STATE COLLEGE – For the fourth time in program history, the most out of the smallest school classification, Dock Mennonite is on top of the PIAA world.

The 2026 Dock Mennonite Pioneers join the 2005, 2006 and 2010 squads as state champions after a 5-3 win over Eden Christian. The Lansdale area program broke a tie with Oley Valley for the most PIAA titles in the smallest PIAA classification, and the community they have built is a big reason why.

“There’s no way this happens just on the field,” said Head Coach Erik Kratz, who is a Dock Mennonite alum himself and spent 11 seasons in the major leagues. “Players are hurt, we have trainers who get them better. We have a player who is struggling with grades, we have teachers that help with that. We have parents that travel all the way out here and spend a lot of money. It’s not just the nine guys on the field, Dock Mennnonite has created a community like no other.”

Ethan Kratz triple and homered while Riley Kling threw 6.2 excellent innings on the mound in the win against Eden Christian, who has now lost in the state title each of the last three years.

Dock Mennonite jumped all over Eden Christian starter Noah Emswiler in this one. After a leadoff walk to Jackson Korne, Ethan Kratz smashed an RBI triple off the right center field wall to give the Pioneers an early 1-0 lead.

Kratz would then come into score on a wild pitch, but the offense was just getting started.

The next two Dock hitters would reach via walks, and Garrett Adams laid down a successful sac bunt to move them up 90 feet.

Those extra 90 feet paid huge dividends, as Ian Macgrady’s single down the left field line allowed both Mason Bicht and Andrew Bradica to score, and just like that it was 4-0 Dock.

Fast forward to the bottom of the second, and Ethan Kratz struck again. He swung at the first pitch for the second straight at bat and it worked once again, as he sent a fly ball over the right center field wall to make it 5-0 Dock. That’s not a short field here in State College.

It took until the top of the fourth and Eden Christian was finally able to get something going off of Dock Mennonite starter Riley Kling.

Brady Hull singled and Levi Defazio doubled to put runners on second and third. Joshua Tilden knocked in one of those runs on a base hit, but Ethan Kratz struck again as his laser throw from center field got Defazio at home to prevent the second run from scoring.

Despite a bit of a rocky start, Noah Emswiler did a great job at keeping Eden Christian in this game. After the four-run first and the solo homer in the second, the next four innings were scoreless.

Eden Christian climbed their way back into this game, but it wasn’t their bats that did it – it was their legs.

With Noah Emswiler on first and Brady Hull on third, Eden called for a double steal and the throw to second got away, allowing Hull to score.

The kicker here was that Emswiler then took off for third, and the throw to third also got away, allowing Emswiler as well to score and cut the deficit to 5-3.

Fast forward to the top of the seventh, Eden needed two runs to keep this game alive. They started the inning with a walk from Levi Parrott, but their next two hitters were retired.

They got a little momentum when Dock starter Riley Kling had to come out of the game due to pitch count, as Jackson Bremmer was walked to put the tying run on base. Mason Bicht came on looking to seal the deal.

The tension hit an all-time high when the count on Brady Hull hit 3-2, but Bicht got Hull to ground out to second base to finish off the fourth state title in Dock Mennonite history.

Dock had five hits, and four of them came from Ethan Kratz and Ian MacGrady.

For Head Coach Erik Kratz, this one meant a little more with his son Ethan on the field with him, and his son Brayden in the dugout with him.

“To share this experience with your sons is incredible,” said Kratz. “It feels like I’m there but I’m helping them with different things and helping them understand situations whether I’m coaching or not coaching and I hope when each of these guys graduates in four years that they know I treated each of them the same way I treated Ethan and Brayden. Each of those boys are my sons for the season and forever.”

On the mound for Dock, Riley Kling went 6.2 innings with seven hits allowed, two earned runs and eight strikeouts. It’s hard to ask for much more in a state title game.

“Riley is like none other than I’ve coached on the mound,” said Kratz. “He has this ability to be unafraid in situations, and it was against a team that hits very well and he attacked them. It’s a mindset, and his ability to convey that mindset calms the rest of the team down and lets everyone else make the plays in the field.”

Congratulations to Head Coach Mark Feldman and the Eden Christian Warriors on a tremendous season as well as they end the year at 19-5. Brady Hull and Noah Emswiler had two hits in the loss while Emswiler struck out 11 over his six innings of work.

However, today belongs to Dock Mennonite.

Photo: Dock Mennonite Head Coach Erik Kratz with his son, Ethan Kratz