POCATELLO — Nick Sorrell can’t catch a break.

Last year, the coach of the AA Pocatello Runnin’ Rebels American Legion team didn’t have a high school season in which to evaluate players — a handicap slightly lessened by the fact that he had a very experienced team coming back, one that eventually won the AA state championship.

This year, Sorrell spent his spring bouncing between Highland, Century and Pocatello, checking out players at the three local high schools. He needed every bit of that scouting time, too, because a year after bringing back quite a few experienced players, this year he has almost none.

“Last year was a whole different ballgame,” Sorrell said. “This year it’ll be back to quote-unquote normal. ... We had a lot of turnover, we lost a lot of really good, quality kids, but what we’ve done a really good job with is developing those kids in our younger programs so that they’re able to step in and take that spot.”

Just a week after high school baseball seasons ended, Pocatello American Legion seasons start Saturday.

The skies threatened rain Tuesday at Hawthorne Field as two days of tryouts wrapped up, but the pings of batting practice still echoed in the background as Sorrell talked.

“We’re ready to roll,” Sorrell said. “Once we get past tryouts and cuts, we can get down to the game of baseball. We’re getting there.”

“Legion baseball is always the best experience, so I’m super excited,” Highland senior Easton Eddie said. “I think the high school season is kind of like a warmup to go into Legion. Everybody should be ready to go.”

Eddie is one of the few returning players that the Runnin’ Rebels will be able to count on, although he missed most of last year’s Legion season with an injury.

The Runnin’ Rebels will also have two players who just finished their freshman seasons of college coming back in pitcher/outfielder Dalton Jones and infielder Braxton Wilhelm, plus Century ace Caden McCurdy.

That might be it as far as returners, which will make defending their state title a difficult task.

Last year, with Treasure Valley teams unable to play, North Idaho teams opting out of the state tournament, and the Idaho Falls Bandits — probably their toughest competition in this part of the state — playing an independent schedule, the Runnin’ Rebels reigned supreme over the Legion teams that did play, beating the Twin Falls Cowboys 1-0 in a classic state championship game.

This year, all that competition will be back in full force.

“They’re going to have to see a different level of baseball real quick,” Sorrell said. “Of course we have the Bandits we’ll have to go against, that’s always a good battle for us. Everybody’s back on board and it’s kind of back to normal with the AA teams we’ll have to face, so they have a tall task ahead of them, but that’s what I love.”

Pocatello Legion Post 4 will also sponsor two other teams in Single-A, the Razorbacks and Rebels, as well as one B team, the Rays.

The Razorbacks will be coached by Mikee Blackhawk, and the Rebels by Chris Seckel.

“I’m pretty excited because there’s a lot of talent all the way through, from top to bottom,” Sorrell said. “All four teams, they’re the best of the best. We had 90 kids to try out for our four teams, so when you get down to it, we’re going to have the best of the best in the city of Pocatello.”