CLEARFIELD — The Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team, well-stocked with returnees from a successful re-entry into the Central Penn League, begins what it hopes will be a run to the Region 7 Tournament with a trip to Beech Creek Tuesday evening.
Manager Sid Lansberry, who is assisted by Ed Yeager, heads into his 17th season guiding the Chiefs with most of the top hitters and pitchers from the 2012 team that finished in third place and then just missed going to the regional by one victory.
A one-run loss to State College in the league playoffs prevented them from advancing in the post-season as they wound up 13-11 overall, including one forfeit win.
The make-up of the CPL remains the same with 11 teams, but one major change for American Legion baseball this year is that wood bats are mandatory, which surely will result in fewer runs and closer games and force teams to employ more strategy such as bunting and stealing bases to manufacture runs.
While the Chiefs might find it difficult to match last year’s .312 batting average, the mound staff should be able to lower the earned run average of 4.72.
Three of the top five run-producers return in pitcher/first baseman Jon Janocko (17 runs batted in), pitcher/outfielder/designated hitter Ronny Ogden (13) and pitcher/infielder/outfielder Kyler Kephart (11).
The trio also was in the top five in hits as Kephart, who scored 24 runs, collected 26 for a .351 average in 22 games, Ogden totaled 22 for a .355 average in 21 games and Janocko registered 20 for a .328 average in 20 games.
Two other returnees topped the .300 plateau, pitcher/first baseman/outfielder Thomas Summers with 10 hits and a .417 average in 15 games and pitcher/infielder/outfielder Wyatt Westen with 16 hits and a .327 average in 21 games.
All except Summers were regulars throughout the season, as were shortstop Cole Kephart (.274) and left fielder Curtis Collins (.196), who was the lone Chief to play in all 23 games.
The Chiefs averaged just under six runs a game with a total of 135.
Their hurlers surrendered 146 runs, but nearly a third were unearned.
Ogden (5-3, 5.37 ERA) and Kyler Kephart (3-3, 3.04 ) had a combined 15 starts, appeared in 20 games and worked 92-2/3 innings.
Westen (1-3, 9.51 ERA) made four starts and logged 17-1/3 innings in five outings, while Janocko (0-2, 8.22 ERA) got the nod in two games.
Left-hander Summers (1-0, 3.71) was effective in 11-1/3 innings of relief work.
Devin Jones, who developed into a solid starter for the Clearfield Area High School team in the final month of the season, will bolster the staff.
Josh Kennedy and a pair of Bison jayvees, Brandon Orsich and Logan Lykens, provide more depth in the pitching department.
The majority of the Chiefs appeared in most games for the 2013 Clearfield Area High School team that finished 7-12.
Janocko (.333 with team-high 20 hits, five doubles, four home runs and 21 RBIs), middle infielder Spencer Herrington (.328 with 19 hits and team-high 21 runs scored), Summers (.305 with 18 hits) and Cole Kephart (.298 with 17 hits and 12 RBIs) were the top four hitters.
Westen and Collins (10 RBIs) also were regulars, while third baseman/right fielder/designated hitter Kennedy and infielder/designated hitter Erik Sellers and right fielder Zach Timchak all made several starts and Jonas Kochan and Josh Sorbera shared the catching duties.
Jones (2-3, team-best 4.24 ERA in 12 appearances), Westen (2-3), Summers (2-4) and Janocko (1-2, 4.34 ERA) pitched all but two innings for the Bison.
The Chiefs will play the other 10 CPL teams two times and are booked for a non-league game with Bradford at Cooperstown, N.Y., home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, on June 14.
In addition, Clearfield will have four games in two days in the annual Bellefonte Bandits Wood Bat Tournament in late June.
The 25-game schedule could be expanded with other games, according to Lansberry, and definitely will be if the Chiefs make the double-elimination CPL Playoffs.
The 2013 Clearfield Legion roster:
Curtis Collins, of; Spencer Herrington, 2b-ss; Jon Janocko, 1b, p; Devin Jones, p-2b; Josh Kennedy, 3b-p; Cole Kephart ss, 3b; Kyler Kephart p-if-of; Jonas Kochan, c; Logan Lykens, 1b-p; Ronny Ogden, p-of-dh; Brandon Orsich, p-if; Logan Puit, c-of; Erik Sellers, 3b-1b; Josh Sorbera, c-if; Thomas Summers, p-1b-of; Kaleb Taylor, 1b; Zach Timchak, of-c; Wyatt Westen, p-if-of.
The schedule, with (CPL) indicating Central Penn League game and all games at 6 p.m. unless noted:
May
25 – at Penns Valley (CPL), postponed; 28 – at Beech Creek (CPL); 30 – Altoona (CPL).
June
1 – at Bellefonte (CPL), 1 p.m. (dh); 5- Clarence (CPL); 8 – Hollidaysburg (CPL) 3 p.m. (dh); 10 – at Philipsburg (CPL); 12 – State College (CPL); 14 – Bradford at Cooperstown, N.Y., 1:30 p.m.; 15 – Mifflin County (CPL), 5 p.m.; 18- Penns Valley (CPL); 19 Beech Creek (CPL); 21-23 – TBA at Bellefonte Bandits Wood Bat Tournament; 25 – at Altoona (CPL); 27 – at Clarence (CPL); 29 – DuBois (CPL) 1 p.m. (dh).
July
1 – Philipsburg (CPL); 2 – at State College (CPL); 9 – at Mifflin County (CPL); 12-17 – Central Penn League Playoffs.