LOCAL BRIEFS: Barton added to states, Evangelista leaves Hamburg
Oct. 5—Haven's Barton added to PIAA golf tournament
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Schuylkill Haven's Tyler Barton will join teammate Talan Spittler at the PIAA Class AA Golf Championships slated for Oct. 16-17 at Penn State University.
The senior shot a 91 at Tuesday's District 11 Golf Championships at the Steel Club, Hellertown, placing seventh in the Class AA boys' competition. The top placewinners qualified for states.
District 11 champion Drew Kokinda and Spittler, who was sixth, earned state berths. Barton was added to the mix Thursday after one of the other top six finishers withdrew. It will be his second straight trip to states.
Blue Mountain's Marla Freiwald will also compete at states in the girls' Class AA tournament after placing second at districts.
Evangelista steps down as Hamburg baseball coach
HAMBURG — Nick Evangelista, who guided Hamburg to its only District 3 baseball championship, has resigned as Hawks coach to take over the program at Penn State Schuylkill.
The 41-year-old Evangelista, a 2000 Hamburg graduate, guided Hamburg for 13 seasons, compiling a 181-107 overall record.
He led the Hawks to the District 3 Class 3A title in 2016 and to the PIAA semifinals in 2016 (3A) and 2019 (4A). They were Hamburg's first two PIAA appearances in program history.
Evangelista also coached the Hamburg Legion team to a pair of Division II state championships.
A right-handed pitcher during his playing days, he played for the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted twice, in 2003 in the 24th round by the Toronto Blue Jays and in 2004 in the 26th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Evangelista pitched four seasons in the Phillies organization from 2004-07, posting a 14-6 record and a 3.11 ERA as a starter and reliever. He spent two seasons with the then-Reading Phillies in 2006-07.
Hamburg has posted the varsity baseball head coach vacancy, with a stipend of $4,841 to $5,976 commensurate to high school varsity head coaching experience.
The school is also looking for a varsity baseball assistant coach, girls' tennis assistant coach, boys'/girls' track assistant coach and middle school boys'girls' track assistant coach.
Interested applicants should contact Hamburg athletic director Aaron Menapace by email at aarmen@hasdhawks.org and apply on the Hamburg Area School District website.
