Mirror file photo Alex Ebeling is one of the returning players for defending league champ Cumming Motors.

The Altoona AAABA League will have a new look for the 2026 season, which begins Tuesday.

With a fourth team added to the league, those four will play against each other twice and the four Johnstown AAABA teams twice for a total of 14 games. The teams will not play against the Altoona Greater City League squads this year.

Defending champion Cumming Motors returns, along with Alexander Financial (formerly Brent Cogan Electric), now managed by Jason Foster, and Imler’s Poultry, now managed by Adam Plummer. MH Electric Services is the new team in the league.

“With the addition of our fourth team in the league and our playing against the Johnstown AAABA teams, I’m very excited for a positive year,” Matt Cursio, president of the Altoona AAABA League, said. “A special thank you goes out to Chris Sanders, manager of Cumming Motors, and Mark Hott, manager of MH Electric, for making our fourth team possible.”

The Johnstown AAABA League will also consist of four teams — defending AAABA National Tournament champion Mainline Pharmacy, returning national tourney finalist Martella’s Pharmacy, Infinity Practical Solutions and The Hill Group.

Both the Altoona AAABA and Johnstown AAABA teams will stage their own league playoffs in late July to determine which teams from each league will advance to the 2026 National Tournament, which begins on Monday, Aug. 3 in Johnstown.

All four Altoona AAABA will compete in the league playoffs with best-of-three series in the semifinals and finals. Cumming Motors will also compete in the Rust Belt Collegiate League, which is separate from the AAABA.

“Our managers and coaches did a great job this offseason in preparation for the upcoming year,” Cursio said. “There was a lot of communication between returning players and new players, making the season possible, and that was a lot of dedication on their part.”

The following is a capsulized look at the four Altoona AAABA teams:

Alexander Financial Group

Manager: Jason Foster

Assistant coaches: Aaron Tiracorda, Brandon Cook, Robert Foster

Last year’s record: 13-6

Returning players: Braylon Williams UTIL, Brennen Freiwald INF, Brody Mellott RHP, Cooper Rother INF, Jack Foster C-UTIL, Jake Marasco UTIL, Mason Peterson RHP, Michael Cacciotti LHP, Nick Negola OF-RHP, Owen Dombrowsky UTIL-RHP, Travis Keister LHP, Wyatt Hershey RHP

Newcomers: Caleb Palmer RHP, Devlan Kordish UTIL, Dimitri Spagnola INF, Gavin Burns C-UTIL, Isaac Tiracorda OF, Jacob Smith RHP, Jesse Georgiana UTIL, Matt Berkowitz RHP-1B, Matthew Gutshall UTIL-RHP, Reese Alexander C-UTIL, Reid Edwards RHP

Strengths: “Our roster is made up of players that are coachable, hardworking and have plenty of positional flexibility.”

Concerns: “Every opponent on our schedule is talented and well-coached.”

Overall outlook: “We want to assist every player on our roster to reach their maximum potential, and in doing so, win as many games as possible.”

Cumming Motors

Manager: Chris Sanders

Coaches: Bill Sell, Sean Neff, Larry Corle

Last year’s record: 20-13-3 (Altoona AAABA League champs; Rust Belt College League semifinals; AAABA National Tournament pool play)

Returning players: Brady Angus OF, Kyle Klotz 1B-C, Kade Sell INF-RHP, Austin Beauchamp RHP, Cru Stover INF-RHP, Alex Ebeling LHP-OF, Peyton Vancus INF, Dylan Ewing RHP, Landon Postriech RHP, Ayden Albright OF, Ethan Schimony 1B-DH, Braylan Knable C-DH, Adam Cooper 1B-OF-DH, Braden Hatch C, Zac LeGars OF, Roman Fridley OF-RHP, Ryan McConnell RHP, Nate Helms C, Donald Miller INF

Newcomers: Brady Oakes LHP-OF, Vince Boland INF-RHP, Mason Mierley INF-RHP, Ty McGough RHP-INF, Hayden Kephart LHP, Anthony Sacco C, Zack Yoder LHP-OF, Colton Sanders RHP-OF, Mason Fridley OF, Tadd Lusk INF, Jack Murphy INF, Spencer Davis LHP-1B-DH

Strengths: “Veteran leadership — players with AAABA National Tournament experience understand the pressure, the elite competition and the grueling schedule required to win at the highest level. College-ready maturity — returning players with collegiate experience bring established work ethics, high baseball IQ and physical maturity to the clubhouse. Local depth — drawing the top young talent from all over Central Pa. ensures a deep roster and secures the future pipeline of our program.”

Concerns: “Set strict pitch counts and mandatory rest days, regardless of league limits, to protect arm health for the upcoming school seasons. Grouping our roster into “platoons” to guarantee rest days for players with heavy work hours.”

Overall outlook: “Winning a national title in Johnstown requires an elite combination of pitching depth and mental endurance. The returning players who already have AAABA tournament experience will be our most valuable asset, keeping the dugout calm during the grueling, consecutive-day schedule. Treating the regional Rust Belt College League games as our ultimate preparation ground. Facing high-level college arms and hitters from Butler to Altoona will expose any hidden roster gaps and help our younger players to mature rapidly before the national stage. Use the local matchups to build team chemistry and secure our postseason to the AAABA National Tournament.”

Imler’s Poultry

Manager: Adam Plummer

Last year’s record: 6-7

Returning players: Brady Steiner P-INF, EJ Ulery P-INF-OF, Gavin Bell OF, Jake Hileman OF, Kaleb Mountain P, Leland Baer P, Lex Dixon INF, Nick Kraft C-INF, Preston Farabaugh P-3B-1B, Ty Szynal OF

Newcomers: Archer Baughman P-INF, Bobby Brauer P-OF, Brayden Parsons UTIL, Chase Plummer INF-UTIL, Cody Norman P, Easton Lepley C, Gavin Fowler INF, Jackson Dorminy OF, Jake Hall OF, Max Herncane OF, Michael Powell OF, Owen Oakes OF, Parker Lamb INF-UTIL, Troy McNichol UTIL

Strengths: “A solid nucleus of guys returning.”

Concerns: “Overall youth of the roster — many new faces.”

Overall outlook: “We have a young but talented roster. We are looking to compete early on in the season and build momentum as the season moves on gaining that experience from our new players.”

MH Electric Services

General Manager of Baseball Operations: Mark Hott

Field manager: Jamie Eckenrode

Assistant coach: Mike Dibert

Last year’s record: First year

Returning players: Caden Hody P, Evan Summerson OF, CJ Kellogg-Long C, Carter Weaverling INF, Carter Savage 1B, Colin Bush 3B

Newcomers: Kyron Fields OF-P, Lance Masser 1B-P, Nate Stiffler OF, Donald Brown C-INF, Reece Dibert OF, Alex Neidig UTIL, Anthony Neri OF, Blake Dick UTIL, Brody Bothell 3B-SS, Connor Perry SS-P, Daniel Breazeal INF, Ethan Reffner UTIL-P, Isaac Gall INF, John Wasnick OF, Noah Staines C-1B, Oliver Thornburg C, Ryan Light INF-P, Zach Gonzalez INF-P, Spencer Davis OF-P, Ethan Brody P, Caleb Detrick P-OF, Duncan Foust INF-P, Brienn Jones UTIL

Strengths: “Strong organizational leadership, roster versatility and athletic depth. MH Electric Services features a balanced mix of high school and college-level players with several multi-position athletes and two-way players capable of contributing throughout the summer schedule. The program also brings experienced leadership from former members of the Cumming Motors organization, including Mark Hott and Jamie Eckenrode, while adding Mike Dibert to the coaching staff.”

Concerns: “As a first-year AAABA team, building consistency and developing chemistry throughout the season will be important. Managing innings, player availability and roster depth across a long summer schedule will also be key factors.”

Overall outlook: “MH Electric Services enters its inaugural AAABA season with the goal of providing strong developmental opportunities for both high school and collegiate athletes while competing at a high level throughout the summer. The organization was created to expand opportunities for local players and compete exclusively against AAABA and college-caliber competition. With experienced leadership and a versatile roster, MH Electric expects to be competitive immediately in its first season.”