Parkland High School Baseball

Outfielder Brad Vasilik was named to the 2013 All-Area First Team by the Morning Call.  As Parkland's lead off hitter, Vasilik had a batting average of .394  with a .412 on-base percentage.  He led the team with 37 hits and scored a team high 24 runs.  Vasilik also set a Parkland all-time single season record with 14 stolen bases.   Vasilik's speed also paid dividends in the outfield as he made several running catches this season.  Vasilik was also named to the LVC all-conference first team.  Brad returns to the team next year for his senior year.

Congratulations to Brad!

Three Parkland Trojan players, pitcher Gabe Mosser, catcher Damin Muth, and first baseman Tyler Graeff, were named to the 2013 All-Area Second Team by the Morning Call.  This is a first-time honor for Mosser and Graeff.  This is the second consecutive year that Muth has been named to an all-area team. 

Junior pitcher Mosser had a dominant season on the mound despite what his 5-3 record might indicate.  He pitched four complete games and two of his wins were shutouts.  He earned a clutch save in the LVC semi-final game against Liberty striking out the only two batters he faced while the tying and go-ahead runs were on base for Liberty in the 7th inning.  In 47.1 innings on the mound this season, Mosser struck out 39 batters, had an 1.04 ERA, and pitched 20 innings where he retired his opponents in order 1-2-3.  Mosser was on the mound for two Trojan losses against two of the top teams in the state.  Not only did the Trojan offense fail to provide any run support in those games, but both losses were by a score of 1-0.  He took the 1-0 loss in a complete game effort against Whitehall, and the 1-0 loss in another complete game effort in the first round of the PIAA playoffs against eventual 2013 PA state champion North Penn.  Mosser will return to the team next year for his senior year.

Senior catcher Muth was the offensive leader for the Trojans all season.  He batted .378 with eight doubles and two triples, and tied for the team lead with 20 RBI's.  Muth had a .436 on-base percentage and .524 slugging percentage.  He had numerous clutch base hits, including a walk-off double with two outs in the bottom of the 7th inning to beat rival Emmaus.  Muth led the team with a .500 batting average with runners in scoring position.  In addition to his offensive leadership, Muth is an oustanding defensive catcher and single handedly stopped opponents' rallies with his arm by throwing out base stealers or picking off base runners.  Damin will attend Bloomsburg University next year where he will continue his baseball career.

Senior first baseman Tyler Graeff was also a top contributor to the Trojan offense this year.  Graeff batted .361 with seven doubles, one triple, and two homeruns.  He tied Muth for the team lead with 20 RBI's.  Graeff had a .455 on-base percentage and had a team leading .569 slugging percentage.   Graeff was a leader during the Trojan playoff run.  He collected at least one base hit in each of the six Trojan playoff games this year, batting .412 during that stretch.  Graeff was also strong defensively at first base and regularly picked balls thrown in the dirt.  Tyler will attend Misericordia University this fall where he will continue his baseball career.

Congratulations to Gabe, Damin, and Tyler!

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Pitcher Alex Flynn received 2013 All-Area Team honorable mention from the Morning Call.  Flynn was undefeated this year on the mound with a record of 6-0 with two shutouts and an incrediblly low 0.78 ERA.  Three of his wins were complete game efforts.  In 36 innings of work this season, half of which were 1-2-3 innings, Flynn struck out 28 batters and only allowed three extra base hits.  Flynn was also named to the LVC all-conference first team.  Alex returns next season for his senior year.

Congratulations to Alex!

The Parkland Trojans' baseball season came to an abrupt end today in the first round of the PIAA State Playoffs as North Penn defeated Parkland by a score of 1-0 in a game that lasted just one hour.  Pitcher Gabe Mosser along with North Penn's hurler dominated the game as they both shut down batters inning after inning.  Both allowed only three hits each and there was only one walk in the entire game. 

Whereas Parkland hitters scattered their three hits across three different innings, North Penn scored the lone run of the game in the 3rd inning when their leadoff hitter doubled, moved to third on a groundout, and then scored on a single.  Mosser was efficient throughout his seven innings of work.  He amazingly threw first-pitch strikes to 24 of the 26 batters he faced and he had four innings where he set down North Penn hitters in order 1-2-3.  Mosser walked one and struckout three.

Zack Merkle (2-2) was Parkland's lone bright spot at the plate collecting two singles in his only two plate appearances.  Parkland's best chance to score came in the 6th inning when Merkle led off with a single and pinch hitter Aidan Flynn sacrifice bunted Merkle over to second base.  However, Merkle would be stranded at second as the next two hitters hit fly outs.  Parkland's only other hit was by Tyler Graeff (1-3) who singled to lead off the 5th inning, but he was left stranded at first.