JOHNSTOWN — The local AAABA League season already had started when Delweld manager Chris DelSignore called on pitcher Carter Lehman.

Back then, the right-hander was an emergency addition to a pitching staff depleted by injuries.

When the 66th annual AAABA Tournament opens on Monday night at Point Stadium, DelSignore will call on Carter again. This time as the starter in the official tournament opener.

“This will be my first time on the mound in the tournament, so I’m just going to try to learn from what these past guys have done,” said Lehman, the league co-Pete Vuckovich Award winner as top pitcher. “I’ll take advice from them and try to keep myself calm.”

Delweld will make its fourth consecutive trip to the tournament as the Johnstown playoff champion. But it’s Lehman’s first appearance in the annual August showcase.

“There’s not much more I can say about Carter that I haven’t already said,” DelSignore said.

“The kid just goes out there and wins. He throws strikes. He gets the defense involved. He gets hitters out.”

Twice before, DelSignore had signed the Shanksville-Stonycreek product, but injuries had prevented Lehman from pitching in 2009. He was on the injured reserve list, as DelSignore hoped that Lehman would rebound.

This spring the arm felt better, and Lehman made

12 appearances for Mount Aloysius College. After the college season, he didn’t feel any soreness or pain.

Meanwhile, Delweld’s pitching staff was going through one setback after another at the AAABA season’s outset.

“Joe Novotny started the first game and had to be pulled in the second inning because of arm tightness,” DelSignore said of the veteran hurler. “He’s been unavailable almost all year for us. Ben Legath was our biggest pitching recruit to come in as a 17-year-old. He never ended up taking the mound for us due to his elbow. He contributed a lot at first base and DH. He did a good job and then re-aggravated the injury in the field, so he’s been shut down for medical reasons.”

The list continued.

“Andy Smithmyer, the rookie pitcher of the year last year, was playing in the Valley League,” DelSignore said. “George Roberts missed the first week due to the NCAA Regionals. All of this materialized either right before the season started or right after the season. We took hit after hit after hit.”

Lehman went from stopgap to a 9-0 pitcher. DelSignore also signed Paul Tunink, a free agent who had played for the Renegades, and Nate Plummer, who later was named the league’s top rookie pitcher.

“Early on we didn’t have the arms we have now,” DelSignore said. “We were able to bring in Carter and Nate Plummer, who both ended up taking postseason awards, and Paul Tunink. Those guys have really solidified what once was a pretty depleted staff due to injuries and everything else.”

Lehman, Tunink and Plummer would form the foundation of a staff on most teams. But Delweld has even more arms.

Righty Austin Urban signed with Penn State and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in June. Kody Reighard and Matt Skoner will each play in their third tournament, as well as Roberts, a shortstop who also can pitch. Bobby Carbaugh was second on the team with five regular-season wins, and Ryan Sylvia is a solid lefty.

“We have a lot of depth,” Lehman said. “We have great relievers. We have great starters.

“We throw strikes. That’s the name of the game, get people out. We have guys who overpower people. We have guys that just throw strikes and use our defense.”

Plus, DelSignore added pitchers Nate Kohuth (Roxberry Creamery), Cory Kaltenbaugh (Berkley Hills Renegades) and left-hander A.J. Rievel (Renegades).

“I’ve been part of this three times,” said Reighard, who got two outs in relief in a 4-3 loss to eventual champion Baltimore in 2008. “I didn’t get to throw last year, but the year before I did.

“We play to make it to this tournament.”

Delweld gave perennial power Baltimore a scare in that 2008 game. Johnstown led 3-1 after seven as pick-up pitcher Gregg Bandzuh had a solid outing and Tom Burkett hit a pair of inside-the-park homers. Reighard said the outing provided him an education, even in a losing effort.

“It was awesome,” Reighard said. “I was pretty nervous. It was the first time I came into a game that big. I was 18. I learned to keep at the same routine that I have been doing.”

DelSignore said those first-time jitters will be just a memory for much of Delweld’s staff on Monday.

“This will be Kody’s third tournament and he’s definitely worked hard,” DelSignore said.

“He and Matt Skoner bring the most experience on the mound. Kody led the league in ERA. He’s a guy over the course of the year that we looked to, to give us innings.”