BUTLER TWP — The Butler County Area Baseball League continues to wait for the green phase — and the green light to begin its 2020 season.

But as Gov. Tom Wolf continues to have the county in the yellow phase in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the clock keeps ticking.

“These kids will do whatever they need to do,” Butler Township manager Tyler Friel said. “They just want to play baseball.”

That is particularly true in his team's case.

Butler Township is not only the BCABL's defending champion — posting a 17-3 record last year — the bulk of the roster is returning for what it hopes is one final hurrah.

“Most of us have been playing together since we were 8,” pitcher Josh Grigoletti said. “I feel like we have what it takes to go back to back.

“There's a lot of good competition out there, but this team has a lot of good chemistry.”

Friel said much of his squad has been together since T-Ball. But that old gang is already beginning to break up.

Colby Anderson was a freshman pitcher at Slippery Rock University this season. Grigoletti pitched at Thiel. Kevin King was going to play for Butler County Community College this spring. John Piroch is attending Penn State Behrend.

“It's important we get some type of season in this year,” Piroch said. “A few of us will be playing college ball. Most of us ... This is the last time we'll be playing baseball.”

If they do play this summer, the league will likely have a different look to it.

A shortened season — with a whole lot of different guys on the mound.

“If we play, some of these guys are going to be pitching for the first time in their lives,” Friel said. “I've already told all of our guys to be prepared to throw an inning here or there.

“They're looking forward to it. It'll be a different experience for them.”

Should the BCABL get the green light to play, Friel said a solid week of practice, minimum, would be required before teams could play a game. And that's with very spotty pitching.

“We're used to getting pitchers who are already stretched out from their high school or college season,” Friel said. “We've never dealt with having to build up pitching arms before.”

King believes teams would need two to three weeks — with three to four practices per week — to get ready to play.

“Most of us haven't picked up a baseball in a year,” he said. “The batters will definitely be ahead of the pitchers, especially at the start.”

Piroch said he could pitch and throw strikes, “but I'm certainly not going to blow the ball by anybody.”

He added that nobody has even been able to get on a baseball field.

“All of the fields are roped off. Some guys have gotten in batting cages, but that's about it,” Piroch said.

Grigoletti has been playing catch with Anderson three times a week.

“We've done a little long-tossing, but that doesn't get you baseball ready,” Grigoletti said.

“If I pitch our first game, I could go four innings, maybe five. I'd probably limit myself to 75 pitches or so,” he added.

Friel said the league's managers are doing everything they can to have a season. Managers have been talking via speaker phone every other week, developing contingency plans.

“I've got a closer-knit group of guys who just want to be together one last season,” he said.

Perhaps King put it best.

“It's a chance to get away from normal life for a little while and have fun on the ballfield,” he said. “That's what we need right now.”