Published July 2, 2020

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NORTH READING — Although several summer baseball leagues have been canceled, the Northeast League (ages 15-18) will play this year. North Reading, who fell to Dracut in the finals last summer, is the defending South division champions.

Under normal circumstances the league would have started their season in mid-June playing a 14-game regular season. The top two teams in the North and South divisions advance to the playoffs in a best-of-three series.

Those two winners then play a best-of-three series in the finals. Dracut won the final series, 2-0, last year.

North Reading went 10-5 in the regular season and they beat Wilmington 2-0 in the semifinal round.

This summer the season will be starting on July 6 which is the scheduled start of Phase 3 at our deadline.  It will be a 12-game regular season that will end on Aug. 1. Only the North and South champions will make the playoffs and play a best-of-three series to determine the title.

“This is great for the kids to finally get back on the field,” said North Reading manager Marco Vittozzi, who has been at the helm since 1998.

The team started limited practice drills as allowed by Phase 2 guidelines back on June 13 and Vittozzi can see the rust the players have to get off since they haven’t played since last year.

“Their arms are not in shape and are very tender,” pointed out Vittozzi. “They have also not seen live pitching.”

When the Northeast League season normally begins, the kids are in great baseball shape having played for the North Reading High varsity or junior varsity teams with the season starting right after the high school season is over.

While there were eight teams in the league last summer, there is slated to be nine teams this year.

Woburn and Lowell Catholic will not be back but they will be replaced by Chelmsford, Lynnfield and Tyngsboro.

North Reading will play six home games at North Reading High and the other six on the road.

Along with Dracut and Wilmington, the other teams in the league are Lowell, Westford and Billerica.