2006 Franklin Regional Baseball Seniors. All photos courtesy Franklin Regional Baseball Boosters

They started the season 0-3 against strong teams. It wasn’t pretty for the Panthers who have been to WPIALs 13 out of the last 14 years and won the WPIAL crown in ’97 and ’01. But Franklin Regional Baseball Coach Larry Wayman says his teams are like the [altered] lines from the old Hank Williams song, ‘We’ll show up to play tomorrow, less the sun don’t shine and if the creek don’t rise’: “They show their dedication at being successful every year.” This year would be no different, even with the 0-3 start.

Matt Hill

But that wasn’t so clear most of the fourth game. The Panthers found themselves losing to Pittsburgh Catholic the entire game…until the seventh and final inning, when Franklin Regional scored three runs to lead by one. The ballplayers held off a last-ditch surge by Pittsburgh to win the game in a comeback! The Panthers never looked back and shot out on a 15-2 tear the rest of the year, and finished 15-5, 11-1 in the section.

“The team in general is a good mix of seniors, juniors, and sophomores who all contributed together,” Wayman says. The Panthers feature Matt Hill, likely the most dominant pitcher in the WPIALs. Hill (5-1) has an earned run average (ERA) under 1; many high school pitchers average an ERA around 2. Kristian Dejeet, the number three hitter, is one of the better outfielders in the WPIAL and is a WPIAL leader in RBIs, topping the 30-mark. Both seniors, Hill and Dejeet are hitting in around .400. Jeremy Rehak, senior third baseman, is the team’s top hitter, averaging in the high .400s.