Who are the Somerset County baseball teams and players to watch in the postseason?

A trio of Somerset County teams will be the top seeds in their respective classes when the District 5 baseball playoffs begin this week.

Somerset turned in an impressive 15-5 mark, earning the LHAC West section title. The Golden Eagles are the top seed out of District 5 in Class 3A.

Meanwhile, North Star turned in a 17-4 record to earn the top spot in 2A.

Veteran Conemaugh Township coach Sam Zambanini led his squad to a 17-4 record, a Heritage Conference title game berth, and the No. 1 seed in 1A.

Here is a look at the players and teams to watch in the postseason.

Midseason breakout players Who are the 2024 Somerset County breakout baseball players?

District 5/8/9 Class 3A

Defending champion: Punxsutawney

Favorite: Punxsutawney

Contenders: Somerset, Bedford

Dark horse: Chestnut Ridge

Outlook: With six new starters in the lineup, Somerset has exceeded expectations in Year 3 of Jimmy Mayer at the helm of the Golden Eagles. After a semifinal setback to Chestnut Ridge last year, the upstart Golden Eagles are eager to return to the title game and compete for a second district title under Mayer. Unlike last season, Somerset does not have a weak spot in its lineup. The Golden Eagles find ways to get on base from top to bottom.

Players to watch: Junior Callen Miller leads the team with 29 hits, including five homers, to go along with 26 RBIs and a .475 batting average. Lane Lambert paces the team with a whopping 30 RBIs to go along with 25 hits and 22 runs scored. Sophomore Braeden Flower has been a bulldog on the mound. He is 7-1 with a 1.10 ERA. He's also contributed 22 hits and 21 RBIs.

District 5 Class 2A

Defending champion: McConnellsburg

Favorite: McConnellsburg

Contenders: North Star, Northern Bedford County, Tussey Mountain

Dark horse: Windber

Outlook: North Star played in the last two D5-2A title games, falling to eventual state champion Everett in 2022 and McConnellsburg last year. The Cougars return everyone from last year's team, including six senior starters. If coach Jake Klukaszewski and North Star want to win a D5 crown, it better happen this year.

Players to watch: North Star senior Cayden Turner has been tremendous once again this season. He leads the Cougars in 35 hits, 26 RBIs, 36 runs scored. Turner is 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 10 appearances. Connor Yoder is second on the team with 24 hits and 18 RBIs, despite missing some action. Vance Kimmel (6-0, 0.00 ERA) and Glendon Griffith (5-0, 2.33 ERA) solidify the starting rotation.

Meanwhile, Windber goes behind senior Andrew Scalia, junior Lucas Oleksa and sophomore Lucas Rummel. Scalia, a Mount Aloysius signee, has 22 hits, a team-high 24 RBIs to go along with 15 runs. Oleksa has contributed 19 hits and 21 RBIs while Rummel has produced 22 hits, 17 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

Last hurrah Zambanini enjoying final season at the helm of the Conemaugh Township baseball program

District 5 Class 1A

Defending champion: Southern Fulton

Favorite: Southern Fulton

Contenders: Conemaugh Township, Fannett-Metal

Dark horse: Rockwood

Outlook: This is a three-team race for the title. Conemaugh Township, Southern Fulton and Fannett-Metal are the only teams with winning records in 1A. Conemaugh Township has plenty to play for. Zambanini is retiring after 35 seasons. The team was also upset in the quarterfinals a year ago. Therefore, redemption should be on their minds. Southern Fulton has won three straight district titles and will be tough to beat once again this year. Shanksville-Stonycreek captured a WestPAC title this year. Shanksville will face Rockwood for a third time this season in the quarterfinals. They split their regular-season meetings.

Players to watch: Conemaugh Township has six players with more than 20 hits this season. Zack Petree leads the way with 28 hits to go along with 19 RBIs and 19 runs scored. Larry Weaver (26 hits, 24 RBIs), D.J. Bambino (24 hits, 20 RBIs), Colin Dinyar (23 hits, 18 RBIs), Luke Weber (22 hits, 15 RBIs), and Luke Haight (21 hits, 19 RBIs) have all made a significant impact. Petree is 3-0 in 11 appearances while Weber is 3-0 in seven appearances.

Rockwood senior Hunter Whipkey, a St. Vincent College commit, leads the Rockets with a .421 average, 24 hits and 22 RBIs. Carson Brown, Max Trimpey and Aaron Show each have 22 hits.

Shanksville sophomore Grant Boozer paces the Vikings with 22 hits and 22 RBIs. Despite missing time, senior Christian Musser has 19 hits and 12 RBIs, while Braxton Faidley has added 20 hits and 15 RBIs.

Aam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Who are the Somerset County baseball teams and players to watch in the postseason?