BY CORY ISENBERG
The Tribune-Democrat
July 24, 2008 11:19 pm
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For the 12th time in the past 13 years, Cambria County American Legion regular-season champion Somerset will venture into the American Legion regional competition.
The Businessmen will face Westmoreland League runner-up Latrobe in a 4 p.m. Region 7 contest Saturday at Shaner Complex near State College for a first-round game.
Somerset manager Bob Hay, whose team has been on the sidelines since wrapping up the league title on July 8, has been to the regionals in six of his seven years with the team and knows all about the top-rate competition facing his team.
“Being off the way we’ve been, I’ve been able to see Latrobe play twice,” Hay said. “They are fairly deep in their pitching. They like to play small ball, sacrificing and moving runners around the bases. They play real sound defense. It should be pretty tough, but I think it will be a good game. There are no easy games once you get to regionals.”
Hay will start his ace, right-hander Landon Wahl, against Latrobe with Brett Christner expected to get the start in Somerset’s second game of the tournament on Sunday.
“With Landon on the mound, we feel we match up well with them,” Hay said. “The balance of our lineup and our starting pitching are two of our main attributes. There are no easy outs in any part of our lineup.”
Hay’s squad is made up of players from the Somerset Golden Eagles PIAA Class AAA runner-up team.
“You don’t have to say much to this group of kids,” Hay said. “They advanced to regionals last year and were on the high school team. They realize they have to do the same things they did in the high school playoffs in regional tournament baseball.”
The starting lineup for the Businessmen includes lead-off batter Chase Dykstra in center, Alex Lenhart in left, Tyler Uphouse at third and Jordan Kaufman at short.
Ryan Fisher is the designated hitter, with Joe Foltz at second, Brett Hemminger at catcher, Cody Hemminger in right field and Tyler Ferry at first base.
Hay says that the tournament should be wide open with no clear favorites.
“I expect us to play well,” Hay said. “If we play the game that I know we’re capable of, we can play on the field with anyone.”
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