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Thursday, June 05, 2003

Kevin Ricciuti

SCHOOL: Ellwood City

WHO IS HE? A senior pitcher-shortstop who led the Wolverines to the WPIAL Class AA championship.

THE PAST WEEK: Ricciuti, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-hander, pitched a three-hitter and struck out seven as Ellwood City defeated Blackhawk, 3-2, in the title game a week ago at PNC Park. He also had one hit, one RBI and scored the winning run. Ricciuti had two hits in a 2-0 victory against Shenango in the first round of the PIAA playoffs Monday.

SEASON: Ricciuti has a 9-1 record with 118 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings. He also has a .426 batting average.

CLOSE TO 30: It is practically unheard of for a WPIAL pitcher to win 30 games in his career, but Ricciuti will come close. He was 18-1 coming into this season and is now 27-2. For him to get to 30, Ellwood City would have to win the PIAA championship, and Ricciuti would have to be the winning pitcher in the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship.

BACK IN FORM: Ricciuti had problems with flexibility in his right shoulder as a junior and pitched in only two games. He said his arm is finally 100 percent, and he is resembling the pitcher who enjoyed much success as a freshman and sophomore. In the championship game against Blackhawk, Ricciuti's fastball was clocked in the low 90s.

STAYING NATURAL: Almost all of Ellwood City's players dyed their hair blonde for the WPIAL playoffs. But Ricciuti kept his natural black.

"Two years ago, everybody did it right before the first round of the playoffs, except me," Ricciuti said. "We ended up winning the WPIAL championship that year. This year, the guys did it again, but told me not to because of what happened two years ago."

A SUPERSTITIOUS ONE: Ricciuti is very superstitious. For games, he always wears white tape on his right leg. His left sock is always inside out. "There are other things I always say to myself before batters or an inning."

THE FUTURE: Ricciuti has signed with the University of Akron.

-- By Mike White

Jill Dorsch

SCHOOL: North Allegheny

WHO IS SHE? A senior catcher for the Tigers' softball team. North Allegheny (19-6) won the WPIAL Class AAA championship last week and plays Montour (16-7) today in a PIAA quarterfinal at Hampton Park.

PAST WEEK: Is batting .750 (12 of 16) in the playoffs. In the team's 10-3 win against Shaler in the second round of the WPIAL playoffs, she was 4 for 5 with a triple and three runs scored. She followed that with a 5 for 6 effort in the team's 2-1 semifinal win against Mt. Lebanon and was 2 for 3 in the 1-0 championship-game win against Baldwin. Monday, she was 1 for 2 with a run scored in the team's 3-0 PIAA first-round win against Shaler.

SEASON: Dorsch is hitting .458 (33 of 72), has scored 15 runs and has hit two doubles and two triples. In the regular season, she was third on the team in average (.375) and first in walks (9).

CAREER: A four-year starter, Dorsch has been a big part of the Tigers' rise. The team is 75-17 in that span with two WPIAL titles and a PIAA title. Last season, she was named to the Post-Gazette North All-Star team after batting .405 and stealing 10 bases. She is hitting .430 (65 for 151) the past two seasons.

SPEEDY CATCHER: Dorsch has the kind of speed that is uncharacteristic of a catcher. She bats second and is one of the team's top base stealers. One reason is that she is a converted outfielder who was thrust into the catcher's spot before last season.

COMEBACK: Dorsch missed a few games at the end of the regular season and at the beginning of the playoffs for gall bladder surgery. But it hasn't slowed her down. She has come back strong and been a major factor on offense and defense.

VALUABLE ASSET: A big reason for the Tigers' success the past two seasons is pitching. North Allegheny Coach Rick Meister said Dorsch should get some credit for his pitchers' success. "She is a great defense player and a very smart player overall," he said. "She understands the game and has been a steady hand for us behind the plate."

FUTURE: Dorsch will play softball at Robert Morris University next year.

-- By Paul Zeise