Since the Butler BlueSox have returned, a number of Butler baseball players didn't have to leave.

Colby Anderson, Jacob Keane, Ryan Lynn, Shawn Marcellus, Nate Stutz and Nash Bryan are among the former Golden Tornado ballplayers now suiting up for the BlueSox.

“It's great to be playing here,” said Keane, who has three years of baseball eligibility remaining at Tiffin (Ohio) University. “I played my high school games here (Pullman Park) and it feels good to be back here playing with a bunch of my high school buddies, since we've gone away to different colleges.”

A first baseman-third baseman, Keane is happy to be playing at all. He is coming off a torn UCL (elbow) injury and hadn't played any baseball since last year.

“I just want to get some at bats and work my way back,” he said.

Anderson, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound left-handed pitcher, will be a sophomore at Slippery Rock University this fall. He saw no game action his freshman year at SRU.

Anderson made his second start of the season for the BlueSox Wednesday night in the team's 9-6 win over DuBois. He struck out four and allowed one run in five innings.

“He earned this start,” BlueSox manager Dan Helgert said of Anderson. “Colby's looked very strong in a few relief appearances for us.

“We came into this season with three pitchers who I knew were gonna be starters. From there, guys earn them and Colby's done that. He throws all of his pitches for strikes and he works fast.

“I love pitchers who work fast and so do the guys playing behind him,” Helgert said.

All Anderson wants to do is continue getting innings in and ride positive momentum into fall baseball at SRU.

“I prefer starting over relieving,” he said. “My goal is to become a starting pitcher at Slippery Rock.”

Anderson and Keane are playing for other teams this summer as well. Anderson is a first baseman for Butler Township in the Butler County Area Baseball League while Keane is a third baseman in the All-American Collegiate League.

“My team plays its home games here at Pullman, too,” Keane said. “We used to play at Greentree, but that got shut down and we moved here.”

Both players consider the BlueSox their primary team.

“I'm fine with them playing for other teams. It's all about getting more reps. That's what this is about,” Helgert said.

Anderson does not pitch for Butler Township. He plays first base and bats third in BT's lineup. He's hitting over .300.

But he won't bat for the BlueSox or SRU, due to the designated hitter.

“I like hitting,” Anderson said. “But anymore, the higher you go (in baseball), if you pitch, you don't hit.

“Coach Helgert is here one or two days a week when we don't have games, but the workouts aren't mandatory. If you can make it, you go. If you can't, it's no big deal.”

Besides pitching for two teams, Anderson also works for Door Dash this summer, delivering meals to homes.

“It's usually over lunch time, for two to three hours a few days a week,” he said. “I'll do the dinners, too, if I don't have a game.”

Lynn plays shortstop for the BlueSox and usually bats in the No. 2 spot. He was hitting .328 as a sophomore shortstop at La Roche before the spring season was shut down.

“We were in Florida when the virus thing hit,” Lynn said. “I was off to a good start and playing every day.”

He's earned similar time with the BlueSox.

“I'm getting my share of playing time,” Lynn said. “I played for the Iron Bucks last year, but they decided to put a lot of the Butler guys together with the BlueSox this year. I'm just back home playing ball. It's summer. I'm having fun.

“When I get back to La Roche, I want to be part of a team that wins another AMCC championship, maybe win it all. You always play to win.”