West I

Allegany High School’s baseball program has sat towards the top of all western Maryland teams for many years, but this past spring was especially powerful for the Campers. Following last season’s loss to Patterson Mill, the future state runner-up, in the state quarterfinal round, this year’s team was looking to avenge the tough end in 2024. Going into the start of the season, Allegany’s fourth-year head coach, Jim Irons, explained that he was feeling confident. This confidence showed in the first four games. The Campers got off to a 3-1 start, scoring double-digit runs in the wins against Berkeley Springs (WV), Keyser (WV), and Fort Hill High School. After those two games, the team dropped two consecutive games to Northern Garrett and Southern Garrett. Coach Irons was not concerned about the small skid, explaining that his team was “early in the high school season, trying to figure things out… we needed to get the most out of our at-bats and clean up the defense.” After those two losses, the team went on to finish the regular season winning seven out of their final eight games, including strong victories over Mountain Ridge, Moorefield (WV), and another against Fort Hill. Additionally, Allegany avenged their early loss to Southern Garrett, defeating them 4-2 in the second match. Coach Irons chalked the win in the second game to his team simply “playing better baseball.” By the end of the regular season, the Campers were sitting at 10-4, the two-seed in the 1A West I region, a couple of games behind Northern Garrett, a team that Allegany lost to twice during the regular season. In the past few seasons, the program has grown accustomed to going into the regional playoffs as the top seed, but the team was “playing the underdog role… they felt like they were the best team, but now they had to prove it”. With the added fuel to the fire, Allegany went on to beat Northern Garrett 6-3 in the regional championship. By the end of the state quarterfinal game, the Campers beat their opponents by a combined score of 30-5. Set to face a blazing hot Smithsburg team, fresh off of a 14-3 regional championship win against Clear Spring and a 7-1 state quarterfinal win over Snow Hill, Coach Irons knew that the game was “the one we had to get… Smithsburg was hot, they played a full schedule of Washington and Frederick County baseball, and they weren’t going to be intimidated by us.” The Campers successfully took down the Leopards by a 6-3 final score, setting them up to face St. Michael's in the championship game. Leading up to the final game in the season, Coach Irons explained that he and his coaching staff were “trying to keep things relaxed.” Adding onto that, getting off the bus at Prince George’s Stadium, his message to the team was “We're just here to do a job, like we always do. It's just another game… let's go win.” In the championship game, senior Myles Bascelli threw five innings for Allegany, allowing just two earned runs. Backed by a dominant performance on the mound and fierce start on offense, the Campers went on to defeat the Saints 6-2, giving Allegany High its first baseball state title since 1990. Following the game, Coach Irons explained that he was feeling great individually, but highlighted that his excitement was based on the win being “So much fun for those guys… I really just wanted it for them.” Next season, Allegany looks to do exactly what they did this year. Highlighted by the fact that the team is losing four seniors, including Garrett College commit Myles Bascelli and Davis & Elkins College commit Landyn Ansel, the team on the field may look very different in 2026. Next season, the Campers plan to play Clear Spring, a frequent top 1A contender, in the regular season. I’d like to thank Allegany Baseball head coach Jim Irons for participating in an in-person interview with me last week. That recording will be available on our social media platforms in the coming weeks.

On May 24, the top-seed in the 1A classification, the Allegany Campers, took on the three-seed St. Michael’s Saints in the state championship at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. In the semi-finals, the Campers defeated the Smithsburg Leopards 6-3 while the Saints edged out a narrow 4-3 victory, taking down the Pikesville Panthers. While neither team put up a hit in the first two innings of play, St. Michael’s was working into several deep at bats in the top of the second. Pearson Greenwood led off the inning with a four pitch walk, following up the plate appearance with a stolen base. Additionally, Ethan Royer and Brock Grow both worked walks of their own to load the bases for the Saints with two outs. Blake Wheatley stepped to the plate for St. Michael’s, but struck out looking on three pitches. In the top of the third, Will Sherwood put up the first hit of the game for the Saints, singling on a line drive into left field. After three failed pick off attempts, Sherwood was gunned by Allegany catcher Justin Wakefield trying to take second. AJ Dove was walked and Ethan Royer stepped to the plate with two outs. With a runner on second, Royer hit a hard line drive into left field for a single, but Kyran Freeman threw a rope to home plate to get Dove as he tried to score the game’s first run. Allegany did not produce a run in the bottom half, and this game went to the fourth inning without a score. Brennan Dean opened the next inning with a hard ground ball into center field for St. Michael’s third hit of the contest, and pinch runner Bobby Fink stole second base. On a passed ball in the following at bat, Fink took third base, and ultimately scored on a sacrifice bunt by Brock Grow, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. In response, Allegany’s offense hit a spark in the bottom of the fourth. Kane Williams started the inning with a walk, and Jackson Resh reached on an error by third baseman Blake Wheatley. With no outs, Landyn Ansel laid a bunt down, and pitcher Brock Grow tried to get the runner out at second. However, his throw got into center field, and Kane Williams scored the first run while the two runnres were at second and third base. With no outs, Liam Buck laced a line drive into right center field, scoring both runs and giving the Campers a 3-1 lead. With the runner at first, Justin Wakefield laid a bunt down the third base line, and Blake Wheatley threw the ball away trying to get Wakefield at first, allowing both runners to move up an additional 90 feet. The Saints tried to pick off Liam Buck at third, but hhe got home, avoiding the tag attempt by Pearson Greenwood. Cole Ricker also singled to center, driving in Allegany’s fifth and final run of the inning. Neither team produced any runs in the fifth, but St. Michael’s picked up another run in the sixth. Brandon Toadvine pinch ran for Brennan Dean. Allegany catcher Justin Wakefield tried to get Toadvine out as he stole second, but the ball got into left field, and the run scored, making it a 5-2 ballgame. In the bottom of the sixth, Allegany’s starting pitcher answered at the plate. With a runner on third and two outs,, Myles Bascelli popped a ball into shallow left center field, but the ball found a hole, dropping for a single allowing the run to score. St. Michael’s produced just one hit in the top of the seventh, giving Allegany their first state championship in 35 years as they won this game 6-2. Myles Bascelli was the winning pitcher in the game for the Campers. The senior threw 102 pitches in five innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and eight walks. For the Saints, Brock Grow was tagged with the loss, allowing just one earned run (five additional unearned) on 92 pitches across five innings. Congratulations to both teams for reaching this momentous game.

Saint Michael’s isn’t rolling over they just scored on a throwing error by Justin Wakefield to bring the lead within three. 5-2 Allegany.

The pitchers duel has been broken in the fourth. Saint Michael’s strikes first as Brennen Dean got a hit and was then pitch ran for by Bobby Fink. Fink stole a base and moved up on a pass ball. Brock Grow hit a sac bunt giving Saint Michael’s the lead going into the bottom of the fourth. Allegany came out and responded quick with Jackson Resh getting on due to an error by Blake Wheatley. Kane Williams would go on to walk and then Landyn Ansel would hit a sac bunt to Brock Grow, who would throw the ball away and allow Resh to score. Saint Michael’s would continue to make errors which would lead to Allegany scoring five in the inning. Liam Buck drove in two with Ansel and Williams also scoring.

Through two at the 1A state finals and both pitchers are in auto pilot. Myles Bascelli for Allegany has had some control issues but has been able to save himself with three strikeouts. For Saint Michael’s, Brock Grow has also not let up a hit while also getting three strikeouts in the process. Saint Michael’s has had some opportunities but hasen’t been able to score. It’s a pitchers duel right now!

Ryan Bird and Reece Tasker both homered.

Jared Haskiell walkoff single in bottom of 9th

Walkoff single by Jack Healy!