Handful play in BCABL, collegiate league
Talk about wearing different hats — literally.
Tristan Kenevich, Braden Marcellus, Nick Merola, Peyton Folk, and Jacob Wagner each took part in two local amateur baseball leagues over the past few months — a grind that could get to feel like an occupation in the dog days of summer.
“It’s not a job, but it feels like a job,” Kenevich explained. “It’s a lot of time spent on the road, but I love playing, so it’s worth it in my opinion.”
“It’s a lot of fun playing in both leagues,” Merola added. “I love playing baseball. ...You’ve really got to enjoy it.”
A Burrell High School grad, Kenevich played outfield for both the Butler County Area Baseball League’s East Butler team and the Rust Belt League’s East Butler Bulldogs.
“I felt like it was a good opportunity for me to get playing time and get consistent, live at-bats and play some pretty good competition,” he said.
He played alongside Folk and Wagner on both crews, working on his craft as he looks for a new collegiate home. Kenevich played for Mercyhurst last go-round and is now in the transfer portal.
“It was just a large roster, especially with the outfield group,” said Kenevich, who’s been in contact with Maryland’s Garrett College, Ohio’s Cuyahoga Community College, New York’s Niagara County Community College, among others. “I didn’t see myself playing anytime soon. I thought it was best for me to just try to find another place to play, just so I can contribute faster.”
Kenevich played numerous games per week after landing on the BCABL squad, which was looking to fill out its roster. Greg Folk, the Bulldogs’ coach, assisted with the BCABL team and added him to the fledgling Rust Belt League crew.
“The (BCABL) feels a little bit more relaxed,” Kenevich said. “I just feel like the college one, everybody’s pretty talented. It just feels more competitive in the collegiate league.”
“It’s like night and day, almost,” added Marcellus, who suited up for Butler Township in the BCABL and the Meadville Bulldogs in the Rust Belt League. “The BCABL, I look at it as you’re still able to get your work in, you’re able to see quality pitching, but you’re more there to have fun with your buddies.
“On the other hand, the Rust Belt was you were there to play, you were there to get work in for your college team to better yourself for them.”
Kenevich’s aim in playing in both leagues was to play as much baseball as possible.
“Just continuing to get reps in the outfield was probably the biggest thing for me,” Kenevich said. “Just seeing more fly balls and just getting more at-bats, since I didn’t really get too many in college. It was more of a developmental thing for me.”
Something Marcellus fully related to. He played more than he expected at Mt. Aloysius in his freshman season, making a handful of starts at first base. He pitched for fun in the BCABL, but has his sights set on bettering his skills in the field.
“It was around March I decided that I was probably going to need a little bit more work, better competition against college guys,” he said.
He contacted a former travel ball coach, Shawn Manning, who also does a lot of work for the collegiate league. Manning brought up a new team being formed in Meadville that needed to round out its group.
“I figured that would be a better opportunity, for me to go up there, rather than stay here and maybe not get an opportunity to play — because the Butler teams were so full,” Marcellus said.
Marcellus lives in Connoquennessing and was making two-hour round trips for Rust Belt League games. He had to leave his job a head camp counselor for the Cranberry YMCA early and the schedule was also cutting into his lifting and individual reps.
Merola also balances a job between taking his reps as a middle infielder.
“I originally just did DoorDash,” he said. “It was kind of easy. I could just do my own hours and stuff, so I didn’t really have any conflicts. Now I have another job that I’m going to be starting soon.”
With just one year of eligibility left in the BCABL — a league he’d been playing in since he was 15 — Marcellus chose to give up playing for Meadville four games into the campaign and spend more time on the diamond with his friends and high school teammates.
Merola, who’s headed into his sophomore year at Gannon, played for the BCABL’s Seneca Valley contingent for the same reason. That team lost to Marcellus’ in a best-of-three championship series last week.
“I kind of just missed playing with my friends that I played with growing up, my entire life,” Merola said. “I thought it would be a good idea just to play with them again. It’s more relaxed, instead of the college league where you’ve got to make sure every at-bat you’re locked in.”
Merola will have another chance at a title as his Butler Iron Bucks, of the Tri-State Collegiate League, play Meadville in the other league’s championship series this week.
Wagner and Folk weren’t available for comment for this story.
