Congratulations to Owego Free Academy's Men's Baseball team for winning the New York State Championship title on June 7. The title - OFA's first - was achieved with a 13-0 win in the qualifiers, a 7-5 score in the 10th inning in the quarterfinals, followed by a fantastic 8-0 no-hitter in the semi's. In the finals, OFA beat Deer Park 8-1 and became the champions!

The team returned to a hometown heroes' welcome: fire departments from Owego, Southside, Apalachin, and Campville escorted the players through the village with lights and sirens. The parade of fire trucks, players, and excited fans wound through the town to the high school where fire officials set up lighting and a public address system. Public congratulations were wished to the team who, in turn, thanked everyone for their support.

Members of the team include: Jack Scanlon (manager), Matt Ellis, Bob Harris, Joe Reynolds, Ben Gilli, Tom Beibe, Tom Donovan, Pat Gavin, Andy Connelly, David Orzel, Josh Morley, Liam Miller, Mark Cowell, Greg Conden, Matt Porcari, Ben Robinson, Gary Booser, Mark Strano, Tim Gavin, Justin Kaeckmeister, and Jon Ayres (Coach).

Below: The OFA Men's Baseball Team appear in the Owego Strawberry Festival Parade on June 21. (Photos by Sara Kelly)