Westmoreland County campus clippings: Latrobe grad Bryce Butler helps West Liberty reach Sweet 16

Junior Bryce Butler is known for his ability to get double-doubles on the basketball court for West Liberty.

He also likes to double up on awards.

The junior from Latrobe, who has led the Hilltoppers into the NCAA Division II Sweet 16, repeated as the Division 2 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Atlantic Region Player of the Year, while also earning first team All-Region recognition for the second straight season.

The Mountain East Conference Player of the Year for a second consecutive time, Butler was 13th in the nation in Division II in scoring at 22.3 points at the time he received his latest honor.

He had made more field goals than any player in D2, with 278, to the tune of 58.9% shooting.

The MEC Tournament MVP, he also averaged a team-best 7.8 rebounds.

Butler had 27 points and eight rebounds as the No. 5 Hilltoppers took down Pitt-Johnstown, 112-88, in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional quarterfinal at IUP.

He added 19 points, on 8-of-13 shooting, and also added six rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in an 86-72 victory over third-seeded Mercyhurst in the semifinals.

West Liberty is 30-3.

Women’s basketball

Marian: Junior guard Jayla Wehner (Norwin) made the start and played 36 minutes as Marian (28-5) defeated Texas A&M Texarkana, 63-46, in the NAIA Tournament first round.

Wehner had three points, four rebounds and two steals in the victory.

She is averaging 19.5 minutes for the Lady Knights, who moved on to play Westmont College in Sioux City, Iowa.

Marietta: Junior Olivia Gribble (Norwin) scored 10 points, but the Pioneers fell to Babson, 73-59, in the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 to finish 22-8.

Gribble played in all 30 games, starting 18 of them. She averaged 9.3 points and made a team-leading 50 of 194 3-point attempts.

Baseball

Allegheny: Senior Bobby Kusinsky (Penn-Trafford) pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief and earned his second win of the season, and senior Sullivan Schueltz (Ligonier Valley) went 2 for 3 with two runs as the Gators beat Gustavus Adolphus, 14-13, in Tucson, Ariz.

Cal (Pa.): Freshman pitcher Jake Kramer (Hempfield) posted his first career save as he gave up just one hit and struck out five in three innings as the Vulcans beat Minnesota-Duluth, 5-2.

Pitt-Greensburg: Freshman Nathan Mankoski didn’t take long introduce himself to the Bobcats and their opponents.

In his second collegiate appearance, Mankoski tossed a no-hitter as the Bobcats blanked Martin Luther College, 13-0, during the Russ Matt Invitational in Auburndale, Fla.

Mankoski faced 22 batters and struck out 15 of them, with zero walks, for his first win.

He induced three flyouts and three groundouts.

UPG is 6-2 so far, and has scored 84 runs. Freshman Ben Aftanas (Valley) has a team-best .577 average and 14 runs, and freshman James Domer is hitting .516 with nine extra-base hits and 17 RBIs.

IUP: Freshman Elijah Dunn (Norwin) was hitting .259 with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs in nine games heading into the weekend.

Dunn has been playing right field for the Crimson Hawks.

Seton Hill: The Griffins finished 3-4 on their Spring Break Trip to Florida, but moved a game above .500 with a 12-0 win over Sioux Falls.

The team has 12 home runs in 13 games, two each by senior Owen Sabol (Norwin), senior Braden Durham, senior Jack Oberdorf (Greensburg Salem), sophomore Max Mandler and senior Vincenzo Rauso.

Freshman Jack Whalen (Norwin) leads the team with a .419 batting average, while Mandler has 13 RBIs and Sabol has 10.

Rauso has 11 runs scored.

Tennessee: Freshman infielder Jake Kendro (Norwin) was hitting .429 with a double and two RBIs in eight games for the Volunteers. He had a double and scored a run against Alabama A&M.

Waynesburg: Junior Mike Bell (Yough) was hitting .375 through six games, and had a pair of doubles for the Yellow Jackets. He went 4 for 6 with two RBIs against Trine.