Parkland High School Baseball

A few early season losses left questions about how far the Parkland baseball team could go this season.  Coach Tony Galucy kept telling his players they would benefit from their setbacks.

Following the lead of senior co-captains Dan Klem and M.J. Miorelli, the Trojans have grown from their regular season ups and downs. They will try to continue a postseason run few would have predicted a month ago when they face District 12 champion Saint Joseph's Prep in a PIAA Class 4A semifinal this afternoon.  'This team is just starting to get real close-knit,' Galucy said. 'When they come to practice, you can tell they enjoy being around one another.'

Parkland will go back to undefeated starter Andrew Kulp (7-0, 2.36 ERA) as it tries to extend its season to one final game. He allowed one run over seven innings against Pennridge in the first round of states.  St. Joseph's Prep right-hander Kevin Gillen, a Johns Hopkins recruit, will try to halt Parkland's run. He has held opponents to a .165 average this season.
Parkland believes it's ready for whatever challenges the Hawks will bring.

'It's just been an amazing run so far,' Klem said. 'After last year [when Parkland lost in the district quarterfinals], we just wanted to come out and see what would happen. After the first couple games, we were just like, 'Why not? We can do this.''

PIAA CLASS 4A BASEBALL SEMIFINAL

When/where: 2 p.m. today at Spring-Ford High School, Royersford.

At stake: A spot in Friday's 4A state final against District One No. 5 North Penn or District 7 champion North Allegheny.

SAINT JOE'S PREP (District 12 champ, 16-8)

Coach: Christian Rupertus

Top hitters (stats do not include Saturday's state quarterfinal game): Sr. 1B Jeff Lynch (.410, 7 2B, 2 HR, 20 RBIs); so. C Ray Toto (.403, 11 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBIs); jr. 3B Greg Brooks (.347, 4 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBIs); sr. CF Giovanni Morales (.345, 4 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBIs).

Probable starting pitcher: Sr. RHP Kevin Gillen (7-3, 61.2 IP, .165 OBA, 72 SO, 2.15 ERA).

About the Hawks: Beat District One No. 4 Garnet Valley 4-3 in first round of states and District One champ West Chester East 2-1 in quarterfinals. Â… Won Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division title. Â… No. 1 starter Kyle Mullen, a Saint Joseph's University recruit, will not be available after throwing seven innings Saturday.

PARKLAND (District 11 champ, 20-6)

Coach: Tony Galucy (7th year, 122-40)

Projected lineup: Jr. RF Andy Brandstetter (.376, 24 R, 13 RBIs); sr. 3B M.J. Miorelli (.416, 9 2B, 22 RBIs); sr. C Jon Gabriel (.476, 10 2B, 21 RBIs); sr. SS Dan Klem (.362, 4 HR, 27 RBIs); jr. LF Joe Abeln (.354, 28 R, 16 RBIs); jr. DH Mike Tenaglia (.293, 3 2B, 8 RBIs); sr. 2B Luke Jaindl (.296, 12 R, 15 RBIs); sr. CF Ryan Korp (.381, 18 R, 14 RBIs); sr. 1B Sam Zaccaro (.178, 5 R, 6 RBIs).

Probable starting pitcher: RHP Andrew Kulp (7-0, 53.1 IP, 2.36 ERA, 63 SO, 24 BB).

About the Trojans: Beat District One No. 3 seed Pennridge 3-2 in the first round of states and District 2 champion Wyoming Valley West in the quarterfinals. Â… Have allowed just 16 runs during their eight-game winning streak.

Two Lehigh Valley Conference titles and one undefeated regular season had led to zero District 11 titles for Parkland over the last two seasons.  After graduating their top three pitchers from last year, the Trojans finally added district gold to an LVC crown this season.

Casey Cooperman, the one pitcher Parkland expected to front its rotation when this season began, continued his late-season brilliance Friday against his team's No. 1 rival. He struck out 12 in a two-hit complete-game shutout to lead the second-seeded Trojans to a 3-0 win over fourth-seeded Emmaus in the District 11 Class 4A baseball final at Sammy Balliet Stadium.

The district championship is Parkland's first since baseball added a 4A classification in 2005. Parkland's last district title came as a Class 3A team in 2003.  'This feels like it gets the monkey off our back,' Parkland coach Tony Galucy said. 'My first year here, we won it in 2003. Now it's 2009. You had to wait six years for another one. The opportunity was in front of us tonight, and boy, these kids came up huge.'

Parkland will open play in the PIAA Class 4A tournament Monday with a first-round game against Pennridge, the District One No. 3 qualifier, at 2:30 p.m. at Sammy Balliet Stadium. Emmaus ended its season at 19-4, finishing second to Parkland (18-6) for both the LVC and district titles.  Emmaus had little chance Friday against Cooperman. With one of his best fastballs of the season and a wicked slurve, he limited the Green Hornets to two singles and walked none. He overmatched the heart of Emmaus' lineup, striking out three-four-five hitters Dan Johnson, John Barr and Brandon Wilt seven times while holding them hitless in nine at-bats.

The complete-game win was the fourth straight for Cooperman (5-3). His hot streak started with a no-hitter against Freedom and included a three-hit shutout of Nazareth in the district quarterfinals.  Friday's effort was his best yet considering the circumstances. So much for the slow start he had after opening the year as Parkland's No. 1 pitcher in place of the departed Joe Candelmo, Cody Weiss and Dan Moller.  'Working on different things at home, in the basement, working on my mechanics, has definitely helped,' Cooperman said. 'Other than that, I've just been going out there throwing and having fun.'

Said Emmaus coach John Schreiner: 'The kid threw a heck of a game. We had chances, and we couldn't get him. The kid threw strikes and he struck us out.'  Parkland gave Cooperman an early lead as catcher Jon Gabriel (2-for-2) had an RBI single and Joe Abeln added an RBI groundout in the first. Ryan Korp's solo homer in the fourth gave the Trojans their final run.  Emmaus had its biggest threat in the fifth with runners at the corners and no outs. Cooperman helped squash the rally by fielding a comebacker and firing to third to get Chris Clay for the first out.

Parkland first baseman Mike Tenaglia ended the inning with a diving stop of Kyle Gable's liner, stranding two runners in scoring position.  Cooperman breezed from there, with an error accounting for Emmaus' only baserunner in the last two innings.  'I pretty much just put my mitt out and helped him out on a few calls,' Gabriel said. 'For the most part, I didn't have to work too hard.'

Emmaus0000000–020
Parkland200100X–363
Knerr, Groh (6) and B. Wilt; Cooperman and Gabriel.

PARKLAND 3
EMMAUS 0