The baseball teams from the Signal Item are have put their hats and jerseys away for the 2012 high school season.
With the end of the spring season comes the Signal Item Fabulous Five for baseball.
Below is a look at the five standout players from the Signal Item area. The athletes were chosen for their skill and overall contribution to their squads.
Shane Conley
Carlynton
Senior pitcher/first baseman
Conley provided leadership during the 2012 season in addition to being a presence across the field.
He finished the season with a .444 batting average, 11 doubles and 13 RBI. He also scored 28 runs.
On the mound, he recorded 30 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Biggest game: A 4-1 win over Northgate. In his first contest on the mound after recovering from an offseason injury, Conley had a big game, striking out eight batters and allowing three hits in three innings.
Pat Fitzpatrick
Bishop Canevin
Senior pitcher/outfielder
Fitzpatrick, along with fellow seniors Nick Supertzi and Matt Zerishnek, provided Bishop Canevin a lethal group of pitchers.
In addition to being a threat on the mound, Fitzpatrick came up with several key hits throughout the season.
In a big, 5-4 win over rival Seton-La Salle, he connected on a single to tie the game and also scored the winning run.
Biggest game: Fitzpatrick threw a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts against Freedom on April 18 to give the Crusaders an important, 2-0 win in Section 1-AA play.
Matt Mulvihill
Chartiers Valley
Junior pitcher/first baseman
Mulvihill gave Colts fans something to be excited about next season as he went 4-3 as one of Chartiers Valley's go-to pitchers.
He also provided a solid presence at first base.
Biggest game: Chartiers Valley's 1-0 loss to Blackhawk might have brought the season to a close, but it showed what Mulvihill can do on the mound. The junior had an outstanding performance, striking out eight Blackhawk batters.
Ryan Ribeau
Keystone Oaks
Junior pitcher/catcher
Ribeau had a strong season at the plate and on the mound.
He finished with a 5.46 ERA over 16.2 innings, giving up 13 hits and striking out 16. At the plate, Ribeau had 19 RBI and he scored 12 runs.
Biggest game: Keystone Oaks' season finale against Carlynton. Ribeau showed a preview of what might continue next season as he pitched a no-hitter, and the Golden Eagles walked away with an 11-0 win. Ribeau pitched five innings and struck out five.
Matt Zerishnek
Bishop Canevin
Senior pitcher/ outfielder
Zerishnek provided the Crusaders a solid presence across the field and recorded 22 RBI.
On the defensive side of the ball, he excelled in the outfield as well as the pitcher's mound and recorded more than 35 strikeouts.
Biggest game: Bishop Canevin's 6-3 loss to Fort Cherry in the first round of the WPIAL Class AA playoffs. The Crusaders fell behind, 5-0, early in the game. Zerishnek was put on the mound in the bottom of the third inning, striking out six and allowing one run.
"He came in and put the team on his back and gave us the chance to get back into the game by putting up zeroes," Bishop Canevin coach Dale Checketts said of the senior's performance. "He showed a lot of heart and desire to compete."
