Blue Mountain League set to begin its 76th season of amateur baseball – The Morning Call

Matt McBride played for a championship team at Liberty High School, was a Patriot League all-star at Lehigh University, and spent 14 years in professional baseball, with his career wrapping up with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2019.

McBride didn’t want to stop playing baseball completely, however. He spent last season playing with the Hellertown Royals in the Blue Mountain League, choosing to come back to the amateur league that helped launch his career.

He had spent time playing with the defunct MCS Cardinals in the early 2000s as a teenager and found the BML to remain a competitive league filled with young talent as well as those no longer in high school or college and who have no particular professional aspirations.

“The league had gotten younger from my previous time in it,” McBride said. “A lot of good college players now come back to play in it and a lot of high school players who are just coming off their senior years play in it. Then there’s still that mix of older guys who are either in their late 20s or early 30s. Last year, we even had two guys in their 40s. The guys who are still playing still love the game.”

After years of traveling throughout the country, including parts of four seasons in the major leagues with the Colorado Rockies and Oakland Athletics, McBride is happy to be home with his family.

The BML still satisfies his desire to play the game he has always loved and at a competitive level.

“I had a lot of fun,” said McBride, who will turn 37 on May 23. “No matter what type of baseball you play, once you get out there, you get in your element. Hellertown plays at a great place, Dimmick Park, and it was enjoyable to be back in a dugout and be around guys of different ages who all love the game of baseball.”

McBride will be back on the Hellertown roster as the BML begins its 76th season this week with 11 teams. The Elite Sports Avengers are a new entry and will play most of its home games at Scherersville’s No. 5 field in South Whitehall Township.

Each squad will play a 30-game schedule, with the top six advancing to the league playoffs.

The first three games are scheduled on Tuesday and both of last year’s finalists, Hellertown and the Northern Yankees, are hosting games. Martins Creek visits McBride’s Royals and the Roseto Bandits take on the defending champion Northern Yankees at Egypt Memorial Park.

With an assistant from league officer Tim Fisher, here’s a look at each team:

BERLINSVILLE BRAVES

Manager: Cody Krupa

Home field: Bryfogle Park, Berlinsville

2021 reg. season: 8-19, 9th.

Key players: C/IF Owen Fischl (.333), C/IF Austin Mueller (.308, 4 HR, 15 RBIs), P Logan Magdits.

Quotable: “We’re extremely excited for the season with a strong pitching staff and a very talented young core of college baseball players,” said Krupa, who is also the coach of the reborn Lehigh-Carbon Community College team. “We expect to compete to be in the postseason.”

EASTON FALCONS

Co-managers: Ellis Weitzman, Greg Hess, Carm LaDuca, Keith Tone.

Home field: Easton HS.

2021 reg. season: 12-15, 6th.

Playoffs: Lost to Northern Yankees, two games to none, in the quarterfinals.

Key players: IF/P Shawn Boylan (.286); OF/1B Trey Durrah (.452); P Scott Poulson (2.62 ERA); P Pete Violante (pitched at Easton HS, Drew University).

Quotable: “We made it to the playoffs the last two seasons and once again we have a young team with more than a dozen returners,” Weitzman said. “We’ll try to make it three times in a row.”

ELITE SPORTS AVENGERS

Co-managers: Darren LePage, Steve Rau.

Home field: Scherersville No. 5, South Whitehall Township

Key players: None made available.

Quotable: “The roster consists solely of recent graduates from the Avengers tournament program from Emmaus, Parkland, Southern Lehigh, Becahi, Northwestern, and Upper Perk,” Rau said. “The majority of the players are either returning from their college baseball seasons or will be venturing off in late summer to compete in their upcoming freshman fall seasons. We expect to bring to the league a new breed of young talent to help continue the high quality of baseball the BML has delivered to the Lehigh Valley for the last several decades.”

HELLERTOWN ROYALS

Manager: Bob Zerfass.

Home field: Dimmick Park.

2021 reg. season: 16-11, 4th.

Playoffs: Defeated Northampton, two games to none, in quarterfinals; beat Limeport Bulls, three games to one, in semis; lost to Northern Yankees, three games to one, in finals.

Key players: IF Jack Rothenhausler (.396); P/C/UT Dan Blugis (.347); all-league OF Ben Piripavel (.376); DH-1B Matt McBride; P Paul Roth (4-1, 39ips); P Joe DePerno; P Brian Ernest.

Quotable: “Expectations are quite high,” Zerfass said. “This team could possibly be the best since our last championship year of 2012 after we won it in 2009, 2010, and 2011.”

IRON VALLEY REAL ESTATE ORIOLES

Manager: Zach Delp.

Home field: Curt Simmons Field, Egypt Memorial Park.

2021 reg. season: 20-6-1, 2nd.

Playoffs: Lost to Northern Yankees, three games to one, in the semis.

Key players: Zach Delp (MVP, manager of the year, all-league OF) hitting .429 with 11 HRs; 2B Ian Csencsits (all-league selection) .346, 5 2Bs, 5 3Bs; 1B/OF AJ Brosious (all-league DH) .362; C/OF Zach Merkle (.367); P/IF Jake Meyers (5-0, Turoscy Formula Award winner); P Justin Jachowicz (4-1); P CJ Saveri (past league MVP who hasn’t played since 2018).

Quotable: “This could be a special year for us due to how talented this group is,” Delp said.

PROJECT PRINTED LIMEPORT BULLS

Manager: CJ Saliby

Home field: Limeport Stadium.

2021 reg. season: 23-7, 1st.

Playoffs: Lost to Hellertown, three games to one, in semis.

Key players: 2021 Rookie of the Year and all-league 3B Dennis Pierce (.429); all-league 1B Damin Muth (.456); P/UT Matt Dobeck (.406); all-league pitcher Cooper Michael (7-0); P Luke Miller (6-0).

Quotable: “We’ll have some new faces, but expect to be in the mix for a title with a focus on good pitching, team chemistry, and complimentary baseball,” Saliby said.

LIMEPORT DODGERS

Manager: Andy Robison

Home field: Limeport Stadium.

2021 reg. season: 9-18, 8th.

Key players: P/IF Brian Robison (.256, 3 wins as pitcher); OV/PBrad Buzzard (.325); IF/OV/P Jeff Cavanaugh (.258); C/P Doug Malitsch; OV/P Taylor Linn (.260).

Quotable: “We have a cast of young returners and some new players that will make us a more competitive team,” Robison said.

MARTIN’S CREEK CREEKERS

Manager: Jarred Monti

Home field: Pacchioli Field, Lower Mount Bethel Township

2021 reg. season: 11-16, 7th.

Key returnees: All-league OF Carson Freeman (.386); IF/OV Brandon Mazzie (.390, 4 HR); SS Matt Rosace (.383); OV/P Brian DelRosso (.302); 1B Josh Noviskey; P/3B Ben Moyzan; SS/P Collin Quintano.

Quotable: “We look to get back on track in 2022 after a disappointing finish to last season,” Monti said. “We’ll look to a mostly veteran group and a few newcomers to set the tone for a successful season.”

NORTHAMPTON GIANTS

Manager: Nate Kester

Home field: Northampton HS

2021 reg. season: 13-13-1, 5th.

Playoffs: Lost to Hellertown, two games to none, in quarterfinals.

Key players: All-league catcher Steve Sulcoski (.353, 6 HR, 15 RBI); 1B Nate Kester (.369); Jared Angerman (.294); P Adam Maini (.333, 4-0 with Bulls last year); P Chris Foundas; P Donovin Fusco-Lamont; P Rod Berger (2 wins, 51⅓ IP); Cam Rodgers (2 wins).

Quotable: “Last year our weakness came from the lack of pitching,” Kester said. “With a handful of new players that are a mix of veterans and rookie pitchers, I expect to be strong contenders in the league.”

NORTHERN YANKEES

Manager: Brian Polaha

Home field: Curt Simmons Field, Egypt Memorial Park.

2021 reg. season: 17-10, 3rd.

Playoffs: Beat Falcons, two games to none, in quarterfinals; beat Orioles, three games to one, in semis; Beat Royals, three games to one, in finals.

Key players: All-league utility player C/1B Allen Umbenhauer (.388); OF/1B Jacen Nalesnik (.389); IF/P Chad Cooperman (.396); C/1B/DH Derek Holmes (.366, 3 3Bs); OF/1B Chase Herb (.393); OV/P Casey Rother (.469 in 2019); P Caleb Calarco.

Quotable: “We have most of the nucleus back from last year’s championship team,” Polaha said. “We’ve added a few more talented players and we should once again contend for a title.”

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ROSETO BANDITS

Manager: Jarred Randolph

Home field: Bangor Memorial Park

2021 reg. season: 4-22, 10th.

Key players: OF/SS/P Mike Agosto (.333, 35 IP, 2 wins); IF/C Tommy Young (.265); 3B Seth Laky (.244); C/OF Kael Godshalk; 2B Tyler Batdorf.

Quotable: “A good core of young returners coming back this year should help make for a competitive team this summer,” Randolph said.

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