NTL BASEBALL: SENIOR LED TOWANDA ENJOYS STRONG 2025 (2025-06-06)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
The Towanda baseball team finally had the season coach Karl Raffin thought was in them. The Knights went 12-7 to qualify for districts, and took a very good Troy team to the brink in the first round of the playoffs.

“This season was a lot of fun because we had such a great group of kids to work with,” said Raffin. “I’m extremely happy that our senior class got an opportunity to qualify and play in a district game.  We look to build on the success of this past year and keep the program moving in a positive direction.”

Towanda opened with a 10-0 win over Wyalusing, then followed that up with losses to NP-Mansfield and Wellsboro.

They gutted out a 9-7 win against Elk Lake, then after a loss to Troy, they picked up a win over Canton (12-2).

After a pair of losses to eventual league champions Athens Towanda hit their stride, going on a 5-game win streak.

It began against Edison (15-0), then their highlight win of the season, edging the District IV, Class AA champions South Williamsport (11-10) at home.

That was followed by wins over Wyalusing (16-4), Notre Dame (11-1), and NP-Mansfield (14-5).

The streak was ended with losses to Wellsboro and Troy, but they ended strong, beating Williamson (9-0), the District IV, Class A champions CV (5-4), and Sayre (16-0).

The Knights’ season would end in a 4-3 loss to Troy in a walk-off during the first round of the District IV, Class AAA playoffs.

Gianni Assante led the team at the plate with a .396 average to go with six doubles, 17-RBI, and 18 runs scored.

Jack Wheaton hit .364 with a team high 24 runs, and 16-RBI, as Jack Tavani batted .328 with 15-RBI, and 19 runs scored.

Dawson Butts had 16-RBI, with 18 runs scored, as freshman Boom Thompson scored 20 runs on the season. Wil Shrawder added 11-RBI.

Tavani ate the lion’s share of innings, 51, as he struck out 47 and had an ERA of 1.235.

Wheaton went 29 1/3-innings with a 1.909 ERA, while Butts pitched 17 1/3-innings, and Assante went 11 1/3-innings. 

The team says good-bye to a big senior class that has been backbone of the team since they were freshmen. However, they also plenty of players waiting in the wings hoping to build off this season’s success.

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