Peters riding big play of Miller
Sam Miller will attend an Ivy League school this fall.
For now, he’s playing baseball at such a high level that he might be in a league of his own.
Miller, a senior pitcher-infielder, is having an exceptional season for Peters Township, which is 21-1 and next week will make its first WPIAL championship appearance since 2011 when it faces West Allegheny (18-4) for the Class 5A title at Wild Things Park.
Considering Peters Township’s success and Miller’s excellence on the mound and at the plate, as well his leadership, it’s safe to say there aren’t many players around the WPIAL who can rival what the Columbia recruit has accomplished this season.
“I can’t say enough about him,” Peters Township coach Rocky Plassio said. “In my humble opinion, I think he’s had as good of a season as any kid I’ve ever been around collectively in terms of everything he has done for us. He’s an outstanding defensive player, too. Sometimes that gets unnoticed because he’s done so well on the mound, he’s done so well offensively, and leadership wise he just has such confidence. We ride him. He’s done a terrific job of leading us.”
Miller’s numbers are strong across the board. He’s hitting .445 with six home runs and 34 RBIs, all of which lead the team. He’s tied for the WPIAL lead in home runs, and no WPIAL player in the three largest classes has as many RBIs. And then there’s Miller’s work as a pitcher, where he is 6-0 with a 1.70 ERA and has collected 51 strikeouts in 37 innings.
Miller may be good, but he’s not content — not with his numbers and not with Peters Township only making it to the WPIAL final.
“I feel really good,” Miller said. “I know exactly where I am. I can only go up from here. I know that I have a lot more potential than this.”
This will actually be the second time Miller will have appeared in a WPIAL championship game. He was a starting cornerback for the Peters Township football team in 2020 when the Indians lost to Pine-Richland in the Class 5A championship. He just hopes the result will be different this time. The Indians have not won a WPIAL title since 2008.
“That would be awesome,” said Miller, one of 13 seniors on the team. “That would be a great way to go out.”
In three playoff games, Miller is 4 for 9 with a home run and three RBIs. He’s also 2-0 and has given up just one run in 13 innings, while striking out 10.
Plassio said he hasn’t seen anyone better this season.
“Of course I want to say that about my own kid, but his numbers speak to it, as well,” Plassio said. “And his performances in these big
games … He’s got to do it again. If he can do it again, I feel he should deserve some individual recognition, as well.”
West Allegheny
When Gavin Miller broke his wrist in what his coach called a “freak accident” April 3, the prevailing feeling was that Miller’s senior season and West Allegheny career was over. But after the Indians defeated Shaler in the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals, Miller texted West Allegheny coach Bryan Cornell to let him know that he was going to try to hit the following day. What followed was Miller’s surprising return to the lineup Monday.
You can bet that West Allegheny is the only WPIAL team to add an SEC recruit to its lineup at this point in the season. Miller, an Auburn recruit, was the designated hitter and batted second in West Allegheny’s 3-0 semifinal win against Bethel Park. Miller went 1 for 4 with a single.
Miller has dealt with a pair of injuries in the past year. First came the torn labrum he suffered in football back in September that ultimately led to surgery, effectively ending any chances the standout shortstop-pitcher had of taking the mound this season. Miller was the designated hitter in West Allegheny’s first two games before suffering a broken wrist.
“It was in a practice, and he was playing first base because that’s where he was able to play,” Cornell said. “He was reaching for a ball and there was a runner coming down the line. The ball was a little off target. He went to catch it, and then collided with the runner.”
Cornell hopes to have Miller in the lineup the rest of the way, starting with next week’s championship game against Peters Township. It will likely be as a DH, but Cornell hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Miller playing in the field again this season.
Union
Making the trip from Lawrence County to Washington County this time of year has become an annual thing for Union, which has reached the WPIAL Class 1A final for the fourth season in a row. The Scotties (11-4) will take on unbeaten Eden Christian (17-0) in the title game.
“And the thing is, our best team was probably the COVID year [the 2020 season was canceled],” Union coach Bill Sanders said. “These kids work and most of them are three-sport athletes. It’s one sport after another. It’s a testament to the athletes we
have here.”
Sanders is a 1995 Union graduate who is in his fifth season as coach. He guided the Scotties to the semifinals in his first season and to the championship in the past four. The Scotties lost the first three of those championship games before beating Riverview to capture last year’s title.
Like West Allegheny, Union has welcomed back a key player who was injured. Mike Gunn is a standout sophomore outfielder who was one of only five WPIAL freshmen named to all-section teams last season. Gunn had microfracture surgery on his elbow before the season, and didn’t make his season debut until just a few weeks ago. Gunn has been a big contributor in the playoffs. He had an RBI and scored in a run against Riverview in the quarterfinals and went 2 for 3 with an RBI in a 3-2 semifinal win against Rochester.
“Having him in the middle of the lineup driving in runs, that’s big for us,” Sanders said. “He doesn’t say much, but when he gets going, it’s exciting.”
Gunn’s cousin, Aaron Gunn, is a former football standout at Union who now plays at Louisville.
Mohawk
You would be hard pressed to find many WPIAL players having seasons as good as Cooper Vance, who has helped Mohawk advance to the WPIAL Class 3A championship game. The Warriors (16-4) will meet South Park (17-5) in the final.
Vance is a senior pitchershortstop who will play college ball at Eastern Michigan. His outstanding twoway play has been on display throughout the season. Vance is 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA and has 59 strikeouts in 35 innings. At the plate, he’s hitting .453 with a team-high 23 RBIs.
The right- hander has been excellent in the playoffs, posting a 2-0 record to go along with 22 strikeouts and just one walk in 14 innings. Vance struck out 13 in a complete-game win against Keystone Oaks in the first round and fanned nine in a complete-game win against topseed and defending champion Hopewell in Monday’s semifinals.
The pitching matchup in the championship should be an terrific one. Vance is the probable starter for Mohawk, while South Park will likely counter with Kentucky recruit Drew Lafferty.