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Walk-off homer lifts Hazleton Area baseball on senior day

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AllOne Foundation & Charities directs $1.5M in grants focusing on area mental health initiatives

<p>Hazleton Area ace Dante Biasi said Thursday he will undergo Tommy John surgery on May 24 in Florida. An MRI earlier in the spring revealed that the Cougars senior had a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.</p><p>Biasi, who did not appear in a WVC game this spring, said he had initially experienced numbness in his finger.</p><p>&#8220;I took a couple days off,&#8221; Biasi said. &#8220;After that I came back in batting practice, maybe two or three days later, and just took a swing. My forearm got tight. I went home that night, talked to my parents and said, &#8216;We&#8217;ve gotta go to the doctors.&#8217; &#8220;</p><p>Rehabilitation time for the surgery can vary greatly from pitcher to pitcher but generally falls into a timeframe of 12-16 months.</p><p>Biasi was MVP of the league as a sophomore and helped lead the 2014 Cougars to a District 2 title and a trip to the state quarterfinals. As a left-hander who can throw in the 90s, he drew plenty of attention from major colleges as well as pro scouts.</p><p>Last fall he signed a letter of intent to join older brother and fellow pitcher, Sal, at Penn State next season. Biasi said he has talked to multiple Major League teams and some may still have interest in drafting him in June, giving him some options.</p><p>Should Biasi decide to go the college route, he would be eligible for the draft again after his third year at Penn State.</p><p>For more on Biasi and the Cougars&#8217; 2016 season, see Sunday&#8217;s Times Leader.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Dante Biasi has been one of the WVC&#8217;s top players in recent years, winning MVP honors as a sophomore. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_hazletonberwick01.jpg</photo0><caption0>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Dante Biasi has been one of the WVC&#8217;s top players in recent years, winning MVP honors as a sophomore. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Derek Levarse</p><p>dlevarse@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Hazleton Area’s Dante Biasi will have Tommy John surgery