Bald Eagle Area players convene at the mound during Monday afternoon's state semifinal win against North Star. The Eagles face Tri-Valley in the PIAA State Championship Thursday morning at Penn State. TIM WEIGHT/For The Express

Bald Eagle Area baseball continues what’s been an historic and monumental run throughout the regular season and playoffs. The Eagles will cap the season in the PIAA Class AA State Championship game against Tri-Valley at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park at 10:30am Thursday morning. Bald Eagle Area will try to make it two consecutive titles after defeating Mount Union for the third consecutive time in that season.

BEA record: 24-2

How Bald Eagle Area got here: The Eagles defeated North Star, 11-3 on Monday afternoon at Mount Aloysius College to advance to the title game. BEA defeated Moniteau, 10-1 in the quarterfinal and Lakeview in the opening round at Doc Etters Memorial Field.

The Eagles defeated West Branch to win its second consecutive District 6 Class AA title on May 29.

Tri-Valley record: 21-4

How Tri-Valley got here: Defeated Wyalusing Valley, 14-0 in the state semifinal game to clinch its berth to the title game. The Bulldogs defeated Delone Catholic, 7-3, in the quarterfinal round and South Williamsport, 10-9 in the opening round. The Bulldogs won the District 11 title in a 10-0 rout of Minersville.

There’s no hiding that Bald Eagle Area’s run throughout both the regular season and postseason has been impressive. The Eagles’ 17-game winning streak dates all the way back to April 20 when Bald Eagle Area defeated Bellefonte at the inaugural Happy Valley Hardball Classic when the Raiders were undefeated. One day before that the Eagles fell to Somerset on the road.

The Eagles have been clicking and rolling ever since and BEA has put on a clinic. Bald Eagle had been on fire during the regular season, and even in districts, but this run throughout the state tournament has lit a brighter torch. The Eagles have tallied 10 hits or more in the last five games, the first being the district semifinal win over Mount Union.

Before then, the Eagles had at least 10 or more runs in four of its prior six games in that span.

Bald Eagle Area’s standout guys have shown up all season long and they are reaping the benefits of the hard work. But during this state tournament run, the guys who haven’t shown up much in the box score during the regular season are now making an impact and it truly made the Eagles a fun team to watch and a tough get for opponents in the opposite dugout.

In the opening round of the state tournament, Kahale Burns blasted two homers with four hits while Cam Watkins issued two hits (one homer) and Kaden and Gavin Burns along with Connor Perry all issued one hit apiece in the 9-3 win.

That got the Eagles’ momentum started when Kahale and Gavin Burns along with Tayten Yoder and Brayden Dubbs all tallied two hits. Fittingly enough, against North Star on Monday, Yoder, Dubbs and Gavin Burns all totaled two hits and Watkins led the team with three in the 11-3 semifinal win to put them into the championship.

Kahale, the team’s lead-off hitter, didn’t even issue a hit in the semifinal but his hits weren’t needed. The Mansfield commit reads pitches well and a walk to get on first makes him a dangerous threat as his teammates can help spark runs.

Gavin has been Bald Eagle’s most consistent hitter and player to reach base all season and is the team’s leader in batting average and is second in hits behind Kahale. Yoder, Watkins and Dubbs have proven they are improved threats especially in the postseason run.

Against Tri-Valley, a team on a nine-game winning streak dating back to May 4, pitching and a strong defensive effort will be pivotal. The Bulldogs have scored 10 or more runs on that nine-game win streak with four of them coming since the district championship.

In Monday’s 14-0 mercy-rule win, Gavin Klock had three hits and six RBIs and Owen Miller three hits and two runs while Lucas Scheib had two hits and three RBIs. It was Tri-Valley’s 10th mercy rule win of the year.

ON THE MOUND:

Bald Eagle Area senior pitcher Weston McClain is likely to pitch in what will serve as his final high school game of his career. He hasn’t pitched since the quarterfinal as Yoder and Dubbs combined on a nine-hitter with seven strikeouts. Yoder gave up nine hits but struck out six while Dubbs didn’t give up a single hit but struck out one batter.

In the nine-run quarterfinal win McClain threw a complete game, three-hitter, allowing only one walk with eight strikeouts. Dubbs and Yoder get the job done but McClain has been on fire when he’s been on the hill. His pitching will not only point the Eagles in the right direction but take pressure off Yoder and Dubbs to play two roles.

KEY TO WIN:

Contributions from multiple players.

Bald Eagle has already proved its deep roster of returning players has contributed to this moment. But the manner in which they have done it is what’s separated them.

Bald Eagle’s focus must be on each player contributing in multiple (or the same) innings to keep Tri-Valley on its heels. The Eagles have done it to opponents all year but it’s most pivotal in the last game of the season for both teams. More importantly, the last game for eight seniors hoping to go out making school history.

Multiple players have relentlessly shown up in the box score in a variety of ways and it’s given Bald Eagle Area life. If Tri-Valley is going to win, a majority of BEA’s roster has to play a below-average game or it will have to play lights out.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Just about everyone on the team, in reality. To narrow it down, Watkins and Dubbs. Watkins is a primary football guy that has provided stability for Bald Eagle in the nine spot in the lineup. He didn’t register a hit against Moniteau but hit a home run and tripled in the opening round game against Lakeview. On Monday he went 3 for 4 with three runs and one RBI to lead all Eagles.

Dubbs didn’t have a hit against Lakeview but had two hits and one RBI against North Star on Monday and went 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run against Moniteau. That balance has shaped the Eagles’ streak and postseason.