Sugar Valley baseball could make noise in wide open District IV

By Bees O’Brien

LOGANTON- The 2024 SVRC Phoenix baseball team has never reached the District IV 1A playoffs and have never compiled a .500 or better record. This season could be different for the Phoenix in a wide open district field that seen their champion in 2023 win the district title and advance to the quarterfinals with a losing record. That team was Northeast Bradford, a team the Phoenix will see on their schedule.

Sugar Valley returns both Lance Winchesteer and Cayden Weaver. The Phoenix stars led them both on the mound and at the plate. SVRC finished 2-17, but both captains played well.

Winchester batted .526, while hitting the team’s only home run. Weaver hit .372, good for third on the team.

Sugar Valley also returns some experienced players in Lincoln Breon and Jarren McCloskey. Breon stole 11 bases a season ago and McCloskey scored 14 runs.

Sugar Valley finished strong a season ago by pounding Bucktail 13-3 on Senior Day. They also played both Shamokin and district champions Northeast Bradford well. Only losing to NEB by a slim 7-6 count.

Their 2024 schedule is loaded with Mid Penn powers like Muncy, Northwest and Benton, but there’s plenty of winnable games within the conference.

They’ve proven they can beat Bucktail and CMVT, but foes like St. John Neumann, Montgomery, Millville and Sullivan County are not out of the question.

The Phoenix will open up their season on March 22 at St. Joseph’s Academy. Other nonconference opponents of note will be a home contest with East Juniata on April 1 and a rematch with Northeast Bradford on May 13 in Rome.

Chuck Walizer will be the SVRC head coach with Charles Litz as an assistant.