Monroeville Junior Legion team completes best season in program history at state tournament

After league and regional tournaments where it won six of nine games, the Monroeville Junior Legion team set its sights on making some noise at the Pennsylvania state tournament in Berwick.

Things started well with a win in its first game, but a pair of losses in the double-elimination event brought a sudden end to what was another successful summer season for the program.

“With this team, I will always remember the love that the kids showed each other and the pride with which they represented Monroeville Baseball throughout the league, regional and state playoffs,” manager Rich Otterman said.

“These kids took their lumps last year as one of the youngest teams in the league. They stuck together and vowed to put the program back among the top teams in our region this season. They absolutely accomplished that goal.”

The top-six finish in the state playoffs is the best in the program’s history.

Monroeville, which ended up third in the Westmoreland County League playoffs and second to state runner-up Penn Township at Regionals, started the season 5-5 but won 14 of its final 20 to finish 19-11 overall.

Otterman said he still felt the emotion of the team’s run to states several days after it came to a close.

“If you don’t cry when it’s over, it didn’t mean enough while it was going on,” he said.

“There weren’t many dry eyes in the handshake line after we were eliminated. The kids were hurting because of the loss. The coaches and I were hurting because we wanted a couple more days with them.”

Monroeville opened the state tournament July 29 with a victory over Macungie Junior Legion, 14-5.

Grady Dunsmore, a rising sophomore at Gateway, doubled twice and drove in six runs.

Owen Dumbroski, a rising junior at Serra, went 3 for 3 with a double, triple, two walks, four runs scored, two RBIs and a stolen base.

Bucky Otterman, a rising sophomore at Gateway, knocked in a pair of runs.

Craig Werner, an eighth grader at Gateway this year, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits and two walks to pick up the victory.

After the opening win, Monroeville ended up on the short end of a pair of results thus eliminating it from the tournament.

It suffered an 8-2 setback to eventual state champion Upper Perkiomen on July 30.

Dumbroski led the way with a double, a triple and one RBI.

Monroeville was eliminated July 31 as Back Mountain rallied for an 8-6 victory.

Dumbroski again paced the offense with two hits, one a double, an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases.

Braden Washington, a rising freshman at Gateway, added two hits and a runs scored, while Ryan Deselich singled, walked twice and scored two runs.

“It’s meant a lot to me to represent the Monroeville baseball and softball association in my three seasons on the Junior Legion team,” said Dumbroski, who finished his three state tournament games 7 of 9 with five extra-base hits, six runs scored and four RBIs.

“I made a lot of great friendships. The coaches always showed that they cared and had the best interests of the players. I am going to miss it.”

Dumbroski, Dunsmore, Otterman, Joey Cheripka, Ethan McMullen, DeVaughn Earl-Hayden, Nico Comunale and Joseph Margiotta age out of the program.

“I would give anything to go back and relive those three years of baseball with my friends and coaches and everything they coached me in, not just baseball but life, too,” Dunsmore said.

“Any kid who has the chance to experience what I was able to, 100% do so and cherish every moment of it.”

Since its inception in 2016, the Monroeville Junior Legion program has played in four regional events and now has taken part in two state tournaments.

Otterman said the team hopes to return next summer and make another postseason run.

A core of players eligible to return include Deselich and Werner, outfielders Donovan Deluco and Braden Washington, pitcher Cam Gottschalk (also outfield), catcher Micah Rawls and infielders Colin Graves and Shane Demchak.