The Butler County Area Baseball League plans on returning this spring.

It just doesn't know when.

The BCABL is scheduled to begin play May 12, end the regular season July 5 and its postseason tournament July 23-24. But all of that is subject to change.

“With this changing world, we're in a holding pattern,” Cranberry manager and league president Larry Stelitano said. “We just had a conference call (Sunday). We're preparing to make adjustments if need be.”

No team fees have been collected, no paperwork officially filed.

“It's just a waiting game,” East Butler manager and league vice president Paul Patten said.

The BCABL plans to have 10 teams this season. While Kiski has dropped out of the circuit, Mars and West Sunbury have joined.

Other teams are Butler Township, Center Township, East Butler, Pine-Richland, Cranberry, Karns City, Freeport and Saxonburg.

An 18-game regular season is planned. All 10 teams will be involved in the postseason. The seventh-place team will play the last-place team, the eighth and ninth-place teams will meet in play-in games to determine the eight-team double-elimination tournament field.

The BCABL All-Star Game is scheduled for July 6 at a site to be determined.

The direction of the BCABL will be determined by the fate of the high school baseball season.

“If the PIAA cancels the spring sports season, I imagine we'll get an influx of players,” Stelitano said. “That could actually benefit our league. These kids are gonna want to get more summer baseball in besides their AAU teams.”

Center Township and East Butler struggled with numbers at times last season. The league's other roster numbers were solid.

The BCABL roster limit is 18.

“If schools are back in session in May and the PIAA decides to play a one-month season with playoffs going into June, we may move our schedule back. That's one of the possibilities we discussed,” Stelitano said.

He said the league would be willing to play into August if it gets a late start.

“If the high schools play into June, that could throw our league for a loop,” Butler Township manager and league secretary-treasurer Tyler Friel said. “We'd be willing to play a condensed schedule just to get games in.

“I know our team has a handful of college freshmen and this will be their last summer to play baseball together locally. We want to make sure they have that opportunity.

“Playing through the first week of August would probably be OK. Beyond that, you run into kids going away to college or getting ready for fall sports,” Friel added.

Stelitano is encouraging Saturday doubleheaders if that's what it takes to get the complete schedule in.

“If we do that, eight weeks would be enough time to get an 18-game schedule in,” he said.

And everybody wants to play.

“None of these kids want to stay cooped up in the house,” Patten said. “This is my son's last year to play baseball and I know how badly he wants to play.”

May 12 remains that play date — for now.

“We're still gunning for that,” Friel said. “Time will tell.”