Tri-T baseball’s 67th year underway

May 10, 2017 at 12:08a.m.

Area team to host Japanese squad

POLAND

The Tri-T Baseball-Softball League is currently in its 67th year of operation and this summer, is expected to attract nearly 100 teams and over 1,300 baseball and softball players from nearly 40 surrounding communities.

You have to go back to 1950 to understand the league’s formation, getting kick-started when Ivan Blackman, then Poland fire chief asked his group to sponsor a baseball team. At that time the league consisted of four teams (Poland Firemen, North Lima Crouse Mills, New Middletown Ohlin Brothers and New Springfield Merchants) and was called the Tri-Township Baseball League.

Today, the league consists of players between the ages of 13-18 and stretches across Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Chartered with PONY Baseball four years later, next to Little League, Inc. they remain the second largest international amateur baseball league.

“We are constantly analyzing the state of our league and looking for ways to make it better,” said Jim DeChellis, currently in his 13th year as league president. “Several decades have passed since our founding and although the league has enjoyed great success through the years, we feel it is important to that we look to evolve and adjust to national trends.”

The PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) League offers eight different divisions with play locally having started April 28.

Girls’ softball is set to get underway May 15 with COLT action commencing Memorial Day Weekend.

Tri-T is currently preparing to host its 3rd annual Mother’s Day Weekend Tournament, slated for May 12-14 at Canfield’s McCune Park.

The tournament is for boys and girls in the 10-U, 12-U and 14-U age group with 47 recreational teams committed to participate.

“There are no travel teams and I have been told that this is the largest tournament ever to be hosted by McCune Park,” Bob Richards, region director for PONY Baseball Bob Richards said. “This will give these recreational teams the opportunity to play in a weekend tournament, much like the travel teams do.”

For the first time ever, PONY national headquarters has asked the local Tri-T group to host the Japanese National 13-14 team as part of its annual “Friendship Series.”

Two doubleheaders on August 11, one comprised of 13 year-old all-stars and another consisting of 14 year-old stars will meet at Boardman’s Fields of Dreams.

“You always remember the first time that you do something and while the Friendship Series has been going on for 20 years, this is the first time that our Tri-T League has been selected to serve as a host. That’s why this is a very special event for us,” Richards said. “They are scheduled on the West Coast first and then travel to Pittsburgh before making their way to Fields of Dreams.”

The area PONY League will attract 38 boys and 18 girl’s teams for its 13-14 age group this year, also attracting 18 COLT teams and eight girl’s high school softball teams.

The league is a West Region entry of the East Zone, which is comprised of four Continental U.S. Zones (East, North, West and South) and also includes Asia Pacific, Europe and the Caribbean.

Tri-T is scheduled to host the PONY 13 sectional (entry level, first phase) July 7-10, also hosting both the PONY 13 regional and COLT sectional from July 14-16.

They will then host the COLT 15 and PONY regionals July 21-23 with all games taking place at the Fields of Dreams Baseball Complex.