Skip to content
Rally High School Sports
Link copied to clipboard

All-area first team: A closer look

Here is a look at the first-team players: Pitchers Jesse Biddle, Germantown Friends. A hard-throwing southpaw who has orally committed to Oregon, Biddle went 5-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 33 innings. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder yielded only seven hits. He also batted .370.

Jesse Biddle posted a 5-0 record for Germantown Friends.
Jesse Biddle posted a 5-0 record for Germantown Friends.Read moreJOHN COSTELLO / Staff Photographer

Here is a look at the first-team players:

Pitchers

Jesse Biddle, Germantown Friends. A hard-throwing southpaw who has orally committed to Oregon, Biddle went 5-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 33 innings. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder yielded only seven hits. He also batted .370.

Eric Ruth, North Penn. The Inquirer's Southeastern Pennsylvania player of the year was a lights-out ace righthander. Spearheading the drive to a state title, the Winthrop University signee went 12-1 with a 1.23 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 851/3 innings.

Andrew Strenge, Holy Ghost Prep. The hard-throwing righthander and Cincinnati recruit went 7-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 61 whiffs in 48 innings. Of the 15 runs he yielded, nine were earned. He also batted .393 with 21 runs, 20 RBIs, 3 home runs, and 3 triples.

Catcher

Mike Lubanski, Malvern Prep. With his smarts while handling pitchers, Pennsylvania's Gatorade baseball player of the year helped fuel the Friars to a 22-6 record. Lubanski, ticketed for Wake Forest, hit .371 with 30 runs, 29 RBIs, 3 home runs, and a .551 slugging percentage.

First baseman

Mark Donato, Neumann-Goretti. His hitting and pitching talents sparked the program to its first Catholic League title since 1960. Donato batted an area-best .601 with 30 RBIs and 20 runs. On the mound, the lefty went 9-2 with a 1.21 ERA and 82 K's in 73 innings.

Second baseman

Sean Coyle, Germantown Academy. Coyle's ever-steady play was key in the Patriots' 24-6 record and second-place Inter-Ac League showing. The North Carolina recruit hit .463 with 37 runs, 17 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, 11 doubles, 4 home runs, and 4 doubles.

Shortstop

Mark Rhine, Penn Charter. The slick-fielding and hard-hitting Wake Forest was a pivotal figure in the Quakers' drive to a 20-4 record, the Inter-Ac title and The Inquirer's No. 1 area ranking. The league co-MVP, also a closer, batted .421 with 23 runs and one home run.

Third baseman

Christian Walker, Kennedy-Kenrick. A big-time slugger, Walker hit .588 with 25 RBIs, 19 runs, 8 doubles, 5 triples, 3 stolen bases and 2 home runs. The South Carolina recruit, an occasional catcher, was picked in the 49th round of the first-year player draft by the L.A. Dodgers.

Outfielders

Chris Bechter, Harry S Truman. En route to first-team all-Suburban One League National Conference honors, Bechter batted .543 with 20 runs, 18 RBIs, and 11 doubles. His efforts helped the Tigers earn a berth in the District 1 Class AAAA playoffs.

Jon McAllister, Chestnut Hill Academy. A speedy leadoff man and centerfielder, McAllister hit .486 with 35 runs, 17 stolen bases, 14 RBIs, 10 doubles and 3 home runs. The Division I prospect, a lefthanded hitter, had a .568 on-base percentage.

Edwin Rohena, Frankford. From the No. 3 spot, the strong-armed and quick-footed centerfielder batted .580 with 46 RBIs, 36 runs, 14 doubles, 5 homers, and 3 triples. Rohena, ticketed for La Salle, was the Public League Division A most valuable player.

Designated hitter

Eric Ebert, Council Rock South. Ebert, bound for Bloomsburg, hit .525 with 30 RBIs, 22 walks, a 1.107 slugging percentage, and a .698 on-base percentage. The erstwhile wrestler was a four-time first-team all-Suburban One League selection.

Multipurpose

Brandon Sady, Chestnut Hill Academy. A righthander projected to be a middle infielder at Lehigh, Sady went 7-2 with a 2.29 ERA and 83 whiffs in 64 innings. At the plate, he batted a team-best .544 with 32 RBIs, 24 runs, 14 doubles and 2 home runs.

Steve Snyder, West Chester East. Behind the smooth shortstop and part-time hurler, the Vikings won the District 1 Class AAAA championship. Snyder, expected to be a centerfielder at Penn State, batted .500 with 30 RBIs, 6 home runs, and a .638 on-base percentage.