Trib HSSN baseball team of the week for April 14, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, April 14, 2024 | 8:29 PM

Trib HSSN baseball team of the week: Eden Christian Academy Warriors

Coach: Mark Feldman (first season)

Records: Eden Christian Academy is 6-0 in Section 3-A, 7-1 overall

#Earned: Eden Christian Academy made a loud statement to the rest of Class A with two convincing victories last week over defending WPIAL Class A champion Bishop Canevin. In the first game on Tuesday, after being no-hit for four innings by Crusaders starter Tyler Maddix, the Warriors’ offense exploded for seven runs in the fifth inning. Eden Christian added two more runs in the sixth to win at home, 9-1. On Wednesday, in the second game of the section series, the combo of offense, defense and pitching carried the day for the Warriors as they scored two in the first, four runs in the second and three more runs in the third inning, then coasted to a 10-run win in five innings, 11-1. Part of the reason for the Warriors outscoring the Crusaders, 20-2, in the two wins was the Eden defense was flawless with no errors.

Standout performers: On Tuesday, senior Enzo Natale started and won, pitching 5 1/3 innings, allowing only one earned run on four hits and seven strikeouts. Sophomore Noah Emswiler retired the final five Crusaders hitters. On offense, sophomore Josh Tilden had a pair of hits with a run scored and an RBI, while Noah Emswiler had a two-run double. On Wednesday, senior Caleb Emswiler pitched a complete game, giving up a run on two hits while striking out six. Senior Charlie Wolf and sophomore Brady Hull each had two hits to lead the nine-hit attack.

Last year: For the third consecutive season, Eden Christian Academy won a section title in 2023. The Warriors finished on top in Section 3-A with a record of 11-1 and were 12-4 overall. However, the excitement over another fantastic regular season faded away when No. 2-seeded Eden Christian followed a first-round bye with an upset loss in the district quarterfinals to No. 7 Rochester, 9-4. The loss was the final game for coach Joe Dougherty, who stepped down after two successful seasons and was replaced by one of his assistants, Mark Feldman.

Remember when: It was 10 years ago that the Eden Christian Academy baseball program debuted in the WPIAL, losing all 16 games it played. A year later, the Warriors finished 7-7. Seven years later, Eden Christian Academy lost to Union in the Class A semifinals, then beat DuBois Central Catholic, Kennedy Catholic and Southern Fulton to reach the 2021 PIAA title game. There, Eden Christian lost to Halifax, 9-1. The best season in program history came a year later when the Warriors won the Section 3-A title with a perfect 10-0 record and finished the regular season at 15-0 overall. Following a first-round bye, Eden Christian defeated Greensburg Central Catholic in the district quarterfinals, 6-0, and then knocked off Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the semifinals, 6-5. The season ended though with losses to Union in the 2022 WPIAL Class A finals, 4-1, and in the PIAA first round to Saegertown, 9-2.

2024 Trib HSSN Baseball Teams of the Week

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Tags: Eden Christian