With county high school’s success in sports like football, soccer and softball, varsity baseball has taken a backseat, though the history remains. From the shutdown pitching of Washington’s Phil Edwards in the late-60s to the 1994 Northside team that won the 2-A state championship, the baseball tradition in this area was and continues to remain strong.

Two jayvee teams — Washington and Northside — offer a glimmer hope to what the future holds, both posting impressive records and winning conference championships this season. Combine that with the top young bats from Southside, along with top performers from Terra Ceia and Pungo, and you get a force to be reckoned with.

Now, for the first time in six years, that force is taking shape in the form of the Post 15 Pirates, Beaufort County’s rekindled Junior American Legion baseball team.

“In the next three years, I think baseball in Beaufort County is going to be at one of the highest levels, I believe, that it’s been in quite some time,” said Kevin Cutler, Post 15’s manager. “There is some really exciting baseball on the horizon. The next three years will be a lot of fun.”

Cutler, a familiar face around the Susiegray McConnell Complex for Babe Ruth and all-star baseball, will be joined by Glenn Marsh, the head coach of Post 15. Marsh has been involved with baseball in the area for over 20 years, leading a Southern Pitt County All-Star team to the Southeast Regional Championship in 2010. He has also spent time assisting head coach Keith Boyd at Northside.

Marsh coached his son Brandon, who now plays for the East Carolina Club Baseball Team, on the last Post 15 team about six years ago. With his son Brock, a sophomore, playing for Northside, Marsh is back as head coach, looking to navigate a talented group of players to the American Legion state tournament later this summer.

“Every night when you go to play someone, you’re playing the best high school players from that county or surrounding counties,” Marsh said. “We felt like when we put this team together that we needed to get the best players. All five (county) schools are represented, so we’re real excited about that. All the area coaches are really excited because it gives their kids the opportunity to play more ball outside of school to get better.”

Over the next five weeks, Post 15 will play 20 games, about four a week, against other regionally-based Junior American Legion teams like Perquimans, Hertford County, Dare County, Bertie, Albemarle and even Cary. All home games will be played at Futrell Field at Washington High School.

The team is made up of the county’s top young players, including Washington’s Logan Little, Tripp Barfield, Cody Godley, Nathan Radar and Matthew Black, every day starters for head coach Kevin Leggett’s Pam Pack. Northside’s Tanner Alligood, Brock Marsh and pitcher Chase Sauls also made the cut, while Southside’s RBI leader, sophomore Hunter Sparks, is one of the favorites to earn the role of starting catcher. Pungo’s Kellum Cahoon will also join Post 15, as well as Terra Ceia ace Austin Roscoe, a sophomore who proved to be one of the county’s best arms in 2015.

“Through the first couple of practices that we’ve had, this group is going to work extremely hard, push each other and support each other. I’m real proud of how they’ve come together so quick,” Marsh said.

With 16 total players on the roster, Marsh has the pitching depth to field a team four days a week and adjust around student’s summer work schedules.

“Certainly, we feel like Austin Roscoe is going to be your Day 1 starter on the mound, but we feel like we have a couple of other guys right behind him that can throw the ball really well,” Marsh said.

“We have kids who can play multiple positions. That’s going to help us. We have about six really good infielders, six very good outfielders, three good catchers — Nathan Radar, Hunter Sparks and Cooper Anderson, who is the jayvee catcher at Washington, very solid behind the plate. We think we’re very deep, very well-rounded, with kids who can play multiple positions.”

The Post 15 Pirates will travel to Hertford County on Friday to take on Hertford County in the season opener. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.