Based solely on atmosphere, Travis Zook knew his Mifflin County baseball team could do a lot worse than the big-school Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division. Zook and the Huskies are loving the competition, too.
“I'm really enjoying traveling down there. It's one of the things people ask me all the time,” said Zook, skippering the talented Huskies, a result of the Indian Valley-Lewistown merger in 2011, in their first full MPC season.
“In all honestly, the distance for us might be a bit farther, but it's all downhill and it's nice highway to and from Lewistown. And the facilities that we have played at have been fantastic. Playing in the Mountain League, it was pretty rare to see batting cages or multiple bullpens at every field.”
So far, Mifflin County has pressed forward to reach .500 overall and currently stand mid-pack with six division games remaining. Despite some tough setbacks – 3-0 loss to Red Land, 4-3 loss to Chambersburg, 2-1 loss to Cumberland Valley – the Huskies will use those valuable innings as a primer for the upcoming District 6-AAAA playoffs.
“Anytime you play competitive baseball it's great for the players and the coaches. I think it's nice that they kids know they have to show up each and every day,” said Zook.
“On any given day, any team in the Commonwealth can embarrass you, and we're getting used to being in tough situations.”
ONE BIG WEDNESDAY: Mid-Penn Conference divisional races are heating up, and Wednesday's results will go a long way in determining the Commonwealth and Keystone champs. Top Commonwealth crew Red Land (12-2, 10-1) will host Cumberland Valley (8-4, 8-2) Wednesday at Brandt Cook Field. The Pats and Eagles must first complete an April 10 suspended match (0-0 in the 10th inning) before deciding the series.
In Keystone action, division-leading Lower Dauphin (11-4, 8-1) will head to Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Park Wednesday for an important battle with red-hot Mechanicsburg. The Wildcats (11-3, 7-2) have won six straight since that 9-6 setback to Lower Dauphin on April 9. West Perry (14-0, 9-0) and Waynesboro (0-3, 7-0) have taken command of the Capital and Colonial sprints.
SPEAKING OF WAYNESBORO: Under the new District 3 qualifying guidelines, which shaved the Class AAAA and AAA fields to just 16 teams this season, is it possible for a Mid-Penn division champion to actually miss the district postseason? You bet. The Tribe, having a very successful season to date, hang precariously at No. 16 in the latest set of rankings. As many as eight Class AAAA programs could surge down the stretch and potentially derail the Indians season. Maybe winning doesn't cure all.
JUCO BOUND: Several midstate players have signed on to continue their hardball careers at power-paced NJCAA programs. Cedar Crest shortstop Garrett Getz will join skipper Rodney Bennett at Division II-power Frederick CC. The Cougars are currently fifth in the nation at 38-13 overall. Another D-II set, Cecil College (33-16), has picked up a commitment from East Pennsboro outfielder Justin Heckert. In addition, coach Tom Eller's squad at Division I Harford (32-16) will include Camp Hill ace Chad Bronson, while Lower Dauphin's Luke Lingle selected Hagerstown CC (28-24) as his next destination.
OCKER'S K'S REVISITED: Many have asked if those 24 strikeouts that Middletown ace Nathan Ocker chalked up against Palmyra last week was a record. Not quite. According the National Federation of State High School Associations, 16 individuals have amassed at least 22 strikeouts in seven-inning outings. Ocker's total came with a nine-inning pitch limit, which the NFSHS does not track. Either way, Ocker's total certainly was eye-popping for a Blue Raiders' outfit that won just five games a season ago.
Epler on Twitter: @threejacker