Watauga High baseball coach Pete Hardee has announced that the Pioneers will field a junior legion team this summer.

The team will be led by jayvee coach Dustin Kerley, and will play its home games at the old Watauga High Field. The junior legion squad will play 25 games. WHS opens the season at Bunker Hill on Sunday, June 6. The Pioneers play their home opener against St. Stephens on Tuesday, June 8.

All games will be five-inning double-headers, with the exception of the June 18 game at A.C. Reynolds. That will be a single, seven-inning contest.

Kerley played at Alexander Central High School from 2001-2004; he played college baseball at Mars Hill College from 2004-2008; he was an assistant coach at A.C. Reynolds last season before he joined the Pioneers this season.

“I’ve been really blessed,” said Kerley. “I got to play for a great coach in Gary Comer (at Alexander Central), and they I get to work with the likes of Brian Craig (at ACR) and coach Hardee.”

The team will be made up primarily of eighth graders and jayvee players this summer.

“It will be a challenge, for sure,” said Kerley. “But the goal is to play a lot of games and give them game experience. We want this junior legion team to be a huge tool for our high school program.”

WHS will play in an 11-team conference, and the top two teams will make the playoffs at the end of the regular season.

The WHS varsity was 16-10 this season, and won the Northwestern 3A/4A Conference regular-season championship. The Pioneers, who made the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, lost to East Gaston in the opening round on May 14.

LEGION BASEBALL

Sunday, June 6 @ Bunker Hill

Tuesday, June 8 ST. STEPHENS

Thursday, June 10 McDOWELL

Saturday, June 12 @ Newton-Conover

Monday, June 14 @ South Caldwell (A team)

Thursday, June 17 VALDESE

Friday, June 18 @ A.C. Reynolds**

Saturday, June 19 SOUTH CALDWELL (B TEAM)

Monday, June 21 @ Hibriten

Wednesday, June 23 ALEXANDER CENTRAL

Friday, June 25 FRED T. FOARD

Saturday, June 26 WEST CALDWELL

Tuesday, June 29 @ McDowell

All games are 5-inning DH

**-single game (7 innings)