By ALEX SPONSELLER Warwick has a new American Legion baseball team this summer, as the Warwick Tree Post 101 season is underway at Mickey Stevens.

Warwick has jumped out to a 3-3 start which has kept it toward the top of the crowded league standings. The team has a handful of returning players from last year’s New England Frozen Lemonade squad, and has also welcomed in a few new faces from the outside.

Some key returners for Warwick include Derek Lallo, Alex Maker, Dylan Barlow, Jack Gannon and Cam Nadeau. Joining the mix are Pilgrim ace Jared Reminder and Johnson and Wales standout Cam Armenti.

“We’ve had a couple tough losses but that’s how it goes at the beginning of the season. We are just trying to stay in a rhythm playing so many games in so few days. We’re looking to be at our best come playoffs because that’s when the season really starts,” said Warwick manager Mike Fratus. “They were ready to go, all of our guys played whether it was in high school or college. Derek Lallo had a great year, AJ Ucci made the transition from shortstop to outfield and has become a tremendous outfielder. Guys are ready to play, we are ready to go.”

Although Warwick has faced some tough sledding in the opening few games, it has managed to collect some key wins as well. Inconsistency at the plate and some mid-game errors have bitten the club, but are fixable mistakes, according to Fratus.

“Our losses have been due to offensive struggles. One of our losses was 1-0 with one hit, the other was 2-0 with two hits. It has been an offensive struggle,” said Fratus. “We have had some nice wins, but in our losses I just feel like we have not made enough in-game adjustments. Hopefully we can start making those adjustments.”

As Warwick gets set to enter the back half of its regular season slate, Fratus and company hope to build some momentum down the stretch and carry it into the postseason. They also expect the top of the standings to remain a dog fight and look to grab a top seed heading into the postseason.

“I think (the standings are so close) because the teams are so evenly matched, the top five or six teams are pretty much even. That was reflected in the high school season and the playoffs there,” said Fratus. “They know the goal, and that is to make it to regionals. That is the goal every year. We feel that we always put together teams that can make it to regionals, it’s just about going out there and executing and winning the games that we need to win.”