The return of the Butler BlueSox is imminent — and still on schedule.

Now part of the eight-team Tri-State Collegiate Baseball League, the BlueSox are slated to begin the 2020 season May 29 against DuBois at Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Historic Pullman Park.

“Things could change, but as of now, we're planning on opening up on time,” manager Dan Helgert said.

The BlueSox franchise that played in the Prospect League folded after the 2018 season, ending a 10-year run. The city of Butler kept the rights to the team nickname and logo.

Both will be in use as the team plays a 27-game schedule that will wrap up in mid-July.

“We're hopeful of starting on time,” Pullman Park Executive Director Dean Selfridge said. “We're prepared to push things back if we have to.

“Whatever the governor hands down, that's what we'll continue to abide by. We're operating week to week right now.”

A second team from Butler — the Iron Bucks — is in the Tri-State League and will also play its home games at Pullman Park.

“We have a number of Butler area players on our roster and the name BlueSox means a lot in this town,” Helgert said. “I think the curiosity will be there when we first start playing.

“It's my job to put a good, entertaining product on the field to get people to come back.”

Nash Bryan, a hard-throwing pitcher from Butler, was going to play for the BlueSox before accepting an opportunity to play summer baseball in New England. Still, half of the roster consists of former Butler County high school players.

They include Ryan Linn (LaRoche), Shawn Marcellus (LaRoche), Nathan Stutz (LaRoche), Jacob Keene (Tiffin), Kyle Weitzel (Grove City), Colby Anderson (Slippery Rock) and Josh Grigoletti (Thiel) from Butler.

Mars graduate Brandon Wetherholt (Gannon), Knoch grad Alex Altmire (Gannon), Freeport grads Tyler Hettich (Allegheny) and Sean Furlong (IUP), and Seneca Valley grad Anthony Cinicola (Slippery Rock) are also on the roster.

“I'm looking to add a couple of pitchers,” Helgert said. “With no spring baseball this year, arm strength isn't going to be built up and that's a concern.”

Helgert managed the Butler Iron Bucks last season.

“I'm used to starting the summer season with pitchers throwing six or seven innings,” he said. “This year, I'll be happy to get three innings out of guys. We'll have to build up innings as we go.

“We have our players doing exercises and drills to work on arm strength, but it's not the same as pitching actual innings.”

There are five doubleheaders on the BlueSox schedule this summer.

Helgert said he's got plenty of room to add arms.

“The league doesn't really have a roster limit, but these teams know each other well,” he said. “Most teams keep their roster around 30 or so and I'm not close to that.”

Besides the BlueSox and Iron Bucks, TSCBL teams include the Pittsburgh Pandas, the Black Sox (North Hills), Toledo, two Creekside (Youngstown) teams and the expansion DuBois squad.

Helgert, 57, is a former catcher who had professional tryouts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals.

“I was a good player, but I was 5-foot-3,” he said. “There was no Internet back when I played, so scouts would come check me out, see this little guy behind the plate and forget about it.

“I could hit two bombs in a game and I'd still be written off by them as too small. It was tough for me to give up playing because I always felt I could play ball with anybody.”

A former assistant high school baseball coach at Highlands and Valley, Helgert owns a health club. He trained Pitt graduate Dewaynme Hendrix, an XFL player who recently signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Freeport graduates and eventual NFL players Eric Ravotti and Jeff Christy were trained by Helgert as well.

“I work with and train athletes all day,” Helgert said.

Mike McNabb, the father of a Valley catcher Helgert coached, will be the Blue Sox assistant coach this summer.

“We've added speed and offense to this roster,” Helgert said. “We can't wait to get started.”