SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock High School baseball coach Nate McCollough calls them “1A and 1B.”

Just don’t ask who is the “A” and who is the “B.”

Going strictly by alphabet, though, Arienzo is “1A” and Becker is “1B.”

Then again, it doesn’t really matter for the 7-0 Rockets these days.

Both senior right-hander Jake Arienzo and sophomore right-hander Gunner Becker are coming up aces for the Slippery Rock pitching staff.

“They’ve been huge,” McCollough said. “This year is a little different than in year’s past because we have the luxury of bringing in some of the younger guys in relief or starting the younger guys and bringing (Arienzo or Becker) in relief.”

It’s a good thing, too, because health has dogged the Rockets’ staff.

Jackson Kerchis, perhaps “1AA” on the staff before the season, may miss the entire year because of an injury.

That left only two known commodities — Arienzo and Becker — on the staff before the season.

They haven’t missed a beat.

Arienzo, who is still recovering from an elbow injury suffered last summer, is 2-0 with a 1.91 ERA. He has struck out 21 in 14 2/3 innings pitched.

Becker has been just as dominant. He’s 3-0 with a 1.52 ERA and has fanned 28 in 23 innings of work this season.

“Gunner is the type of kid who wants the ball at any time,” McCollough said. “And Jake wants the ball in big games. They are two totally different pitchers. When Gunner is on the mound, he’s almost like a closer — he doesn’t care what happens during the game, he’s calm. Jake wears his emotions on his sleeve like A.J. Burnett.”

It has worked for both hurlers.

Arienzo said he is finally close to 100 percent after having pitch and inning limits at the beginning of the season.

His stuff — a heavy fastball in particular — has been 100 percent, though, since the start.

“I took the fall off and felt like I needed to get strong in the winter, so I did a lot of throwing,” Arienzo said. “I knew me and Gunner were going to be neck-and-neck and were going to be asked to pitch a lot for this team.”

They haven’t had to pitch as much as they thought.

That’s because of the quick development of freshmen Ricky Mineo and Dylan Dingle, sophomore Kyle Benson and senior Cain Kaltenbaugh, who have combined to go 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA this season in spot duty.

“It’s nice because in the future we have guys who are going to get varsity innings now and when it’s their time, they are going to be the next person up and accept that role,” McCollough said.

Now, it’s Arienzo and Becker’s turn to lead the staff.

And they are embracing it.

“Once I got my shot, I had to take it,” Becker said. “I just have to hit my spots with my fastball because if I miss and throw it right down the middle, they’re going to jack it.”

That hasn’t happened to Becker much in his short career. Last year he was 1-0 with a 3.50 ERA as a freshman.

Becker likes that the pitching staff and Slippery Rock has been under the radar so far this season.

“It’s nice being 7-0 but we can’t get too confident,” Becker said. “We have to show up every day and do our job.”