SLIPPERY ROCK— Baseball and success have been a package deal for Chase Rowe.

Slippery Rock Sliders owner Mike Bencic is hoping the trend continues after presenting Rowe as the manager of his Prospect League franchise during a Monday news conference at Jack Critchfield Park.

Rowe, 25, was a two-time all-PSACWest performer during his three-year playing career at Slippery Rock University, a stint that included a trip to the NCAADivision IIWorld Series in 2003.

"Some of the best experiences of my life were at this ballpark," Rowe said. "I'm thrilled to be coming back to this place."

After a year as an assistant coach, Rowe was named head baseball coach at LaRoche College in the fall of 2006 and has guided the Redhawks to 47 wins in two seasons, including the school's first regular-season Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference title.

A Knoch graduate, Rowe served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Diamond Dogs in the Western Pennsylvania Elite Baseball League the past three summers. That league is comprised of highly talented high school players from the Pittsburgh area.

The Prospect League will be comprised of highly talented collegiate players from across the country

"This is a challenge I'm looking forward to,"Rowe said.

Bencic said Rowe was his first choice as field manager, "and you don't get your first choice in situations like this very often."

Rowe played for longtime SRUcoach Jeff Messer, who will serve as the Sliders' assistant general manager.

"They have a great relationship. They'll work well together and that's what we're looking for,"Bencic said.

"Chase will have compassion for the players. We want to make sure we treat the players well, not like rented mules during the summer. It's important we establish that reputation."

Rowe will continue to coach at LaRoche during the fall and spring. The 54-game Prospect League season runs from early June to late August.

"I'll be in contact with the coaches of schools we get players from to see what concerns they may have, especially with the pitchers,"Rowe said. "We're not going to burn out anybody."

Messer has been accumulating players for the team and said Monday he has 16 spots on the 24-player roster filled.

Four of those spots went to SRUplayers: left-handed pitcher Rich Hocanson, right-handed pitcher J.T. Thomas, catcher-first baseman Derek DiRuschi and Slippery Rock High graduate and second baseman Billy Messer.

Grove City High product Bobby Revesz, a sophomore left-hander at Louisville, has committed to play for the Sliders as well.

"You can't have more than four players from the same university team playing on the same summer team,"Messer said. "I've got one or two other players from my (SRU)team, that I'm talking to (BlueSox owner)Leo Tritch about playing for Butler."

Messer said players will be joining the Sliders from the University of Maryland, San Jose State, West Chester, Rio Grande (Ohio) and Youngstown State, among other schools.

The Sliders expect to unveil their roster sometime next week. The Prospect League schedule will be released within 10 days.

In other Sliders news:

n Chad Fitzgerald will be the team's pitching coach. He is entering his second season as pitching coach at Division IIIHeidelberg (Ohio). He had five pitchers earn all-Ohio Athletic Conference honors last spring as the staff posted a school-record 3.50 earned run average.

Fitzgerald is a 2003 Hickory High School graduate.

n Tickets for home games will be $5 for senior citizens and presale general admission, $6 general admission at the gate and $7 reserved seats. Lawn seats behind the outfield fence are $5.

Season tickets are $50 for lawn seating, $96 for senior citizens, $128 for general admission, $160 for reserved. A$40 season parking pass is also available.

The Sliders' office number is 888-458-8831.