After a year away from the diamond, the seven teams of Progressland got back into the swing of the things. For some teams, that meant a hard adjustment after a year of not playing high school baseball. For others, it was a revelation. But, all seven were glad to get back to playing ball.

Curwensville had the most dramatic turnaround wins-wise, going 12-9 on the season and knocking off top-seeded Brookville in the District 9 quarterfinals before falling to Kane in the semis.

Moshannon Valley may have made the biggest leap talent-wise, starting a large group of freshmen and sophomores and going 9-9. The Knights made their first District 6 Class A title game since 1963 and qualified for their first-ever PIAA game, where they fell to Southern Fulton.

Clearfield also had a good season, going 9-11-1, winning the District 9 Class AAAA title and the District 5-8-9 subregional over Somerset. The Bison fell to Montour in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.

Philipsburg-Osceola went a disappointing 8-9 on the season, falling in the first round of the District 6 Class AAA playoffs to Tyrone. West Branch finished 6-9, missing the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Harmony picked up two wins in a condensed season that saw them go 2-6. Glendale went winless, but was led by the Misiura brothers, who were a bright spot during a down season.

In the Player of the Year race, it came down to two of the area’s best pitchers in Moshannon Valley’s Michael Kitko and Clearfield’s Hunter Dixon. Both carried their team on the mound and were in the top two in hitting on their team.

But in the end, it came down to several gutsy playoff performances from Kitko, who took his team to the state playoffs for the first time ever. Kitko led the area in batting average, hits and doubles, and was at the top of the pitching stats as well.

The Coach of the Year goes to the Knights’ Ryan Cornelius, who was technically in his first year coaching after losing last season in what supposed to be his rookie year. Cornelius was a calm presence for Moshannon Valley and wasn’t afraid to rely on his younger players. He led the Knights to a District 6 title game and a 9-9 record.

Here is how the Progressland First Team breaks down:

Player of the Year: Michael Kitko, Moshannon Valley — Kitko may not be the typical ace for his team, but his ability to turn a game on its ear with his dominant mixture of a fastball and curve has crossed up even the most experienced teams. The Knight junior isn’t loud and pretty much sticks to one demeanor from the first pitch to the last. But make no mistake, Kitko is a leader. He has the ability to fire his team up both on the mound and at the plate. He led Progressland in batting average (.461), hits (24) and doubles (14). On the mound, he leads the area in strikeouts with 106. He threw 54 1/3 innings this season, going 4-3 with a 3.09 earned run average.

When he isn’t on the mound, he is usually at shortstop, where he didn’t make a single error all season. Kitko was tabbed as an Inter-County Conference all-star this season. Kitko was a second team utility selection in 2019 as a freshman.

Coach of the Year: Ryan Cornelius, Moshannon Valley — Cornelius took over the Knights at a hectic time — just a few weeks before last season was cancelled by the PIAA due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the 2002 Glendale alumnus kept working with his kids and kept a routine when he couldn’t have regular workouts. Moshannon Valley thrived on his calm demeanor, although he wasn’t afraid to stand up for his kids if he felt he needed to.

Cornelius took a very young roster and turned them into a team that could compete with just about any team in the MVL or ICC. The Knights came up just short for their first District 6 title since 1958, but made a splash in the playoffs, knocking off top-seeded Saltsburg on the road before falling to Juniata Valley 5-4 in the title game.

With almost his entire roster intact for next season, it’s hard to believe Moshannon Valley will just be a one-hit wonder in 2021.

Pitcher: Hunter Dixon, Clearfield — Most teams dreaded being at the plate facing off against Dixon, who led Progressland in wins (8), innings logged (71 1/3) and was tied for complete games (3). The Bison lefty has the best pickoff move in the area, frustrating teams and changing the complexion of the game with one throw. He ended the season with a 2.47 ERA. Dixon was also good at the plate, finishing the year with a .315 average. He had 18 hits and 10 RBIs. Dixon committed just one error all season. When he wasn’t pitching, he could be found at the designated hitter position or first base. Dixon was a Progressland second teamer in 2019.

Pitcher: Jake Mullins, Curwensville — Mullins seemed to get better as the season went on for the Tide. He logged a bulk of the innings for Curwensville, going 5-2 while throwing 45 1/3 innings. Mullins wasn’t overpowering, but he located his pitches well. He led the area in shutouts (2) and was tied for complete games (3). He finished the season with a 2.62 ERA and helped his team get past Brookville in the District 9 Class AA playoffs. At the plate, Mullins hit .297 with a Progressland-leading 19 RBIs. He scored 20 runs and had 19 hits. He was second in the area in stolen bases with 8. Mullins was a second team Progressland selection in 2019.

Catcher: Nate Gustkey, Philipsburg-Osceola — Gustkey came out of the gate hot for the Mounties and at one point he was hitting .708. But, the Mounties struggled at the plate at the end of the season, and Gustkey wasn’t immune. He finished the year with a .396 average. He led the team in hits (21) and runs scored (20). He knocked in 12 runs and had seven extra base hits, including two homers. Gustkey was a Mountain League second team all-star this season. It is his first appearance on the Progressland all-star team.

First Base: Keegan Wilson, Curwensville — Wilson was a consistent anchor for the Tide at first base. He finished the season with a .400 batting average, tops on Curwensville. He had 22 hits, 17 RBIs and scored 13 runs. The Tide senior had four doubles, a triple and stole five bases. He was a North Allegheny League Small School First Team All-Star this season. This is his first Progressland all-star appearance.

Middle Infield: Garret Misiura, Glendale — Misiura played just about everywhere this season for the Vikings. The senior pitched, played shortstop, second base and caught when needed. He led the team with a .425 batting average, finishing the year with 17 hits, 10 runs scored and four RBIs. His nine stolen bases were tops in Progressland this season. This is Misiura’s first time on the Progressland team.

Middle Infield: Doug Kolesar, West Branch — Kolesar spent most of the season playing shortstop, although he did make four appearances on the mound. As a pitcher, Kolesar went 2-0 with two complete games and a shutout. At the plate, he had a .341 average, good enough for second highest by a Warrior. The senior scored 15 runs, had 14 hits and knocked in eight runs. He had also had five stolen bases and three doubles. Kolesar was a second team middle infielder in 2019.

Middle Infield: Zack Witherow, Moshannon Valley — Witherow may be best known for being part of a formidable 1-2 punch on the mound with teammate Michael Kitko, but he’s pretty darn good at the shortstop position too. Witherow hit .276 this season with a team high 19 runs scored. He had 13 hits and knocked in eight runs. Four of those hits were for extra bases. On the mound, Witherow went 4-3 with a 4.35 ERA. He struck out 57 batters in 13 appearances. This is his first appearance on the Progressland all-star team.

Third Base: Thad Butler, Curwensville — Butler filled a big hole for the Tide this season at the hot corner but also played second and shortstop. Butler hit .301, second-highest on the team. He scored 18 runs, had 16 hits and plated eight runs.

Butler was also known for his ability to put down a perfect bunt in high-pressure situations. He had three sacrifices, but also beat out a lot of the bunts for singles. This is Butler’s first appearance on the Progressland all-star team.

Outfield: Jeremy Whitehead, Philipsburg-Osceola — Whitehead was one of the Mounties’ most dependable hitters this season. He hit .365, second-highest on the team. He had 19 hits, 16 RBIs and scored 15 runs.

He added three doubles, a triple and two home runs this season. Whitehead played error-free ball in left field all season and was named to the Mountain League First Team for his efforts. Whitehead was named to the Progressland First Team in 2019 as a designated hitter.

Outfield: Jake McCracken, Curwensville — McCracken split his time between center field and pitcher for the Tide. On the mound, he went 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA. He also had a save. At the plate he hit .278 with 17 hits, 16 runs scored and 11 RBIs. He had four stolen bases and two doubles. He was a second team Progressland selection at the outfield position in 2018 as a freshman.

Outfield: Tyler Biggans, West Branch — Biggans played in all 15 games for the Warriors as a freshman this season. He hit .266 with a team-high 16 RBIs. He also had 12 hits and scored 12 runs. The Warrior added four doubles during the season as well as three stolen bases. This is Biggans’ first appearance on the Progressland all-star team.

Designated Hitter: Matt Bailor, Clearfield — Bailor was the top hitter for the Bison this season and played catcher most of the year. He had a .318 batting average, smacking 21 hits, plating 16 runs and finishing the season with six doubles, a triple and a home run. He had a .971 fielding percentage for the Bison and handled catching teammate Hunter Dixon, who had eight wins on the season. This Bailor’s first Progressland all-star team nod.

Utility: Isaac Tiracorda, West Branch — Tiracorda solidified himself as the Warriors starting catcher early, although he did play left field and filled in where needed. He led the Warriors with a .437 batting average.

The freshman had 21 hits, 15 RBIs and scored 13 runs. He tallied eight doubles and six stolen bases. Even more impressive, he had a .989 fielding percentage with a majority of those games behind the dish. Tiracorda was an Inter-County Conference honorable mention. This is his first Progressland first team nod.

The second team consists of Philipsburg-Osceola’s Ryan Whitehead (pitcher), West Branch’s Zack Tiracorda (pitcher), Moshannon Valley’s Michael Kephart (catcher), Clearfield’s Nick Domico (first base), Harmony’s Anthony Maseto (middle infield), Philipsburg-Osceola’s T.J. Wildman (middle infield), Clearfield’s Morgen Billotte (third base), Clearfield’s Karson Rumsky (outfield), Moshannon Valley’s Ethan Webb (outfield), Philipsburg-Osceola’s David Meersand, Curwensville’s Matt Brown (designated hitter) and Clearfield’s Blake Prestash (utility).