Bushy Run Legion will retire jersey No. 7 before Sunday’s home baseball game against Murrysville.
That number belonged to star pitcher Maclean Maund, who was killed in an auto accident in January.
The former Penn-Trafford standout, a hard-throwing left-hander, would have been a freshman at Seton Hill and left an indelible mark on his local Legion team.
“It means a lot to our program,” Bushy Run coach Scott Peyman said. “A lot of guys who played with Maclean aged out of Legion, but I think a lot of them are coming to the event. It should be nice.”
A short ceremony will take place about 15 minutes before the 1 p.m. start at Sunrise Elementary School. Bushy Run will present one of the game T-shirts the players are wearing this season in the re-branded Westmoreland American Baseball League — sans the American Legion patch — to Maund’s parents, along with a team cap with “MM7” stitched into the back.
Players also are wearing the initials on their caps.
Peyman plans to start six players who played with Maund, some of whom are not regular starters.
“We want to do everything we can to honor Mac,” Peyman said. “He was a very intense player.”
Peyman said there are discussions to get Maund’s jersey into a frame and hang it inside the Bushy Run Legion in Claridge next year.
He said there currently is a photo of Maund on the wall there.
Only one other number is retired in the Bushy Run program. No. 3 was worn by Josh Hough, who played up until 2018 and is currently an assistant on Peyman’s staff.
“He was the greatest team kid ever,” Peyman said. “He worked his butt off and did anything to pick up his teammates. Greatness isn’t always measured in home runs.”
Peyman hopes the team plays inspired baseball to match the occasion, like it did a few nights ago against Yough. Bushy Run trailed, 10-0, in the fifth inning before erupting for seven runs in the home half of the inning — including three home runs — on the way to an 11-10 win.
Penn-Trafford plans to memorialize Maund with a bench at its recently renovated home field.
On Saturday we heard terrible news that one of our players, Maclean Maund, is no longer with us. We’ve had the pleasure of being able to coach and play with him last season. Thoughts and prayers to the Maund family during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/Ulc2h05z2s
— Bushy Run Legion Baseball (@BushyRunBB) January 27, 2020
