The Malvern Prep baseball team recently celebrated winning the 2024 PAISAA state championship title. In the PAISAA championship finals, the Friars defeated Perkiomen School for the second straight year by a score of 13-4. Under the leadership of head coach Fred Hilliard, this was the team’s 11th consecutive appearance in the PAISAA State championship final.
In the championship final, senior Tague Davis struck out six batters in four innings and allowed just one earned run. Andrew Pellicciotta dominated on offense, reaching base in all five of his at-bats including a home run and four RBIs. Sophomore Brady Abate scored two runs and was on base in all four of his plate appearances.
The celebration began with a prayer from Rev. William Gabriel, O.S.A. who spoke of the moment right before the championship final when senior leaders got in touch with him to have a Mass before the game. The players joined together to pray, connect, and thank God for each other.
At the celebration, Hilliard said, “When I think about this group, one word comes to mind: ‘special.’ Not just the talent and the performances on the field this year, but the kind of human beings they are off the field. They embody everything that this school stands for. Their selflessness and the way they get along and care about each other and the school, they are the perfect embodiment of what Malvern Prep is all about.”
The team will go down as one of the best in the history of Malvern Prep, finishing with a 34-3 record, setting a record for the most wins in a season. Nine players have been named All-Inter-Ac, the most by one school for one Inter-Ac team ever.
Season highlights included Davis and DJ Peterson eclipsing the 100 career strikeout mark for their careers. Seven Malvern starters hit .330 or better, led by Jonathan Holt’s .412 batting average. Pellicciotta led the team in hits (34), Davis led the team in RBIs (37) and Chase Ecker led the team with 29 stolen bases. Jack Ploszay led the pitching staff with a 0.72 ERA with Will Oschell, Davis, Peterson and Jack Herbein all had ERAs under 1.50.
Malvern Prep athletic director Jim Stewart Jr. said, “Being able to celebrate back-to-back state championships is truly remarkable. This win demonstrates the commitment of the players and coaching staff – we are so proud of all the team has accomplished this season.”
