OSCEOLA MILLS – After a more than 20-years absence in Osceola Mills Borough, independent baseball returned in style with the inaugural Osceola Baseball Association’s Fall Classic, held Sept. 27-28, at the Little League field on Pruner Street.
Bald Eagle Fall 11u (Navy), Four Leaf 11u Fall Ball and the homestanding OBA 11u teams battled through a modified, double-round format, which saw the boys from FLC withstand a gutsy run by OBA to capture the tourney title.
“Our mantra of ‘Bringing Baseball Back’ to Osceola came alive over the weekend,” said OBA President Tim Blake. “We are very proud of the players for representing our area so well competitively.
“It has taken a lot of work by many, including support from Osceola Mills Borough and the local community, to get us to this point and we are thankful for everyone’s help.”
While baseball never left the proud town, its independent status ended in the early 2000’s when Philipsburg and Osceola Mills came together to form what is currently the Philipsburg Osceola Little League.
With the creation of OBA, more options are now open for young baseball players on the southeastern border of Clearfield County. “Right now, we’re not here to replace that Little League-sanctioned option for our local players,” said Blake.
“What we are here to do, however, is to make sure our local youth have a place to play that they can call home beyond the traditional Little League season.
“So many of our players have had to travel to neighboring towns and beyond, with parents spending a considerable amount of money for them to participate.
“We wanted to create something different and to give our kids a chance to participate without all of these external factors.”
“Our area has a tremendous amount of talent,” Blake continued. “It felt like it was time for baseball to come back to Osceola for those players and our community.
“It’s our hope this will grow their love of the game and bring Osceola Mills one more thing to be proud of.”
Efforts to formally create the OBA and to revitalize the field to its former glory started this past summer. While the field was utilized for a full slate of POLL minor league games for years, a number of volunteers assembled to take it to the next level.
Armed with support from the borough, as well as several dedicated community members and businesses, OBA was born. Currently, there is no cost for OBA team members to participate, which is rare in youth sports today.
Osceola Mills natives Devin and Tony Petulla donated money through their business, Refresh MedSpa (which has locations in Hollidaysburg and State College), for the uniforms for both the 11u and 8u teams.
Tony Petulla is an alum of the Osceola Mills Junior League, which played in town prior to merging with Philipsburg to form POLL.
Also donating time and supplies for the effort were Lego Electric LLC, and The Blake Rack and Shovel LCC. Jaru Inc., donated signage for the field, which included one for the batting cage containing the community’s historic tagline, “Eat ’em Up!”
Two-time Major League Baseball draftee Craig Petulla, a Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School alum who helped Slippery Rock to a D-II World Series berth, is on Blake’s coaching staff and serves as a member of the board.
Petulla said he is “all in” with the OBA efforts and its mission. “We’re currently looking for an indoor facility to assist with the players’ training year-round,” said Craig Petulla.
“Our focus is bringing opportunities to the community and cage time, while necessary due to our winter weather, is costly and not always financially viable for families.
“Baseball shouldn’t be cost prohibitive for a player. It should be based on their desire to compete and grow as both a player and a person.”
OBA’s fall roster of 15 players include three athletes whose fathers played in the Osceola Mills Junior League – Jameson Blake, Carter Petulla and Bo Willis.
Other team members include Jaxon Bell, Henry Franek, Kaden Frank, Sawyer Guy, Carter Hertlein, Jaxon Ibberson, Zaden Isaacson, Leo Lanich, Jase Lego, Ryder Lego, Lincoln Packer and Gerrit Wood.
About the Osceola Baseball Association
With support of the Osceola Mills Borough, who owns the grounds, which serve as the home field for the team, the OBA was founded by several dedicated community members. These community members wanted to bring back independent baseball to Osceola Mills while providing alternative options for young players and their families which are more locally based and remain cost effective. The OBA is a non-profit organization.