Latrobe Legion team prepares for summer season

Latrobe has advanced to the District 31 Westmoreland County American Legion baseball playoffs in each of thepast 21 seasons.

For coach Jason Bush and his son, assistant coach Zach Bush, one of many team goals for this season is to continue those winning ways and raise that playoff streak to No. 22.

"Our goals since this coaching staff has started has remained the same since the last coaching staff; the goals are kind of chronological," Zach Bush said. "The first one is to make the playoffs. Next goal, obviously, is to win our division. The next one is win the district regular season, and then it gets into the playoffs — win the first round, win the district, move on to the regional tournament."

Latrobe's Jordan Giannini attempts to tag out Unity's Joey Puschnigg on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, at Legion Keener Field in Latrobe.The 12-team league, which Jason Bush compared to the level of play in WPIAL Class AAAA baseball, consists of teams ranging throughout Westmoreland County and runs from late May into July. The league is available to boys ranging from ages 15-19.

With so many players looking to play summer baseball, areas like Latrobe and Hempfield are split into two teams based on where a player lives to accommodate everyone.

"There's going to be guys that play for Unity and play for Latrobe that turned a double play probably this year together," Jason Bush said. "This summer they're going to be playing against each other."

The Latrobe team primarily is composed of players who played on the Latrobe High School team, which finished 8-10 overall and 6-6 in Section 2-AAAA.

Read more: Latrobe Legion team prepares for summer season