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By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

and PBR staff

Pennsylvania calls itself a Commonwealth, not a state, which means we like to eschew the norm. Our team rankings aren't a standard Top 25, but rather an effort to predict what everyone is striving for: state tournament berths. Instead of going down a rabbit hole by attempting to order teams from various parts of the state who play against vastly different levels of competition, we are going to try to compare apples to apples a bit more. Each update, we will present the schools we think are in the best position to earn state tournament berths out of their respective districts. Below are our predictions, in bracket order, for how we see the PIAA class 4A state tournament shaping up. A Watch List for each district is also included, with the teams on it (and undoubtedly a few we overlooked) absolutely in the mix to make the March to Medlar.

Note: X-Y under "Berth" = [District]-[Bid]. For example, 3-2 is the runner-up from District III.

2017 Preseason PIAA Class 4A Super 16

Berth	School	Notes
3-1	East Pennsboro	Panthers have a solid offensive core returning, but strength will be a pitching staff highlighted by an experienced strike-throwing trio that posted a better than four-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio last spring.
1-1	Pope John Paul II	Could the Golden Panthers be poised to reprise their Cinderella run to the 2014 3A state title? Most of the roster returns, including six pitchers with varsity experience.
11-1	Pottsville Area	When in doubt, we'll roll with a team that has a number of game-changing talents on the roster, especially from a program that reached the state semifinals as recently as 2015.
12-2	Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter	Esperanza is typically the last Philadelphia Public League school from this new classification still alive in the PPL tournament, as well as the only one that competes in the league's top division.
12-1	Bonner-Prendergast	Friars are the favorite here on the strength of 13 seniors, six of whom have made college commitments. Pitching staff goes at least five deep with college-caliber arms and will be supported by an experienced line-up.
3-3	Bishop McDevitt	2016 class 3A state tourney participant has some production to replace, but can still run out a solid line-up and has some athletic, multi-sport underclassmen and a transfer pitcher ready to help fill the void.
2-1	Valley View	Despite graduating 14 from last year's district runner-up, the Cougars nonetheless feature a trio of experienced pitchers in a district where virtually every team has some big holes to fill.
4-1	Selinsgrove Area	The Seals bring back three experienced members of a pitching staff that helped propel the team to the 2016 class 3A district title.
5-1/ 6-1	Bellefonte Area	2016 class 3A state champ brings back the bulk of its line-up and will have one of its projected mound workhorses back from injury to help replace a pitching staff depleted by graduation.
3-2	West York Area	A sophomore- and junior-laden group hopes to put together a run like their predecessors did for the 2012 & 2013 class 3A state titles. Pitching staff returns two experienced members, while six position players received significant playing time last spring.
7-1	Blackhawk	Coming off a 2016 state tournament appearance, virtually the entire pitching staff returns along with a number of college-committed position players among seven returning upperclass starters.
10-2	Harbor Creek	The Huskies welcome back two-thirds of their starting line-up as well as three experienced upperclass arms.
9-1	Punxsutawney Area	After 13 straight district titles, this one is pretty much a reflexive selection, although the inexperienced Chucks could be more vulnerable than in years past.
7-2	Belle Vernon Area	Lost a close game to eventual WPIAL 3A champ in tourney 1st round last year. Three college-bound pitchers highlight an experienced mound quartet.
10-1	Slippery Rock Area	Experienced 1-2 rotation punch logged the bulk of the team's innings last spring and an offense that returns more than half of its regulars should have the Rockets in position to make a run at their first district title since 2013.
7-3	South Park	Senior-laden Eagles have experienced core in the line-up and on the staff.

Watch List
District I: Octorara Area, Springfield Township, New Hope-Solebury
District II: Wyoming Area, Dallas
District III: Berks Catholic, West Perry, Eastern York, Hamburg Area, Susquehannock 
District IV: Jersey Shore Area, Shamokin Area, Shikellamy, Lewisburg Area
Sub-region V/VI: Somerset Area
District VII: Knoch, Quaker Valley, South Fayette, Ambridge Area
District IX: St. Marys Area, Clearfield Area
District X: Fort LeBoeuf, General McLane, Hickory
District XI: Allentown Central Catholic, Lehighton Area, Wilson Area, Northwestern Lehigh
District XII: Lansdale Catholic

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