Mix of excitement, anxiety as Derry prepares to start Westmoreland County Baseball League action

Derry Legion baseball manager Joe Lynch is as eager as he is nervous to see a return of summer baseball.

The revamped Westmoreland County American League Baseball, a slight deviation from the District 31 league that will return in 2021, is set to begin next weekend.

New safety guidelines will be in effect with an eye toward the still-lingering coronavirus, but Lynch knows teams still should proceed with caution.

“It’s a scary situation,” he said. “This pandemic changed everything. The kids are excited to be out there, but their parents are nervous. My brother lives in New Jersey, and they really got it bad there. I told him we were playing again here, and he said, ‘You’re crazy.’ ”

Derry, like other teams in the league, will shed the “Legion” part of its name after American Legion season was canceled in the early days of the the coronavirus outbreak. Two Derry players quit over concerns about safety, believing the league is returning to action too early.

The team was scheduled to have it first practice Saturday, nine days before its opener at Young Township’s Bertolino Field.

Lynch, a third-year coach, expects the league to start slowly. After all, most players have not seen live game action since last summer. The virus erased the high school baseball season.

“It will be messy,” Lynch said. “There will be a lot of trial and error. Pitchers are going to need a lot of relief. I know I am not going to overuse a kid. It’s not worth pushing anything to sacrifice a win.”

Derry made the playoffs two years ago but struggled to a three-win season in 2019.

That team struggled to build a roster, plodding through a long summer with just nine players.

But this group is 17 strong and includes nine players from Derry, six from Blairsville and two from Latrobe.

“We’re stacked up the middle,” Lynch said. “But we’re a young team. We’re going to have to mix up our pitchers a good bit.”

Austin Siko, one of the better catchers in the league, returns, and Derry also will look for a big season from No. 1 pitcher and shortstop Josh Ulery.

Another key pitcher back is Ryan Bushey, and Blairsville’s C.J. Ingmire brings stability to second base and provides power at the plate. Brayde Furman is back in center field.

Lynch said Brayden Mickinak, Brayden Staats and Nick Reeping will provide a positive influence for the team, and Andrew Baker will help the pitching staff.

“The addition of some younger players will challenge our veteran players for starting positions, making it an exciting year,” Lynch said.

Derry will play at Sloan Field in Blairsville until the Derry High School field reopens for usage.