KARNS CITY — Coty McGregor still wanted to pitch. All he needed was a team to pitch for.

A three-year player for Karns City's American Legion baseball team, McGregor signed up for his fourth and final year last winter, only to discover the team had folded its program for a year.

KCmanager Terry Stiehler had knee surgery and wasn't available to run the team.

"They had 14 boys sign up to play, but nobody stepped forward to run the team,"Butler City Legion baseball manager Jerry Piroch said. "If the kids wanted to play Legion ball, they had to go to the next closest program."

In McGregor's case, He and Karns City teammate Cody Zabicki joined a young Center Township team that won nine. McGregor wound up hitting .311 as its left fielder and posted a 7-2 record on the mound. The right-handed McGregor had 101 strikeouts and 34 walks in 86 innings pitched.

His performance has earned him Butler County American Legion Baseball's first Player of the Year Award.

"He won by unanimous vote of all the league's managers,"Piroch said. "That kid deserves it. There's a kid who really wanted to play baseball."

Piroch, who serves as public relations coordinator for the BCAL, said he hopes to make the player of the year honor an annual award.

"We'll have to work on the criteria, but I'd like to see an 18- or 19-year-old win it, make it to all the games, not get ejected from a contest and show loyalty and dedication to American Legion Baseball.

"Coty qualifies on all of those counts."

McGregor didn't find out Karns City wasn't fielding a team until a week before the season started.

He never thought about not playing.

"I'm dedicated to this game. I want to make myself better," he said.

McGregor mentored some of the younger players on Center Township's team. His pitching and hitting helped get the team into the BCALplayoffs.

"I got there and there were a bunch of 16-year-olds I had never met before,"McGregor said. "After about a week, we all knew each other and everybody was cool.

"I've been playing baseball since I was 5. I like it because I've always been good at it. I'm not a big guy, but I throw harder than expected.

McGregor is 5-foot-7, 160 pounds. His fastball was clocked between 84 and 90 mph during Legion all-star tryouts this summer.

"When I called him, all that kid wanted was a chance to play baseball. He didn't care where,"Center Township manager Mike Campbell said. "He didn't know any of our players, yet he fit right in. Our younger players looked up to him.

"Where we would have finished without him, I have no clue."

Center Township finished seventh in the standings. McGregor had pitched a complete game to begin the playoffs, but his team lost badly to Meridian the following night.

Eligible to pitch only two more innings, McGregor trotted in from his left field position.

"He walked to the mound and said, 'Give me the ball.'" Piroch said. "Then he pitched two scoreless innings when he was clearly out of gas."

McGregor played fall baseball this year for Butler County Community College. He pitched and played right field. He won a game in the playoffs as BC3 finished 13-13.

Eventually, McGregor hopes to pitch for a four-year school.

"Just a good ballplayer and a great kid,"Campbell said. "I'm glad he came our way. He improved himself and helped a few other players get better along the way."