The Johnstown Collegiate Baseball League and the Altoona AAABA League will play an interleague schedule for the first time in 12 years during the 2026 season.

The JCBL recently lost its Laurel Auto Group franchise and will field four teams next summer, Commissioner Don Stanton said. The Altoona AAABA League has expanded to four teams, according to league President Matt Cursio.

“I talked with Matt Cursio,” Stanton said. “He’s for it. The four teams are for it. We’re for it over here. We have to iron out details as far as AAABA rules and scheduling.

“We’re probably going to play two games, home and away series, against all four teams.”

The JCBL consists of The Hill Group, Infinity Practical Solutions, Mainline Pharmacy and Martella’s Pharmacy. The Altoona league has familiar AAABA Tournament teams Cumming Motors and Brent Cogan Electrical Services, as well as Imler’s Poultry and a fourth team currently with an unnamed sponsor, Cursio said.

“I’m excited about it,” Cursio said. “It’s been a long time coming. Don Stanton shared with me that they had a league meeting and they were losing Laurel Auto Group. At the time, I was at three teams and I have progressed to four teams in 2026.

“As AAABA rules state, you have to have a minimum of four teams to have a league. I always shared my league with the City League in Altoona (during previous seasons).”

In 2025, the JCBL played a 28-game schedule in the then five-team format.

“With four teams, there are options,” Stanton said, referring to both the JCBL and Altoona leagues. “If we played everybody six times in our league, that would be 18 games. Then, if we play the Altoona teams twice, that would be 26 games.

“We’re trying to keep the number of games around what we’ve played the last couple of years.”

Stanton said the JCBL potentially could host interleague contests at either Mount Aloysius College or Sargent’s Stadium at the Point, depending upon availability.

Cursio said the Altoona AAABA League now plays home games at the refurbished Veterans Memorial Field.

The JCBL schedule, while not set, typically opens in early June.

The two leagues previously played interleague games from 2011 through 2014. Former Commissioner Denny Altimore in the then-Johnstown AAABA League and former Altoona AAABA President John Austin worked together in those years to establish interleague matchups.

“I think it’s going to be really good for competition,” Cursio said. “I think it’s really going to be good for both areas, Blair and Cambria counties, for kids to participate.”

Stanton praised Laurel Auto Group for its 14 seasons as a league sponsor. He specifically commended owners Mike and Matt Smith for their support.

“I can’t thank Matt Smith enough for everything he’s done for the league, everybody in his organization who contributed to the league, and everybody involved with Laurel Auto Group,” Stanton said.

Laurel Auto Group joined what now is the JCBL in 2012 after Mike Smith read a November 2011 newspaper article about the league dropping to three teams.

Laurel Auto did more than fill a spot. The franchise reached the AAABA Tournament as the Johnstown-2 representative in both 2014 (2-2) and 2015 (0-2) and consistently was competitive.

“We’re always looking for sponsors,” Stanton said, noting there is a $700 franchise fee. “This league (representative) has won three championships in the past seven AAABA Tournaments. Obviously, we have a competitive league.

“The more teams in the league, the better,” he said of the college-aged, wooden bat JCBL. “We want as many kids playing as possible.”

Johnstown will host the 81st AAABA Tournament, beginning Aug. 3.

“When it comes down to it, we’re doing the best we can to keep the league going,” said Stanton, who is in his seventh season as JCBL commissioner. “If there is no league, there’s no tournament.”