SLIPPERY ROCK — The new-look Slippery Rock Sliders make their Prospect League debut Friday night at Critchfield Park.

The Sliders have the same name, uniform design and logo as the Frontier League franchise that played here in 2007. Owned by the league and last in attendance at 700 fans per game that year, the franchise is now playing in Michigan.

A player on that Sliders team two years ago, outfielder Jason Curry, a Slippery Rock High graduate, is an assistant coach for the new Sliders.

"I'm sorry the old team isn't here anymore, but this team will be even better," Curry said. "This is prime college talent, the wooden bats are back and so is summer baseball."

Curry has served as a volunteer assistant coach for Sliders manager and Knoch graduate Chase Rowe at La Roche College and has been trying to get back into baseball as an active player himself.

"I was one of nine outfielders invited to compete for a position with Long Beach of the Golden League last year," Curry said. "They only kept three and I wasn't one of them.

"I enjoy coaching with Chase, though. We're on the same page when it comes to baseball philosophy and this is a good way for me to stay connected to the game."

Andrew Morris of Gulf Coast Community College in Florida will be the Sliders' opening night pitcher. Game time is 7:05 p.m. against Lorain (Ohio).

Morris was the Panhandle Conference's Pitcher of the Year, throws in the low 90s and has an effective split-finger fastball.

Rowe once played at Gulf Coast and his coach at the time, Darren Mazeroski, recommended Morris to him.

"He's expected to go in the first 10 rounds of the baseball draft," Rowe said of Morris. "They're raving about his stuff."

Seneca Valley graduate Cory Mazzoni will start on the mound for the Sliders against the Butler BlueSox Saturday night at Pullman Park. Mazzoni was a freshman at North Carolina State this spring.

Another local pitcher, Grove City High product Bobby Revesz, hasn't joined the Sliders yet because his University of Louisville team is involved in NCAA regional competition.

Slippery Rock High graduate and Slippery Rock University second baseman Billy Messer and SRU player Derek Diruscia will be in the Sliders' lineup Friday. Rowe is unsure of his complete lineup otherwise.

"Evaluating everybody in a few days is the biggest challenge to this," Rowe said. "The good thing is we play a lot of games, so we can adjust as we go along."

The Sliders sold 30 season tickets in the preseason and have sold several reserve seats for Friday's opener. Critchfield Park seats 2,050 and Sliders principal owner Mike Bencic anticipates an estimated crowd of 1,200 for Friday.

"Back in 2007, we drew 1,200 fans, 1,400 and 1,250 for the opening weekend and this team has been better marketed and received by the public than the Frontier League squad was," Bencic said. "We've gotten the word out better."

A fireworks display will take place after Friday's game.

Chad Fitzgerald, a Hickory High graduate now serving as pitching coach at Heidelberg (Ohio) College, will serve the Sliders in that capacity.

"All of the pitchers on this team are already having good careers," Fitzgerald said. "Hopefully, they'll learn a little more about pitching from playing in this league and they'll further their success in Slippery Rock.

"It's exciting to work with this kind of talent. I want to return these guys healthy to their colleges next year because that's how I want my pitchers returned to me."