Wellsville forms first Legion baseball team

WELLSVILLE — This summer will bring something to Wellsville that it never had before: an American Legion baseball team.  

This addition can be largely accredited to Chris Caruthers, who with the help of parents, formed the team in a matter of months.

Caruthers sought the advice of state district commissioner Steve Queen, who gave him all the information needed to get the program off and running.  

This included supplying him with phone numbers of other Legion coaches, helping set up a schedule and giving him advice.

“I just told him to have fun and enjoy it,” Queen said.

Queen also told him how much it would help the high school program.  “I was real pleased that they made a team, they’ve always had the kids over there and they have a fairly large legion post,” Queen said.

Caruthers was motivated to start the team because, for years, the Wellsville High School baseball players either would play for teams throughout the area or not play at all during the summer.  

When he was in high school, Caruthers, a 2003 Wellsville graduate, did not play baseball in the summer, but practiced for the fall cross country season.

Shortstop Chase McCullough said if had it not been for the formation of the Wellsville team, he probably would have played for Baldwin.  

“I was happy that we finally had enough kids that wanted to play baseball in Wellsville, and that there enough parents and fundraisers to make this team happen,” he said.

One of the goals is to help the high school program during the spring season.  

All but three players on the Legion roster played for the high school team this spring when the Eagles posted a 10-10 record.

The Legion will be led offensively by McCullough, who hit .517 with a couple of home runs and 17 RBIs this past spring for the Eagles.

The pitching staff will be led by Zack Hoehn, who went 4-3 this spring. Derek Layton, Cole Gardner and Jacob Brown also are expected to be in the rotation.

The Wellsville Legion plays its first games 6 p.m. Thursday against the Patriots at Saddle Club Park in Wellsville.

June 18 marks the first match against the Ottawa A squad.

Anticipating a rivalry between these two teams at this point might be a little premature, though.

The two programs are on opposite ends of the spectrum. This season marks the 64th year for the Ottawa Legion program.

The core of the Wellsville squad consists of players who will be sophomores the coming school year.  

A future goal is for the Wellsville Legion program to field two teams: one for the younger group and the other for the older players.