Blackhawk baseball team's title runs ends two wins short
Blackhawk’s run for a state title fell one game short with a 8-1 loss to West York in the PIAA Class AAA semifinal but the season still may well be remembered as the school’s best ever.
The Cougars finished with a 22-3 record, the most wins ever for the school, and one of those wins was a 1-0 WPIAL Championship win over Belle Vernon. That was the second WPIAL baseball championship for Blackhawk and the 29th overall in school history. Also, no Blackhawk baseball team has advanced further in the state playoffs and the season also included a 42-inning scoreless streak that last from the beginning of May until early June.
Most of the team will now shift their focus to the American Legion season after reaching the state tournament last summer. One who won’t be moving to the legion team will be catcher Matt Emge, who is already at Ohio State preparing for his college career.
As a high school team, though, this group is done. Only two underclassmen were significant contributors this season but one of them is sophomore standout left-handed pitcher Brendan McKay, already a top prospect drawing both college and professional scouts.
McKay‘s arm alone will be enough to make the Cougars playoff contenders early in the season and will buy time for head coach Bob Amalia, who has a 197-83 record (.704 winning percentage), and the rest of a talented and deep staff to bring the new group along.
The Cougars finished with a 22-3 record, the most wins ever for the school, and one of those wins was a 1-0 WPIAL Championship win over Belle Vernon. That was the second WPIAL baseball championship for Blackhawk and the 29th overall in school history. Also, no Blackhawk baseball team has advanced further in the state playoffs and the season also included a 42-inning scoreless streak that last from the beginning of May until early June.
Most of the team will now shift their focus to the American Legion season after reaching the state tournament last summer. One who won’t be moving to the legion team will be catcher Matt Emge, who is already at Ohio State preparing for his college career.
As a high school team, though, this group is done. Only two underclassmen were significant contributors this season but one of them is sophomore standout left-handed pitcher Brendan McKay, already a top prospect drawing both college and professional scouts.
McKay‘s arm alone will be enough to make the Cougars playoff contenders early in the season and will buy time for head coach Bob Amalia, who has a 197-83 record (.704 winning percentage), and the rest of a talented and deep staff to bring the new group along.
baseball