By JOHN D’ABRUZZO

jd’abruzzo@ncnewsonline.com

Don Runyon is relying on the grapevine.

Since high school baseball doesn’t have the luxury of a WPIAL playoff pairings meeting — like football and basketball — where coaches gather to exchange game films, the New Castle High coach will be calling opposing coaches to collect as much information as he can entering this week’s first-round action.

“We pretty much know all about the teams on our side of the bracket,” Runyon said. “Some of those other teams, who I’m not too sure about, I’m going to call around to some coaches I know played them to get some information.”

One team he is not too familiar with is Greensburg Salem.

The Red Hurricane (9-11) face the Gold Lions (14-5) at 4 p.m. Friday in a Class AAA first-round tilt at Gateway High School.

“The only comparison (to Greensburg Salem) is we both played Hempfield,” Runyon said. “I’m not sure of the pitching they have. We’ll have to see when they scrimmage. The West Allegheny coached played them twice, so I hope to get some information from him.”

Runyon, though, was pleased with New Castle’s seeding.

“I’m really surprised,” Runyon said. “I wasn’t sure who we’d get and I definitely expected to get a worse seed. We’re entering the playoffs with the worst record. I guess we’re getting respect for who we are.

“I assumed we’d be facing West Allegheny or West Mifflin in the second round. We’re definitely happy with our position and think we have a chance to make a run.”

The ’Canes enter the postseason after going 5-7 in Section 1-AAA. New Castle won two of its last six games. However, one of those games — a 10-4 decision over Ambridge — was forfeited because Runyon violated a WPIAL and PIAA ethics rule.

Nevertheless, he’s still excited about his team’s possibilities.

“It’s a whole new season and we’re trying to do something we haven’t done before,” Runyon said. “We’re starting to hit the ball. We’ve been on a roller coaster all season and the errors are the one thing that has truly hurt us. We’re still making the physical errors.”