Three Neumann-Goretti High School baseball players earned All-State recognition after a tremendous season that ended in a PIAA Class 3A state championship.
Seniors Jayce Park and Christian Cerone earned First-Team honors while fellow senior Andrew Dankanich received a Second-Team nod. All-State honors were bestowed by the newly formed Pennsylvania State Baseball Coaches Association.
Park, an Old Dominion University signee, went 8-1 in 13 appearances this season with a 1.18 earned run average. In 65 and a third innings, he struck out 86 batters while allowing only 46 hits and 16 walks.
Cerone, who will play at Millersville University next season, batted a team-best .429 on the season with 22 runs scored, 21 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
Dankanich placed his name in the record books with back-to-back walk-off grand slams in state semifinal and state championship games. He batted .372 on the season with a team-high 26 runs scored and 25 stolen bases.
The 2024 season represents the first time an All-State high school baseball team was recognized. Sports like football and basketball have had comprehensive All-State teams for years, which have typically been selected by the media and coaches associations.
Pennsylvania’s six classifications each had a team of 20 First-Team and 20 Second-Team representatives.
One person from each of the 12 PIAA districts around the state was in charge of getting All-State nominations from coaches in their respective district. A total of 404 players were nominated, and the All-State committee then narrowed the field down to the final selections.
