Northern Bedford Baseball 1992
Row 1: Brandon Smith (manager), Brian Page, Jonathan Mentzer, Shawn Hicks and Steve Beegle. Row 2: Kirk Stiffler, Jeremy Diehl, Matthew Knee, Darwin Russell, Brandon Snider, Dan Koontz and Joe Over (assistant coach). Row 3: Head Coach Eddie King, Kevin Gab le, Terry Steele, Jason Snider, Jason Drenning, Dan Guyer, Joseph Nastasi and Alan Drenning (assistant coach).
The 1992 Northern Bedford baseball team, coached by Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame inductee Ed King, completed its season as a PIAA class AA semifinalist, becoming the only high school baseball team in Bedford County to reach the final four.
Northern had a strong regular season, going 14-5 and earned a co-championship of the Bedford County League. That propelled them into the playoffs and into local history by being the first, and to his point only, baseball team from the county to make the state semifinals.
The Black Panthers accomplished that distinction by defeating Shade and Meyersdale in the first two rounds of the District 5-AA playoffs, before earning the championship by defeating Everett 8-5 in the district title game played at Bedford.
NB scored early and often with six runs in the first three innings spearheaded by a two-run home run from winning pitcher Jason Drenning in the first, a Steve Beegle RBI single in the second, and a three-run blast by Drenning in the third. Beegle added an RBI double in the seventh to set the final score.
On the mound, the Panther right-hander tossed a complete game six-hitter with seven strikeouts. The win was Drenning’s third of his team’s playoff run.
“He has pitched well for us in big games,” King said. “Drenning (8-1) has been tough against the good ballclubs we’ve faced. And Everett is definitely a good ballclub and is always a difficult matchup for us.”
Next up was a matchup with District 6 kingpin Tyrone, featuring future Pirate draftee Tony Sharer. NB
started Joe Nastasi on the mound, and he and Sharer were in a 1-0 battle into the sixth. The key to holding
down the heavy-hitting Tyrone squad was Nastasi’s outstanding control of his breaking stuff mixed with an occasional fastball.
When Nastasi walked the first two batters to start the sixth, King moved him to shortstop and brought on Drenning. He was greeted by an RBI-single from the Golden Eagle hitter, thus knotting the game at 1-1. The Panther righty worked out of the jam to take it to the seventh at 1-1. Both teams had opportunities to score in the late innings as they went to the 10th still tied.
Second baseman Darwin Russell led off the bottom of the 10th with a single, and he went to third on a throwing error. Kevin Gable and Dan Guyer were intentionally walked to set up the force out. However, Dan Koontz bounced one to second, and Russell beat the throw to the plate for the 2-1 NB victory.
“It was a tremendous win for us to beat a team the caliber of Tyrone,” King offered. “I have to commend our entire team for hanging in there during several tough jams. I have to mention the fine job both of my pitchers did in holding this team down. And Gable, who is one of the best catchers in the area, was just super behind the plate. Our team defense was another key to the win.”
It was on to the second round of the playoffs as the Panthers headed to Mt. Pleasant to take on WPIAL powerhouse Apollo-Ridge. Drenning fired a two-hitter with eight strikeouts as he tossed a 2-0 shutout. Hits by Gable, Guyer, Nastasi, and Drenning produced the two runs scored by Beegle and Russell.
Beegle turned in the biggest defensive play of the day, when the fleet-footed centerfielder raced to the fence in center to grab a potential game-tying home run.
“That was an excellent catch by Beegle, a big play,” said King. “We have played excellent team defense during this playoff run, and Drenning, who is now 10-1 on the season, was his usual self on the mound.”
Earning their way into the final four, the Panthers were now set to go to Clearfield to take on Ridgway. The two things that had carried them in the playoffs, solid defense and pitching, fell a bit short. The result was a 9-2 loss to the District 9 champs and the end of a dream season.
“Nastasi was having some shoulder problems and gave a gutsy performance, but we were not making the plays behind him,” King said. “By rule, Jason only had three innings left. I used him and Guyer after Nastasi, but we got too far behind. But I am proud of my team. They gave it their best shot and never quit. We’ll regroup and get ready for next year.”
TEAM MEMBERS: Jon Mentzer, Brain Page, Terry Steele, Dan Koontz, Matt Knee, Darwin Russell, Steve Beegle, Joe Nastasi, Kevin Gable, Dan Guyer, Jeremy Diehl, Jason Snider, Jason Drenning, Brandon Snider, Kirk Stiffler, Shawn Hicks, Brandon Smith (student manager), Ed King (head coach), Joe Over (assistant coach), Al Drenning (pitching coach).
Northern had a strong regular season, going 14-5 and earned a co-championship of the Bedford County League. That propelled them into the playoffs and into local history by being the first, and to his point only, baseball team from the county to make the state semifinals.
The Black Panthers accomplished that distinction by defeating Shade and Meyersdale in the first two rounds of the District 5-AA playoffs, before earning the championship by defeating Everett 8-5 in the district title game played at Bedford.
NB scored early and often with six runs in the first three innings spearheaded by a two-run home run from winning pitcher Jason Drenning in the first, a Steve Beegle RBI single in the second, and a three-run blast by Drenning in the third. Beegle added an RBI double in the seventh to set the final score.
On the mound, the Panther right-hander tossed a complete game six-hitter with seven strikeouts. The win was Drenning’s third of his team’s playoff run.
“He has pitched well for us in big games,” King said. “Drenning (8-1) has been tough against the good ballclubs we’ve faced. And Everett is definitely a good ballclub and is always a difficult matchup for us.”
Next up was a matchup with District 6 kingpin Tyrone, featuring future Pirate draftee Tony Sharer. NB
started Joe Nastasi on the mound, and he and Sharer were in a 1-0 battle into the sixth. The key to holding
down the heavy-hitting Tyrone squad was Nastasi’s outstanding control of his breaking stuff mixed with an occasional fastball.
When Nastasi walked the first two batters to start the sixth, King moved him to shortstop and brought on Drenning. He was greeted by an RBI-single from the Golden Eagle hitter, thus knotting the game at 1-1. The Panther righty worked out of the jam to take it to the seventh at 1-1. Both teams had opportunities to score in the late innings as they went to the 10th still tied.
Second baseman Darwin Russell led off the bottom of the 10th with a single, and he went to third on a throwing error. Kevin Gable and Dan Guyer were intentionally walked to set up the force out. However, Dan Koontz bounced one to second, and Russell beat the throw to the plate for the 2-1 NB victory.
“It was a tremendous win for us to beat a team the caliber of Tyrone,” King offered. “I have to commend our entire team for hanging in there during several tough jams. I have to mention the fine job both of my pitchers did in holding this team down. And Gable, who is one of the best catchers in the area, was just super behind the plate. Our team defense was another key to the win.”
It was on to the second round of the playoffs as the Panthers headed to Mt. Pleasant to take on WPIAL powerhouse Apollo-Ridge. Drenning fired a two-hitter with eight strikeouts as he tossed a 2-0 shutout. Hits by Gable, Guyer, Nastasi, and Drenning produced the two runs scored by Beegle and Russell.
Beegle turned in the biggest defensive play of the day, when the fleet-footed centerfielder raced to the fence in center to grab a potential game-tying home run.
“That was an excellent catch by Beegle, a big play,” said King. “We have played excellent team defense during this playoff run, and Drenning, who is now 10-1 on the season, was his usual self on the mound.”
Earning their way into the final four, the Panthers were now set to go to Clearfield to take on Ridgway. The two things that had carried them in the playoffs, solid defense and pitching, fell a bit short. The result was a 9-2 loss to the District 9 champs and the end of a dream season.
“Nastasi was having some shoulder problems and gave a gutsy performance, but we were not making the plays behind him,” King said. “By rule, Jason only had three innings left. I used him and Guyer after Nastasi, but we got too far behind. But I am proud of my team. They gave it their best shot and never quit. We’ll regroup and get ready for next year.”
TEAM MEMBERS: Jon Mentzer, Brain Page, Terry Steele, Dan Koontz, Matt Knee, Darwin Russell, Steve Beegle, Joe Nastasi, Kevin Gable, Dan Guyer, Jeremy Diehl, Jason Snider, Jason Drenning, Brandon Snider, Kirk Stiffler, Shawn Hicks, Brandon Smith (student manager), Ed King (head coach), Joe Over (assistant coach), Al Drenning (pitching coach).
Class of 2019
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania