The summer of 2025 was a historic run for Bushy Run Legion baseball, as the Beavers captured the district, region, and state titles.

When Bushy Run faced Latrobe in the Region 7 Championship with a trip to the state tournament on the line, the Beavers called upon Jayden Kennedy on the mound. Not only did Kennedy thrive in that matchup against the Jethawks to give Bushy Run its second regional title in a row, but he was even better one week later with the state title on the line in Erie.

Kennedy tossed a shutout on July 30, allowing just two hits and issuing two walks, while striking out four batters, leading Bushy Run to a 1-0 victory against Stripes and Strikes of Hazleton.

While the Bushy Run legion program dates back nearly 100 years, this is likely the first state title in its history, according to manager Scott Peyman.

Kennedy was certainly not the only vital contributor during the title run, though, as veterans such as Brody Hoffman, Carmen Metcalfe, Jake Sincak, Rob Andrews, and Jon Lovre all proved instrumental.

Bushy Run opened the state tournament with a 4-1 victory against French Creek Valley, and followed with a 2-1 walk-off win against Connellsville.

Courtesy of their 5-4 triumph against North Parkland, the Beavers clinched their spot in the championship game.

That set the stage for Kennedy, who was nearly flawless, while Evan Gigliotti provided the offense with an RBI double to score Metcalfe in the fourth inning against Stripes and Strikes.

Although the Beavers became the first Westmoreland County team to win legion state gold since Lower Burrell in the 1980s, a paperwork issue forced them to withdraw from the Mid-Atlantic Super Regional.

A few weeks prior, Bushy Run reigned supreme in the Region 7 Tournament at Forest Hills High School, successfully defending its title.

After dropping their second game in the tournament, the Beavers won four in a row, beginning with a 6-0 triumph against Philipsburg. The following day, Bushy Run edged Latrobe 2-1, handing the Jethawks their first loss of the tournament. Bushy Run also knocked off Claysburg 4-1, and then defeated Latrobe 4-1 in the championship game.

Earlier in July, Bushy Run also captured the District 31 American Legion Baseball Championship with a 9-3 win over Lower Burrell at Penn-Trafford High School.

With the game scoreless into the fifth, the third-seeded Beavers exploded for eight runs, beginning with a two-run triple by Noah Rattigan and an RBI single from Dylan Ridley.

A rally by Lower Burrell in the sixth stanza chased Bushy run starting pitcher Brandon Roher, but Gigliotti came in to slam the door.

Rattigan finished with two hits, three RBIs, and a run scored for Bushy Run. Roher was the winning pitcher, as he allowed three runs in five innings, while Gigliotti surrendered a pair of hits in two scoreless frames of relief.

The victory marked the second District 31 championship in three years for Bushy Run, as the Beavers ousted Latrobe in 2023.