Opportunity is knocking.

Colin McKee and Mick Fennell have a chance to answer it — and help their respective baseball teams as well.

The two Butler graduates — senior California (Pa.) outfielder Fennell and junior Mercyhurst pitcher McKee — will have their talents on display this week during the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament at Kelly Automotive Park.

Fennell was named PSAC West Athlete of the Year while McKee was named the West Division’s Pitcher of the Year this past week.

Both players have put up eye-popping numbers this season and will be among the objects of attention for major league scouts who will doubtlessly be attending this tournament.

The double-elimination event gets under way Sunday.

California (26-20) takes on the top-seeded team from the PSAC East — defending champion Millersville — at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Fennell will be facing one of the top pitchers in the league in that game.

Fennell is hitting .395 with eight homers, 33 RBI, 10 doubles and six triples. His on-base percentage is a whopping .485 and he’s stolen 22 bases in 23 attempts.

McKee is part of a deep pitching staff at Mercyhurst. The Lakers (38-10) are among the favorites to win this tournament and he’s one of the reasons why.

McKee is sporting a 9-1 record and 1.52 earned run average. He has 122 strikeouts and only 24 walks in 77 innings pitched and opposing batters are hitting a microscopic .153 against him.

The Lakers play Shippensburg — the No. 4 team from the East — at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Whether McKee pitches that game or Mercyhurst’s second game of the tourney on Monday remains to be seen.

When he does take the mound, the scouts will be paying close attention.

Fennell and McKee have become more than viable candidates for next month’s MLB amateur draft. There are no guarantees, of course. They may get picked fairly early, in a late round or not at all.

But one thing is certain. They will be watched over the next few days. Putting together stellar performances on a big stage like this can only help their chances.

A third Butler County product will be in this tournament as well. Karns City graduate Matt Yough — a freshman pitcher at Gannon — has seen plenty of action for the Golden Knights.

Gannon (30-15) will play West Chester at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Yough has made 13 appearances for Gannon, including two starts. He has put together a 4-1 record with a 2.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts and seven walks in 27 innings pitched.

Those aren’t bad numbers for a freshman stepping into one of the top Division II baseball conferences in the country.

While a disappointing season has prevented Slippery Rock University from attaining a berth in this tournament, Fennell, McKee and Yough will provide plenty of local interest.

And, hopefully, plenty of success for themselves.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle