baseball

Lancaster-Lebanon League baseball and softball teams participated in a media day as practices get underway.

Hempfield’s baseball team is looking to defend its first state championship after defeating LaSalle last spring. Austin Hinkle takes over as coach for the Black Knights. Hinkle played in the Tampa Bay Rays organization and was an all-state player at Hempfield. The Black Knights return key starters in Brody Gebhard, Brayden Hostetter and Josh Toole.  Hinkle says "We have a good foundation and hope that having that experience will pay dividends."

Lancaster-Lebanon League's Section 2 and 3 baseball coaches have named all-stars for the 2024 season. (Pictured are Donegal pitchers Brock Hammaker, Landon Sexton and Ryan Shepard.)

Section 1

First Team

Sawyer Martin, Sr., OF, Warwick

Brayden Hostetter, Jr., OF, Hempfield

Charlie Sheerer, Sr., OF, Hempfield

Drew Benchich, Sr., INF/P, Hempfield

Brody Gebhard, Jr., P, Hempfield

Logan Dougherty, Soph., INF, Hempfield

Josh Toole, Jr., C, Hempfield

Logan Harelson, Sr., P, Hempfield

Lancaster-Lebanon League baseball coaches have selected all-stars for the 2023 season. (Pictured: above, Ryan Bromirksi; below, Drew Hurst, Coy Schwanger, Dillon Shortuse, Camryn Simes.)

Section 1

First Team

Pitchers

Gavin Glass, Manheim Township 4-1; .929 ERA; 37.2 IP; 49K .325 BA, 11 RBI

Logan Harelson, Hempfield 5-0; 1.69 ERA; 29 IP; 43K .366 BA, 15 hits, 8 RBI

Hunter Williams, Hempfield 4-0; 1.79 ERA; 27.1 IP; 31K, 1 save

Catcher

After 18 years in pro baseball, plenty of youth games on local diamonds and countless hours of throwing the ball around with friends or just off a wall with himself, Jeff Bianchi maintains his intense passion for the game.

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1, 2 and 3 baseball coaches have selected the following all-stars for the 2022 season.

Section 1

First Team

C -- Ryan Flury, Manheim Township

P -- Matt Seibert, Warwick; Hunter Sipel, Penn Manor; Fisher Druck, Manheim Township; Ben Shenosky, Manheim Township

INF -- Michael Heckman, Manheim Township; Aaron Hess, Warwick; David Wooley, Warwick; Matthew Williams, Warwick

The 4-page program from the 1946 Sportswriters and Broadcasters and Inter-State Baseball League banquet piqued our interest about sports in the county in those days

The Lancaster Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association formed at this same time and held what it called its annual dinner. At least some years in the '40s this was combined with the baseball writers' banquet. 

Ed Flick, board chairman of the Lancaster County Sports Hall of Fame Night threw a first pitch during Hall of Fame Night at the Lancaster Barnstormers.

Flick and many other board members were recognized on the field before the game against the High Point Rockers.

The organization distributed information and treats to trick-or-treaters during Halloween in the Ballpark!

The game produced a ninth-inning collapse and then a comeback for the Barnstormers, who won 4-3.

Hall of Fame Night '23

Tom Herr's major accomplishments in sports -- St. Louis Cardinals second baseman, first Lancaster Barnstormers manager -- are well known. But Herr has a much longer resume less in the public eye.

Dylan King had a big day during the quarterfinal round of the Lancaster-Lebanon League baseball playoffs.

King threw six innings of no-hit baseball and knocked in two runs as the Manheim Township Blue Streaks beat Annville-Cleona 3-0. With King reaching the 100-pitch limit, Evan Clark pitched a perfect seventh.

Don Wert received the J. Freeland Chryst Award in 1993 and the George W. Kirchner Award in 1978.

On Sept.17,1968, at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, the Tigers and New York Yankees played for the American League Pennant. In the bottom of the ninth inning the score was tied at 1. I was in the batter's box with 2 outs and the bases loaded.