Fans, family send Butler off to PIAA baseball championship game in style: ‘They’re ready for this’
BUTLER TWP — Butler baseball is hoping to add an exclamation point to an already great season.
The WPIAL Class 6A champion Golden Tornado (23-3) will play in their first-ever PIAA championship game Thursday against Neshaminy (20-7) at 4:30 p.m. at Penn State University.
The team held a two-hour practice open to the public Wednesday at Pullman Park. Afterward, the players were treated to dinner at the high school before boarding a chartered bus that left the campus amid cheering fans and being escorted by a pair of Butler Township fire trucks.
Kevin Knapik, a Connoquenessing resident whose son, Hunter, is a freshman third baseman on the team, believes this is Butler’s year to win it all thanks to balance on the roster.
“The pitching has been great (mainly seniors Kyle Casteel and Nolan Stefaniak), but the team struggled last year with getting clutch hits,” he said. “This year, so many players have come through at the plate. It’s a better offensive team. (Class) 6A is where it’s at. It’s the best of the best.
“From the youth level on up, there’s no negativity involved at Butler. That’s how you build a program.”
Stefaniak, Trent Best, Boden Lenyk, Mavrik Clement, Blake Scott and Jake Szebalskie are among the top performers at the plate.
Anna Marie Powers is a friend of the Clement family, including pitching coach and Mavrik’s father, Matt Clement. She attended Wednesday’s practice.
“When I got here, I went down to the field and gave Mavrik a big hug and said: ‘You got this.’
“It’s very exciting. There was a fan here who was holding up a sign earlier that read: ‘One More Win.’ I wish I would have taken a picture of it before they left.”
The team was planning to spend Wednesday night at a hotel in Altoona before traveling the 40 miles to University Park on Thursday.
Winning as much as Butler has this season has created a positive vibe around the team, according to Butler Township resident Shawn Manning.
“Every game you go to, you can feel the energy,” said Manning, who has three kids, including two sons, Eli and Henry, who have played baseball in the Butler youth ranks. “It was great that they opened this practice up. I’ve followed the team as much as I can, and my whole family is going to the game tomorrow.”
The Golden Tornado’s last four games, beginning with the district final against North Allegheny May 27, have been decided by a combined six runs. Pitchers and hitters have found a way to consistently make plays with their season on the line. That bodes well if the team finds itself in a close game against Neshaminy.
“They’ve been loose all year,” Butler coach Josh Forbes said. “It’s a mature group, and if they do make a mistake, they know they’ll get the next one. They’re ready for this.”
Forbes has added a degree of leadership that has not gone unnoticed.
“He’s put in so much time with the team. It’s been an outstanding job,” Manning said. “The players respond to him.”
Forbes has been impressed with the fan support during the playoff run.
“I’ve seen a lot of people who are not directly involved with the team at games,” he said. “It’s not just parents and relatives. I’ve seen members of the administration, other people, who made the effort to come out for us.
“There’s no school (Thursday) to keep kids here. I’m expecting a big crowd for us.”
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Butler baseball head coach Josh Forbes signs a baseball for young fans during one last practice Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Pullman Park. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Maverick Clement hugs his grandmother before heading to Penn State during a send off on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Butler High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler parents and fans yell goodbye to the players heading to Penn State during a send off on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Butler High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler players load up the bus before heading to Penn State during a send off on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Butler High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler players load up the bus before heading to Penn State during a send off on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Butler High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler’s Kyle Casteel loads up the bus before heading to Penn State during a send off on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Butler High School. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Boden Lenyk hits the ball during one last practice on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Pullman Park. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler players practice outfield drills during one last practice on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Pullman Park. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butle's Mavrik Clement catches a ball at home plate during one last practice on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Pullman Park. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler Tornado players take the field for one last practice on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Pullman Park. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Butler's Boden Lenyk throws the ball to first base during one last practice on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Pullman Park. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
