Senior class has Bethel Park thinking title
One thing is certain about Bethel Park shortstop Reagan Milliken — the Ohio State recruit loves to hit.
This year, though, teams are testing Milliken’s patience. More and more, opponents are choosing to take the bat out of her hands rather than give her a pitch to hit.
“It is a little frustrating at times, because I do just want to hit,” Milliken said.
When she does get the chance to swing away, Milliken sure is making the most of it. Through the first seven games of the season, she’s batting .750 (12 for 16) with 3 home runs, 2 doubles, a triple, 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored. She has also drawn seven walks — mostly of the intentional variety — giving her a ridiculous .826 on-base percentage. Combined with her 1.563 slugging percentage, that gives Milliken an astronomical 2.279 OPS.
Not even Barry Bonds at his peak could sniff those numbers.
“People knew she was good, but I don’t think as good as she’s doing this year,” said Bethel Park coach Heather Semplice-Scott. “Her strength is unbelievable.”
Milliken is one of several future Division I players who have helped establish the Black Hawks (7-0) as the No. 1 team in Class 6A as the season approaches the midway point. Pitcher Delaney Nagy (Connecticut), center fielder Lauren Caye (Seton Hall) and first baseman Gianna Sciullo (Georgetown) are all having big seasons, and together they provide Bethel Park with a talented and experienced core.
Nagy is 7-0 with a 2.30 ERA, 44 strikeouts and only seven walks while starting every game for the Black Hawks so far and pitching almost every inning. Caye is hitting .565 with a home run, a double, 2 triples, 6 RBIs and 15 runs scored, while Sciullo is batting .500 with a homer, a triple, 5 doubles, 15 RBIs and 9 runs scored.
“As coaches, we can’t be everywhere,” Semplice- Scott said. “Their leadership is just unbelievable. In years past, I’ve always had maybe one. But the team camaraderie with this group. … They all get
along on and off the field, which is awesome.
“In years past, they had to get along on the field, but then the drama begins. This year, I think they realize what a special team we have.”
Of course, Bethel Park was in a similar position in 2019, when a 10-0 start had the Black Hawks looking like the team to beat in Class 6A before they lost four of their final seven games, including a 15- 6 playoff defeat vs. Norwin for an unceremonious firstround exit.
The way that season ended stuck with Bethel Park’s players all the way through last year’s canceled season, and the Black Hawks still seem to be taking it personally. They’re not just beating teams this year — they’re destroying them. They’ve outscored their first seven foes, 86-14, winning five of seven games by at least 10 runs.
“We were all very upset with how the season ended the year before and we were all eager to play again,” Milliken said. “That’s all we were thinking about.”
The way Semplice-Scott sees it, the main difference between Bethel Park’s hot start in 2019 and this year’s team is the maturity level. Most of the Black Hawks’ top players were sophomores in 2019, but now they have a lineup filled with senior leaders.
“Those four [seniors] especially are just hard workers. They are so determined this year,” Semplice-Scott said. “Mentally, I think they’re even stronger than they were two years ago. They were 15-, 16-year-olds two years ago. … We’ll practice, and they go above and beyond.”
Of course, there’s still a five-time defending WPIAL Class 6A champion standing in Bethel Park’s way in the form of the Hempfield softball dynasty. If the Black Hawks want to win their first WPIAL softball title, they’ll likely have to go through the Spartans at some point — and they’ll get their first taste of how they stack up against one another in a marquee nonsection clash on Friday.
But while some are already calling Bethel Park the team to beat in Class 6A — and others will likely join in if the Black Hawks are victorious on Friday — Semplice-Scott knows better than to look past any opponent, especially come playoff time. After all, Semplice-Scott has been the head coach at Bethel Park for 12 years and spent three years as an assistant before that, and the team has yet to win a playoff game during her tenure.
“Honestly, we have a monkey on our back,” Semplice-Scott said. “That’s another goal for them, to get past that first round. … You’ve got to, or you’re done.”