What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 13, 2025: Baseball playoffs open with 2 teams seeking 3-peat

By: Don Rebel


Monday, May 12, 2025 | 10:41 PM

Welcome to the first round of the WPIAL baseball playoffs with opening-round contests set for Class A, 2A and 3A.

Two district baseball teams are going for a three-peat this spring: Bishop Canevin in Class A and Seton LaSalle in 3A.

The Rebels captured back-to-back gold in 2A but moved up in class this spring.

If Seton LaSalle were to capture a third straight championship, it would do so in shocking fashion.

The Rebels are the No. 14 seed in the 18-team bracket, a longshot to even reach the final four, yet alone raise gold.

Seton LaSalle finished tied for second place with Charleroi in Section 4-3A with an overall record of 10-6. The Rebels have won a season-high five games in a row.

They’ll face a stiff challenge from No. 3 Ellwood City.

The Wolverines finished in second place in Section 1-3A with a final record of 14-5.

Ellwood City ended up in second, only one game behind Riverside, with a victory over the Panthers earlier this spring. The Wolverines had a six-game winning streak snapped with a season-finale loss to Montour.

The teams meet under the lights at 7 p.m. at North Allegheny.

Elsewhere in the seven other opening-round 3A games:

• Top-seeded Riverside (13-2) looks to avoid the major upset when it faces preliminary round winner Shady Side Academy (8-13) at Seneca Valley at 6 p.m.

• No. 8 Burrell (12-8) faces No. 9 Charleroi (10-6) at Gateway at 3 p.m.

• No. 4 Waynesburg (15-3) plays No. 13 Freeport (13-6) at Gateway at 5:30 p.m.

• No. 12 Mt. Pleasant (11-6) challenges South Park (12-6) at Gateway at 8 p.m.

• Defending 3A champion and No. 2 Avonworth goes up against pigtail game winner No. 15 Keystone Oaks (9-9) at Fox Chapel at 4:30 p.m.

• No. 7 Quaker Valley (12-6) battles No. 10 Ligonier Valley (10-7) at Fox Chapel at 2 p.m.

• No. 6 Deer Lakes (9-6) squares off with No. 11 Mohawk (10-9) at North Allegheny at 4 p.m.

Beaver County proud

There are three Beaver County teams in action in the first round of the Class 2A baseball playoffs Tuesday and two of them go head to head.

No. 7 South Side will face No. 10 New Brighton at Matulevic Field in Shaler at 4:30 p.m.

The Rams finished 10-6 this season and tied for second place in Section 3-2A with Riverview, two games behind section winner Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

South Side finished the season strong, winning four of its last five games.

The Lions ended the campaign with a record of 9-8 and finished tied for fourth place in a tough Section 1-2A.

New Brighton enters the playoffs on a three-game losing skid, having scored a total of three runs in those losses.

The two were scheduled to play each other in a nonsection game last month, but it was postponed due to weather.

Here are the other four first-round 2A games:

• The other Beaver County team is No. 8 Freedom (11-8), which will take on No. 9 Apollo-Ridge (8-6) at Plum at 7:30 p.m.

• No. 4 Shenango (14-5) will face No. 13 Chartiers-Houston (7-9) at Burkett Park in Robinson Township at 4 p.m.

• No. 5 Fort Cherry (13-5) goes up against No. 12 Laurel (8-10) at Matulevic Field in Shaler at 2 p.m.

• No. 6 Riverview (12-6) will battle No. 11 California (8-9) at Norwin at 4:30 p.m.

No bye for you

It was a bit of a mystery when the baseball brackets came out Friday and there were three first-round byes, none of which went to the defending two-time champions.

As mentioned, Bishop Canevin is trying to win three district crowns in a row this postseason.

The Crusaders finished in a tie with Serra Catholic and Eden Christian for the Section 3-A title, yet when the brackets came out, Serra, Eden and Leechburg were awarded the three byes.

Bishop Canevin is the No. 4 seed and must play in the opening round against No. 13 Rochester at Burkett Park in Robinson Township at 6:30 p.m.

The Crusaders are 10-6 overall and have won five of their last seven games.

The Rams are 9-7 after finishing tied for fourth place with Union in Section 2-A. They have won three straight and also have been victorious in five of their last seven games.

Here are the other four Class A opening-round contests:

• No. 8 Jefferson-Morgan (13-3) will face No. 9 Winchester Thurston (11-6) at Norwin at 2 p.m. It is the first baseball playoff game for the Bears program.

• No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic (15-2) faces No. 12 Sewickley Academy (5-12) at Plum at 5 p.m.

• No. 7 Western Beaver (14-4) battles No. 10 Avella (10-7) at the Boyce-Mayview Complex in Upper St. Clair at 3 p.m.

• No. 6 Carmichaels (12-4) looks to eliminate No. 11 Union (7-9) at the Boyce-Mayview Complex in Upper St. Clair at 5:30 p.m.

Celebrate the Deer

Ten years ago, the Deer Lakes softball team captured its second WPIAL championship in four years.

The Lancers celebrate that anniversary beginning a quest for the program’s third district title.

The first step is Tuesday with a Class 3A first-round contest against Charleroi at Norwin at 5 p.m.

The Lancers lost their first five games, fell in their final three contests and ended up going 7-13 as they finished tied for third place in Section 1-3A.

The Cougars, meanwhile, won five of their last seven games to finish in third place in Section 3-3A with an overall record of 9-8.

The winner will advance to the 3A quarterfinals to face top seed and undefeated South Park.

In the other three 3A opening-round softball contests:

• No. 5 Mt. Pleasant (12-5) goes up against No. 12 Keystone Oaks (8-8) at Waynesburg University at 5 p.m.

• No. 7 Southmoreland (9-7) will battle No. 10 Hopewell (11-7) at Trinity at 7 p.m.

• No. 6 McGuffey (10-5) will take on No. 11 Ligonier Valley (5-10) at West Mifflin at 5 p.m.

Houston, we have a problem

Some might feel that the Apollo-Ridge softball team is fresh for the postseason.

Others might be concerned that the Vikings risk being rusty.

In a span of 16 days from April 28-May 13, the Vikings will have played one game, a 7-5 loss to Highlands on May 8.

The Vikings won their final three Section 2-2A games via forfeit.

Now, No. 8 Apollo-Ridge begins the postseason as the section runner-up when it plays No. 9 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (9-6) at Fox Chapel at 3 p.m.

The Chargers finished tied for second place in Section 3-2A with Seton LaSalle.

OLSH lost its last two regular season games to finish 9-6 overall.

Elsewhere in a full slate of Class 2A softball openers:

• Top seed and three-time defending champion Neshannock (18-0) will play No. 16 Burgettstown (7-9) at North Allegheny at 3 p.m.

• No. 4 Frazier (13-3) will be challenged by No. 12 Shenango (10-8) at Fox Chapel at 5 p.m.

• No. 5 South Allegheny (14-3) goes up against 2024 runner-up Bentworth (8-9) at West Mifflin at 3 p.m.

• No. 2 Chartiers-Houston (17-1) faces No. 15 Brentwood (6-8) at Pleasant Valley Elementary in Peters Township at 4 p.m.

• No. 10 Brownsville (11-5) battles No. 7 Seton LaSalle (10-5) at Trinity at 5 p.m.

• No. 3 Laurel (14-4) squares off with No. 14 Northgate (10-7) at North Allegheny at 7 p.m.

• No. 11 Riverside (7-8) tries to upset No. 6 Waynesburg Central (11-6) at North Allegheny at 5 p.m.

37 and counting

One of the longest current playoff streaks in WPIAL sports is the Leechburg softball team.

By finishing in a three way tie for third place in Section 3-A, the Blue Devils qualified for the softball playoffs for a 38th consecutive season.

Leechburg was .500 overall during the regular season with an 8-8 record.

As the No. 11 seed, Leechburg will play No. 6 South Side in the first round of the Class A playoffs at Montour at 5 p.m.

While the Blue Devils lost three of their last four, the Rams were hot down the stretch, winning five consecutive games to finish tied for second place in Section 1-A with Sewickley Academy, three games behind top seed Union.

South Side enters the game with a 10-7 record.

The winner will play No. 3 West Greene in the upcoming quarterfinals.

Here are the other four Class A first-round contests:

• No. 8 Jeannette (12-4) battles No. 9 Avella (5-10) at Pleasant Valley ES in Peters Township at 6 p.m.

• No 4. Sewickley Academy (10-5) goes up against No. 13 Monessen (6-8) at Norwin at 3 p.m.

• No. 12 Greensburg Central Catholic (6-6) tries to pull off the surprise of No. 5 Jefferson-Morgan (8-6) at Waynesburg University at 3 p.m.

• No. 7 Serra Catholic (12-5) goes up against No. 10 Cornell (7-7) at Montour at 3 p.m.

Hardcourt lid lifters

There are 10 WPIAL first-round boys volleyball playoff matches set for Tuesday where weather is no issue.

Class 3A has 14 teams in the bracket with top-seeded North Allegheny and No. 2 Seneca Valley enjoying opening-round byes.

Here are the six first-round matches that all begin at 7 p.m.

• No. 8 Mt. Lebanon (13-1) hosts No. 9 Gateway (10-2) in a battle of section champions

• No. 4 Hempfield (11-4) welcomes No. 13 Upper St. Clair (5-8)

• No. 12 Baldwin (6-10) visits No. 5 Pine-Richland (9-5)

• No. 7 Canon-McMillan (14-2) is home to No. 10 Central Catholic (9-8)

• No. 3 Latrobe (15-1) welcomes No. 14 North Hills (8-9)

• No. 11 Peters Township (7-11) travels to No. 6 Penn-Trafford (10-6)

In Class 2A, the top four seeds all earned first-round byes.

So in the opening round, No. 1 Shaler, No. 2 Ambridge, No. 3 Seton LaSalle and No. 4 North Catholic will be spectators waiting to see who they will play in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Here are the four opening-round contests with each game set for a 7 p.m. start.

• No. 9 Hopewell (9-8) visits No. 8 Derry (11-6)

• No. 5 South Fayette (13-4) will host No. 12 McKeesport (8-8)

• No. 10 Deer Lakes (10-5) travels to No. 7 Thomas Jefferson (9-6)

• No. 6 Mars (8-10) is home to No. 11 South Park (8-8)

Day Two of the lax postseason

Rain or shine, the first round of the district lacrosse playoffs for girls Class 3A and boys Class 2A begins Tuesday.

Each bracket has 12 teams with four first-round byes.

In girls 3A, the top four teams already into the second round are No. 1 Pine-Richland, No. 2 Upper St. Clair, No. 3 Mt. Lebanon and No. 4 Moon.

The four 3A girls first-round matches are all set to start at 7 p.m.

• No. 9 Bethel Park (10-6) visits No. 8 Shady Side Academy (6-8)

• No. 5 Fox Chapel (10-5) welcomes No. 12 Norwin (7-9)

• No. 7 Penn-Trafford (12-6) hosts No. 10 Butler (8-6)

• No. 11 North Allegheny (4-12) travels to No. 6 Peters Township (13-5)

In boys 2A, the top four teams headed to the quarterfinals are No. 1 South Fayette, No. 2 Mars, No. 3 Hampton and No. 4 Peters Township.

The four 2A boys first-round matches are all set to start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated:

• No. 9 Indiana (8-8) is on the road to face No. 8 Franklin Regional (9-8)

• No. 5 Sewickley Academy (10-2) is home to No. 12 Chartiers Valley (6-10) at 6 p.m.

• No. 7 Bethel Park (11-7) hosts No. 10 Quaker Valley (9-4)

• No. 11 Shaler (10-6) will visit No. 6 Penn-Trafford (12-6)