Norwin PAL Junior Legion baseball team to rely on pitching depth
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It has been a slow start for the Norwin PAL Junior Legion baseball team.
The squad opened the summer season with a 1-4 record. But the more time the team sees on the field, the more good things coach Ken Lindsay is seeing.
“We are young and trying to get everyone to work together,” Lindsay said. “We got our first win by beating (Penn Township). With the rivalry, anytime you beat PT it is a good feeling.”
Only three players returned from last season’s squad: Luke Savage, Matt Morrow and Tanner Babeo. The rest of the roster is new, and there has been a learning curve.
“We have had some struggles at the plate,” Lindsay said. “I don’t know if it is because a lot of the kids haven’t used a wood bat before. I think transition from a metal bat to a wood bat factors into it.”
One area the team isn’t lacking is pitching. Lindsay said out of the 15 players on the roster, 12 can contribute on the mound. That is going to be a plus for the team in case the schedule is back loaded by rainouts.
“We have some doubleheaders this season,” Lindsay said. “One week we have four games in three days because of a double-header. I don’t have to pitch my starting pitcher an entire game. I got enough kids that if each pitcher gives us two or three innings, we won’t have a lot to worry about.”
Versatility is a strength for this team. Lindsay said most of the players can play multiple positions. This has given Norwin PAL plenty of tools to work with. Lindsay said he has 13 players who can play in the outfield. The team also has three players who can play behind the plate.
“If I have kids missing or, God forbid, someone gets hurt, I won’t have to throw someone out there who has never played that position,” Lindsay said.
The Westmoreland County Junior Legion league expanded to include teams from Allegheny County and Fayette County. The 18-team league has two divisions: North and South.
The Norwin PAL team competes in the South with Connellsville, Hempfield East, Ligonier, Mt. Pleasant, Penn Township, Smithfield, Uniontown and West Hempfield. The North features Baldwin, Bethel Park, Kiski, Lower Burrell, Monroeville, Murrysville, Penn Hills, Plum and Riverview. The top four teams from each division move onto the postseason.
“It is nice that the league is getting bigger,” Lindsay said. “This is my eighth season. When I started, the league only had 10 teams. The one downfall is that we don’t play the other division until the playoffs.
“But it is nice that the league is getting bigger and allowing kids to see more talent from areas other than Hempfield and Penn-Trafford.”
With a long season ahead, the Norwin PAL squad still has a lot to play for. If the team can continue improving, Lindsay said it can contend for a postseason spot.
“I believe we can do it,” Lindsay said. “We need to start playing every game as a team. If we cut back on errors and score a few more runs, we should be able to finish in the top four and make the playoffs.”