President  --  John Piscitelli

John is a 1995 graduate of Wilson High School.  At Wilson, he started on the Football team at Linebacker for 3 years and started on the Baseball team at 3rd Base for 3 years.  In the summer months, John played for the West Lawn Owls Legion Baseball Team and started all 3 years at 3rd Base.  In 2005, John was inducted into the Wilson High School Sports Hall of Fame for his athletic accomplishments in high school.  Following high school graduation, John attended DeSales University (formerly Allentown College).  He was a 4-year starter on the baseball team at 3rd base.  During his college baseball career, he was a part of 3 conference championships and 2 NCAA National Regional berths.  He graduated from DeSales University in 1999 with a degree in Criminal Justice.  John is to be inducted into the DeSales University Sports Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025.  John is currently employed at the County of Berks as a Probation Officer for the last 25 years.  John’s involvement with the West Lawn Owls began after his playing years in 1997 where he was an Assistant Coach on the Legion team.  John stopped coaching in 2007 but remained active with the organization in other capacities.  In 2012, John took over leadership of the Owls Sports Club from Jay Vaughan who served as President for 30 years.  John has been the Host Chairperson for various Legion, Youth Legion, College Conference Championships, and NCAA National Regional tournaments.  John is married to Allison for over 20 years.  They have a daughter, Grace, who will be attending her final year at Virginia Tech, majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering. 

What does the Owls Sports Club mean to you?:  “The Owls Sports Club have been a huge part in my life since my playing years.  This organization introduced me to DeSales University, has introduced me to my wife, has taught me how to volunteer and give back to my community. It is my hope to honor the members of the past while leading the current and future members to continue the traditions and honor the legacy of this organization. 

Vice-President  --  Steve Carroll

Steve is a 1989 graduate of Governor Mifflin High School.  He was a 3 year member of the Shillington Legion Baseball team from 1988-1990.  Following high school graduation, Steve attended Shippensburg University.  He graduated in 1994 with a degree in Computer Science.  He was a member of the Shippensburg baseball team in 1993 and 1994.  Immediately following graduation, Steve became the Pitching coach for the West Lawn Owls Legion Baseball team under Manager Tony Matz III.  Steve remains in the dugout and continues to serve as the Pitching Coach of the Legion team.  The 2025 season will be his 32nd season as the Pitching Coach with the West Lawn Owls.  Along with his coaching duties, Steve has been a member of the Owls Sports Club since he began coaching in 1994.  He eventually became a member of the Owls Executive Board as Secretary under then President Jay Vaughan.  He became Vice-President of the Owls under Jay Vaughan and he continues to hold the title of Vice-President to this day.  Steve entered the Owls Fence of Fame several years ago and his #8 was retired by the organization.

What does the Owls Sports Club mean to you?:  “The Owls Sports Club and West Lawn Owls Baseball have had a profound impact on my life. From the very beginning, I have been captivated by the joy of collaborating with a dedicated group of volunteers to achieve goals that benefit the local community and the young players who move through the organization. These experiences have been a true gift, offering me the chance to build lifelong friendships, all while sharing my passion for teaching the game of baseball.” 

Treasurer  --  Kurt Behrenshausen

Kurt is a 1982 graduate of Wilson High School.  He was a 3 year player of the Owls Legion Baseball Program from 1981-1983.  He received an Electronics Technology Degree from Lincoln Technical Institute.  Following Kurt’s playing years in 1987, he and longtime Owls Manager Tony Matz III took over the Legion program.  At a very young age, Kurt and Tony helped the program thrive into a Championship team.  Following the 1992 program, Kurt decided to step away from the dugout and start a family with his wife, Rita.  During Kurt’s early parenting years, he was always involved with the organization in other capacities.  After having 3 beautiful children, Bryn, Justin and Andrea, Kurt got the itch to return to the dugout in 2001.  Kurt remained in the dugout until 2014, having the honor in coaching his son Justin through his Legion aged years.  Following Kurt’s coaching career, he continued to be a fixture within the organization by doing a variety of task, which included the beautification of the Owls Field at Ted Palka Park.  Kurt’s meticulous attention to detail has many in awe of the Owls Field at first view.  Kurt entered the Owls Fence of Fame several years ago and his #19 was retired by the organization.  In 2022, Kurt took over as Treasurer of the Owls Sports Club.

What does the Owls Sports Club mean to you?:  “I feel like I was born an Owl. I grew up two blocks from the Owls Field. I started playing as a 13 year old in 1978 and have been a part of the Owls since then. Baseball has always been my passion, but it morphed into so much more. It is the people that became as important, if not more than baseball. I never knew it would be a lifetime of involvement when I started out, but now I couldn’t imagine it being anything else. 

Secretary – Zack Williams

Zack is a 2003 graduate of Wilson High School.  He was a 3 year player of the Owls Legion Baseball Program from 2001-2003.  He received a degree in Secondary Education from Millersville University.  He furthered his education by receiving his Master’s degree in education technology and Principal’s Certificate from Wilkes University.  He is currently employed as a Principal in the Antietam School District.  Zack began his coaching career with the West Lawn Owls in 2007 with the Owls City County team.  In 2008, Zack was the Head Coach of the Owls Junior Legion baseball team.  In 2010, Zack took over for 23-year veteran Head Legion Coach Tony Matz III.  That same year he would also serve as an Assistant Coach of the Wilson High School Varsity Baseball team.  He served as Legion Head Coach until 2019.  During his tenure, he won the Berks County Legion League Championship in 2015 and 2018 and was the Region 2 Runner-up in 2018.  Zack continues to serve as Secretary of the Owls Sports Club, as well as volunteering in various capacities around the organization.  Zack lives in the Wilson School District with his wife Margaux.  They have a 5-year-old son, Jackson.

What does the Owls Sports Club mean to you?:  “The Owls Sports Club has provided me with lifelong friendships that spanned various age ranges.  I am still friends with the players I played with, coaches who coached with me, and volunteers who helped make my experience a meaningful one. 

Trustee – Tony Matz III

Tony is a 1983 graduate of Wilson High School.  He played for the Owls in 1982 and 1983.  League competition was very good in 1982 and 1983.  Boyertown won the World Series in 1982 and was the World Series runner-up in 1983.  Tony’s Owls team in 1983 was the Berks County Playoff runner-up to Boyertown that season.  Tony began his coaching career with the Owls as an assistant coach in 1986.  In 1987, the organization named him Head Coach of the Legion Owls.  Tony was the Head Coach of the Owls from 1987 until 2009.  During his Head Coaching tenure, Tony’s teams won 4 Berks County League Championships, 2 Region 2 Championships, and 1 State runner-up team that advanced to the organizations 1st American Legion National Regional in Moline, IL.  Tony was inducted into the PA American Legion Hall of Fame in 2005.  Tony entered the Owls Fence of Fame in 2012 and his #23 was the 1st retired number by the organization.  He continued to remain involved following his coaching retirement and is a huge part of the decision-making process for the organization.  He is married to wife, Celia and has a son, Anthony and a daughter, Sami.

What does the Owls Sports Club mean to you?:  “During my playing years in 1982 and 1983, our team was led by 3 dedicated baseball coaches, Head Coach, Mitch Hettinger; Assistants Eric Behrenshausen and Craig Reitz that coached far more than merely hitting and infield/outfield. They had the most dynamic practices I had ever been a part of.  It was simply the beginning of how I became to have a sheer passion for the Owls team, the Owls organization, and the incredible Berks County Legion League.” 

Trustee  --  Ben Reifsnyder

Ben is a 2003 graduate of Wilson High School.  He played for the Owls from 1999 – 2003.  Following high school, Ben went to Alvernia University and received a degree in Elementary and Secondary Education.  While at Alvernia, he played on the baseball team from 2002-2007.  During college, Ben began his coaching career with the Owls.  He started his coaching career as an Assistant Coach with the Owls 13-year-old Legion Prep team.  He then elevated to the Junior Legion team as an Assistant Coach.  In 2009, Ben was promoted to the Senior Legion team as an Assistant Coach.  He remains on the active coaching staff with the Owls Legion team as an Assistant Coach focusing on hitting as well as serving as the 3rd base coach.  Ben has been an active member of the Owls Sports Club since 2003.  He became a Executive Board Trustee in 2018.  Ben has been a teacher since graduating from Alvernia.  He was a teacher in the Reading School District and now serves as a 5th grade teacher in the Muhlenberg School District.  He lives in the Wilson School District with his wife Nicole and 2 boys, Parker and Hudson.

What does the Owls Sports Club mean to you?:  “FAMILY!!!  We have each other’s back no matter what the situation is and are always there for one another.  We are not just your typical coaching staff or organization we truly care about each other and our families as well.  We all do this because we love the game of baseball, and we love to help teach and mold young men into mature adults.  Seeing people many years later and they talk about their days playing down at the Owls field is what makes it all worth it and know that you made a difference in someone's life. 

Trustee  --  Scott Spatz

Scott is a 1986 graduate of Muhlenberg High School and a 1991 graduate of Shippensburg University.  Over his 39 years of coaching baseball, Scott has coached at the junior high, high school, and Legion levels at Muhlenberg.  He also coached at the junior high/middle school level at Wilson.  He has coached junior high/middle school basketball at Wilson since 1991 and is a proud member of the Wilson Athletic Hall of Fame as a coach.  He became involved with the West Lawn Owls in 2008 after being the Head Coach of the Muhlenberg Legion Baseball Team.  His first 10 years with the Owls he served as an assistant coach and head coach with the Youth Legion team.  He was the Head Coach of the PA State Youth Legion Champion West Lawn Owls in 2018.  In 2020, he took over for Zack Williams as the Head Legion Coach for the West Lawn Owls.  Scott managed the team to a PA Region 2 Runner-up in 2021 and the Berks County Legion League Championship in 2023.  Scott has been an Executive Board member with the Owls for the last 13 years, serving as Treasurer and Trustee. He has been teaching in the Antietam School District for the last 34 years.  Scott lives in the Wilson School District with his wife Nikki.  They have 2 children, Erin (a kindergarten teacher in the Reading School District) and Ryan (a senior at Penn State Berks).

What does the Owls Sports Club mean to you?:  “The Owls organization has been very special to me and my family.”