3 Oley Valley players trying to join family members as PIAA baseball champions

Jun. 13—The love of baseball runs deep in Oley Valley, spanning decades and generations.

Joey Vaccaro plays left field for the current Lynx (20-5), who face Lake-Lehman (18-2) in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals Monday at 3:30 p.m. at DeSales University.

Before him, his father, Pete, was a standout on Oley's first state championship team in 1984. His brother, Peter, helped lead the Lynx to one of their nine District 3 titles in 2016.

The Vaccaro's are a large part of Oley Valley's tradition.

"We have a culture," said Joey Vaccaro, a junior. "We know what's expected of us each time we step on the field. We love each other. We're a family."

Vaccaro and two of his teammates, senior Garet Blankenbiller and sophomore Chase Reifsnyder, have family connections to the Lynx's glory years from 1984-89 when they won three PIAA championships (1984, '85, '89), finished second in 1988, took four district crowns and a Berks title.

Blankenbiller's uncle, Brian Blankenbiller, was the catcher on the '84 team. Reifsnyder's father, Kery, was a pitcher and first baseman on the '89 team. Kery Reifsnyder also happens to be Garet Blankenbiller's uncle.

"The tradition means so much," Chase Reifsnyder said. "It's so important. We have to keep the winning mindset alive and keep it going."

The late Bob Rentschler, the Oley Valley coach from 1966-91, was the driving force behind establishing the program's success. He guided the Lynx to 328 wins in his 26 seasons.

"I feel our baseball program's success is due to the daily practice of proper fundamentals," Rentschler wrote upon his retirement in 1991, "strong pitching, solid defense and a very aggressive offense. We make things happen and are not so afraid of losing that we don't do what it takes to win."

Rick Harrison re-ignited Oley's success when he guided the Lynx to three district titles, a Berks crown and five PIAA Tournament appearances from 2008-19 before leaving for Spring-Ford.

And now Nate Reed, a former pitching standout for the Lynx, has them two wins away from a state championship in his first season.

"Everybody knows about Bob Rentschler," Reed said, "how successful he was and what he did for the program. You want to continue that success when you're here.

"There's obviously a winning tradition, but the winning tradition comes from hard work and dedication."

Blankenbiller, a senior, became one of only three Berks County pitchers to get the win in two district finals when he tossed a two-hitter against Trinity last month. He threw a shutout against Biglerville in the district final two years ago and watched his brother, Gavin, do the same against Lancaster Catholic in 2016.

His brother and his uncles have not given him specific advice other than to be himself and to enjoy playing the game.

"It's one big family," Blankenbiller said. "I love playing with these guys. I don't want Monday to be my last game. I want to go out on the right note with these kids. We busted our butts all season. We're the last Berks County team standing, which means a lot.

"I love these kids to death. I'd take a bullet for every one of them. I just hope we play our best baseball Monday."

Several of the players from the state championship teams in 1984, '85 and '89 continue to live and work in the community, some as teachers, and coach baseball in youth programs. The support for the program has been constant.

"No matter where we've gone for team breakfasts, everybody's cheering us on, coming up to us and offering their best wishes," Joey Vaccaro said. "We have a good town behind us. Wherever I go, if I'm wearing my Oley Valley hat, everyone has a comment or wishes me luck."

Oley Valley is one of only two schools that have reached state finals in back-to-back seasons twice. The other is Riverside, in 2005-06 and 2011-12.

The Lynx are looking to become the first Berks League team to advance to a PIAA final since Central Catholic made it to the Class 1A title game in 2011, the final year of the school's existence.

They're also looking to join the exclusive club of Oley Valley baseball state champs.

"It means a lot to have two uncles who played in the state title game," Blankenbiller said. "Hopefully I can do the same thing they did."