Baseball can be a game of luck in a lot of ways.

The 2026 version of the Parkland High School baseball team had some luck early in the season, but lost some of it during the postseason.

The Trojans finished the year with a 15-8 overall record and 13-3 mark in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, earning the three seed in the EPC Tournament and the four seed in the District 11 6A Tournament, but they bowed out in semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively.

“I know we all were hoping for a further run in playoffs, but with the quality of our schedule we never take for granted earning berths into the league and district playoffs,” said PHS head coach Kurt Weber. “They are goals of ours every year. Winning the Lehigh Division is a goal as well and we accomplished that.

“Baseball is very unique. In a 20-game season, you hope to find your rhythm and get in a groove at the end and we didn’t seem to ever get there. Looking back, our early games were decided in the first few innings, good or bad. Playoff baseball is going to come down to the little things and some luck. I felt like at the end we were still finding our way in games like that.”

The Allen Canaries won the EPC championship and most recently took the district title, and Parkland defeated them during the regular season. That was one of the highlights from this season in the eyes of Weber.

“Allen has been the story this year in the EPC and our 12-inning (over 3 days) win against them was one of the best baseball games I have ever been a part of,” Weber said. “That was a highlight of the season for sure. Also, the comeback wins versus Northampton and Emmaus stand out as well.”

Parkland will graduate nine seniors from this year’s squad, including Chase Brunner, Grant Damweber, Carter DeLong, Tsubasa Magota, Sawyer Marsteller, Evan Newhard, Chase Smith, Jack Streeter and Ben Taylor.

“The senior class as a whole has been one of the hardest working classes we have had,” said Weber. “It has some great role models for our younger players to follow. They worked hard every year in the off seasons, in the weight room sessions, in intramurals. They were a part of a special season last year and a successful season this year. It is always hard to see them go.

“But I think eight of the 10 will be playing in college next year so they aren’t done yet.”

Magota led the lineup in hits with 32 and batting average at .485. DeLong hit .377 with 26 hits, 18 RBIs and 24 runs. Ben Weninger finished with a .366 average, 26 hits and 21 RBIs. Aiden Henning recorded 19 RBIs and scored 20 runs.

Marsteller tallied a team-best 2.12 ERA on the mound and Streeter was just behind with a 2.13 ERA.

Weber is looking forward to the underclassmen that he has coming back for 2027.

“If we can get Ben Weninger, who has been dealing with arm issues the last two seasons, back healthy on the mound and pairing him with Dempsey Lawson, that gives us a formidable and intimidating 1-2 punch,” Weber said. “Every year we try to build for this year and next so we also return experience up the middle with returning players.

“Add a solid JV group with the deepest freshman group we have had in a long time and it is easy to get excited about the future.”