The varsity baseball team was crowned section champions again this spring, but it wasn’t without its challenges.
After playing just six games at the beginning of the season, and batting an impressive .455, including smacking the game-winning home run against Upper St. Clair, senior leftfielder and Virginia Tech commit, Ryan Walsh, had his season come to an abrupt end.
Walsh, who was slated to be a major factor on both the mound and at the plate, required surgery, which sadly ended his season. The surgery was successful, and Walsh has continued to be a dugout leader throughout the season.
Injuries also sidelined pitcher Dylan Paul and right fielder Joe Levis for a portion of the season, but both have returned to help the Hawks in their quest for a WPIAL championship. The squad has reached the WPIAL finals in three of the last four seasons but hopes to bring home a different color medal in 2025.
Orchestrating a playoff run begins with pitching, as has been the staple for the Hawks in reaching the finals in 2021 with Eric Chalus (Kent State), in 2023 with Evan Holewinski (Kent State), and in 2024 with Santino Diulus (Seton Hill).
Leading the 2025 staff is all-conference pitcher Dylan Schumacher, who has been tremendous for the Hawks, going 4-1 with a 1.26 ERA, while opponents have hit a dismal .167 against him.
Senior Owen White (3-0) earned big victories for the Hawks down the stretch, as he has struck out 28 batters in 16 innings of work.
The bullpen of juniors has been spectacular, with lefty Matt Hughes, Tyler and Mason Stewart, Nick Rillo, and all-conference closer Mike Bruckner, who has nailed down five saves for the Hawks. It is an arsenal of arms that makes Bethel Park a formidable opponent in the playoffs.
Bethel Park was in a tightly contested race for the section title, as they stood at 5-3 in the standings on April 16 after dropping their second meeting with Peters Township in disappointing fashion, but they went 4-0 in the final two series and have carried an eight-game win streak into the playoffs.
The streak began with an exciting 11-inning win over Riverside, in which senior outfielder Aaron Hofbauer, White, and senior catcher Ethan Stanhoff combined for some heroics to score a pair of runs in their final at-bat to walk-off the Panthers.
Stanhoff has been one of the offensive catalysts this season, pacing the Hawks to the section crown. He hit nearly .377 with six extra-base hits.
First-team all-conference selections Noah LeJeune and Ryan Petras are also major threats when they step in the box. LeJeune is hitting at a .368 clip with 16 RBIs, while Petras is batting .385 with 20 runs and 20 stolen bases. This senior trio has been fantastic for Bethel Park.
Junior third baseman Mike Bruckner has not only been stellar on the mound but has been a force at the plate, leading the team with eight extra-base hits, while knocking in 16 runs.
Senior centerfielder Jack Bruckner, junior second baseman Nick Rillo and sophomore leftfielder Eric Meihl round out the starting lineup and have all been solid contributors at the plate.
Bethel Park earned the No. 4 seed in the WPIAL playoffs and will meet the No. 13 seed Franklin Regional Panthers on Wednesday night, May 14, at 7 p.m. at Boyce-Mayview Park in Upper St. Clair.
The all-time playoff series is tied 2-2 between the schools, with Bethel Park’s last win occurring in the opening round of the 2013 playoffs, and Franklin Regional defeating the Hawks in the 2021 WPIAL title game.
