The Wyoming Valley American Legion Baseball season is off to a slow start, but for a good reason.
Successful seasons for Wyoming Valley Conference high school teams delayed the availability of nearly one-third of the league’s players.
“We had four teams from three of our franchises go to the state high school playoffs,” said Jerry Ranieli, the Director of Pennsylvania Region 5 American Legion Baseball and the president of the Wyoming Valley Legion League. “The schedule was thrown into a bit of a frenzy.”
Going into Friday, Back Mountain had not played yet after Lake-Lehman High School made the state semifinals and Dallas also qualified for the state tournament. Greater Pittston had played just two games after Pittston Area reached the second round of the state tournament. Stripes and Strikes from Hazleton had also played just twice after Hazleton Area joined the other high schools as a District 2 champion and state qualifier.
“Starting next week, it’s going to get really busy for everybody,” Ranieli said.
There are changes in the league this season directly impacting players from the Pittston Area School District.
The league has gone from nine franchises to eight.
Greater Pittston, already one of the strongest franchises in the league on an annual basis, will now draw from all of the Pittston Area and Wyoming Area School District territories.
In the past, players from east of the Pittston Bypass had played Legion baseball on the Plains team.
Plains has now been combined with Wilkes-Barre into a new Plains/Wilkes-Barre team. What had been two struggling franchises now form a team that is off to a 4-0 start to lead the league.
Ranieli said the move coincides with changes in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Teams from Coughlin, Meyers and GAR High Schools are being combined into Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack teams for next school year. The addition of Plains to Wilkes-Barre, puts all the Coughlin players together with the same players they will be teamed up with in the high school season.
Mountain Post, Nanticoke, Swoyersville and Tunkhannock make up the rest of the league.
Joe Bellino is the new head coach of the Greater Pittston Senior team.
Joe Gavenonis, Joe Delucca and Aaron Lee, all recent players in the program, have joined on as assistant coaches.
“We’re trying to get some young guys to buy into the system and take it over eventually,” said Ranieli, who was the Greater Pittston manager through the end of the 2017 season.
Ranieli first added Wyoming Valley president duties and now is also responsible for the region, which includes the Wyoming Valley, Bradford-Tioga, West Branch, Susquehanna Valley and District 11 (Lackawanna County) Leagues.
Pittston Area High School’s home field in Hughestown serves as the home field for Greater Pittston Senior and Youth games and will host the Wyoming Valley League playoffs, beginning in mid-July. It also hosts the Region 5 tournament, which begins a week later.
Following up a high school season in which Pittston Area and Wyoming Area both finished tied for second in their divisions, Greater Pittston is off to a 2-0 Legion start.
Greater Pittston defeated Tunkhannock, 12-1, and Swoyersville, 9-5.
The team features the Pittston Area middle infield of Josh Baiera and Derek Cunius working with the Patriots first base combination of Hunter Ralston and Cole Cherkas.
Ralston and Cherkas also pitch, along with Wyoming Area’s Toby Hallman and three postgrads – Zach Mascelli, Alex McAndrew and Dylan Melberger.
McAndrew, who was slowed by injury the past two seasons, made one pitching appearance at Grove City College this season.
Melberger also plays third base and left field.
Chase Yochem from Wyoming Area is another first baseman, along with Cameron Kohut, a first baseman/infielder from Scranton Prep.
Pittston Area’s Jimmie Dillon and Brandon Constantino are among the outfielders.
Ryan Petrucci from Wyoming Area is the catcher. Matt Cardinale and John Vernagis provide depth at the position.
Matt Sorick is another player who can serve as a runner and otherwise add depth to the team.
There are also eight teams in the Youth Legion League.
Greater Pittston, managed by Lou Falzone, is off to a 4-1 start to share first place with Back Mountain and Plains/Wilkes-Barre.
