Published: August 11, 2008 12:11 am      

Altoona trying to build on success

Altoona Johnston Realty will bring experience to the AAABA Tournament.

The Altoona Regional champions return 11 players from last year’s 2-2 AAABA Tournament team, including pitchers Mike Pierce and Kaleb Fleck.

“Almost all of us have been here last year. Everyone is excited to go out and try to play our best ball,” said Fleck, a right-hander who pitches at Pitt-Johnstown and spent much of the summer in Waynesboro, Va., in the Valley League.

Last year Fleck started against Livonia, a game Altoona came back to win. Pierce started opening night last summer as Altoona beat Johnstown in extra innings.

Manager Kurt Farabaugh also will count on left-hander Nick Gillung and 16-year-old righty Luke Curtis from Philipsburg-Osceola High.

“(Pierce) is a 20-year-old with experience,” Farabaugh said. “Luke Curtis is our young one, but he’s thrown extremely well for a 16-year-old. He doesn’t have tournament experience but he’s been in big games in high school.”

Johnston Realty brings back slugger Matt Adams, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound catcher who batted .389 with two doubles in last year’s tournament. Adams recently returned from the Great Lakes collegiate wooden bat league. Infielder Tyler Stiffler hit .308 in the 2007 tourney, and infielder Brett Weibley is another experienced hitter.

“Our No. 1 strength is we have eight returnees from last year’s starting lineup and we went 2-2 in the tournament and lasted until Thursday,” said 19-year-old Weibley, who attends Kent State. “It comes down to how good your pitching is down here. If you can have a couple good starts, maybe we can get into the weekend.”