With the cancellation of the 2020 American Legion baseball season made a few weeks ago, a number of teams in North Carolina’s Area III have looked to form a new league.

The Twitter and Facebook pages of the local American Legion baseball program put the word out Tuesday night looking for players.

According to Jordan Sells, head coach of the Stanly squad, two teams, one senior and one junior, will play this season in the North Carolina 3 Baseball League, made up of Legion teams from the area along with Union County, who normally plays Legion ball in Area IV. Sells will coach the senior team with former West Stanly and Mars Hill standout Zac Brown, while West Stanly head coach Chad Yow will coach the junior squad.

Teams will not be able to wear American Legion patches or be referred to by their posts, but the teams are scheduled to play starting June 15 contingent on what happens with Gov. Roy Cooper and the phases of opening the state.

Sells said the teams are looking to have 25-man maximum rosters and the league will be using MLB’s American League rules with nine-inning games and no reentry after substitution.

The team’s home field has not been determined yet, and the entire league depends upon being able to practice two weeks ahead of the start of the season.

“I want to be able to get these kids something to do, something to play,” Sells said about joining the new league. “Right now, we don’t really know where we’re going to be playing.”

Sells said 12 teams will play in two divisions in the senior league, while the juniors may have 24 teams in four divisions.