2007 Post-Gazette's All-Area Baseball team

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Selected by the Post-Gazette scholastic sports staff, based on voting by WPIAL and City League coaches

Related links
Boys' teams | Girls' All-Section team | Girls' teams

Cory Mazzoni
Seneca Valley
Junior
Pitcher-first baseman
Mazzoni was one of the top pitchers in Western Pennsylvania, and was the main reason Seneca Valley finished as the top Class AAAA team in the state. Mazzoni was unbeatable, finishing with a perfect 11-0 record. A right-hander, he capped off the season with a three-hit, nine-inning performance against Souderton in the PIAA title game that Seneca Valley won, 9-1. Mazzoni, who has been on the varsity since his freshman year, finished with a 1.02 ERA and had 97 strikeouts in 78 innings. He is a hard thrower with a good curveball, and is a definite Division I college prospect for next season. But Mazzoni isn't only about pitching. He's also a talented hitter. He played first base when he didn't pitch and batted No. 4 in the Raiders' lineup. He hit .391 (27 for 69) with eight doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs.

Jordan JANKOWSKI
Peters Township
Catcher Junior
The best power hitter in the WPIAL. Had 14 home runs, including four in one game. Jankowski (6 feet, 220 pounds) batted .444 for the WPIAL AAAA champion with 45 RBIs, 27 runs and a 1.083 slugging percentage. Also 4-3 as a pitcher. Division I colleges interested.

Dave KAYE
Riverview
Pitcher-shortstop
Senior
The King of 'Ks' in the WPIAL. Had a league-leading 95 strikeouts in the regular season and finished his career with 374. Was 7-1 with a 0.95 ERA. Also batted .409 and was a 30th-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays. Has decided to play next season at Pitt.

Brian MURANSKY
Canon-McMillan
Pitcher-third base Senior
A talented pitcher and hitter. Was 7-2, including a no-hitter against Peters Township. Had a 2.52 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 58¹/₃ innings. Hit nine home runs and had a .384 batting average with four doubles and one triple. Will play next season at Xavier University.

Zak SINCLAIR
West Allegheny Pitcher-second base
Junior
A primary reason West Allegheny won the WPIAL Class AAA title with a perfect record. Sinclair finished 7-1 with a 2.13 ERA, and struck out 66 in 52²/₃ innings. Batted .375 with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 30 RBIs. Also the quarterback of West Allegheny's football team.

Tom SHIRLEY
Norwin Pitcher
Senior
A 6-4, 205-pound left-hander who was overpowering for the Knights, compiling a 6-1 record this season with a 0.77 ERA. Struck out 73 in 47 innings. Was 12-3 the past two years and had 169 strikeouts in 98 innings. Will play next season at Xavier University.

Cole TAYLOR
Burrell Pitcher-outfielder
Senior
Taylor was on Burrell's varsity for four seasons and had a 22-3 record. A left-hander, Taylor was 7-0 this year with 0.54 ERA. Averaged almost two strikeouts per inning, with 89 in 45 1/3 innings. Also batted .500 with 125 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Has signed with Pitt.

Jim RIDER
Peters Township Shortstop
Junior
Regarded by many as the best defensive shortstop in the WPIAL. Also was strong offensively for the WPIAL Class AAAA champion Indians. Hit .435 with eight doubles, three triples, three home runs and 31 RBIs and also 31 runs scored. Had .706 one-base percentage.

Scott McGOUGH
Plum Shortstop-pitcher
Junior
A starter since his freshman year, McGough is an excellent defensive player. Batted .413 with 16 stolen bases, 27 runs scored and only four strikeouts. Also a hard-throwing pitcher who worked mostly in relief. Had 0.00 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 15 innings.

Chris MURPHY
Fox Chapel Outfielder
Senior
Had a big senior season, batting .620 for the Foxes, a WPIAL Class AAAA playoff team. Had seven doubles, four triples, three home runs and 22 RBIs. Also excellent defensively and did not commit an error all season. Has signed with Southern Illinois, a Division I college.

First published on June 23, 2007 at 11:25 pm