Hall of Fame

Irwin Returns to D31 after a Year Off

Irwin American Legion sat out last year's District 31 baseball season, but Tom Hussey knew the hiatus wouldn't last long given the successes of the Norwin baseball program and the general interest in the game in the area.

When Hussey was approached about restarting the program for this summer he jumped at the opportunity, and the team is back on the field.

“We're a baseball community,” said Hussey, who previously helped with the Norwin recreation and youth programs. “We knew we would get the kids. It was just a matter of getting the word out and getting them to commit. We have commitment from them, and I'm thrilled about it. I have a great group.

Irwin was 1-3 in the early going and had games scheduled at Latrobe on Thursday and at Derry on Friday, past the deadline for this edition.

Once word spread there was an effort to restart the program, it didn't take long for Hussey to assemble a team.

Hussey said he has 14 players on the roster, and they are a mix of varsity and junior varsity players at Norwin. Craig Charron, who previously coached Irwin, is back on the staff as an assistant. Irwin plays its home games at Norwin.

Billy Kerston, Javier Rosado, Vincent Oddo, Alfredo Calub, Garrett Senchur and Evan Kline are listed as pitchers, but will likely see time in, as well. Christian Kubacka, Nick Kervo, Logan Liebzinski, Owen Sabol, Derek Turcovski, Brian Woods, Ronald Howard and Michael Ryan are listed as position players.

Most of the players are either sophomores or juniors and will be looking to contribute at the high school level next spring.

“We're young, but this is a great opportunity for them to gain additional experience that they'll hopefully be able to use for next year,” Hussey said. “We're a team by committee. Everyone is going to have the opportunity to step up for us this year.”

Hussey has liked the fight his team has shown in the early going.

Irwin fell 11-5 in its opener against Latrobe, but rebounded to win 15-3 over Young Township. Last week, the team dropped a pair of one-run games, 2-1 to Unity and 6-5 to West Hempfield.

“We've battled,” Hussey said. “We haven't quit in any games. We've been competitive in all of them. We've probably had three bad innings overall or those games could've went differently. I couldn't be happier with how we are progressing.”

District 31 has a dozen teams this season with eight making the playoffs. Playing tight with Unity and West Hempfield has Irwin hopeful that with continued improvement those close losses will become victories. There's a long way to go with the season running until early July, and Hussey is still getting a feel for the league in his first season. One thing is certain though, he is happy Irwin is back.

“We're having a blast,” Hussey said. “Even though the record early in the season might not indicate it, we're playing well. Everyone is doing a good job, all things considered.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.

Kiski Valley's Strong Pitching Staff

In a wooden bat league like District 31 American Legion, having good pitching is usually more than half the battle, and Kiski Valley coach Den Montgomery has confidence in whomever he gives the ball to on the mound.

The hope is that the Vikings offense can catch up to the rotation to make them even more dangerous as the season progresses.

Sean Furlong and Tyler Johnson already have shown the ability to shut down opponents.

Johnson tossed a seven-strikeout no-hitter in a 6-0 win against Jeannette on May 31, and Furlong had an 83-pitch complete-game masterpiece in a 5-0 blanking of Unity six days earlier.

Their performances early on have been magnified while the team works through some issues at the plate.

Montgomery is counting on the quality pitching to continue to help keep the team afloat while a mostly new group of hitters adjusts to swinging wood bats.

The Vikings were 3-3 through Thursday.

“Our pitching has been very good,” Montgomery said. “We felt like we gave a couple of those games away and we could be 5-1, but given our lack of offense early on, that'd be a mirage. Three and three is probably where we should be at.”

Montgomery runs the team with his twin brother Dave. Both of them will be inducted into the PA American Legion Hall of Fame in July in Boyertown.

Johnson, an Armstrong graduate, played baseball at Butler County Community College this spring. Furlong was one of Freeport's top pitchers this season and plans to be a walkon with the IUP baseball team in the fall. He isn't a pitcher posts high-velocity numbers on the radar gun or one who racks up strikeout numbers, but he's a pitcher in the truest sense, using location and changing speeds to baffle hitters.

“I hit my spots well with all my pitches,” Furlong said. “I try to get movement on them, because I know I don't throw as fast as some pitchers. I'm not a strikeout guy, but I know my role and I know what to do to be successful.”

Furlong turned in another good outing in a 6-5 extra-innings loss to Hempfield East on Sunday. Montgomery said Furlong has developed into a deceptive force for the Vikings.

“He's kind of got a build like (former San Francisco Giants pitcher) Tim Lincecum where you look at him and say to yourself ‘What can he do?' ” Montgomery said. “He's sneaky fast. He sits around 82-83 with his fastball, and he's smart. He pitches. He doesn't just throw, and that's allowed him to be competitive.”

Freeport's Jarrett Heilman and Armstrong's Jordan Dillard are starters, and Armstrong's Eddie Morris will be used in relief in what is a deep pitching staff. Montgomery has confidence in all of them to give good innings.

Armstrong's Dawson Porter boosts an offense that is comprised mainly of new players outside of Furlong, Johnson and St. Joseph grad Jordan Van Thiel. Porter, a Westminster recruit for baseball and football, has shown good leadership to go with his hitting ability.

“Dawson is the real deal,” Montgomery said. “He's a better person than he is an athlete, and he's an amazing athlete. It's a pleasure to have him around, and I think the kids really follow his lead, because he comes to play.”

The Vikings lost middle-of-the-order hitters Frankie Stefko and Jon Thomas, as well as Andy Fennell. Newcomers like Leechburg catcher Anthony Mangee, whom Montgomery described as raw but very coachable, are working to become more competitive at the plate.

“They're all learning the system,” Montgomery said. “We're not suggesting this is the minor leagues, but it's an upgrade to what most of the kids have seen. You can see the adjustments they're going through. It'll take some time.”

Montgomery called the Vikings “a middle-of-the-road” team in its current state, but there's room to climb the standings in what appears to be a fairly balanced league. Eight of the 12 teams make the playoffs.

“Every year we compete well, and we expect to do that this year,” Furlong said. “We've done that so far, but not everything has gone our way. I think that'll change for us as the year goes on. We can be a playoff team and hopefully make a run.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.

Competition again high in Westmoreland County American Legion league

The competition that's bred in the Westmoreland County American Legion Baseball League is generally some of the best in the area, and this year will be no different.

While there will be some new faces and a significant adjustment to equipment use, the talent-pool will be similar if not better from top to bottom and parity will be more visible than in years past.

"I think this could be the most balanced league we've had in a long time," Latrobe coach Jason Bush said. "I don't see one team head and shoulders above the rest. I don't think there will be one single team that will struggle that teams can take advantage of."

Murrysville head coach Gus Bondi said that a lot of the rosters are made up of varsity caliber athletes who made significant contributions to high school teams... some of which that made the WPIAL playoffs.

"There's a lot of good pitching and dominant hitting every year," Bondi said. "Obviously, some kids have moved up and there are teams that have solid reputations out there. Every night we'll be playing teams that have varsity players from their high school teams."

This season, teams in the WCALB will be forced to ditch the aluminum and switch to wooden bats.

The opinions among the coaches vary, but the general consensus is that it will force a return to small ball and pure baseball style.

Read more: Competition again high in Westmoreland County American Legion league