HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Eleven high school baseball players from the Midstate were selected for the 2023 Pennsylvania Big 26 Baseball Classic roster.
The Big 26 Baseball Classic is an annual summer baseball series where rising junior and senior high school players from Pennsylvania, the host team, compete with Maryland.
The series started in 2012 and consists of three games with participants selected after spring tryouts.
This year the roster is as follows, with bolded players hailing from Midstate.
(Name, graduation year, position, school)
- Colin Basehore, ’24, OF, Cumberland Valley
- Matt Bean, ’24, 1B, Springfield Delco
- Cayden Bender, ’24, 1B, Cedar Cliff
- Cameron Burr, ’24, INF, Muhlenberg
- Troy Chamberlin, ’24, C, Shippensburg
- Austin Crist, ’24, P, Susquenita
- Bryce Detwiler, ’25, INF, Governor Mifflin
- Trey Eckman, ’24, P, Manheim Township
- Ethan Ford, ’24, C, Greencastle Antrim
- Johnny Giordano, ’24, OF, Plymouth Whitemarsh
- Sam Grube, ’24, INF, Cedar Cliff
- Brady Gustitus, ’24, C, Blue Mountain
- Owen Hannevig, ’24, P/OF, Pine Grove
- Stephen Hood, ’24, P/INF, Panther Valley
- Alex Kelsey, ’24, OF, Exeter Township
- Matthew McNair, ’24, OF, Boiling Springs
- Nathan Moser, ’24, P, Northeastern
- Parker Nein, ’24, P, Berks Catholic
- Paul Petersen, ’24, INF, Oley Valley
- Nate Romberger, ’24, OF, Perkiomen School
- Landen Rozich, ’25, INF, Oxford
- David Ruckman, ’24, OF, Spring-Ford
- Alex Sauve, ’24, INF, Cumberland Valley
- Anthony Turek, ’24, P, Lampeter Strasburg
- Nolan Walker,’24, P, North Penn
- Henry Wetzel, ’24, P/OF, North Penn
The event serves as a recruiting event, with college coaches invited to tryouts, combine, and the games. Each year 30 to 40 schools make an appearance.
The event is also an opportunity for players to give back with the event’s Buddy Program where individuals from 5 to 21 years old with special needs get to interact with the Big 26 players through various activities throughout the event.
