Back Mountain’s already large presence in Pennsylvania District 31 Little League baseball and softball has a chance to grow even larger this summer.
Five Back Mountain teams are defending titles during the all-star tournament season that was scheduled to begin Saturday, June 16.
There is also a new Back Mountain team pursuing a championship in the Major Little League Baseball division, the one for 12-year-olds that advances to the famous Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport in August. In that division, Back Mountain has added a North team to its usual American and National entries.
Back Mountain Little League president Steve Skammer said a large group of 12-year-olds this summer led to what is expected to be a one-year move.
The league’s membership size requires Back Mountain to split its all-star entries into two teams at several of the baseball age groups. Skammer said the league has not grown to the point where a third entry was required, but league officers felt there were enough within this group that three equally competitive teams could be created, allowing more players to chance to play on the all-star level.
Baseball competition, where Back Mountain National is the defending District 31 and Section 5 champion on the 9-10, 10-11 and Junior (13-14) levels, will not begin until June 23.
The Back Mountain team is the defending District 31 and Section 5 champion in 9-10-year-old softball. Back Mountain also is the defending district champion in Major Softball (11-12-year-olds).
District 31 Major Little League is split into two five-team pools. Harveys Lake and Back Mountain National are in Pool A while Back Mountain American and Back Mountain North are in Pool B.
The tournament begins June 23 and includes doubleheaders at Back Mountain June 25 and 29. Harveys Lake hosts a July 1 doubleheader.
Following the July 5 semifinals, the district finals are part of a WQMY-televised doubleheader with District 16 July 9 in Duryea, beginning at 6 p.m.
With both the American and National teams entered in opposite three-team pools, Back Mountain will have each team at home for a doubleheader June 28, opening the 10-11-year-old baseball district tournament.
Semifinals are scheduled for July 5 with the final July 7.
The 9-10 district tournament begins July 3.
Harveys Lake and Back Mountain National are part of a three-time Pool A while Back Mountain American is in the four-team Pool B.
The semifinals are July 11 and the final is July 14.
The Junior baseball schedule is not yet posted on the district website.
The number of entries in the softball tournaments is smaller across the board in District 31.
Five teams will participate in a round-robin in Major softball where Back Mountain was set to open at Northwest June 16.
The top two reach the championship game, which the highest seed will host June 27.
Back Mountain and Harveys Lake are part of the four-team tournament in 9-10 softball.
The tournament begins June 24 and will conclude, after round-robin play, with a title game on the top seed’s home field July 1.
Back Mountain and Harveys Lake will battle for the district title in Junior softball with a best-of-three championship series.
Harveys Lake will host June 21. Back Mountain is home June 23. If the teams split, a coin flip will be used to determine the host for the June 26 deciding game.
