The Butler County Area Baseball League is gearing up for its 2021 season, which is scheduled to start May 15.

There will be a couple of notable changes this year.

Saxonburg and Center Township are not fielding teams this summer, leaving the circuit with seven teams: Cranberry, Butler Township, East Butler, Freeport, Karns City, West Sunbury and Pine-Richland.

The BCABL has also expanded its age eligibility to include 20-year-olds, meaning more college players will be participating.

“The Tri-County League has expanded its age eligibility to 18 and the Allegheny River League has done the same,” Cranberry manager and BCABL president Larry Stelitano said. “With the Colt Leagues taking on older kids, we felt it was necessary for us to expand our age eligibility as well.

“This is a good move for us. Frankly, if we hadn't done this, I don't know if we could have maintained a viable league.”

Butler Township manager and league secretary-treasurer Tyler Friel agreed.

“I would have lost a ton of players,” Friel said. “Now I'm looking at a 16-player roster with 13 returning from last season.

“As kids go off to college, our league now gives them a chance to get back with their high school buddies and play sumnmer baseball together. It's getting the old band back together, so to speak.”

Friel also figures Saxonburg and Center Township, and possibly other teams, to rejoin the league in future seasons.

“In community summer baseball, the number of teams always fluctuates,” he said.

The BCABL is continuing with its $1,000 scholarship program, awarding three such scholarships to players in the league. Those scholarship winners are determined through an essay contest, the essays detailing the player's benefits from playing community baseball.

“It's a nice reward for staying with local baseball for the summer,” Stelitano said. “I give (former coaches) Butch Master and Jerry Piroch a lot of credit for coming up with that concept. We are proud to continue it.”

“It's one of the best things we do. I love that (scholarship) program in our league,” Friel echoed.

Butler Township assistant coach Matt Piroch is BCABL vice president and anticipates an extremely competitive season.

“One or two teams may be down, maybe, but this league has a lot of balance,” Piroch said. “With players being a little older now, the quality of play should be very good.”

Piroch added that the league will feature a number of doubleheaders this year. Some of those will be played on Saturdays.

Butler Township will use the Butler High School fielsd as its home this season.

“We'll have lights there, Cranberry's field has lights, so doubleheaders can be played at night,” Piroch said.

The regular season will be 18 games. All seven teams will compete in the double-elimination postseason tournament. Pine-Richland defeated Freeport in the title game last year.

The BCABL All-Star Game — which was not played last year due to the abbreviated schedule — will be at 6:30 p.m. July 12 at a site to be determined.