There’s something to be said about a team that knows how to win close games, and nobody does it better than Pine-Richland.
Is it luck, or something that can be practiced and prepared for? Perhaps a mix of both? Whatever the formula is, Rams coach Kurt Wolfe has certainly mastered it in his 26 years of coaching at Pine-Richland — seven as an assistant and the past 19 as head coach. During that time, the Rams have captured six WPIAL titles, with Wolfe responsible for four WPIAL championships, one state title and 261 victories during his stint as head coach.
So what is it that keeps Wolfe coming back for more?
“It’s the players,” Wolfe said. “It’s always a new group. Even though the core may be there, even though there might be a lot of returning starters depending on the year, it’s always a different team. I love trying to build the team. I love trying to bring the team together.
“I love working with the young men and showing them how to play for each other and being selfless. Showing them that if you play this way, if you play for each other, if you truly care about the player next to you, then there is going to be a lot of success.”
This year, Pine-Richland (16-4, 10-2) captured its third consecutive Class 6A Section 1 crown, this time winning it outright after sharing it with North Allegheny in 2022 and splitting it with both the Tigers and Seneca Valley last year. The Rams did it by posting a record of 8-1 in games decided by three runs or fewer, including a mark of 5-0 in one-run games.
“We try to get comfortable with the uncomfortable,” Wolfe said. “We feel that those close games are our games, and we feel that we have an opportunity to pull them out every time. … A lot of it has to do with the young men believing in themselves and knowing that if they don’t do it, their brother is going to pick them up.”
It might seem like a coincidence at first, but this is nothing new for anyone who has followed Pine-Richland in recent years. The Rams also went 7-2 in one-run games with five walk-off wins in 2022, kickstarting their run to three consecutive section crowns. But after falling to eventual champ Mt. Lebanon in last year’s WPIAL Class 6A semifinals, it has now been five years since Pine-Richland last played for a WPIAL title — not much time for most programs, but an eternity by Wolfe’s standards.
Most still view Mt. Lebanon as the team to beat in Class 6A with future MLB draft pick David Shields leading the way, but this could be the Rams’ best chance yet to climb the “stairway to seven.” Unlike the Blue Devils, Pine-Richland doesn’t have a blue-chip prospect like Shields to rely on — rather, the entire clubhouse is capable of producing in any given spot, be it at the plate, in the field, on the basepaths or on the mound.
“That’s a good feeling to hear that as a coach, that you have many contributors who have done something to help with the success of the team,” Wolfe said. “We don’t have captains on our team. Everybody is a captain. Everybody should be accountable for each other. No one person is more important than the other. And the young men embrace that.”
Of course, the Rams have a reliable No. 1 starter of their own leading the pitching staff in junior right-hander Keegan Deihl, who owns a record of 5-0 with an 0.82 ERA and 35 strikeouts to 13 walks in 25⅔ innings pitched. And while Deihl is the unquestioned ace, the rest of Pine-Richland’s rotation has answered the call time and time again.
Senior left-handers Reece Rupert and Tyler Vogel have solidified their hold on the No. 2 and 3 spots in the starting rotation, with fellow senior Nathan Kush and junior Tristan Farrar providing quality innings out of the bullpen. Rupert owns a record of 3-0 with a 2.51 ERA and 31 strikeouts to only seven walks in 22⅓ innings, while Vogel is 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA and 24 strikeouts to 12 walks in 20⅔ innings.
The Rams’ pitching depth was on full display from April 15-19, when Pine-Richland played five games in five days for the first time in Wolfe’s 26-year coaching career and won all five — including three one-run victories.
“With those five games in a row and seven in eight days, you’re forced to use everybody,” Wolfe said. “And it was great to see everybody step up, everyone contribute and have a part in the success. It’s fun, and it shows truly what a good team you are when that stuff happens.”
At the plate, junior left fielder Anthony Mengine is the sparkplug in charge of setting the table for the Rams’ offense out of the leadoff spot. A patient, keen-eyed contact hitter who has batted leadoff in nearly every game dating back to the start of his freshman season, Mengine is hitting .362 with a pair of doubles, 12 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 12 stolen bases and a team-leading 17 walks, giving him an on-base percentage of .519.
“I take a bunch of pride in [seeing pitches]. That’s my favorite part of my game,” Mengine said. “That mentality, just trying to get on base any way possible, trying to move runners over, stealing bases, not striking out — making the opposing defense work and put pressure on them, that has really helped us this year, and I feel like that has really elevated my game, personally.”
Following Mengine in the order are sophomore right fielder Logan Plummer, senior center fielder Peyton Ford, junior catcher Sam Heckert and junior first baseman Jake Waddell. Plummer is hitting .312 with 4 doubles, a triple, a home run, 11 runs scored, 10 walks and an on-base percentage of .507, while Ford is batting .365 with 3 doubles, a homer, 13 walks, 16 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .481. Heckert is hitting .392 with 4 doubles, a homer, 14 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .500, and Waddell is batting .291 with 5 doubles, a home run, 11 walks and a .420 on-base percentage.
“[Waddell] isn’t your typical power guy,” Wolfe said. “He’s a tough out. I think most people look at power guys as big swing-and-miss guys or all-or-nothing guys. That’s not Jake. Jake gets wide and Jake gets gritty right off the bat. Jake is looking to put a hurt on the ball, but in a controlled way. That’s another thing that has been a big part of our success.”
The biggest hit of Pine-Richland’s season so far came courtesy of Waddell, who sealed the Rams’ 9-8 victory against North Allegheny in Thursday’s regular-season finale with a two-out, bases-loaded laser over the left fielder’s head. Waddell’s walk-off single capped off a wild win that saw Pine-Richland jump out to an early 3-0 lead, only to fall behind, 5-3, before rallying back to take an 8-5 lead, then seeing the Tigers tie the score, 8-8, before Waddell’s game-ending heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
“He hung a slider middle-in, so I just turned on it,” Waddell said. “I knew it was going to get down. I caught the barrel. The only bad thing is, I thought it was going to go out, but our field is 360 [feet] down the line. … I’m just glad it got over his head and got past him and we were able to get the win and move on to the playoffs.”
Once again, the Rams displayed their penchant for pulling out nail-biting victories in the section-clinching win, and that knack for winning close games could prove vital to their championship hopes in the coming weeks. Then again, Wolfe surely wouldn’t complain about a few lopsided wins every now and then, either.
“Obviously, you’re looking to put a gold medal around their necks. That’s the ultimate goal,” Wolfe said. “But winning is created because of the culture and expectations of the program. That’s what I love about it. I love the process. I love building a team, building a culture, building a program, and getting to see the results.
“We’ve been blessed to win a lot of championships. I believe we’ll be blessed to win a few more, and hopefully it starts this year. That’s our plan.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
