Elias Gabel-Tripp grew up playing baseball with most of his teammates on Perkiomen's American Legion team. Last month, they started their final season together.

        "It's scary to think about," Gabel-Tripp said. "Hopefully, we can go out with a bang."

        He defined going out with a bang as Post 184 defending its Bux-Mont League post season title and returning to the Region 2 Tournament.

        "We'd like to get back to the regionals, then go as far as we can," Gabel-Tripp said.

        Under new manager Larry Pijanowski, the Indians (2-1 league, 4-1 overall) opened their season with four straight victories before suffering a 5-1 league loss to Doylestown on Saturday, June 4.

        Repeating as league champions won't be easy, according to the manager. He said Nor-Gwyn, Hatfield and Doylestown are already ahead of the Indians in the standings.

        Through five games, Post 184 is averaging between seven and eight runs, according to Pijanowski.

        Gabel-Tripp says the team is coming up with key hits at pivotal moments.

        "We're hitting the ball well," the manager said. "So far, so good."

        The team opened its league season with a 7-0 victory over visiting Lansdale on Tuesday, May 31. Gabel-Tripp delivered an RBI double and Trey Livingstone added a two-run single during a six-rally rally in the third inning.

        On June 3, the Indians exploded for 10 runs in the top of the seventh inning in a 15-8 road victory over Warrington. Brian Pijanowski finished with four hits, four RBI and two runs scored to pace their 13-hit attack. Gabel-Tripp added two hits and drove in three runs.

        Perkiomen – with all but two players returning from last season's championship team – entered the season with a deep pitching staff, led by Levi Stoudt and Matt Schneider, and solid defense.

        Larry Pijanowski and his coaching staff are stressing a more aggressive offensive approach. According to the manager, the players are training to drive pitches on the outer half of the plate the opposite way and up the middle.

        "Hitters are naturally going to try to pull the ball," said Larry Pijanowski, a 1985 North Penn graduate who collected 246 career hits for Rollins College, located in Winter Park, Florida and was named the team's outstanding senior in 1989. "The whole idea is to keep your weight back, put your hands in the proper position and incorporate your hips in the swing. It's almost like throwing a punch."

        The manager also encourages his hitters to be more aggressive on pitches in the strike zone, depending on the count.

        "For the most part, the offense is happening at the right time," Gabel-Tripp said. "We're building off the confidence."

        Doylestown pitcher Luke Irons stymied Post 184's offense in its first loss of the season. He allowed just five hits and struck out five for the Tigers.

        "We probably could have been more aggressive early in the count," Gabel-Tripp said. "We took too many strikes."

        Following Wednesday's home game against Pottstown, the Indians face a stretch of six league games in six consecutive games. The pivotal flurry begins Saturday with a road game at Lansdale. It includes home games against Souderton on Sunday, June 12, Nor-Gwyn on Tuesday, June 14, Pottstown on Wednesday, June 15 and Plumstead on Thursday, June 16.

        "I'm going to need all 12 of our pitchers during that stretch," Larry Pijanowski said. "They are all going to throw, and I feel comfortable using all of them."