Bethel Park youth baseball leagues merge
Courtesy of Bethel Park Baseball
Courtesy of Bethel Park Baseball
Teams from the Bethel baseball Association and the Bethel Church League like these pictured here will join together for Bethel Park Baseball.
For the first time in about 60 years, Bethel Park’s two youth baseball associations will be together as one.
As of June 1, the Bethel Church League and Bethel Baseball Association merged to become Bethel Park Baseball, an association that will begin play in the fall.
“Over the last seven years or so, we’ve continued to work together, playing each other in the spring and fall seasons,” explained Evan Sivetz, president of the Bethel Baseball Association, who will take on that position with Bethel Park Baseball. “With enough solid leadership and direction on both sides, looking at the numbers that we both had, it just made sense to combine forces and really put together a great offering for the kids of Bethel Park.”
“The biggest benefit is having the Bethel Park kids all playing together under one roof and offering more travel opportunities and programming for the kids,” added John Lorenzi, president of the Bethel Church League, who will be the vice president of the new league. “The church teams have been diminished. We’re a shell of the Bethel Church League. It just makes sense to get these Bethel kids playing together.”
The majority of kids in the league will be from Bethel Park, but there will be youth from neighboring communities as well. With the merger, there will be more than 500 kids ages 4-19 from Bethel Park, as well as about another 200 from other communities. The league will feature teams from T-ball to American Legion.
The majority of league games will be played at Simmons Park and Millennium Park, while a few other fields will be used as well.
There was one league for the youth of Bethel Park until the late 1950s. Sivetz explained that the emergence of area Catholic schools and the multiple teams they could field led to the formation of two leagues. However, that has changed in recent years with fewer kids playing in the Catholic league.
Sivetz and Lorenzi were driving forces for the creation of Bethel Park Baseball. It means a lot to them as they each played baseball in the two youth leagues.
“It has taken a lot of patience and effort on both of our parts, but we know with the group of volunteers that we have that this is going to be a successful venture,” Sivetz said. “A lot of people have asked, ‘Why has this taken so long?’ The timing couldn’t be any better. The numbers are growing on both sides.”
There will be more than just teams playing league baseball games. Bethel Park Baseball will offer youth coaching clinics, youth camps, winter training and a travel baseball program.
“This is just a great opportunity to funnel kids to our high school program,” Sivetz said. “We’re all going to be wearing black and orange (Bethel Park school colors). We want to able to offer this great sport to all of the kids that want to play it.”
Bethel Park baseball does have a strong tradition, winning PIAA championships in 1988 and 2021 and qualifying for this year’s PIAA tournament.
The leagues have some stellar alumni as well.
Eric Chalus, who played in the Bethel Church League, just completed his first season as a pitcher on the Kent State baseball team. Bethel Baseball Association alum Justin Meis is a pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Even though the new league will not begin play until the fall, the announcement is being made now to drive traffic to the new website at www.bethelparkbaseball.org. Those interested in joining the league may go to that site or email bethelparkbaseballinfo@gmail.com.
“I know John is passionate about it. I’m passionate about it,” Sivetz said. “We’re all here together. We’re all under one umbrella. Our goal is to keep them coming back year after year.”