Spring Sports Preview

Charleston or Bust for Weir

By JOSH STROPE WEIRTON — Graduation parties are being moved and summer plans are being put on hold. For the Weir baseball team, it’s Charleston or bust. With 10 seniors returning from last season’s Regional runner-up, the Red Riders have only one goal in mind: the state tournament. “If there is a shot, this is it,” Weir coach Jason Angle said. “This a team that can play and they have matured all the way through the program. This is their time.” For Weir, it is not just about seniors. It is about good seniors. Almost everyone on the team batted at least .300 last ...

Riders Hoping to Turn Corner

By JOSH STROPE WEIRTON — Last season was about learning how to practice, how to compete and how to approach the game. This year, Weir softball coach Frank Sisinni is hoping his Red Riders are ready to turn the corner. The Red Riders will be young — eight of their 12 players are underclassmen — but they are also returning eight letterwinners. “This is the year we are hoping to start winning,” Sisinni said. “It is is a situation where we are young, but also experienced.” The lone senior will third baseman Mariah Stevens, who will also see some time as ...

Croasmun Begins 29th Year at PC

By BUBBA KAPRAL PADEN CITY — Brent Croasmun and Paden City baseball are synonymous. Croasmun begins his 29th year as the Wildcats’ head baseball coach. He has compiled 354 wins during his tenure. If things go as expected, that victory total could climb markedly this spring. Croasmun has a pair of senior dandies to build his team around in Hayden Hizer and Aaron Heasley. Both are solid hurlers and middle infielders. Hizer, working on his fourth letter, batted .366 with four home runs. On the mound, he was 2-2 with two saves and a 3.44 ERA. Heasley, who has two letters to ...

Wildcats Are On the Upswing

By BUBBA KAPRAL PADEN CITY — Optimism abounds with the Paden City this spring. The Wildcats were a young an inexperienced squad in 2016, winning just nine of 26 starts. However, second-year coach Chris Neff welcomes back a well-seasoned bunch, needing to replace just one player, albeit a very good one, Taylor Cosper. Versatile senior Madeline Cox tops the list of returnees. She started at first base as a freshman and sophomore before becoming the regular catcher a year ago. She batted .325 last season. Junior Aubrey Neff turned in a sparkling sophomore campaign, earning special ...

Madonna Will Have Arms

By KYLE LUTZ MADONNA — When you have a young team, the way to look at it is to get the younger players the experience to rebuild for the future. The Madonna baseball team was going through that last year as Tim Provenzano’s squad sported no seniors and six freshmen started. The kids learned rather quickly as the Blue Dons garnered a seven-win season and appeared in an OVAC semifinal in Class 1A. The Blue Dons will have three seniors this year as Simon Nero and Ryan Austin return from last year’s squad. Nero will see time behind the plate as last year he was transformed into a ...

Osbon Takes Over at Oak Glen

By CODY TOMER Staff Writer NEW CUMBERLAND — The Oak Glen baseball team lost eight seniors to graduation a year ago, but first-year head coach T.J. Osbon has seven seniors and a group of young athletes on this year’s roster that he believes can step up and deliver a successful season on the diamond. “There were some young guys who filled in last year and did very well,” Osbon said. “All seven of our seniors on this club can contribute and the young guys can step up and do well. We have some experience coming into the season with a talented group of kids and with a good mix ...