Legion baseball notebook: District 31 playoffs start next week

The American Legion District 31 baseball season seems like it just started, but the regular season will wrap up next week.

Teams, most of them from Westmoreland County, will complete league play Thursday, and the playoffs likely will begin next weekend.

The top eight out of 10 teams qualify.

The standings look like this coming down the stretch: Bushy Run 13-3-1; Murrysville 12-4; Hempfield East 11-5; Latrobe 10-5; Somerset 8-5; Homer City 7-8; Young Township 6-8-1; Mt. Pleasant 7-10; Unity 2-14; Blairsville 2-16.

Top dogs

Bushy Run and Murrysville are the top two teams right now, and their head-to-head matchups have not disappointed.

The games have been tight, but Bushy Run won 4-3 and 5-4.

Bushy Run, which has outscored teams 140-49, took an eight-game winning streak into Friday’s game against Unity at Whitney Field.

Murrysville had 127 runs and had given up 45.

Jet stream

There is one team you always can count on to be in the District 31 postseason.

Latrobe has been a model of consistency. Post 515 secured its 33rd consecutive postseason berth. The impressive run of success goes back to 1991.

The Jethawks (13-3-1) have made the Region 7 tournament a district-record 16 times.

Showcase time

District 31 will host its annual talent showcase at 5 p.m. July 13 at Pitt-Greensburg.

College scouts will evaluate players based on drill work and times.

The event is free for rostered players.