Dallastown baseball came off a disappointing 8-11 season in their 2024 campaign. 

For the first time since 2015, they hadn’t been first in their conference.

They looked to rebound in 2025 and return to their usual dominance of the YAIAA 1 Conference.

“I expected us to be a county championship team, competing at a high level in our district,” senior Pitcher Matt Stone said.

The beginning of the season was rough with them starting 2-4. 

The Wildcats needed to overcome their struggles, even if some of them were out of their control, if they wanted to make it to the playoffs. 

They were able to make those adjustments and reach the playoffs, but it wasn’t easy.

“We faced some obstacles early in the year with harsh cold weather for games and being forced to practice inside a lot,” senior second baseman Traeh Smith said.

According to 10-year veteran coach Gregory Kinneman, it would be a long road to the playoffs since their schedule didn’t give them a break.

“Our schedule was tough. We played a very competitive schedule all year,” Kinneman said.

After a heartbreaking extra-innings loss to Northeastern, Dallastown turned it around. 

“Eventually, we found our stride at the plate and started hitting a lot better,” Stone said.

The team looked to Dover to get above .500.

Dallastown’s resilience and hard work would pay off as they dominated with a 13-3 victory over Dover, which sparked the team’s six-game winning streak. 

The six-game winning streak allowed them to finish off the regular season 12-7. This record would get them a spot in the playoffs.

The team fought hard and stayed focused to make the playoffs.

“We overcame the obstacles by working as a unit and adjusting to any situation to get our work in,” Smith said.

Dallastown would look to Bermudian Springs as their first playoff opponent. 

They would defeat Bermudian Springs 4-0 and move on to Kennard-Dale.

In their game against Kennard-Dale, they suffered a heartbreaking one-run loss, eliminating them from County contention. 

They would have one more shot to stay alive, against Manheim Township. 

It was a tough game, and Dallastown started hot.

As the game went on, it became closer and closer, with Manheim Township tying it up in the 7th and final inning. 

They would head to extra innings to look for a win.

Unfortunately, they would lose with a final score of 5-6

Dallastown’s season ended too early, but they overcame early struggles to make a playoff run, which was something to be proud of. 

“I am proud of the work this team put in this spring, while also having FUN together every day. I am certain that both players and coaches enjoyed coming to the ballpark together every day,” Kinneman said. 

Despite not making it as far as they wanted, Dallastown’s players were happy with the outcome. They officially went 13-9 on the year, improving heavily from last year.

“Overall, this was the most fun season I’ve ever been a part of. The coaching staff at Dallastown is the best around, and the players on the team are my best friends, and they’re all studs, and I’m gonna miss playing with them,” Stone said.