PAC baseball championship preview: Phoenixville vs. Methacton (records, matchup, prediction)

The likelihood of concluding the Pioneer Athletic Conference season with a rematch of last year’s unforgettable 13-inning title game between Phoenixville and Methacton teetered between improbable and impossible most of the spring.

Methacton did its part by playing the frontrunner in the Liberty Division much of the spring while chasing another shot at the PAC title. Meanwhile Phoenixville took up the chase in a Frontier battle with Pope John Paul II and Upper Perkiomen and needed to win its final three, including a crucial 4-3 walkoff win over Spring-Ford on May 8 that allowed the Phantoms to win a tiebreaker for the second wild card into the PAC Final Four.

With their narrow semifinal victories on Monday – Methacton holding off PJP 5-3 and Phoenixville rallying past No. 1 seed Owen J Roberts 5-4 in eight innings – the championship rematch was set.

The encore goes down between the Warriors and Phantoms Wednesday night, 7 p.m., at Boyertown’s Bear Stadium.

Methacton pitcher Will Christian, 42, throws a pitch against Spring-Ford during their game on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

A closer look at the matchup:

Phoenixville (4) vs. Methacton (3)

Records: Phoenixville: 7-3 PAC Frontier, 10-6 PAC, 12-7 overall, No. 9 in District 1-5A rankings … Methacton: 8-2 PAC Liberty, 13-3 PAC, 16-4 overall, No. 3 in District 1-6A rankings.

Road to the championship: Phoenixville overcame four early errors and posted two runs in the seventh and eighth innings as Chris Mull’s bases-loaded, tiebreaking two-run single in the top of the eighth helped secure a 5-4 win for Phoenixville over OJR to support starting pitcher Nico Nattle’s seven strong innings. … Methacton right-handed starting pitcher Evan Jones struck out 13 and Tommy Kratz went 4-for-4 with a triple and scored three times for the Warriors in a 5-3 takedown of Pope John Paul II in the second semifinal.

PAC championship history: Phoenixville is pursuing a record 10th PAC championship. After winning seven titles through 2002 (1988-90, 1993-95, 2002), the Phantoms’ most recent crowns are in 2019 and 2023 … Methacton has won one PAC title (2014) and reached the final on three other occasions (2009, 2013, 2023).

Head-to-head: Methacton defeated Phoenixville 3-2 on April 23 thanks to three early runs and six strong innings from Will Christian (6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 1 BB). Third baseman Tommy Kratz was 2-for-3 with an RBI and DH Ben Clark’s two-run single gave the Warriors an early spark.

Phoenixville’s Kevin Kingsbury hits a triple against Owen J. Roberts during a PAC semifinal on May 13 at Boyertown. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Phantoms at a glance: Geoff Thomas’ Phantoms are chasing a repeat of last year when they went from No. 4 seed to champions. There’s arguably a higher degree of achievement this time after graduating four All-Area first and second team players, including pitchers Hudson Narke and Dylan Antonini. Nico Nattle has stepped in the role as staff ace while Kevin Kingsbury, Christian Cervino, Tommy Whitesel and Chris Mull have taken the ball in big spots.

At the plate, center fielder Kingsbury, shortstop Sam Marsh, first baseman Giovanni Vito and right fielder Mull man the top of the order. Third baseman Ryan Jacobson, DH Bobby Gray, second baseman Whitesel, catcher Anthony Cervino and left fielder Christian Cervino continue the charge.

Warriors at a glance: Methacton has rolled since a three-game losing streak in mid-April, winning 10 of its last 11 contests to earn its repeat spot in the final. At 17-4, head coach Paul Spiewak’s Warriors have been the PAC’s most consistent squad with quality pitching and a potent lineup. Evan Jones did what aces do in the semifinals while Will Christian has been the No. 2 starter with Austin Frank consistent in relief. Right fielder and leadoff hitter Kratz has swung a big bat throughout, while catcher Kasey Humes, third baseman Nick Remish and designated hitter Clark round out of the first four in the lineup. Other likely starters include center fielder Chase McNally, first baseman Casey Behan, second baseman Tripp Shytle, left fielder Ayden Fitch and shortstop Bryce Lohsen.

Matchup and prediction: After last year’s 13-inning iconic final, won 5-2 by Phoenixville, to get the rematch in 2024 is poetic. It’s hard to imagine Methacton is disappointed with the opportunity. For another pitchers’ duel to break out, new arms will need to emerge: only Christian Cervino, who threw 6 ⅔ one-run innings for Phoenixville, is still in the mix among six pitchers in last year’s epic. Both No. 1 starters – Jones and Nattle – won’t be available after pitching deep into their semifinals, which makes Methacton’s Christian and Phoenixville’s Kingsbury the likely starters.

Christian and Kingsbury can both enter with confidence after facing off in the regular season matchup on April 23. Christian got the win, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings (6 strikeouts) while Kingsbury allowed three runs on six hits over five innings.

The backstory is enticing, but shouldn’t overshadow Methacton’s place as the PAC’s best team since March. The lineup consistency plus the added motivation of last year’s heartbreak makes the Warriors champions in 2024 … Methacton 4, Phoenixville 2