By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, June 22, 2025 | 11:01 AM
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Eden Christian Academy’s Noah Emswiler celebrates his 2-run triple against Southern Fulton during the first inning of the PIAA Class A state championship game on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Penn State.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Eden Christian Academy’s Brett Feldman tags out Southern Fulton’s Joel Fitz at second base during the PIAA Class A state championship game on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Penn State.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Eden Christian Academy pitcher Noah Emswiler delivers against Southern Fulton during the fourth inning of the PIAA Class A state championship game on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Penn State.
Christopher Horner | TribLive
Eden Christian Academy’s Brady Hull carries the state runner-up trophy from the field after the PIAA Class A championship game aginst Southern Fulton on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Penn State.
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Eden Christian Academy wrapped up another banner baseball season with a second consecutive 19-6 record in 2025.
Eden finished as the PIAA Class A runner-up for the second year in a row, winning 38 of 50 games during that time.
The Warriors dropped a 14-3 decision to District 5 champion Southern Fulton (25-1) on June 12 at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
“I am very thankful for our players’ commitment throughout the entire year,” Eden coach Mark Feldman said. “We lost four senior starters from last year’s team and were still able to share a section title and once again found ourselves in the PIAA finals. This is because of this team’s commitment and hard work.”
After securing a 3-1 first-inning lead on Southern Fulton’s right-handed pitching ace Owen Oakman (11-0), the roof caved in on the Warriors, who gave up five runs in the top of the fourth inning and seven more in the seventh.
“We did not play a good game,” Feldman said, “and Southern Fulton was very good.”
It looked good for Eden after the first frame because Oakman had allowed only one earned run in 50 innings this season and was undefeated at 10-0 prior to the state finals. The hard-throwing hurler also had a miniscule 0.14 ERA.
Oakman tossed 52/3 innings against the Warriors and fanned 10.
Five Eden pitchers surrendered the 14 runs on 10 hits and 11 walks while striking out eight. The team’s starter, Lipscomb commit Noah Emswiler, a left-handed junior, was tagged with the loss. The 6-foot-1 Emswiler entered the game with a 3-0 record and 1.49 ERA while batting .478 with 32 hits and 32 RBIs.
Eden also racked up 10 hits in the game, led by senior center fielder Jacob Janicki’s 4-for-4 performance at the plate.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t end in the way we necessarily had hoped for,” Janicki said, “and as tough as it is to accept now, my hope is that we will not lose sight of the great season we had and how fun of a journey it was.
“Ultimately, I am truly proud of the effort and dedication we had all year, and I am just so thankful and blessed to have been a part of it.”
Emswiler belted a two-run triple in the bottom of the first and junior catcher Josh Tilden drove in Emswiler with a single.
Eden’s freshman left fielder Levi DeFazio punched out two hits in the game while Emswiler, Tilden, junior infielder/pitcher Brady Hull and junior third baseman Christian Watkins chipped in with a hit apiece.
“We exceeded all expectations of everyone this year,” Hull said. “We were a team that had lost so many seniors, and we needed to rely on our young guys. And they all pulled through.
“This was a year of growth and becoming a better team, but we also won too. I think next year we are going to win a WPIAL and state title. There won’t be anyone better than us or anyone who wants it more than we do.”
Freshman outfielder Colt Mann went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and scored twice for the Indians, who won their first PIAA baseball title in program history.
Southern Fulton won 10 games in a row after suffering its only loss of the season May 7 to Fannett-Metal, 7-3. The Indians began the season with 15 consecutive victories.
“We will sit down as a staff in a few days and evaluate the entire year,” Feldman said. “Then, we will come up with a plan for the next few months on what we need to work on both on and off the field.”
Hull led the club in hitting with a .539 batting average, .575 on-base percentage, .882 slugging percentage, 1.456 OPS with 41 hits in 76 at-bats including 15 doubles, three home runs and 44 RBIs.
Hull also hit .533 with runners in scoring position, had 12 two-out RBIs, 19 extra base hits and 67 total bases.
Emswiler (.458) and junior shortstop Brett Feldman (.415) finished the season as .400 hitters while Janicki was next in line with a .382 batting average.
Christian Watkins hit .333 — the team’s composite average — and DeFazio chipped in with a .292 mark.
Emswiler’s on-base percentage of .576 was tops on the squad. He also had a .778 slugging percentage and 1.354 OPS with 33 hits including four triples and drove in 34 runs.
Brett Feldman racked up 100 plate appearances and 82 at-bats, a .510 on-base percentage, .524 slugging percentage and 1.034 OPS to go along with 34 hits including 27 singles, 47 runs scored and team-leading 24 stolen bases. Feldman struck out only twice all season.
“I thought we had a great year,” Feldman said. “The team played hard, competed every time out and really came together as a group. I’m proud of what we accomplished and how we represented Eden baseball.
“As for next year, honestly, I haven’t started thinking about it yet.”
Emswiler was the mainstay of the pitching staff, starting 14 games on the mound and tossing 622/3 innings while compiling an 11-2 record and 1.68 ERA. Emswiler surrendered 42 hits and 15 earned runs and ended up with 93 strikeouts.
Hull was 3-1 with 38 strikeouts in 201/3 innings and Janicki was 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA with three saves.
Feldman was 1-0 while Watkins was 0-2 with one save.
The Warriors’ pitching corps racked up 195 strikeouts in 145 innings and posted a 3.09 team ERA.
Tags: Eden Christian