A sign at Armagh Field in Milroy honors Mifflin County’s 2016 13-year-old Babe Ruth Baseball national championship team. The sign was placed at the field in 2018. (Sentinel file photo by BRADLEY KREITZER)

LEWISTOWN — If someone moved to Mifflin County, they might be surprised to find out that the Mifflin County Babe Ruth League is one of the top leagues in Pennsylvania.

Most people from out of the area think that Mifflin County is located near a metropolitan area.

In 2003, when the Mifflin County 14-year-olds were playing in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals in Latham, New York and doing well, one of the officials of the tournament asked me, “What big city is your team from?”

I told him that Mifflin County was in the middle of the state and we came from a very rural area. He replied, “Come on, tell me the truth.”

The next day he came to me and said,”I apologize, you’re right. I looked it up on Google last night and Mifflin County is in the middle of nowhere.”

Age

Babe Ruth baseball is a national program. It was started in 1952 in Trenton, New Jersey. The national headquarters is also located in Trenton. From 1952 to 1968 there was only one World Series for players 13-15-years-old. Then in 1968, Babe Ruth put in a 13-year-old World Series. Thirty years later (1998), they added another World Series, 14-year-olds. Then last year (2024), Babe Ruth allowed 16-year-olds to play. Most of the rule changes come from Trenton.

The Regular Season

The Mifflin County league was founded in 1955. There were four teams: Belleville, McVeytown, Reedsville and Mifflintown. Since then, the league has expanded six times and has had as many as 10 teams. At present, there are nine teams in the league: Beaver Springs, Belleville, Belltown, Burnham, Lewistown, McVeytown, Milroy, Reedsville and Strodes Mills.

From 1955 through 1958 there were no records of the winning team. Belleville holds the record for the most league titles with 15 ½. Burnham is next with 13, while Lewistown has nine.

McVeytown has 7 1/2 and is followed by Reedsville and Yeagertwon with six; Belltown and Strodes Mills, three; Milroy two and Beaver Springs with one.

Mifflintown dropped out of the league in 1958. Milroy took the place of Mifflintown in 1958, while Burnham joined in 1960; Belltown came in 1962 and Strodes Mills followed in 1965. At one time, Burnham had two teams in the league in the 1960’s. Yeagertown fielded a team from 1971 to 2017. Lewistown had two teams (West and East) from 1999-2003. Beaver Springs joined the league in 2009 and fielded two teams in 2023, for just one year.

Belleville and McVeytown have fielded teams every year since 1955, 70 seasons.

There were no complete standings found from 1955-1966. Reedsville has played the most games in that span (1967-2024), 1,312. Reedsville did not field a team in 2020 and it also did not field a team in the early 1960’s.

Belleville has played in 1,306 games, while Belltown is close behind with 1,302. Belleville has the most wins with an 848-458 (.649) record, while Reedsville is next with 837-475 (.638) mark. Bunrham, which went to one team in 1970, has a record of 713-540 (.569).

Lewistown, which won six straight titles from 2008-2013, has a 408-244 (.626) record, while Beaver Springs has a mark of 236-147 (.616).

Beaver Springs is from Snyder County and through the years Mifflin County has gotten players from Juniata, Huntington and Centre counties. The league draws players from Mifflin and Snyder counties. The boundaries go west to east from MIll Creek to Selinsgrove.

The league also gives out four regular season awards, which it has done since 1970. Those awards are, Batting Title, Outstanding Pitcher, Most Valuable Player and the John Howe-Danon Beaston Sportsmanship.

There is also a prep league for 13-year-olds.

Coaching

One thing that has separated the Mifflin County league from others in the state is that its managers have stayed in the program for a long time.

The top four managers in the league have won over 400 games between the regular season and All-Stars.

Belleville’s Bill Corbin has won the most games with a 776-448 record in 42 years (1983-2024). Next in line was Yeagertown’s Fred Zook, who had a 516-344 record in 30 years (1978-1987, 1998-2015) in the dugout.

The Reedsville team of father and son were third and fourth. Bob Reigle finished his career with a record of 504-243 and his son Scott had a 424-257 mark. The elder Reigle coached for 30 years (1968-1997), while Scott was a manager for 21 seasons (1998-2018).

Corbin holds the state record for most wins (776) and he also holds the record for most games coached and managed in 1,377, 46 years, 1979-2024. Second to Corbin was Scott Reigle in games coached or managed, 1,369 from 1972-2019, 48 years.

The top five All-Star managers all have over 75 wins. Corbin has a 123-55 record, while Zook had a 102-39 mark. Scott Reigle is third with an 85-30 mark. Fourth was Lewistown’s Bernie Howard with a 79-23 record. Fifth was Bob Reigle with a 77-37 mark.

All-Star Record

Over the past 70 seasons, Mifflin County has a 772-352 record in All-Star play. Here is a breakdown of each level of play.

District Seven, 306-61 (.833); District Eight,10-10 (.500); Pennsylvania, 350-209 (.626); Mid-Atlantic Regional, 86-59 (.581); World Series, 20-13 (.606). Totals: 772-352 (.687).

State Champions

Mifflin County has won 25 state titles. The first one came in 1960, at the 14-15-year-old level. Mifflin County didn’t win another one for 13 years, 1973, 13-year-olds. Four more came in the 1980’s, 1981, 14-15-year-olds; 1983, 13-year-olds; 1987, 13 and 14-15-year-olds.

Then in the 1990’s, Mifflin County added three more, 1990, 13-year-olds; 1997, 14-15-year-olds and 1999, 15-year-olds.

The big decade was in 2000’s when Mifflin County won 10 state titles, 2002, 15-year-olds, 2003, 13, 14 and 15-year olds; 2004, 13-year-olds; 2005, 14-year-olds; 2007, 13 and 15-year-olds; 2008, 15-year-olds; 2009, 15-year-olds.

In the 2010’s, Mifflin County won five more, 2013, 14-year-olds; 2016, 13-year-olds; 2017, 15-year-olds; 2018, 15-year-olds and 2019, 13-year-olds.

The last state title came in 2021, 13-year-olds.

Mifflin County holds state records in the following categories:

Most state championships, 25

Most state runners-up, 27

Most times in a state final, 52

Most state titles at 13-15-year-old level, 12

Most state titles at 13-year-old level, 10

Most times in Mid-Atlantic Regional, 35

Most state titles won on the road, 14

Most state titles won at home, 11

Most times in state’s final four, 87

Most state titles won in one decade, 10, 2000-09

Most state titles won in a row, five, 2002, 2003, 2004

Most times appearing in the World Series, 6 tied with Broomall-Newtown and West End of Williamsport.

Most times in the World Series national final, three times, tied with Levittown.

Most seasons in a row without a losing record, 55 (1968-2023).

Only league to sweep the state in all three age groups, 13, 14 and 15 (2003)

Mid-Atlantic Regionals

Mifflin County has had 19 teams finish in the final four of the Mid-Atlanitc Regionals. Six times, MIfflin County has won a regional championship and gone to the Babe Ruth World Series.

The regional champs were 2002, 15-year-olds; 2004, 15-year-olds; 2016, 13-year-olds; 2018, 15-year-olds; 2021,15-year-olds and 2022, 14-year-olds.

The teams that just missed going to a World Series were, 1960, 14-15-year-olds; 2003, 14-year-olds; 2004, 13-year-olds; 2009, 15-year-olds; 2017, 15-year-olds; 2021, 13-old-years and 2022, 15-year-olds.

In 1960, 14-15-year-olds were second to Huntington, West Virginia and that was the best finish for a Mifflin County team until 2002, 41 seasons.

Mifflin County has hosted the regionals six times, 2003, 2004, 2018, 2023, 2024 15-year-olds and 2022, 14-year-olds.

World Series

In 2016, Mifflin County won the national title for the 13-year-old age level. It also has produced two national runners-up, 2018 and 2021, both 15-year-olds.

Two teams were tied for fifth in the nation, 2002, 15-year-olds and the 2022, 14-year-olds. The 2004 15-year-olds were tied for seventh in the country.

Mifflin County defeated Pearl City, Hawaii for the national championship in 2016. Mifflin County is the only Pennsylvania team to beat a squad from Hawaii.

Mifflin County has won 23 individual awards at the World Series.

Named to the tournament team in 2002 (15-year-olds), Nate Burkey; Chris Tressler (15-year-olds), 2004; Colby Bodtorf, Casey Conner, Brian Yetter (13-year-olds), 2016; Colby Bodtorf, Connor Cherry, Casey Conner, Bryce Dobson, Ethan Eichhorn, Brycen Hassngerr, Brian Yetter (15-year-olds), 2018; Tucker Gill, Ryan Kanagy, Trevor Sheaffer, Xavier Smith (15-year-olds), 2021; Reese Christine, Logan Ruth (14-year-olds), 2022.

Matt Wright won a Sportsmanship award (15-year-olds), 2002 and Casey Conner was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2016 13-year-old World Series.

Winning batting titles were Casey Conner, 13-year-olds in 2016; Bryce Dobson, 15-year-olds, 2018 and Reese Christine, 14-year-olds, 2022. Mifflin County is one of just two leagues in the country to win a batting title at three different age groups.

Mifflin County traveled to the following places for the World Series, Cinnersville,Indiana, 2002; Longview, Washington, 2004; Ottumwa, Iowa, 2016; Longview,Washington,2018; Eagle Pass, Texas, 2021 and Williston, North Dakota, 2022.

Pennsylvania Babe Ruth Hall of Fame

Mifflin County has put 18 members into the Pennsylvania Babe Ruth Hall of Fame. It has the most members of any league in Pennsylvania.

Butch Bender, coach, manager, Belltown, Burnham, Class of 2009; Bruce Brumbaugh, coach, manager, McVeytown, 2003; Bill Corbin, Belleville, coach, manager, league officer, 2009; Chuck Curry, Lewistown, coach, league officer, 2009; Gary Fultz, Milroy, coach, manager, 2001; Bernie Howard, Lewistown, coach, manager, league official, 2008; Mike Milliken, Yeagertown,coach, 2011; Lloyd ‘Sach’ Mowery, Belleville, McVeytown, coach, league official, 2023.

Bob Reigle, Reedsville, coach, manager, league official. 2000; Scott Reigle, Reedsville, coach, manager, league official, 2000; Gary Stimely, McVeytown, coach, manager, league official, 2002; Dave Stuck, Belleville, coach, 2009; Tom Terry, Burnham, coach, manager, 2003; Ray Wilde, Belleville, public relations, 2000; Dave Woilfkill, Burnham, coach, manager, 2001; Bob ‘Woody’ Woodward, Reedsville, coach, 2002; Justin Yoder, McVeytown, coach, manager, 2020; Fred Zook, Yeagertown, coach, manager, 2002.

The Media and Administration

Gary Stimely of McVeytown held the post of president of the league for 38 years, 1985-2019. No other man has served as long as he has at that position.

Scott Reigle was the league treasurer for 27 years before he gave that up to serve as the Pennsylvania Babe Ruth state treasurer. Reigle was the state treasurer from 1998-2018. Bill Corbin has been the league’s treasurer since 1998.

The league has retired five numbers Bob Reigle, 38; Scott Reigle, 45; Gary Stimely, 41; Gary Fultz, 3 and Fred Zook, 99. The Mifflin County league was the first one in Pennsylvania to retire numbers.

The Mifflin County league has all of its regular season and All-Star games covered by the Sentinel. It is one of the few leagues in Pennsylvania that still has their games published in a local paper.

The league also has regular season and All-Star games on a radio station.

The Mifflin County is the only league in Pennsylvania and possibly the only one in the country to publish media guides, which it has done seven times, 1978, 1989, 1992, 2004, 2005, 2017 and 2024.

Summary

In summary, the Mifflin County Babe Ruth League,is the most complete league in Pennsylvania and one of the most complete leagues in the MId-Atlantic Region and the nation. That includes, the regular season, All-Stars, Pennsylvania state records, the Pennsylvania Babe Ruth Hall of Fame and the media.