Tim Buzzard loves baseball.

So when a scheduling conflict at work forced Denny Little to resign as Hempfield's baseball coach last fall, Buzzard jumped at the opportunity to coach his alma mater.

At age 26, Buzzard, a 2000 Hempfield graduate, is one of the younger coaches in the WPIAL. But don't hold his age against him.

"Coaching is something I've always wanted to do," Buzzard said. "Baseball has been a major part of my life in high school and college, and I wanted to give something back to the school where I went to."

Buzzard pitched and played the outfield during his days at Hempfield. He also was an outstanding pitcher at the Pitt-Johnstown where he compiled a 19-8 record.

In fact, Buzzard still plays sandlot baseball in the summer for Bovard, but coaching is what he enjoys most.

Buzzard was a volunteer coach for the Hempfield freshman team two years ago and was a junior varsity assistant last year. He is a fourth grade teacher at Fort Allen Elementary School in the district.

"I love baseball," Buzzard said. "I learned a lot from my high school coach (Eric Davis) and my American Legion coach (Bob Stokes). Both got the best out of me and were big influences in my life. I appreciated the way they handled themselves, and they drove me to coach."

Hempfield has opened the season with a 3-1 record, 1-0 in Section 2-AAAA. Its next game is 4 p.m. Monday at Butler in a non-section game.

After Hempfield defeated Penn-Trafford on Wednesday, Little, now an assistant at Penn-Trafford, joked that it took him a few games to get his first victory.

Buzzard admits he has a lot to learn about coaching. So he surrounded himself with good assistants who know the game. Joining him are Dick Hobaugh, Mike Johnson and Steve Wagner.

"Mike and Steve have coached and played in a league together for years," Buzzard said. "All three guys have great knowledge about the game, and I've seen a lot playing in college and the summer leagues.

"There is something new I learn about the game every day. Every team you coach is different, so you have to be able to adjust to different situations."

Buzzard also said having a veteran team is a plus. He knew a lot of players from past two seasons, and he also helped coach the West Hempfield Legion teams with Stokes.

"Knowing the players has made the transition a lot easier," Buzzard said. "They are a good hard-working group. This senior class is a great group, and they've done everything I've asked. I haven't had any major problems."

Buzzard said he tries to instill confidence in the players. That was evident against Penn-Trafford when Buzzard called for intentional walks to the Warriors' Mike Cima with pitcher Jon Murphy on the mound. Murphy did a good job getting out of the jam.

"He made the right call," Murphy said. "He was confident I could get the job done. He knew what he was doing."

Buzzard said he hopes the players have confidence in him.

"One of the biggest things I'm trying to do is give them confidence," Buzzard said. "I want the players to know that they are capable of being good."