Mike Vukovcan The Hopewell HS baseball today started preparing for the 2026 season back in December and five months later, we’ve reached the last week of the regular season.
Fortunately, it’s not the last week of the season as HC Morgan Singletary and his team have qualified for the 2026 WPIAL playoffs.
Hopewell softball and youth baseball is sponsored by Lisa McCoy, your neighborhood State Farm agent.
This group of players and coaches were determined to bounce back after a couple of down seasons and to have this group of seniors experience one more run in the playoffs.
A&S Federal Credit Union are proud sponsors of Hopewell Boys and Girls High School, Junior High and Youth Sports.
Mission Accomplished!
Hopewell enters this last week with a record of 11-5 and 6-4 in section play. As you can see, this has been Hopewell’s best section results in 4 years and with at least 4 games left, they’ll have a chance to improve their overall win total.
HOPEWELL BASEBALL’S RECORD LAST SIX SEASONS
2026: 11-5, 6-4
2025: 5-14, 4-8
2024: 9-10, 4-6
2023: 14-12, 4-6 (WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP)
2022: 16-8, 9-1
2021: 18-6, 9-1 (WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP)
WHERE THINGS STAND HEADING INTO LAST WEEK:
While we know that Hopewell has qualified for the playoffs, there’s still plenty of unknowns and things to determine in this last week.
The Vikings are currently in 3rd place in Section 1 of Class 4A but still can finish anywhere from tied to first to fourth place.
CURRENT CLASS 4A/SECTION 1 STANDINGS:
*Blackhawk: 7-3
*Beaver: 7-3
*Hopewell: 6-4
Ambridge: 6-6
Hampton: 5-5
Central Valley: 3-7
North Catholic: 2-8
*Qualified for playoffs
WHAT’S AT STAKE THIS WEEK?
As mentioned, plenty of unknowns heading into this final 2 section games.
This week, Hopewell will take on Blackhawk, Beaver will go up against North Catholic and Hampton will battle Central Valley. Ambridge has played all 12 of their section games, so their section record is set at 6-6.
**Hopewell can still finish in first place or tied for first place. In order for that to happen, they would need to win both games against Blackhawk, which would take them to 8-4 and drop Blackhawk to 7-5. Plus, they would need help from North Catholic. If Hopewell wins two games this week and Beaver splits with NC, Hopewell would finish in a tie for first. If Hopewell wins both games and North Catholic sweeps Beaver, Hopewell would be sole section champions.
Hopewell’s Payton Korker
**Because of tiebreakers, I’m not positive of the scenario for Hopewell finishing in 3rd place.
**Worst case scenario is Hopewell losing their last 2 games and finishing 6-6 in the section. If that happens, they’d finish in a tie for 4th place with Ambridge.
**Another scenario that I’m not 100% certain about is the order of finish if Hopewell, Ambridge and Hampton all finish with records of 6-6.
The easiest way to make those questions irrelevant is to at least split the series with Blackhawk.
Things get underway tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch set for 4 PM at Hopewell High School. This will be this group of seniors last home game so if you have the opportunity, stop over and root them on.
