COCOLAMUS — After a resounding response to a plea for additional players, the familiar sound of “play ball” will be heard at East Juniata High School this spring.

“Yes, we are good to go,” Juniata County Athletic Director Travis Quici said Saturday about the future of the Tigers’ program. “I think we’ll have 18 to 20. So solid.”

East Juniata had to come up with at least half a dozen players in ninth through 12th grade by a PIAA mandated Friday deadline or the program could have formed a cooperative with rival Juniata or completely shelved.

Quici said he reached out to prospective players in person to ask them if they wanted to play baseball this spring.

“We talked to the players and they committed,” he added.

At least 15 players are needed to field a team. Originally, the plight of the baseball program came up at the Sept. 18 Juniata County School District Board of Directors meeting.

“We currently don’t have enough players to field a team,” Juniata County School District Superintendent of Schools Christie Holderman said.

Holderman noted that East Juniata’s baseball team is already a co-op with Juniata Christian School in McAlisterville. Even though baseball is a spring sport, school districts must register teams for the upcoming spring season with the PIAA well in advance.

Last season, the Tigers went 2-13 in the Tri-Valley League and 3-15 overall.