Four of the five top-ranked teams heading into the 2026 Class A baseball season are private schools.
The last three district champions were private schools. The last time two public schools collided for the WPIAL Class A crown was five years ago.
Now this isn’t a boundary vs. non-boundary school debate, and perhaps the winds have changed to private schools dominating the classification, but the public schools have held their own over the years.
In fact, in the last six seasons of Class A district championships, the scoreboard reads private 3, public 3.
If you go back 10 years, its 6-4 private, and for a bigger historical look, going back 20 seasons, it is advantage public school by a 12-8 count.
The bottom line is this, there is some good baseball being played in recent years in the WPIAL’s smallest classification, no matter the private-public breakdown. So enjoy.
Here is a rundown of the 2026 preseason top 5 teams, some of the players to watch and other diamond notes in WPIAL Class A baseball.
Preseason Top 5
1. Eden Christian Academy (19-6 last season)
More than halfway through this decade, the Eden Christian Academy baseball program has enjoyed tremendous success. There is a silver lining though, in fact, too much silver. The Warriors have reached the WPIAL and PIAA championship game four times in the last five years, finishing as district runner-up in 2024 and state second place in 2021, 2024 and again last spring. Perhaps this is the season Eden Christian strikes gold with a powerful offense led by senior infielder and pitchers Brett Feldman (W&J) and Brady Hull (Slippery Rock), senior outfielder and pitcher Noah Emswiller (Lipscomb), senior outfielder Luke Burford, senior catcher Josh Tilden and sophomore outfielder and pitcher Levi DeFazio.
2. Serra Catholic (20-4)
Serra Catholic keeps climbing the district ladder of success, winning its fifth WPIAL championship last spring and doing it with an exclamation point. In a chilly drizzle, then-senior Tyler Skaggs threw a no-hitter in the Eagles’ rout of Carmichaels. Serra lost only four seniors in its quest to repeat with the return of senior catcher and infielder Max Black, a Northhampton Community College commit. Also back are senior outfielder Bodi Rieger and junior infielders Jacob Jellison and Chris Johnson.
3. Bishop Canevin (11-7)
The two-year reign of district titles ended abruptly and convincingly for Bishop Canevin in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals last season when it was mercy-ruled by Greensburg Central Catholic, 16-1. While still considered to be a young team, the Crusaders do have experience back this spring led by junior outfielder and pitcher Jackson Maddix. Also returning for Bishop Canevin are sophomore catcher Nate Astor, junior infielder Brady Wagner, senior outfielder/pitcher James Healey and sophomore infielder Ben Zanolli.
4. Leechburg (15-4)
In the 2023 baseball season, Leechburg improved by six wins, going from seven to 13 triumphs. The Blue Devils lost in the Class A quarterfinals that season. Last year, Leechburg again improved by six wins, going from nine to 15 victories and winning the Section 2-A title by two games over Western Beaver. However the Devils once again could not get past the second round of the district playoffs, falling to Carmichaels. Leechburg looks to clear that quarterfinals hurdle this season with some key players back in senior catcher Rocco Vigna, junior infielders Mason Bertino and Garrett Jones and junior pitcher Steven Senjan.
5. Greensburg Central Catholic (18-5)
While Greensburg Central Catholic was looking to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its only WPIAL baseball championship last spring, it did win the Section 1-A championship outright by two games over Carmichaels and Jefferson-Morgan. The Centurions lost by one run to eventual champion Serra Catholic in the semifinals, then saw their season end with a state quarterfinal loss to Clarion. GCC lost two starters, Bobby Smithnosky and Ian Shipley to Mt. Pleasant, but the cupboard is not bare with the return of senior catcher Anthony Grippo (Penn State), senior infielders and pitchers Tyler Samide and Alec Martin, and junior infielder Stephen Kochis.
Players to watch
Bryce Wright, Sr., INF/P, Avella
Brayden Fuller, Sr., C, Avella
Chas Rush, Jr., OF/P, Avella
Cam Ullom, Jr., INF, Avella
Noah Kimberland, Sr., OF, Avella
Anthony Grippo, Sr., C, Greensburg Central Catholic
Tyler Samide, Sr., INF/P, Greensburg Central Catholic
Alec Martin, Sr.,INF/P, Greensburg Central Catholic
Stephen Kochis, Jr., INF, Greensburg Central Catholic
Jordan Davis, So., INF, Carmichaels
Colin Andrews, Sr., INF/P, Carmichaels
Brayden Andrews, Sr., DH, Carmichaels
Noah Rattigan, Sr., OF, Jeannette
Jayden Kennedy, Sr., OF, Jeannette
Amari Thomas, Sr., INF/P, Jeannette
Jaymison Robinson, Sr., OF, Jefferson-Morgan
John Woodward, Sr., OF/P, Jefferson-Morgan
Ashton Walker, Jr., C/OF, Mapletown
Carson Vanata, Jr., INF/P, Mapletown
Darren Knight, Sr., INF/P, West Greene
Rocco Vigna, Sr., C, Leechburg
Mason Bertino, Jr., INF, Leechburg
Steven Senjan, Jr., P, Leechburg
Garrett Jones, Jr., INF/P, Leechburg
Chris Stefankis, Sr., P, Western Beaver
Vince Ross, Sr., P, Western Beaver
August Lichtner, Jr., INF/P, Western Beaver
Maddox Ryhal, Jr., OF, Union
Chris Staph, Sr., C/P, Union
Dom Cucitrone, Sr., INF/P, Union
Jack Stanton, Jr., INF, Aquinas Academy
Sam McComb, Jr., C/P, Winchester Thurston
Brett Feldman, Sr., INF/P, Eden Christian Academy
Brady Hull, Sr., INF/P, Eden Christian Academy
Noah Emswiller, Sr., OF/P, Eden Christian Academy
Josh Tilden, Sr., C, Eden Christian Academy
Levi DeFazio, So., OF/P, Eden Christian Academy
Luke Burford, Sr., OF, Eden Christian Academy
Jackson Maddix, Jr., OF/P, Bishop Canevin
Nate Astor, So., C, Bishop Canevin
Brady Wagner, Jr., INF, Bishop Canevin
James Healey, Sr., OF/P, Bishop Canevin
Ben Zanolli, So., INF, Bishop Canevin
Max Black, Sr., C/INF, Serra Catholic
Jacob Jellison, Jr., INF, Serra Catholic
Chris Johnson, Jr., INF, Serra Catholic
Bodi Rieger, Sr., OF, Serra Catholic
Billy Pietragallo, Sr., INF/OF, Sewickley Academy
Jacob Stanislaw, So., OF/P, Sewickley Academy
Austin Fritz, So., INF/P, Sewickley Academy
Charlie Scally, So., C, Sewickley Academy
Adonte Wiggins, Jr., INF/OF/P, Clairton
Diamond notes
• Serra Catholic has a good chance to become the fourth school and fifth Class A team to win back-to-back WPIAL championships this season. The four other teams to win back-to-back district gold in Single-A were Serra Catholic in 2009 and 2010, Neshannock the following two years in 2011 and 2012, Union in 2021 and 2022 followed up by Bishop Canevin in 2023 and 2024. No school has won three straight Class A baseball championships.
• Last spring, Eden Christian Academy defeated DuBois Central Catholic, Homer-Center and Clarion to reach the PIAA Class A finals for a second straight year, where it fell to District 5 champion Southern Fulton. Only four WPIAL schools have won PIAA Class A championships, and half of them are either in a higher class now or don’t even exist anymore. Neshannock won state gold in Class A 22 years ago in 2004, and Vincentian Academy, which captured two state titles in 2016 and 2018 closed its doors for good shortly thereafter. The other two are Greensburg Central Catholic in 2002 and Serra Catholic in 2011.
• The biggest improvement record-wise from 2024 to last spring belonged to Jefferson-Morgan, which went from seven wins in 2024 to 14 wins in 2025. Both Leechburg and Greensburg Central Catholic improved by six wins, Rochester by five victories and Western Beaver by four.
• Two programs celebrated their first WPIAL baseball seasons a year ago with Winchester Thurston going 11-7 plus making the district playoffs while Aquinas Academy finished 4-12.
• Monessen ended a two-year plus losing streak with a late-season victory over Clairton.
• The woes continued on the diamond for Summit Academy. The Knights finished 0-15 in 2025 and are 0-51 since their last diamond victory back in 2019.
• All five of the Trib HSSN Class A Preseason Top 5 baseball teams were section champions a year ago. Greensburg Central Catholic won the Section 1-A title by finishing two games ahead of district runner-up Carmichaels and Jefferson-Morgan. Leechburg captured the Section 2-A crown by finishing two games in front of Western Beaver. The three district powers in Section 3-A all split against each other head-to-head, thus Serra Catholic, Eden Christian Academy and Bishop Canevin were tri-champions.
• Besides the Preseason Top 5, other Class A teams expected to contend this spring include from Section 1, 2025 runner-up Carmichaels, a Jefferson-Morgan team that has just about everybody back and an Avella team that has made some noise. Keep an eye on Western Beaver from Section 2 and how will Winchester Thurston do after success in its rookie season?
• This spring marks the 27th season of WPIAL Class A baseball. In the very first District 7 Class A championship game, South Fayette defeated Greensburg Central Catholic to win gold in 1999. Here are some of the other district Class A championship anniversaries being celebrated this season:
»25 years ago, California rolled past Riverview, 7-2, to win the 2001 Class A title at Westmoreland County Community College.
»20 years ago, California was on top again in the 2006 Class A finals as the Trojans edged Geibel Catholic, 5-4.
»15 years ago, Neshannock won the first of back-to-back district titles by crushing Chartiers-Houston in only six innings in the 2011 championship game, 11-1.
»It was 10 years ago that Serra Catholic knocked off defending champion Greensburg Central Catholic to win the 2016 Class A crown, 6-3.
»History was made five years ago when Jake Vitale threw a no-hitter in the 2021 Class A championship game as Union blanked Riverview, 3-0.
2026 alignment
Section 1: Avella, Carmichaels, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene
Section 2: Aquinas Academy, Leechburg, Rochester, St. Joseph, Summit Academy, Union, Western Beaver, Winchester Thurston
Section 3: Bishop Canevin, Clairton, Cornell, Eden Christian Academy, Monessen, Serra Catholic, Sewickley Academy