Bushy Run Legion team rounding into shape after late start

Things are getting back to normal for the Bushy Run American Legion baseball team, and the group is starting to play the way coach Scott Peyman expected.

In their past four games, wins against Somerset, Mt. Pleasant twice and Blairsville, Bushy Run (7-2) has outscored its opponents, 53-2.

Bushy Run trails Murrysville (6-0) in the District 31 Western Division and is just ahead of Hempfield East (7-4), Trafford (5-5) and Derry (4-6).

The team’s season was delayed because of the success of the Penn-Trafford High School baseball team, which was awarded a trophy for winning the WPIAL Class 5A title. The Warriors reached the PIAA quarterfinals before bowing out.

But Peyman wasn’t too concerned because of the experience returning from the 2023 District 31 champions and Regional 7 runner-up. Bushy Run lost to Beech Creek in the finals.

Bushy Run returned 12 starters this summer, and Peyman welcomed six new faces to the roster.

Back are pitchers Brandon Rohrer, Brandon Long, John Lovre and Rob Andrews; centerfielder Jason Sabol; leftfielders Carmen Metcalfe and Ty Freas; shortstop Brody Hoffman; first baseman Chuck Fontana; rightfielders Anthony Monroe and Eric Birosack; and catcher Ian Temple.

Freas and Lovre also play third base and Birosak Long also catches.

The new faces include second baseman David Newsom, pitcher Nico Casciato, designated hitter/first baseman Ethan Septak, pitcher/middle infielder Dom Delio, catcher Colton Tyburski and pitcher Travis Kovarik.

“We’re a veteran team,” Peyman said. “I told my coaches that we probably won’t be doing a lot of coaching because they know how to win. They expect to win. When we lost to Derry earlier this season, we were coming off a WPIAL playoff loss and the Derry pitcher threw well. It was a wake-up call for the team.”

And now they are on a roll.

“We have great leadership on the team,” Peyman added. “We’re strong at every phase of the game. We’re good offensively and defensively. We’re deep and we have a lot of pitchers.”

Rohrer, who was the high school ace, hasn’t thrown yet for Bushy Run. Peyman gave him a break after the high school season.

The Penn-Trafford area has a second Legion team this season as Trafford is fielding a squad in District 31.

“We have a ton of players in the district,” Peyman said. “They’re going to be very competitive too.”

Because District 31 has grown to 14 teams with the addition of Burrell, Derry, Yough and Trafford, the league was divided into two divisions — Eastern and Western.

Peyman said the goal is to either win the division or finish in the top two spots to guarantee a playoff spot. The last four playoff spots will be decided by points.

“If you get one of the top two spots, you start the playoffs at home,” Peyman said. “That’s what we’re shooting for.”