SLIPPERY ROCK — The roster for the Slippery Rock Sliders' inaugural Prospect League baseball season has a definite local flavor.

The Sliders will feature four current Slippery Rock University players on the roster, along with local pitchers Bobby Revesz (Grove City), Cory Mazzoni (Seneca Valley) and Josh Marchinoski (Butler).

Longtime SRUbaseball coach Jeff Messer, serving as director of baseball operations for the Sliders, assembled the majority of the 26-player roster.

"It was 70-30, anyway,"said Sliders manager and Knoch graduate Chase Rowe. "He did most of the calling. Jeff's been doing this for a long time. He has connections all over the country."

The Sliders' roster has three players from the University of Maryland, players from community colleges in Texas, Florida and Louisiana, and from San Jose State in California.

Mazzoni is a freshman at North Carolina State who led Seneca Valley to a state championship in 2007.

"My coach wanted me to pitch summer ball in a big league up in Wisconsin,"Mazzoni said. "I talked him into letting me play closer to home.

"I told him about this new team and league. Once he checked it out, he was OKwith it."

Mazzoni figures to be a starting pitcher for N.C. State this spring.

Revesz is a sophomore left-handed pitcher at the University of Louisville. He was 1-0 with a 3.90 earned run average with the Cardinals last year, sporting 41 strikeouts and 15 walks in 64X\c innings.

The 6-foot-4 Revesz started the Big East championship game against Cincinnati as a freshman.

Marchinoski is a sophomore pitcher at Brescia College (Ky.).

"I was a teammate with Josh in the Eagle County League (Saxonburg) for a while and I like his competitiveness,"Rowe said. "I wanted a guy from Butler on this team and he was the perfect choice."

Marchinoski nearly tried out for the Frontier League's Slippery Rock Sliders in 2007, but decided against it when he learned it would cost him his college eligibility.

The four SRUplayers joining the Sliders are second baseman Billy Messer, catcher-outfielder Derek Diruscia, left-handed pitcher Rich Hocanson and right-handed pitcher J.T. Thomas.

"Those four guys wanted to stay home and play here,"Jeff Messer said. "We have (SRU) guys going to play in a lot of different places.

"Blaine Brown used to be my assistant at SRUand now he's in that role at Maryland. That's how we got those players. We got off to a late start, but I'm pleased with the team we were able to put together."

Messer said most college players commit to a summer team by September or October.

The Sliders have another 12 players willing to sign on should members of the current roster fall through or get selected in the major league draft.

"Jeff made some good choices,"Sliders owner Mike Bencic said. "There's a good mix of local talent with guys from all over the country."

Messer and Bencic attended the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in San Diego earlier this month.

"We learned at that convention that the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals would be sending scouts to our all-star game,"Bencic said.

The Prospect League All-Star Game is July 15 in Springfield, Ill.

The Sliders begin their season with a home game against Lorain (Ohio) June 5. All home games will be played at Critchfield Park.

<B>Player Pos. College Hometown</B>Marcus Breeden 3B-C Maryland Norfolk, Va.Taylor Buran OF Maryland Richmond, Va.Mike Devine INF-P VMI CheswickDerek Diruscia C-OF Slippery Rock Beaver FallsSherman Ferguson OF Edward Waters (Fla.) Virgin IslandsRich Hocanson LHP Slippery Rock Rochester, Pa.Matt Howard OF Frederick C.C. PhiladelphiaJoe Iacobucci OF Youngstown St. Boardman, OhioCharle Kelly OF West Chester ChurchvilleJosh Marchinoski RHP Brescia (Ky.) ButlerLuke Mazzanti RHP San Jose St. Folsom, Calif.Cory Mazzoni RHP N.C. State PittsburghBilly Messer 2B Slippery Rock Slippery RockAdam Miller RHP Grayson (Texas) C.C. Rockcreek, OhioAndrew Morris RHP Gulf Coast (Fla.) C.C. Prattville, Ala.Matt Passauer RHP Maryland ErieJacob Petkac 1B-3B Ashland (Ohio) Middleburg Hts., OhioTyler Plympton C Rio Grande (Ohio) Petersborough, Can.Richard Raraigh LHP Seton Hill Bradford WoodsBobby Revesz LHP Louisville Grove CityNick Spisak SS West Chester MillersvilleBrad Thomas RHP Ashland (Ohio) Orrville, OhioJ.T. Thomas RHP Slippery Rock AmbridgeKelly Williams RHP Delgado (La.)C.C. Meadville