Pittston Area junior shortstop/pitcher Silvio Giardina was selected the Times Leader Player of the Year in 2024.
Tony Callaio file photos | For Times Leader
Pittston Area senior shortstop/pitcher Silvio Giardina was a first-team choice in Class 5A on the all-state team released by the Pennsylvania Baseball Coaches Association Thursday.
Beau Widdick from the Patriots was chosen to the second team as a utility player.
Giardina, who is committed to play National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball at Lehigh University, led the Patriots with six triples and 30 runs scored. He batted .421 and also went 3-1 with a save and 3.11 earned run average while striking out 31 in 27 innings.
Widdick batted a team-high .438 as Pittston Area went unbeaten all the way to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament while winning Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 and District 2 Class 5A titles. He led the Patriots with 10 doubles and 30 RBI. Widdick, who played primarily at second base, also went 3-0 on the mound with a 2.92 ERA.
Giardina is scheduled to play for the East Sunday in a statewide all-star game at Penn State.
Nick Mazzarella, a Holy Redeemer pitcher and Greater Pittston resident, was a second-team choice in Class 2A.
When the Times Leader picked its all-WVC team last week, Giardina, Widdick, Jake Aftewicz and Elijah Barr all made the squad from Pittston Area.
Aftewicz, a senior catcher, batted .394 with 28 RBI.
Barr, a junior pitcher/infielder, went 5-0 with 37 strikeouts and a 1.72 ERA in 40 2/3 innings. He also batted .382.
Drew Cisney, a Holy Redeemer senior pitcher/outfielder from Pittston, and Mazzarella also made the team.
Mazzarella was 6-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings while also playing in the infield for the WVC Division 2 and District 2 Class 2A champions.
Cisney struck out 52 while posting a 1.92 ERA in 40 innings and also batted .291.
Softball
The Times Leader All-WVC team included Pittston Area senior third baseman Marina Antal and junior pitcher Samantha Herbert along with Wyoming Area junior pitcher Alexa Gasek.
Antal led the Lady Patriots with a .515 average and five home runs while driving in 27 runs and scoring 28.
Herbert led Pittston Area with 35 RBI while batting .382 with five doubles, ive triples and four homers. She struck out 82 while going 9-9 in the circle.
Gasek went 4-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 82 innings. She batted .458 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBI.
Wyoming Area will be the most represented team when the Dallas Kiwanis Club conducts its 45th annual Robert L Dolbear Softball All-Star Game for recent WVC graduates Tuesday night at Lake-Lehman at 6.
Dean Carey from Wyoming Area will join Bob Hegedty and Ron Hampsey from Tunkhannock as the West coaches.
Arianna Gaylord, Renee Haddock, Kaia Brown, Marissa Giardina and Rebecca Gula are the Lady Warriors in the game.
The West team also includes players from Tunkhannock, Lake-Lehman and Hazleton Area.
Antal and Gabby Gorzkowski are the Pittston Area players on the East team, which also includes graduates of Holy Redeemer, Wilkes-Barre Area, Crestwood and Nanticoke.
Pittston Area’s Anthony Bellino and Wyoming Valley West’s Jessica Ras will coach the team.
Girls lacrosse
Wyoming Area senior attack Jules Gonzales was a second-team choice when Wyoming Valley Conference coaches selected their all-star team.
Pittston Area’s Sophia Montagna and Wyoming Area’s Lyla Rehill received honorable mention.
Wyoming Area’s Ava Menditto, Leona Broda and Kendall Day are scheduled to play for Team Yankow in Thursday’s 5:30 girls game of the NEPA Lacrosse Senior All-Star Doubleheader at Abington Heights.
The team is coached by Abington Heights graduate and Catholic University player Caly Yankow and assisted by Abington Heights head coach Becky Davis and Greg Yankow.
Team Yankow includes players from North Pocono and Scranton Prep in addition to those from Wyoming Area and WVC champion Abington Heights.
The opponent will be Team Caporuscio, coached by Crestwood assistant Aaron Caporuscio, who will be assisted by Crestwood boys coach Brian Zabroski. The team features players from Crestwood, Dallas, Delaware Valley, Hazleton Area, Holy Redeemer, Lake-Lehman, Wilkes-Barre Area and Wyoming Seminary.
A boys game at 7 completes the doubleheader.
