LEWISTOWN - It was a storied run in last year's Pennsylvania American Legion Region 7 tournament for Mifflin County. The local team had its ups and downs throughout last season.
But once the playoffs rolled around, Larry Wolfe and his Mifflin County squad got things going. The team made it all the way to the Region 7 championship game, with a chance at taking home a title.
In that game, Mifflin County held a 3-2 lead heading into the third inning. That's when things went downhill for the locals. West Hempfield ended up taking the win, 15-5, for the title. But that didn't overshadow the accomplishments this team made in 2011.
"We ended very strong last year," Wolfe said. "We qualified for the regional tournament. We lost in the regional title game. Things sort of came together for us."
And come together they did.
But heading into this year's season in the Central Penn League, Wolfe will have almost a complete different squad than he had last season, especially on the hill.
Cody Heane, former Indian Valley graduate that now plays for Bloomsburg, was the catalyst on the mound for Mifflin County. Also not on this year's team is Morgan Barger. Barger hit a walk-off home run against Bushy Run to reach the Region 7 title game a year ago.
The Mifflin County team last year was chalked full of veteran players. But this year it's different. Wolfe will be handed a team that only has three players that have graduated from high school.
So what does Wolfe have back from last year's storied run?
Well that lies in the pitching. Returning for Mifflin County will be Zach Yetter. Yetter, formerly of East Juniata, was Wolfe's No. 2 a year ago.
"He's a big tall lefty from EJ," Wolfe said. "He's a great kid that hits pretty well. He plays on the team up at Penn College and did fairly well. We're looking forward to him chewing up a lot of innings."
Other than Yetter, Hunter Walker will also find himself on the mound. After that, it will be a pick and choose situation for this season's team.
Walker was the Mifflin County Huskies starting shortstop this past season. Walker will be the leader up the middle for Mifflin County.
"We should be reasonably strong up the middle," Wolfe said.
Walker will also be dealt with the task of pitching once again this season. He threw 150 pitches over seven innings in 90-degree heat as Mifflin County earned a 15-11 victory against Bedford and the right to play another day in last year's tournament.
"Zach Yetter will be pitching for us," Wolfe said. "Other than that I lost my whole pitching staff."
While Wolfe's pitching staff may be a little thin, don't count out a Mifflin County Husky trio that had a hand in leading the Huskies to a 16-2 mark in the school's first season. Heath Hidlay, Logan Swineford and Evan Pupo all have seen time pitching.
Mifflin County will be starting the season Saturday against Bellefonte.
"Almost no one," Wolfe said of who will be back for Mifflin County. "It's pretty much eight or nine new ball players together and figure it out."
