Mars Fightin’ Planets Varsity Baseball – Mars Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive with 7-4 Win Over West Allegheny

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It felt like a playoff game—and for Mars, it might as well have been.

Coming off back-to-back losses and needing a late-season push, the Fightin’ Planets delivered a 7–4 win over West Allegheny at the MAC.

Before the game, I spoke with head coach Jason Thompson…

As we spoke, Coach Thompson was preparing the pitching mound for the 4:00 PM matchup at the Mars Athletic Conference. That pitching mound would turn out to be an integral part of Mars securing victory over their section opponent West Allegheny.

The consensus with the coaches and players was that the Fightin’ Planets needed to win two of their final three section games to make it to the Playoffs.

“We are so close to putting our hitting and pitching together,” explained coach Thompson. “We have had some good pitching performances wasted from either mistakes or inconsistent hitting.”

“Our goal is to not hurt ourselves, you know, not make a lot of errors,” senior pitcher Braden Schmitt said.

Mars lost the previous day at Donaldson Elementary School in Oakdale, PA to the West Allegheny Indians 10-5.

Mars lost back-to-back games following to Taylor Allderdice High School on Tuesday, April 21^st by a score of 7-4.

In a game that felt every bit like the postseason, Mars delivered when it mattered most.

Facing a must-win situation, the Fightin’ Planets defeated the West Allegheny Indians 7-4 in a high-energy section matchup at the MAC, using a combination of timely hitting, resilient pitching, and contributions from across the roster to keep its playoff hopes alive.

It took three pitchers, timely hitting and nifty base running for the Fightin’ Planets to secure the win.

“This is what we want,” head coach Jason Thompson said after the game. “You come into the end of the season fighting for your playoff lives against a really good team, and you get that kind of atmosphere. When your guys respond and keep battling, that’s when you know you’re playing your best baseball at the right time.”

Junior Zach Hugus (#35) started on the hill for Mars, his head coach cleaning off the mound just the way he likes it. Hugus pitched five innings, giving up only two hits and three runs, two of them earned. He had four walks and three strike outs for the Fightin’ Planets.

Hugus threw eighty pitches in the game with forty-eight being strikes.

Colin Krafjack, who I spoke to before the game, came in for 1.2 innings of relief. He gave up three bases on balls, one hit and one earned run with one strike out.

Colin was honest with me about his up and down season but was extremely confident in his ability and his team’s chemistry. He is a true leader for the Fightin’ Planets.

“We haven’t quite put it all together, I’ve been inconsistent but as a group we are confident in our abilities,” senior Colin Krafjack (#25) explained before the game against the Indians. “I worked my butt off before the season on different aspects of my game and set high expectations. We have a very solid team here. We just need to put both the hitting and pitching together more consistently.”

Clutch Sixth Inning Breaks It Open

With the game tight late, Mars came through in the bottom of the sixth inning. Key hits, highlighted by a clutch at-bat from sophomore Carson Fowkes (#19), provided the separation the Planets needed.

Fowkes, who battled through ups and downs earlier in the season, delivered in the biggest moment.

“He just stayed with the process,” Thompson said. “For him to come through like that in a huge game, I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Fowkes was two for three with five RBI for the Planets, three of which came on a 3-run homerun.

His bomb left the yard over the right center field fence in a hurry.

Sophomore Mason Spiegle (#18) pitched a third of an inning throwing eight pitches five for strikes.

Freshman Logan Creighan (#15) also stepped up in a major way, contributing at the plate and playing a clean game defensively at first base despite limited varsity experience.

“Guys that got opportunities made everything count today,” Thompson said.

Pitching Staff Answers the Call

Mars used three pitchers to secure the win, each stepping up in key moments.

After surrendering an early home run, Hugus, regrouped and settled in, responding with a dominant stretch.

“Pitching is as much mental as it is physical,” Thompson said. “He refused and just kept cruising.”

Senior Reliever Colin Kraftjack provided stability in the middle innings, entering a tense situation and delivering under pressure. He threw thirty-five pitches fifteen for strikes keeping the Indians’ hitters off-balance.

Closing things out for Mars was sophomore Mason Spiegle, who attacked hitters and threw strikes in a critical late-game spot.

“He’s been the guy in tough situations,” Thompson said. “He doesn’t put pressure on himself; he puts it on the hitter.”

Team Effort in Playoff Atmosphere

The intensity of the rivalry was evident throughout, with both teams bringing energy and emotion from the first pitch to the final out.

“They have been in our section since I’ve been here,” explained Thompson.

“It’s an intense rivalry,” Thompson said. “They try to get into your head, and it’s about us staying focused and doing our job.”

Mars did just that, backed by strong support from the dugout and a coordinated effort from the coaching staff.

Assistant coach Andy Bednar helped guide the pitching staff, while Corey Gogelman directed the offense from the third-base line, reinforcing what Thompson described as a “whole-group effort.”

Centerfielder senior Connor Summit (#9) nabbed two stolen bases for the Planets, which led to two runs scored.

In the end, it was a complete team performance.

“Every kid on the bench was in it all seven innings,” Thompson said. “This was a full team win.”

What It Means

With the victory, Mars keeps its postseason hopes alive and more importantly, is finding rhythm at the right time.

“This is how we want to be playing right now,” Thompson said.

Mars has three games remaining on their schedule, which includes a home game against Avonworth on Thursday April 30^th followed by a pair of important section games against Shaler on May 4^th and 5^th.

With the win over West Allegheny, it is critical that Mars splits the series versus Shaler.

Pitching has been a strong suit of the Fightin’ Planets season so far.

“The guy that has been really putting our team on his back is Braden Schmitt. He has been a work horse for us,” coach Thompson explained. “Honestly, the box score from his last outing doesn’t tell the full story of that game. We had defensive errors that he unfortunately doesn’t have any control over.”

“Against Fox Chapel, Braden pitched toe to toe against a kid that is being recruited by West Virginia,” explained Thompson.

“My goal is to go out there and throw strikes,” senior pitcher Braden Schmitt said. “We’re looking to finish strong. We keep our errors down, throw strikes and get the bats going, we are a tough team.”

Offseason Work Paying Dividends

Senior Pitcher Braden Schmitt put the hard work into honing his pitches in the off-season through repetition and video training.

“Braden has put together some strong outings for us, showing real command with his pitches,” explained Thompson.

He focuses on mixing a fastball, curveball and a kick change to keep opposing hitters guessing.

“I spent a lot of time working in the off-season on my pitches. I’ve developed a pretty good kick change that have got a lot of swinging misses for me this season,” Schmitt said with a huge smile. “My curveball has always been a good pitch for me, but now that I’m throwing a kick change, it has been disgusting.”

The Kick Change is a newer variation that offers more vertical depth than a traditional changeup. It has been a difference maker for Braden.

When I asked him where he picked up the new changeup, he laughed and said, “TikTok or Instagram. MLB guys like Nolan McLean and Jack Leiter started throwing it. I watched a lot of film and then practiced the pitch.”

San Francisco’s Hayden Birdsong has been credited with being one of the first MLB pitchers to successfully implement the pitch, showing a 46.7% miss rate.

“It’s literally just a change up and then you kick your middle finger out over the seam making it move more,” Schmitt explained. “It drops more then it will kick across the axis and move more horizontally.”

Braden Schmitt next start for the Fightin’ Planets is scheduled for Monday, May 4^th at Shaler High School in a section game.

Mars grad, MLB Second Baseman Returned Home

Returning home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates for a four-game series at PNC Park, Mars alum, JJ Wetherholt has taken full advantage of his opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals.

In the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt was the No. 7 overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 2021 Mars Area High School has had a whirlwind of a first month at the major league level.

On opening day in his major league baseball debut at Busch Stadium for the Cardinals, Wetherholt hit a 425-foot home run. He quickly followed that up the next day by getting a walk-off hit for another Cardinals win.

Wetherholt has entered this season for the Cardinals as an elite prospect, carrying the rank of the fourth-best prospect in the country. He is certainly holding up his end of the bargain.

He is hitting .238 in 105 at bats, with 25 hits, six homeruns and fourteen RBI.

On Monday April 27^th against his hometown Pirates, Wetherholt blasted a game-tying homerun with his parents watching from the stands.

“JJ hitting the home run last night against the Pirates was just surreal,” Bednar said. “What an incredible kid and you know as good as a baseball player that he is, he’s an even better person. We couldn’t be prouder of the results that he has had in his first month of the season in the big leagues.”

“The running joke when JJ was here at Mars was that’s just JJ doing JJ stuff,” Thompson said. “Even as a young man, he always had a calm, professional demeanor about him. Never getting too high with the highs or too low with the lows. Always thinking about what time he was going to bed, his nutrition, even when his friends were playing random video games, JJ was playing chess.”

Playing his college baseball at West Virginia from 2022 to 2024, he is no stranger to PNC Park.

As a child, he attended many Pirates games with his parents Mike and Holly Wetherholt as well as playing a few games with West Virginia.

Wetherholt ignited the Pirates ninth inning collapse, by hitting the first of the Cardinals two consecutive home runs off Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana. The Cardinals rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Pirates 4-2.

Pedro Pages and JJ Wetherholt’s home runs lifted the Cardinals into a 2-2 tie before Jose Fermin continued the onslaught by doubling into the left-field corner scoring Victor Scott and Alec Burleson, giving the Cardinals a 4-2 lead.

“If the Pirates lose, you want it to be because of a person like JJ,” explained Thompson.

Other Mars Sports Recap

The Mars Fightin’ Planets Mascot is currently competing against the number one seeded Boiling Springs Bubblers from Central Pennsylvania in the high school mascot national championship.

Boiling Springs gets its name from the natural hot springs in around the town. Appropriately, the Boiling Springs High School Bubblers’ mascot is a purple and gold bubble.

The Mars Fightin’ Planet Mascot is seeded at No. 14 and is hoping to pull the upset to be crowned national champion.

Three years ago, The Mars Fightin’ Planets Mascot costume was designed from scratch.

“I think the best thing about this whole contest is that the two finalists are both from Pennsylvania,” explained Courtenay Carel the mascot architect and current Cheer Booster President.

National Championship Game voting will end Monday, May 4, at 11:59 PM eastern time.

Cast your vote for the Fightin’ Planet:

https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2026/04/vote-boiling-springs-bubblers-or-mars-fightin-planets-high-school-mascot-bracket-national-championship.html

Let’s get those votes rolling!!

Mars Fightin’ Planets Boys Lacrosse Beat Quaker Valley

Monday April 27^th, the Mars Fightin’ Planets Boys Lacrosse team gathered another win by soundly beating Quaker Valley 20-3 on Senior Day.

Mars Lady Planets Girls Lacrosse Team

The Mars Lady Planets Girls Lacrosse team chalked up another lopsided road victory against Aquinas Academy by playing hardnosed defense and offensively sharing the ball.

The Lady Planets featured eleven different scorers.

Juniors Hailey Long and Katie Blake had four goals apiece.

Senior Anna McGrath contributed three goals.

Lucy Balazs, Ella DePaoli and Tess McGrath each had two goals.

Five other players had a goal in the win: Reese Polito, Jenna Smith, Reanna Schmitt, Sydney Truver and Lily Wilson.

Mars Girls Lacrosse Upcoming Schedule

Thursday April 30th the Lady Fightin’ Planets will be back at home at the MAC to face Freeport Area High School at 4:00 PM.

They will close out the week on Friday May 1^st at Mount Lebanon High School at 6:00 PM.

Mars Fightin’ Planets Coed Track and Field

Mars coed track and field competed at the Seneca Valley Invitational on April 24^th.

Sophomore James Watenpool took 2^nd place in the 110-meter hurdles and 3^rd place in the 300-meter hurdles.

Jackson Everhart took 6^th place in the Triple Jump and was tied for 4^th in the High Jump.

Sophomore Emma Bloom took 3^rd place in the 110-meter hurdles.

Freshman Carly McKenna finished 5^th in the 200-meter.

“Carly McKenna is just a freshman, but she is pretty high-up in the WPIAL seatings in the 400-meter,” explained head coach Julianna Watenpool.

Freshman Monica Grunden took 1^st place in the 1600-meter.

Senior Maddie George finished in 5^th place for the 800-meter.

Senior Colton Rearick took 4^th place in the 1600-meter.

Sophomore Jackson Everhart finished in 5^th place in the triple jump.

Senior Riley Carel placed 6^th and took back her Mars school Pole Vault record by half inch jumping 9-feet 8.5-inches. Carel and sophomore Kohlee Edwards were previously tied at 9 feet, 8 inches. Carel held the girl’s pole vault record at 9 feet, 6 inches before Edwards set the new record at 9 feet, 7 inches on April 16^th.

“We practice every day together and a lot of times at competitions we jump back-to-back, so we encourage each other,” Carel said. “Her swings are a lot faster than mine. It is something I’ve been working on for a while. I probably have a better take-off but she generates a lot of speed.”

The friendly pole-vaulting competition has been fun to watch.

“We encourage healthy friendly competition with every one of our athletes. Only good things can come from it,” coach Watenpool said smiling. “Everybody has something to learn from their teammates. My son James and I even go back and forth at home about hurdling.”

Riley Carel also competed in the South Fayette Invite and finished in 4^th place in the Pole Vault.

“The competition was frustrating for me at first when Kohlee broke my record but it has definitely pushed me to be better. Now that I’m looking back on it, I’m glad that it happened,” senior Riley Carel said with a huge smile. “When she first starting pole vaulting last year, I was kind of like a role model, but now she is so much better than she was last year.”

Junior Sam Argotti finished in 3^rd place in the 800-meter and Junior Max Argotti finished in 6^th place in the 400-meter.

Sophomore Carter Emanuele took 6^th place in the Shotput.

Junior Harper Hirth finished in 5^th place in the 400-meter.

Freshman Audrey Lyker finished in 3^rd place in the 300-hurdle and junior Lexi Whitling took 4^th place.

Junior Gus Coffield competing in his first ever 200-meter finished in 6^th place.

Friendly competition has helped to make the Mars Coed Track and Field Team stronger.