Coming Sunday: PUP announces its high school baseball and softball awards

Although plenty of teams are still prepping for PIAA gold medals — the state baseball and softball championships are scheduled for Thursday and Friday in State College — the Pittsburgh Union Progress sports staff is eagerly waiting in the on-deck circle for its chance to shine once the season ends.

Shortly after the bases are cleared and the infield is watered down, the PUP will announce its high school baseball and softball award winners, culminating with the Union Progress players and coaches of the year for both sports.

On Sunday, the first PUP high school baseball and softball award winners will be revealed. These awards take into account most of the more traditional efforts on the baseball and softball diamond — such has hitting and pitching — but also some of the more intangible performances, such as leadoff hitting, most feared slugger and best utility player.

And don’t look for your basic “team,” which usually consists of the top pitchers and maybe a shortstop and catcher that every publication promotes. No, the PUP is different, and that’s how the sports staff thinks. There were plenty of outstanding performances — both individual and team -— and the Union Progress would like to recognize them.

For instance, Riverside coach Dan Oliastro, at the age of 79 and in his 55th season, helped the Panthers become only the ninth team since 1960 to win a WPIAL title with an unbeaten record after defeating Neshannock, 6-1, in the Class 3A final.

Mt. Lebanon left-hander David Shields produced one of the finest pitching performances in WPIAL championship history, tossing a no-hitter with nine strikeouts to lead the Blue Devils, who started the season 0-8, to a second consecutive Class 6A title following a 4-0 win against North Allegheny.

Shaler’s Miguel Hugas, an Alabama recruit, and Bethel Park’s Evan Holewinski, a Kent State recruit, were two of the area’s top pitchers this season. But both sparkled at the plate, as well, putting them among the best two-way players the WPIAL has seen in recent years. Hugas outdueled Holewinski in Shaler’s 10-1 win in the Class 5A final.

And who could forget Hopewell. The Vikings were a true underdog story in every sense, having to win their final section game just to qualify for the postseason. A No. 14 seed in the WPIAL playoffs, Hopewell won the Class 4A title and advanced to the PIAA semifinals for the first time in 36 years.

In softball, Seneca Valley’s Lexie Hames might eventually be the best player to come out of the WPIAL. Only a sophomore, Hames struck out 269 batters as a pitcher, but is equally feared when she steps to the plate. On most occasions, opposing teams chose not to pitch to her — in 65 plate appearances, she walked 35 times. But when she does get to swing a bat, look out … she had five home runs in only 28 official at-bats.

Also, Ryleigh Hoy is a 5-foot-1 senior at Trinity who struggled to get a hit in the entire postseason. But in the WPIAL Class 5A championship against top seed and defending champion Armstrong, Hoy homered twice to help the Hillers to an 11-7 victory.

And on the team front, it has been a long time since Neshannock has had to bounce back from a disappointing defeat. The Lancers set the WPIAL record for consecutive victories and took a 48-game winning streak into the PIAA semifinals.

Following the PUP’s list of award winners on Sunday, the Union Progress will announce its choice for baseball and softball players of the year on Monday, June 19. And wrapping up the postseason awards on Tuesday, June 20, will be the announcement of the PUP’s selection for coach of the year in both sports.

So after reading all about the PIAA championships in PUP on Thursday and Friday, circle back to the Union Progress beginning Sunday for what promises to be an interesting closure to the high school baseball and softball seasons with the first Pittsburgh Union Progress baseball and softball awards.