“Go prove it.”

That has been North Allegheny’s motto since the season began.

On paper, North Allegheny appeared like it would have a strong team this spring. Along with that came a preseason No. 1 ranking in Class 6A. But to coach Andrew Heck, the early hype was meaningless considering the Tigers had done nothing to earn it on the field.

A month and a half into the season, it’s safe to say that the Tigers have proven a lot. A 16-2 record and winning the Section 1 title speaks for itself.

With the playoffs a week away, Heck said he feels really good about his team. But at the same time, he fully knows that all it will take is one loss to end their run at a WPIAL title.

“I like our team a lot, but the hard part with high school baseball [playoffs] is that it’s one game,” Heck said. “I would feel really comfortable about our team with a three-game series against these teams because I know the depth and caliber of our players. The hard part is anything can happen in one game. But I do think we’re the best all-around team.”

It’s hard to argue against that, at least in Class 6A. North Allegheny has been equally outstanding with its hitting and pitching. The Tigers have outscored opponents, 165-43. That’s an average of more than nine runs a game offensively and just over two per game given up. They have been held below five runs just once, that coming in their lone section loss, a 2-1 setback April 6 at Seneca Valley. Their other loss came via a 7-6 walk-off loss at No. 2 Norwin on April 23.

Junior shortstop Cole Young is a microcosm of his team, as he has backed up considerable hype this season. Young, a Duke recruit, has followed up an excellent freshman season with an outstanding junior season. The team’s No. 3 hitter, Young is batting .488 with 5 home runs, 17 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He boasts an on-base percentage of .635 and has swiped 12 bases.

“He’s been very impressive,” said Heck. “The big thing with him is that he’s not trying to do too much. I think that's the biggest thing that makes a complete player. He might hit a home run his first at-bat, and then the next at-bat he goes the other way with it.”

Count sophomore second baseman Spencer Barnett as being one of the WPIAL’s breakout stars. A West Virginia recruit, Barnett is hitting .413 with 5 home runs, a team-high 26 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He homered twice in last Wednesday’s 8-7 win at Pine-Richland.

Among the other top offensive performers have been senior outfielder Logan Andreyko, senior outfielder and leadoff hitter Ethan Gavlik, senior first baseman Danny Gallon, junior third baseman Aaron Galaska and junior outfielder Erik Sundgren.

North Allegheny might be the only team in the WPIAL that has three pitchers with at least four wins. Senior Kyle Demi is 5-0, senior Brady Palmer 4-0 and senior Joe Lang 4-1.

Palmer and Demi have been the two starters for section games. Palmer has a 2.76 ERA, while Demi has a 0.28 ERA and has struck out 41 in 24⅔ innings. Lang sports an 0.89 ERA and has punched out 31 in 23⅔ innings.

“Palmer has been really good,” said Heck. “He’s a guy who can keep you off balance. Demi is going to come at you. He throws every bit of 88-90 [mph].”

West Mifflin

One of the fastest-rising teams in the WPIAL is Class 4A No. 5 West Mifflin. Winners of seven games in a row, the Titans (11-4 overall, 10-1 in Section 3) have claimed their first section title since 2015. It’s a huge turnaround after going just 2-14 the last season they took the field back in 2019.

The Titans’ lineup is dominated by underclassmen. Junior Jake Walker and sophomore Bert Kovalsky have led the way offensively. Walker ranks among the WPIAL leaders with a .578 batting average. He has also scored 26 runs and has 11 extra-base hits (one double, eight triples and two home runs). Kovalsky is hitting .388 with a team-best 16 RBIs.

Zane Griffaton has emerged as one of the WPIAL’s most productive freshmen. On the mound, the right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA, and at the plate he’s batting .389. In a doubleheader sweep of Belle Vernon last Thursday, Griffaton was the winning pitcher in both games while collecting five hits and reaching base seven times. Griffaton teams with junior Eric Link (4-0, 1.89 ERA) to give coach Jeff Kuzma an excellent one-two pitching punch.

Mt. Lebanon

Mt. Lebanon fell to 3-6 after dropping a 6-3 decision April 19 at Hempfield.

The Blue Devils haven’t lost since.

A seven-game winning streak has improved Mt. Lebanon to 10-6 overall and 6-4 in Class 6A Section 2. Five of the seven wins were section victories, the most recent pair being a big two-game sweep of rival Upper St. Clair last week. The Blue Devils won by scores of 7-3 and 4-3. Sophomore Tyler Smith, an Auburn recruit, was the winning pitcher in the first game and homered in the second. Fellow sophomore Matthew Delvaux homered in the first game.

Smith and junior Derrick Shields have been Mt. Lebanon’s primary starters. Smith is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA and Shields is 3-3 with a 2.83 ERA.

Brad Everett: beverett@post-gazette.com and Twitter: @BREAL412.

First Published: May 14, 2021, 9:45 a.m.