For the first time, Pennsylvania has an All-State team for high school baseball .
The teams were released Monday and were selected by the Pennsylvania State Baseball Coaches Association, a newly formed organization that wants to promote high school baseball more in the state. The PSBCA has plans for the future, like possibly putting together a state All-Star Game. But the association’s first objective was to start an All-State team.
Locally, there were no players selected in McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter counties, but six District 9 players did make it.
In Class 1A, Clarion senior Dawson Smail, a Xavier signee, was first team, while his younger brother, Derek Smail, a junior, was a second team infielder. Also garnering second team selections in Class 1A were the DuBois Central Catholic duo of Aiden Snowberger at pitcher and Brayden Fox at outfielder. Both were juniors this year. All four players have been a part of state championship teams, with DCC winning the title in 2022 and Clarion beating DCC for the state title a year ago.
Unlike other high school sports in the state, Pennsylvania has never had a state coaches association for baseball and has never had a comprehensive All-State baseball team. Basketball and football All-State teams in Pennsylvania are selected by the media, and some other sports have All-State teams selected by a coaches association.
The PSBCA was put together with help and urging from Penn State coach Mike Gambino and assistant Ryan Wheeler, who is the Nittany Lions director of program development/alumni relations.
Mark Saghy, an assistant coach at Upper St. Clair High School and former head coach at Mt. Lebanon, is a well-known baseball figure in the WPIAL and used to run a yearly baseball showcase for players in Western Pennsylvania. He is the PSBCA’s chairman of the All-State committee and a member of the organization’s board of directors. North Pocono High School coach Brian Jardine is the PSBCA president.
“When [Gambino and Wheeler] came to Penn State last year, they kept saying, ‘Why is Pennsylvania so different than every other state and doesn’t have a coaches association?’ “ Saghy said. “We put it together and started with a big coaches clinic in January. We thought the easiest way to gain some recognition was to publish an All-State team. We thought people might say, ‘OK, they mean business.’ “
One person from each of the 12 PIAA districts around the state was in charge of getting All-State nominations from coaches in their district. A total of 404 players were nominated, and the All-State committee then picked the players. Each of the six classifications has a first and second team.
Of the 42 players from the WPIAL, Riverside had the most All-State selections with four in Class 3A. Pitcher Zach Hare and outfielder Hunter Garvin made first team, while outfielder Bo Fornataro made second team along with Christian Lucarelli, who was selected as a utility player.
Waynesburg was the only other WPIAL team with more than one player selected — infielder Alex VanSickle made first team in Class 3A, and infielder Derek Turcheck made second team.
The two City League players selected were both in Class 5A — Obama outfielder Chad Helwich (first team) and Carrick outfielder Eli Wittman (second team). Here are the complete Pennsylvania State Baseball Coaches Association All-State teams for all six classifications:
CLASS 6A
FIRST TEAM
P Brody Gebhard, Landvisville Hempfield, Jr.
P Connnor Lawrence, Red Lion, Jr.
P Nate Payne, Central Dauphin, Sr.
P David Shields, Mt. Lebanon, Sr.
P Drew Turner, Downingtown West, Sr.
C Gavin Kelly, Central Catholic, Sr.
C Jay Slater, Downingtown West, Jr.
IF Ben Farley, North Penn, Sr.
IF Nick Flores, Spring-Ford, Sr.
IF Matt Gannon, La Salle College, Sr.
IF Chase Harlan, Central Bucks East, Sr.
IF Mason Haupt, Northampton, Sr.
IF Carson Shuglie, Hempfield, Sr.
OF Nick Fiorini, Wilson, Sr.
OF Chris Florentino, Hazleton, Sr.
OF Brayden Hostetter, Landisville Hempfield, Sr.
OF David Lillis, Kennett, Sr.
OF Jacob Rivera, Liberty, Sr.
UTIL Matthew Marsten, Quakertown, Sr.
UTIL Cooper Natisin, Quakertown, Sr.
CLASS 5A
FIRST TEAM
P Austin Dahl, Upper Dublin, Jr.
P Luke D’Ancona, Strath Haven, Jr.
P Ethan Grim, Governor Mifflin, Jr.
P A.J. Levandowski, West Scranton, Sr.
P Reese Young, Mechanicsburg, Jr.
C Manny Cartagena, Susquehannock, Sr.
C Hunter Strohm, Lower Dauphin, Soph.
IF Aidan Crochier, Upper St. Clair, Sr.
IF Bryce Detwiler, Governor Mifflin, Jr.
IF Jeff Lougee, Mechanicsburg, Sr.
IF Carson Kensinger, Hollidaysburg, Sr.
IF Mason Richter, Selinsgrove, Sr.
IF Matt Robaugh, Trinity, Jr.
OF Brady Alexander, Shaler, Sr.
OF Colby Bealing, South Western, Sr.
OF Chad Helwich, Obama, Sr.
OF Alex Kelsey, Exeter Township, Sr.
OF Tucker Teats, Selinsgrove, Sr.
UTIL Josh Domaricki, Selinsgrove, Sr.
UTIL Travis Jenkins, Governor Mifflin, Jr.
CLASS 4A
FIRST TEAM
P Jason Fultz, Cathedral Prep, Jr.
P Robert Gormley, Blue Mountain, Sr.
P Liam Hilburt, Fleetwood, Sr.
P Peter Modrovsky, Honesdale, Sr.
P Andrew Sagrestano, Wilson, Sr.
C Jimmy Bell, James Buchanan, Jr.
C Blake Primrose, North Catholic, Sr.
IF Andrew Costello, Cathedral Prep, Soph.
IF Reece McCarthy, Danville, Sr.
IF Nick Slogik, Bishop McDevitt, Sr.
IF David Perez, Archbishop Ryan, Jr.
IF Levi Purnell, Bellefonte, Sr.
IF Ben Ryan, Indiana, Sr.
OF Jaxson Chowansky, North Schuylkill, Sr.
OF Moises Gonzalez, Northern Lebanon, Sr.
OF Trevor Johnson, Bellefonte, Sr.
OF Mason Ligenza, Tamaqua, Jr.
OF Sal Mineo, Slippery Rock, Sr.
UTIL Aidan Grace, Blue Mountain, Sr.
UTIL Zane Griffaton, West Mifflin, Sr.
CLASS 3A
FIRST TEAM
P Braeden Flower, Somerset, Soph.
P Zach Hare, Riverside, Jr.
P Cole Hubert, Saucon Valley, Jr.
P Jaycee Park, Neumann-Goretti, Sr.
P Parker Stahlman, Punxsutawney, Jr.
C Nick Mills, Mid Valley, Soph.
C Dom Tozzi, Camp Hill, Sr.
IF Chase Crosby, Upper Dauphin, Sr.
IF Max Forgione, Dunmore, Jr.
IF Tyler Martin, Greensburg Salem, Jr.
IF Leo Nockley, Wyoming Seminary, Fresh.
IF Griffin Snowberger, Central Martinsburg, Sr.
IF Alex VanSickle, Waynesburg, Jr.
OF Christian Cerone, Neumann-Goretti, Sr.
OF Ryan Cochran, Deer Lakes, Sr.
OF Hunter Garvin, Riverside, Jr.
OF Lane Lambert, Somerset, Jr.
OF Tyler Uram, Lakeland, Sr.
UTIL Griff Harrington, Warrior Run, Soph.
UTIL Cooper Hochendoner, South Park, Soph.
CLASS 2A
FIRST TEAM
P Riley Jagger, Mountain View, Sr.
P Vance Kimmel, North Star, Sr.
P Caden Leonard, Tri-Valley, Sr.
P Luke Liptak, West Branch, Sr.
P Weston McClain, Bald Eagle, Sr.
C Brock Budacki, New Brighton, Jr.
C Anthony Grippo, Greensburg Central Catholic, Soph.
IF Cainen Atherton, Mount Union, Sr.
IF Kelton Bonnell, East Juniata, Soph.
IF Dominic Cavuto, Northwest, Jr.
IF Gio LoNero, Seton LaSalle, Sr.
IF Carson Nagle, Bald Eagle, Jr.
IF Connor Yoder, North Star, Sr.
IF Gavin Burns, Bald Eagle, Sr.
OF Bryce Danish, Mount Union, Sr.
OF Shaun Gisler, Northern Cambria, Jr.
OF Cayden Tyrner, North Star, Sr.
OF Isaac Worthington, United, Sr.
UTIL Lucas Scheib, Tri-Valley, Sr.
UTIL Brandon Schell, Halifax, Jr.
SECOND TEAM
(District 9 Players Only)
P Tommy Smith, Clarion-Limestone, Sr.
CLASS 1A
FIRST TEAM
P Bradon Howe, High Point Baptist, Soph.
P Brian Persing, Montgomery, Fresh.
P Mason Pfeil, Bishop McCort, Sr.
P Hayden Williams, Blacklick Valley, Sr.
P David Zamora, Mt. Calvary Christian, Jr.
C Mason Campagna, Claysburg, Soph.
C Ben Gerlach, Mt. Calvary Christian, Jr.
IF Blake Burchill, Saegertown, Fresh.
IF Brady Hull, Eden Christian, Soph.
IF Landon Richard, High Point Baptist, Jr.
IF Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry, Soph.
IF Dawson Small, Clarion, Sr.
IF Larry Weaver Conemaugh Township, Sr.
OF Colin Dinyar, Conemaugh Township, Soph.
OF Keller Friese, Bucktail, Fresh.
OF Tanner Kephart, Moshannon Valley, Sr.
OF Tyler Maddix, Bishop Canevin, Jr.
OF Carter Smith, Penns Manor, Sr.
UTIL Zacm Petree, Conemaugh Township, Sr.
UTIL Nick Wagner, Nativity, Jr.
SECOND TEAM
(District 9 Players Only)
P — Aiden Snowberger, DuBois Central Catholic, Jr.
IF Derek Smail, Clarion, Jr.
OF Brayden Fox, DuBois Central Catholic, Jr.
