Bill Beckner stories, Page 199

Some of the rising stars in WPIAL basketball that will take the court next season will test their skills against talent from around the country next weekend in Colorado. Fifteen WPIAL players were selected to play in the USA Basketball 3x3 U-18 National Championships at the U.S. Olympic Training Center...

Not many college basketball players can say they played in two Division II Final Fours and led their team to the No. 1 ranking in the nation. But IUP senior Carolyn Appleby can say she’s done that — and much more. Appleby had quite the career for the Crimson Hawks...

Franklin Regional and Latrobe are new opponents in Section 1-5A softball so it took them some time to get used to one another Thursday in Murrysville. There were some early errors, a few runners left on base and plenty of foul balls hit into the pine trees and lower parking...

One of the top AAU girls basketball tournaments in the country will play out Saturday and Sunday at 25 gyms throughout WPIAL territory. The event is hosted by the local Western PA Bruins and will feature more than 250 teams — several thousand players — with out-of-state teams coming in...

Latrobe softball is running on battery power again, only the charge is coming from a slightly different pitcher-catcher combo than the Wildcats first envisioned. Senior catcher Makayla Munchinski returned to anchor the defense, and the team knew she would provide a productive bat in the order. Sophomore Jordan Tallman, meanwhile,...

Andy McNab has resigned as women’s soccer coach at Seton Hill after four seasons. McNab is leaving to coach the women’s team at Barton College in Wilson, N.C. He spent two years with the Griffins as an assistant. “Seton Hill is a special place where it is easy to build...

Saint Vincent has a coach for its newest varsity sport. The school added men’s volleyball, its 24th sport, and on Tuesday announced Derry native Scott Wisneski will lead the first-year program, which is expected to begin play for the 2019-20 season. Wisneski was an assistant for the Bearcats women’s volleyball...

Lydia DeFazio is taking the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference by storm this softball season. The sophomore first baseman/catcher at Mt. Aloysius was named AMCC Player of the Week after a dominating, four-game stretch for the Mounties (17-4, 4-0). A Penn-Trafford graduate, DeFazio went 13 for 15 — hitting safely in...

After another memorable season that lasted into March and generated more national interest in the program, the IUP women’s basketball team can reflect. The Crimson Hawks went 30-4 and reached the NCAA Division II Final Four for the second consecutive season. They climbed to the No. 1 ranking in the...

Chelsea Bisi started the softball season slowly as she adjusted to Division I pitching and worked her way back from a knee injury that cost her the majority of her senior season at Derry. The freshman at Penn State, though, has found her groove and has become one tough out...

Lydia DeFazio is taking the AMCC by storm this softball season. The sophomore first baseman/catcher at Mt. Aloysius was named AMCC Softball Player of the Week after a dominating, four-game stretch for the Mounties (17-4, 4-0). Her numbers have been astronomical. A Penn-Trafford graduate, DeFazio went 13 for 15, hitting...

Emma Nedley was once a wide-eyed youngster plopped in front of the TV watching college softball with innocent wonderment. She enjoyed the double plays. She appreciated the diving catches and smiled when the teams started chanting with excitement to start a rally. But she loved the home runs. That’s what...

MONDAY Baseball: Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette are no longer section opponents but the teams plan to renew their rivalry with a nonsection game at Clarkson Field in Jeannette. Penn-Trafford will take on Hampton in nonsection play at Hempfield Park. Southmoreland visits Greensburg Salem, and Yough goes to Norwin. Franklin...

Sophomore Emma Hoffner still plans to play Division I softball and clearly has the talent to do so. But the Hempfield all-state catcher is going to explore her options before making a firm commitment. Hoffner has opened her recruitment after initially verbally committing to St. Francis (Pa.) as a freshman....

JJ Matijevic will start his third season in the minor leagues in Double-A. The former Norwin and Arizona star was assigned to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League, an affiliate of the Houston Astros. The 6-foot, 206-pounder who bats left-handed and throws right-handed, finished last season with the...

Gannon turned an inconspicuous Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference softball game into a home run derby. The Knights belted eight home runs on the way to a 15-0 win over Mercyhurst in five innings Thursday in Erie. It was the second game of a doubleheader. Mercyhurst (5-18, 1-1) won the first...

Sophomore Emma Hoffner still plans to play Division I softball, and has the talent to do so. But the Hempfield all-state catcher is going to explore her options before making a firm commitment. Hoffner has opened her recruitment after initially committing to Saint Francis (Pa.) as a freshman. Head coach...

After missing last softball season with a knee injury, Rachel Martindale was anxious to get back on the field. The North Allegheny senior shortstop, though, could have shelved what seems to have become her second-best sport. She is headed to Akron on a basketball scholarship. She was one of the...

Another thrilling run through the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament finally came to an end for IUP Wednesday night in Columbus, Ohio. The Crimson Hawks were stopped in the Final Four for the second straight year as Southwestern Oklahoma used a strong fourth quarter to register a 66-57 victory...

Maclean Maund plans to play college baseball at Seton Hill. The Penn-Trafford senior looked right at home on his future field Wednesday as he and his teammates avenged a playoff loss to North Allegheny on the turf at the Seton Hill Baseball Complex. Maund was glad his team rented the...

Matt Regula’s stay was short at Derry, his departure not altogether by his choice. But he looks back on his time coaching the girls basketball team at his alma mater with pride. “It gave me the chance to prove that I can be a successful head coach,” said Regula, who...

The Western Pennsylvania Golf Association announced local qualifiers for the 2020 Drive, Chip and Putt competition that culminates in a year at Augusta National Golf Club. Registration is underway. Local qualifying sites include: Willowbrook Country Club, Allegheny Township — June 12 Green Oaks Country Club, Verona — June 13 JC...

Now that his college career is over, Kason Harrell has every intention of playing professional basketball. The wheres and whens have yet to be worked out, but the Purdue Fort Wayne senior knows he’ll be playing against some of the country’s best players in the interim. Harrell, a Hempfield graduate,...

To counter changing field conditions in Harrison City, Penn-Trafford is moving some baseball and softball games to the artificial turf fields at Seton Hill University. Last year, the Warriors softball team played Hempfield at Seton Hill. The baseball games set to be played at the Greensburg campus include: Wednesday: vs....

Dana Vatakis is a rare dual-award-winner in the Northeast Conference this week. The freshman softball player at Robert Morris was named NEC Pitcher of the Week and Co-Rookie of the Week. A Monessen graduate, Vatakis made five appearances last week for the Colonials (5-20, 0-1), carding three complete games and...