It's spring, and that means Little League and PONY leagues are getting underway, but for one youth baseball team in Armstrong County, the season isn't starting as planned, after a theft from their field.

As the Leechburg Youth Baseball Association was getting ready for their first practice at Gilpin-Leechburg Park, they noticed one thing missing: a large pile of wood they had stocked behind their shed.

Jonathan McLaughlin was upset to look at what's left of his PONY League's wood supply.

"From here, over to this big bleacher board. I mean, this wood was stacked about this high," McLaughlin said. "We had all the material here. All we have now is the shingles, which we had stored inside."

The association's president said a variety of wood sat behind their shed at the Gilpin-Leechburg Park throughout the winter, covered in tarp and weighed down by cement blocks.

Between now and opening day in a month, they planned to use that wood to upgrade facilities there and at the Schenley Legion Field down the road. They wanted to fix the pilling on the shed, install a new roof on the press box, create a rain cover, and build new bleachers along with a small concession stand.

Then, when Head of Fields and Maintenance, Ramon Sipolino, came to check on it on Monday before their first practice, it was all gone, except for a few big pieces.

"That's something you would never even think were to happen," Sipolino said.

They believe it happened this past weekend, as the park manager told them he remembered seeing the stack there the week before.

In total, they're estimating a loss of around $1,400.

"It's kind of like a punch in the gut," McLaughlin said. "You're taking from children at this point."

It comes as they just worked hard to build the team back up.

Unfortunately, nothing was caught on camera, but the Southern Armstrong Regional Police chief confirmed to KDKA-TV that they're investigating.

"I just know that we're going to use this towards momentum and make sure that we make it, make the right outcome of it," Sipolino said.

As they wait for answers, they're taking this as another speed bump, and with the community's help, will push forward for the kids.

"I just want these kids to have the best season this year," McLaughlin said.

If you have any information about what happened, contact the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department at 724-845-7979.