Lucarelli Named Post-Gazette Class-3A Player Of The Year, Oliastro Wins Coach Of The Year

Sophomore Christian Lucarelli was named by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as the Class-3A Player Of The Year.

The newspaper announced a winner for each WPIAL Classification.

The right-hander finished the season with a perfect 8-0 record and 1.07 ERA. Lucarelli allowed only 21 hits over 65 2/3 innings and struck out 129 batters. He has made a verbal commitment to Duke University.

The Riverside Panthers (25-0 Overall) became the first team from the WPIAL to win a state championship with an undefeated record this season, thanks in large part to Lucarelli and were guided along the way by head coach Dan Oliastro who also received recognition by the Pittsburgh news outlet.

Oliastro was named Baseball Coach Of The Year by the Post-Gazette.

The 79-year-old head coach, who guided the Panthers to its WPIAL and PIAA championships, was selected from all 124 coaches in the WPIAL.

The coach, in his 55th season, is the WPIAL’s winningest coach with a 696-442 career record and has won five WPIAL Championships and five PIAA State Championships, the most of any baseball coach in PIAA history.

Also earning WPIAL Class-3A All-Section Honors were senior infielder Evan Burry, junior outfielder Bo Fornataro, sophomore outfielder Hunter Garin, and Lucarelli.