SLIPPERY ROCK — West Virginia Tech assistant baseball coach Andy Chalot is the new manager of the Slippery Rock Sliders.

Chalot, 30, served as an assistant coach at Gannon University for three years and is in his second year as an assistant under veteran head coach Lawrence Nesselrodt at West Virginia Tech.

He also coached in the Shenandoah Valley League, a summer collegiate circuit in Virginia, the past six years.

"I've known Coach (Jeff) Messer at SRU from my years at Gannon and he's good friends with Coach Nesselrodt down here," Chalot said. "I was talking with Coach Messer one day and he told me they were looking for a coach up there."

Chalot is a native of Franklin and a graduate of Franklin Area High School.

"Between coaching at Tech and in Virginia over the summer, I've only been able to see my family back home over Thanksgiving and Christmas," Chalot said. "This gives me the opportunity to do what I love to do during the summer and see more of my family at the same time."

Chalot replaces Knoch and SRU graduate Chase Rowe, who guided the Sliders to a 22-31 record in the team's Prospect League debut season last summer. The Sliders finished in last place in the East Division, 7Z\x games out of first place.

"There was no commitment on either side beyond last year," said Sliders owner and general manager Mike Bencic. "There was no falling out. ... We just decided to try a different direction.

"Andy comes from down south and he has good contacts with a lot of schools down there. He plans to get our youth involved more, running some baseball camps, doing some community outreach."

Sliders assistant coaches in 2010 will be current senior SRU baseball players Billy Messer and Don Pugliese.

A Slippery Rock High graduate and son of the SRU coach, Messer batted .267 as the Sliders' second baseman last season after hitting .344 for The Rock. He will enter his fourth year as SRU's starting second baseman in the spring.

Pugliese is expected to be in The Rock's starting rotation in 2010 after receiving a medical redshirt.

College players are ineligible for the Prospect League once their senior year begins.

The Sliders had nearly half of their 2010 roster in place at the time Chalot was hired. He helped to complete the roster.

"I was one of the last managers hired by the Prospect League," Chalot said. "But I like the mixture of talent that's on that roster."

Four players on the 2010 roster, pitcher Brad Duffy of Duquesne University, outfielder Derek Carr of Youngstown State, pitchers Rich Raraigh of Seton Hill and Andy Young of Mansfield, played for the Sliders last season.

Bencic likes the youthfulness of his new coaching staff.

"They each bring youthful exuberance, yet tremendous baseball knowledge, to our program," he said. "We look forward to them leading us as we strive to win the 2010 Prospect League."

The league expanded from 11 to 14 teams for 2010, including the addition of the West Virginia Miners, who will play in Beckley, W.Va.

"That's about 30 minutes from where we're at (Montgomery, W.Va.) and they've got a beautiful $3 million stadium there," Chalot enthused. "I don't think the Prospect League will ever catch Cape Cod as the premier summer college league out there, but it has a chance to be No. 2 nationally."

Slippery Rock Sliders2010 RosterPitchers: Brandon Adkins (Miami of Ohio), Cory Baker (Lincoln Land Community College, Ill.), Brad Duffy (Duquesne), Derek Hayden (Murray State, Ky.), Tyler Hieneman (Morehead State, Ky.), Robert Huffman (Akron), Vince Molesky (Mount St. Mary's), Brian Muransky (Xavier), Ross Overstreet (Lincoln Land C.C)., Rich Raraigh (Seton Hill), Andy Young (Mansfield)

Catchers: A.J. Miller (Lafayette), Matt Winter (Texas A&M International), Kyle Mossbarger (Wright State)

Infielders: Jeremy Banks (Youngstown State), Phil Bondi (Radford, Va.), Brian Davila (Lafayette), Cameron Fagg (Wright State, Ohio), Zach Hofer (Elmhurst, Ill.), Brady Stewart (Akron), Sam Trecaso (Akron)

Outfielders: Derek Carr (Youngstown State), Cory Hornyak (Tiffin, Ohio), Sean Mahley (Cumberland, Tenn.), Kevin Simms (Wright State)

Utility: Matt Fenster (Lafayette)