Chesco boasts impressive array of quality baseball teams, players

By Peter DiGiovanni
pdgiovanni07@gmail.com
@PeteDLNontwitter

The boys of spring are back and it looks like Chester County will see a lot of quality baseball again this season.

The Ches-Mont League is one of the best baseball leagues in the state, and Malvern Prep will look to defend its Inter-Academic league title, while Devon Prep and Conestoga will have a lot to say about who wins their respective leagues. The depth of pitching in the area may be at an all-time high as many area teams feature strong staffs.

Everyone in the Ches-Mont National Division will try to dethrone defending champion West Chester Henderson, while in the Ches-Mont American Division, Oxford — under new coach Guy Taylor — will try to repeat as division champions. Here is a look at all the area teams:

Ches-Mont National
Avon Grove: Avon Grove was a very young squad last season and coach John Bellevar is optimistic about the Red Devils chances this season. The Red Devils are led by senior infielder Owen Yoder, who is a Seton Hill University commit. Junior Brayden Gregg is ticketed to West Virginia and junior Trevor Dosenbach is headed to Richmond when his high school playing days are done. The Red Devils look to be major players in the Ches-Mont National.

Bishop Shanahan: The Eagles, under coach Brian Boyko, are always a very competitive group and this season should be no different. Senior catcher Andrew Noone, who is headed to Lehigh University is one of the best catchers around. Logan Kapcynski, Jack O’Day and Eric MacLewin headline what looks to be a potent Shanahan lineup. The Eagles will go as far as its pitching will take them.

Coatesville: The Raiders qualified for the PIAA 6A playoffs last season, and veteran coach Hal Ziegler hopes his team can make a return trip. Junior pitcher Ben Jones is one of the best hurlers in the league and the offense will be led by catcher Joey Mozzone and infielder Magnus Krieger, who is a Seton Hall commit. Coatesville will be a major player in the Ches-Mont League and in the District 1 6A bracket. The Red Raiders offense should score runs this season.

Downingtown East: The Cougars, under the direction of coach Pete Susi, look to have a very strong pitching staff led by junior Michael Devenney and senior Dylan Hansen, who are both quality arms. The Cougars struggled to score runs last season but Jake Schultz and James Lambe look to lead the offense this season. Downingtown East is a major factor in the wide open Ches-Mont National Division.

Downingtown West: The Whippets are led by coach Scott Rambo and are a very deep squad. Junior pitcher Drew Turner is an emerging star and the Whippets should score runs with catcher Jay Slater and infielders Cooper Young and Greyson Kovatch leading the way. Junior pitcher Zack Griffin is also expected to be a major arm for the Whippets. Look for West to be one of the better teams in the league this season.

West Chester East: When one looks at the Vikings under coach Corey Webb, the first thing that stands out is the quality and depth of the Vikings’ pitching staff. Senior hurlers Matt Holgado, Dan Jacobs and Jack Maguire make the Vikings a very tough team to handle. Junior outfielder Ryan Price is a big bat for East who should be near the top of the league and a major player in the 5A bracket.

West Chester Henderson: The Warriors went to the second round of the PIAA 6A playoffs last season. Graduation hit Henderson hard but the cupboard is anything but bare. Pitchers Eric Lintelman and Nick Cugino will lead the Warriors’ staff. Catcher Ethan Giangiulio and West Point Academy commit Dan Suroweic lead the Warriors offense for coach Luke McNichol. Henderson once again will be one of the top teams in the 6A bracket and a big player in the Ches-Mont National Division race.

Ches-Mont American

Great Valley: The Patriots finished second in the Ches-Mont American last season but were dealt a severe blow when junior catcher Danny Carr underwent surgery and will miss the 2023 season. Great Valley will count on pitcher/infielder Tyler Iams, and outfielders Mason Segarnick and Ryan Barrow to try to contend in the Ches-Mont American Division. Great Valley coach Travis Turgeon will lead the Patriots’ young group.

Kennett: The Blue Demons may be a team on the rise. Second year coach Thomas Henry has one of the best players in the district in senior outfielder Ben Bolhouse, who has a very live bat. David Lillis is back from injury and along with Bailey Shindle and Mack Larkin. The Blue Demons hope to improve from a five win season last year.

Oxford: The Hornets are defending league champions and although they lost a lot of talent to graduation, they look to be the favorites to repeat as division champions this season. Sophomore infielder/pitcher Landon Rozich is an emerging star. Senior catcher Danny Wyatt is one of the better hitters in the Ches-Mont, and outfielder Tom Matuszewski is a legitimate power threat. Oxford has a new coach in Guy Taylor, who replaced the retired Tim Rector.

Unionville: Unionville hopes to rebound from a down year last season, and coach Chris Valis will be counting on junior infielder/pitcher Nick Diehl (Tulane commit) to lead the way for the Longhorns. Senior pitcher Drew Delcollo is headed to Saint Peter’s University and will lead the Longhorns’ staff. Look for Unionville to improve from last season’s four win total. Diehl is one of the better hitters in the district.

West Chester Rustin: The 2022 season was a rare down year for Golden Knights’ coach Brad Harkins and his team. And one look at Rustin this season shows two quality pitchers at the top of the Rustin rotation. Owen Crowe and Kyle Kearns are two of the better pitchers in the district, and returning outfield starter Nick Covis will be a top bat for the Golden Knights, who will be a major player in the division race.

Other Schools

Conestoga: The Pioneers had a rare down season last year, missing out on the district playoffs. But Conestoga has a new coach in Jim Moran, who moves up from the junior varsity squad. Moran will be counting on fleet senior outfielder Jon Quici and infielder/outfielder Kyle Mauro to lead the Pioneers offense. Conestoga should be in the hunt in the Central League race.

Devon Prep: Devon Prep plays in arguably the best league in the state: the Philadelphia Catholic League. The Tide were very young last season and first year coach John Cowell will be counting on senior pitcher Jack Dente to lead the Tide’s pitching staff. Josh Frieling, a very good catcher, will miss his senior year due to injury which will hurt the Tide. But Cowell feels he has a strong group of returning players, including infielder Joe Ficoturo.

Malvern Prep: Under coach Fred Hilliard the Friars are always one of the best teams in Pennsylvania, and the 2023 season should be no different. Senior pitcher and Virginia commit Charlie Oschell will lead a deep Friars’ pitching staff. Louisville commit infielder Tague Davis is one of the best players in the area and infielder Trey Tiffan is back from a strong junior season. Malvern Prep will once again be the team to beat in the very competitive Inter-Academic League.

Westtown: The Moose are a veteran group headed by pitchers Jack Ingino and Taj Donald, who are both quality arms. Senior catcher Cal Wagner and infielder Liam Sayer lead what coach Kurt Kebaugh thinks will be a potent offense. Westtown is one of the favorites to capture a Friends League title.