Dan Oliastro has been coaching in Pennsylvania for 55 years. This
year he accomplished something that he had never done before. In fact,
he accomplished something no other WPIAL coach had ever done before – winning a state championship with an undefeated season.
Oliastro's
Riverside (Ellwood City)
team went 25-0 on the season and captured the Class 3A state
championship. The title is the fifth in Oliastro's career (which
includes 694 wins), giving the Panthers more state championships than
any school in state history according to the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Panthers also finished at the top of the MaxPreps Small Town Top 25 national high school baseball rankings.
The Small Town Top 25 is composed of teams from schools with an
enrollment of less than 1,000 students in towns with a population of
less than 10,000 people. The rankings are based strictly on the MaxPreps
computer rankings, unlike the more subjective MaxPreps Top 25.
Riverside edged out
Bald Eagle Area (Wingate),
winner of the Pennsylvania Class 2A state championship, for the top
spot. The Eagles won their first state championship since 2007.
Lonoke finished No. 3 after winning the Arkansas Class 4A state championship while
Eaton (Colo.) finished an unbeaten season at 29-0 to finish at No. 4. Texas Class 4A state champion
China Spring, which finished No. 3 in the final Small Town Top 25 football rankings, came in at No. 5.
Teams are listed with their overall record, computer rating and postseason finish.
Legendary Riverside coach Dan Oliastro visits the mound during a March victory over Ellwood City. Oliastro has led the program for 55 years. (Photo: Mary Perry)
Small Town Top 25 baseball rankings
1. Riverside (Ellwood City, Pa.)
Record/Rating: 25-0, 27.4
Finish: Class 3A state champion
2. Bald Eagle Area (Wingate, Pa.)
Record/Rating: 22-4, 25.6
Finish: Class 2A state champion
3. Lonoke (Ark.)
Record/Rating: 27-2, 25.3
Finish: Class 4A state champion
4. Eaton (Colo.)
Record/Rating: 29-0, 24.9
Finish: Class 3A state champion
5. China Spring (Texas)
Record/Rating: 37-5-1, 24.9
Finish: Class 4A state champion
6. Boyd (Texas)
Record/Rating: 40-5, 24.9
Finish: Class 3A champion
7. Purvis (Miss.)
Record/Rating: 31-6, 24.8
Finish: Class 4A champion
8. Tuttle (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 38-4, 24.2
Finish: Class 4A state champion
9. Clinton (S.C.)
Record/Rating: 26-3, 24.0
Finish: Class 3A state champion
10. Bellefonte (Pa.)
Record/Rating: 20-5, 23.6
Finish: Class 4A state champion
11. Sinton (Texas)
Record/Rating: 37-4, 23.5
Finish: Class 4A semifinalist
12. Burns (Lawndale, N.C.)
Record/Rating: 28-4, 23.5
Finish: Class 2A state champion
13. Hiland (Berlin, Ohio)
Record/Rating: 31-1, 23.5
Finish: Division 4 state champion
14. Gunter (Texas)
Record/Rating: 38-4, 23.1
Finish: Class 3A regional finalist
15. Silo (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 28-5, 23.1
Finish: Class 2A state champion
16. Punxsutawney (Pa.)
Record/Rating: 20-3, 23.1
Finish: Class 3A semifinalist
17. Denmark (Wis.)
Record/Rating: 30-2, 22.9
Finish: Division 2 state champion
18. East Union (Blue Springs, Miss.)
Record/Rating: 31-5, 22.8
Finish: Class 2A state champion
19. Esko (Minn.)
Record/Rating: 28-1, 22.7
Finish: Class 2A state champion
20. Brock (Texas)
Record/Rating: 29-5-1, 22.5
Finish: Regional finalist
21. Washington (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 30-5, 22.5
Finish: Class 3A state champion
22. Sumrall (Miss.)
Record/Rating: 28-7, 21.9
Finish: Class 4A semifinalist
23. Wall (Texas)
Record/Rating: 28-5-1, 21.7
Finish: Class 3A state runner-up
24. Amory (Miss.)
Record/Rating: 32-5-1, 21.5
Finish: Class 3A state champion
25. St. Croix Falls (Wis.)
Record/Rating: 28-3, 21.4
Finish: Division 3 state champion
Next 25
26. Chatham (N.Y.)
Record/Rating: 24-2, 21.4
Finish: Class C state champion
27. Carthage (Texas)
Record/Rating: 31-9, 21.4
Finish: Regional semifinalist
28. Randleman (N.C.)
Record/Rating: 23-5, 21.4
Finish: Class 2A quarterfinalist
29. West (Texas)
Record/Rating: 29-6, 21.3
Finish: Class 3A regional finalist
30. Rattan (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 28-6, 21.0
Finish: Class 1A state champion
31. Bullard (Texas)
Record/Rating: 26-10, 20.9
Finish: Class 4A regional quarterfinalist
32. Fort Cobb-Broxton (Fort Cobb, Okla.)
Record/Rating: 30-4, 20.7
Finish: Class B state champion
33. Harleton (Texas)
Record/Rating: 36-1, 20.3
Finish: Class 2A state champion
34. Lone Grove (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 33-6, 20.3
Finish: Class 4A semifinalist
35. North Vermillion (Cayuga, Ind.)
Record/Rating: 27-9, 20.3
Finish: Non-Select Division II quarterfinalist
36. Kennedy (Mt. Angel, Ore.)
Record/Rating: 31-0, 20.3
Finish: Class 2A/1A state champion
37. Cushing (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 25-1, 20.2
Finish: Class 4A quarterfinalist
38. Ash Grove (Mo.)
Record/Rating: 25-0, 20.2
Finish: Class 2 state champion
39. Clear Spring (Md.)
Record/Rating: 18-2-2, 20.2
Finish: Class 1A state champion
40. Lebanon (Va.)
Record/Rating: 26-2, 19.9
Finish: Class 1 state champion
41. Woodlawn (Rison, Ark.)
Record/Rating: 32-3, 19.9
Finish: Class 2A state champion
42. East Rutherford (Forest City, N.C.)
Record/Rating: 21-4, 19.9
Finish: Class 2A third round
43. Oktaha (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 25-6, 19.5
Finish: Class 2A quarterfinalist
44. Mid-Carolina (Prosperity, S.C.)
Record/Rating: 25-4, 19.5
Finish: Class 2A semifinalist
45. Old Town (Maine)
Record/Rating: 18-4, 19.4
Finish: Class B state champion
46. Roff (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 26-7, 19.4
Finish: Class B state runner-up
47. Andrew Jackson (Kershaw, S.C.)
Record/Rating: 27-4, 19.4
Finish: Class 2A semifinalist
48. Portageville (Mo.)
Record/Rating: 30-3, 19.3
Finish: Class 3 semifinalist
49. Bridge City (Texas)
Record/Rating: 25-8, 19.3
Finish: Class 4A area finalist
50. Orangefield (Texas)
Record/Rating: 23-4, 19.2
Finish: Class 3A regional quarterfinalist