden Christian (15-5) Noon Wednesday at Ross Memorial Park, Washington & Jefferson What’s at stake: Both teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs. For state seeding purposes, the winner is the third-place team from the WPIAL, while the loser is fourth....

WPIAL Class 6A softball final No. 1 Hempfield vs. No. 2 Seneca Valley 11 a.m. Thursday at Norwin On the air: Audio: Trib HSSN; Video: NFHS Network WPIAL titles: Hempfield 8 (2023, ‘19, ‘18, ‘17, ‘16, ‘15, ‘09, 1998); Seneca Valley 4 (2024, ’22, 1999, ’92) Hempfield (20-1) Coach: Tina...