The Gowanda Panthers will take on the Deposit-Hancock Eagles in a NYSPHSAA Class C baseball semifinal at 7 p.m. today at Union-Endicott High School. OBSERVER file photo by Matt Spielman

BINGHAMTON — Blake Herman and his Gowanda teammates have been waiting for this weekend for the past two years.

For head coach Tim Smith, it’s been more like 17 years.

The Panthers will make their long-awaited return to the final four when they take on Section IV champion Deposit-Hancock in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C baseball semifinals at 7 tonight at Union-Endicott High School.

“Gowanda hasn’t been back since 2008,” Herman said last weekend after the Panthers’ Far West Regional win over Kendall at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia. “I think we have a really good shot of going in there, doing our job and getting it done.”

Game time can’t come soon enough.

It was just over two years ago that Gowanda was a game — more like an inning — away from making the trip to Binghamton.

The Panthers rallied to tie Batavia-Notre Dame 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning of their Far West Regional at Frontier High School. Senior John Ondus, who hadn’t pitched all season, but was the CCAA Division 1 Pitcher of the Year the season prior, was called upon to hopefully get three outs and send Gowanda into the bottom of the seventh inning needing just one run to reach the state semifinals.

But disaster struck for Ondus — who was later diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow that required Tommy John surgery — as he walked three straight batters and eventually allowed a sacrifice fly to give the Fighting Irish the lead.

“It was hard losing with my brother, that was the biggest thing. There was a feeling of regret because we were so close to doing something great,” Herman said of the loss in 2023 when his brother, Cole, was a senior. “I think that season, we would’ve done something really, really great with our pitching and that team.”

The Panthers put two runners on in the bottom of the seventh inning, but were unable to even the score as Batavia-Notre Dame advanced.

“They knew the bitter feeling of being in the regional and what it feels like,” Smith said. “Especially, as the game went on, it was just taken from us.”

“It left a bitter taste. Even the Wilson game last year left a really bitter taste,” Herman said about a 3-1 loss to the Lakemen in last spring’s sectional final. “I think we should’ve won that one, too.”

For Smith, the memories go back even further.

In his third season as Gowanda’s head coach, Smith guided the Panthers to the first state semifinal in program history. Then in Class B, they scored two unearned runs in the first inning and held off Bath-Haverling 2-1 in the 2008 Far West Regional.

Unfortunately, Section I’s JFK Catholic went ahead 5-0 through three innings of their state semifinal and beat Gowanda 5-1 on the way to a state championship that season.

“You kind of think we’ll get back. It didn’t work out that day or that time, but you think you are going to get back,” Smith said. “Dan Marino went to the Super Bowl in his second year and then never went again. You are doing it so long and you start to question things.”

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Gowanda moved up to No. 4 in this week’s New York State Sportswriters Association’s Class C rankings.

Deposit-Hancock, which won its sixth sectional title since merging its baseball programs, but first in Class C two weeks ago with a win over Trumansburg, beat Section III’s Bishop Grimes in their regional last Saturday. Undefeated at 22-0 on the season, Deposit-Hancock is the top-ranked team in the state.

Blake Fortunato hit a two-run home run to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead. They would later extend it to 4-2, which became important in the top of the seventh when they gave up a run, but held on for the 4-3 win.

The other side of the Class C bracket features Section IX champion Burke Catholic against Section II”s Saratoga Catholic. Burke Catholic is 15-2 and the third-ranked team in the state while Saratoga Catholic is 25-1 and ranked No. 2.

Burke Catholic topped Section I champion Tuckahoe 2-0 in last Sunday’s regional at Cantine Field in Saugerties.

Saratoga Catholic advanced to the Binghamton area with an 11-1 win over Section VII’s Ticonderoga in last Sunday’s regional at Dutchmen Field at Keenholts Park.

Today’s semifinal winners will meet for the state title at 4 p.m. Saturday at Binghamton University.

“If you have a good group of kids who buy in and have been around for years, this is the result,” Smith said. “It’s nothing that we did. We’re just steering the ship in the right direction and they are doing the hard work.”

For live updates of Gowanda’s games this weekend, follow along on x.com @mspielman3.