The Seton Hill baseball team has become a frequent landing spot for WPIAL standouts on the diamond. Recently, the Griffins bolstered their program with the addition of one of the top catchers in the area.

Penn-Trafford’s senior Colton Tyburski made his commitment to continue his baseball career at the Division II powerhouse.

“Everything was a great fit, especially the family atmosphere,” he noted. “Even the little things stood out; the dugout was described to be a party.”

The mastermind behind the Griffins’ success has been Marc Marizzaldi, who has amassed over 700 wins and has been the head coach for the team since its inception in 2004.

“He described practices as competitive,” he mentioned about Marizzaldi’s coaching style. “It’s not going to be easy to get to where we want to be. To get to a World Series is not going to be easy - it’s what I wanted in a program.”

In addition to Seton Hill, Tyburski was looking at a wide array of schools, including UMass, Gannon, Penn State Behrend, Penn State Harrisburg, Bucknell, Akron, Longwood, VMI, and West Chester.

With all of the attention, Tyburski never strayed from the path he set to play for an elite program like Seton Hill.

“I was supposed to have three more visits scheduled throughout August,” he added. “I didn’t think I needed to wait any longer and made my decision.”

Tyburski already has a winning mindset that he will be bringing to Greensburg. He was part of the 2024 WPIAL Class 5A championship team at Penn-Trafford, which defeated Bethel Park in comeback fashion, 4-3.

“It was the guys and the bond we had with everyone,” he divulged about the uniqueness of the team. “Everyone wanted it.”

He sensed that last season’s team got away from that philosophy, which resulted in a surprising first-round playoff exit.

The current Warriors squad is loaded with talent and experience. The seniors have been playing together since they were young, which he feels can lead to another title run.

“Being confident and knowing we could be as good as the WPIAL championship team,” he remarked. “Just need to go to practice every day, work hard, and keep our heads down.”

As Tyburski’s career with Penn-Trafford creeps to a close, he is aware of the success he’s had, but he wants to leave behind an even bigger legacy before heading to Seton Hill.

“Being known as a leader and helped with the football and baseball programs,” he commented. “Being someone that the younger guys can look up to.”