After two summers of abnormal and shortened seasons because of pandemic issues, the 2022 American Legion District 17 baseball campaign is set to return to normal and on schedule with a full slate of games, beginning with opening contests June 2, followed by a full postseason.
“Right now, everything is set to go back to normal again, and we are glad for that,” District 17 commissioner and Arlington Post 139 manager Bob Romano said. “All of the teams are preparing to get started and they are setting their rosters.”
The district will have an additional seventh team this season in Fairfax Post 177. Local teams in the Sun Gazette coverage areas, in addition to Arlington Pos t 139 are McLean Post 270, perennial power Vienna Post 180 and Falls Church Post 130. Springfield Post 176 and Alexandria Post 123 round out the league.
Arlington won the district tournament last season, then placed second in the state, finishing with a 14-9 record. Vienna was second in the 2021 district tourney and 16-5 overall. Falls Church finished 7-12 and McLean 6-11.
Arlington and Vienna again are expected to have strong teams, as each return key players and will have additions of talented first-year team members. The rosters are pretty much set for each.
Falls Church and McLean are still working to finalize their lineups.
“I like the way our roster is shaping up,” Romano said. “We have a lot of pitching.”
Top returners for Arlington will be pitchers Ketz Murray, Bobby McDonough, Tom Bourque, Patrick Ashley, Noah Larbalesier and Lorenzo Snyder. Returning starting shortstop Quinn Brennan is another top returner along with valuable utility player Dillon Bass, catcher James Thiriez and Landon Thomas. They can all pitch.
Some first-year players will be J.J. Foti, Jake Guffey, Jordan Bussie, Henry Hultquist, Sam Merkel, Javier Murray and Mateo Romano.
Vienna manager Nick Good said he has received commitments from a number of returners and other top players.
Among returners are 2022 team Most Valuable Player Matt Allen, along with Patrick Colyar, Mac Kopka, John Klein, Ian Babey and Jacob Wechselblatt. Top newcomers will be Bannon Brazell, Tanner Wharton, Steve Milman, Colin Casey, Scott Harthun, Robbie Reddington, Noah Brogan, Ryan Dwyer, Ethan Jones and Bobby Dingell.
“I’d like to think we’ll have a good team when everyone is all there,” Good said.
From 2012 to 2019, Vienna won seven of eight district-tournament titles.
Top returners for McLean this summer are expected to be brothers Kohl and Kier Strom, Jack Rampy, Yechan Kim and Ryan D’Aquila.
“We’re still contacting a lot of players,” McLean manager Keith Hornstein said.
McLean finished second in the district tournament and advanced to the state in 2019.
For Falls Church, Orlando Torres, Jonah Wilkes and Alex Tanaka are expected back for a team that finished 2-2 in last summer’s district tourney.
NOTES: The new District 17 Web site will be: leagues.teamlink.com/albd17 . . . It’s possible two teams from the district will advance to the state tournament this coming season.