WPIAL hits Pennsylvania high school with penalties for rules violations

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) has penalized a Pennsylvania high school baseball coach and athletic program for violating the PIAA and WPIAL rules.

It was recommended that Scott Wolf, head baseball coach of Baldwin High School, be suspended for three games for his team’s participation in an unsanctioned preseason workout. If Baldwin did not suspend Wolf, the baseball program would be ineligible for the WPIAL playoffs.

Additionally, the entire Baldwin athletic program has been placed on probation until June 2026, due to this being the third violation of PIAA bylaws in the past year — two of which stemmed from the baseball program and the other involving the football program.

A recent article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette detailed the WPIAL’s decision. Below is an excerpt from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.

The WPIAL sent a letter to Baldwin’s administration, laying out the penalties and saying, “any further instances of a lack of institutional oversight within the Baldwin athletic department, or any further violations of any other PIAA rules, may lead to more serious penalties.”

“The probation is for everything combined,” WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer said.

In addition, Wolf and Baldwin athletic director Tony Cherico were publicly censured.

The WPIAL board of directors decided on the penalties after a recent hearing with Wolf and Baldwin administrators. Wolf and his team violated the PIAA’s “open gym” policy that states “within 10 days prior to the start of each sports season, no student enrolled at a PIAA member high school may participate in any team competition on a team on which all other players and at least one coach are also affiliated at that student’s school.”

The workout between Central Valley and Baldwin included players from both schools facing pitchers from the other team during the 10 days before the start of spring sports practice. The WPIAL placed Central Valley’s baseball program on probation for a year because of their part in the workout and also took away a preseason scrimmage from Central Valley for next season.

To read the full article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, click here.