Mars Area High School Boys Varsity Baseball Team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2018 PIAA Boys Varsity Baseball Class 5A Championship on June 7, but was defeated 6-1 by the Marple Newtown Tigers.

The Fightin’ Planets impeded the Ephrata Mountaineers 3-2 in the first round of the PIAA playoffs on June 4. Despite a 3-2 11th inning loss to the North Hills Indians in the final game of the 2018 WPIAL Boys Varsity Baseball Class 5A Championship on May 30, the Planets took second place and qualified for the state championships.

The team trounced the Hampton Talbots 4-0 in the WPIAL semifinals on May 24; tamed the Laurel Highlands Mustangs 6-2 in the quarterfinals on May 22; and topped the Trinity Hillers 2-1 in the first round of play on May 15. The team ended the regular season with an overall record of 12-5 and 9-3-2 in Section 1-5A play.

Outstanding players on this year’s team included seniors Jack Anderson, Frank Craska, Evan Homison, Anthony Michalski, Max Pasquinelli, Connor Schmitt and Cameron Stewart; juniors William Bednar and Rowen Fletcher; and sophomore Joseph Craska. Rounding out the team were juniors Shane Fox, Gabriel Franz, Matt Fuller, Peyton Gibbons, Tyler Kowalkowski, Shea Moffa and Tom Sheehy; and freshmen Mitchell Schultz and Jonathan Wetherholt.

For more information, visit www.piaa.org.