SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock Sliders could almost be called America’s Team.

The 2011 collegiate wooden bat Prospect League team features players from 10 states on its roster. The player closest to home is Youngstown State shortstop David Leon, who hails from Hermitage.

The majority of the Sliders are from smaller colleges.

“That’s by design,” second-year manager Andy Chalot said. “I wanted players who played regularly with their schools during the spring.

“Often times, you can get Division I guys, but most of them are redshirts or hardly played. It can take guys like that half the (summer) season to get in a groove.”

The Sliders finished 21-33 last year, 17 games behind division winner Chillicothe, which sported the best record in the league.

Chalot got a jump on putting his roster together this year, however.

“Last year, I didn’t get started on the roster until December or January. This year, I was able to get started in September,” he said. “Believe me, that makes a difference.”

The Sliders begin the 2011 season at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, hosting the Lorain County Ironmen at Critchfield Park.

Slippery Rock has two starting collegiate shortstops who will man the two middle infield positions. Leon hit .268 with three homers at Youngstown State while Tell Taylor hit .267 with 18 RBI at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“Milwaukee’s coach told me Taylor is the best defensive shortstop he’s had in 10 years,” Chalot said.

The Sliders’ marquee player might be centerfielder Michael Durham, who hit .342 with 23 stolen bases for Campbellsville University.

“I want a strong defensive team, particularly up the middle, and good pitching,” Chalot said. “Hold the other team down, you don’t need to score as many runs to win.

“I like to run and most of the guys in our lineup have speed. We’re not gonna lead the league in home runs, but we have a couple of pretty good power guys.”

One of those is Fred Ford, who hit 19 home runs for Jefferson Community College this spring.

Pitching-wise, the Sliders are led by Heath Horvath, a right-hander wjho threw a no-hitter for Three Rivers College this year, 6-foot-7 right-hander Kevin Jurkatis of Fullerton College and Shippensburg University starter Nick Umberger, a left-hander who struck out 49 in 68.2 innings pitched this spring.

Team owner Mike Bencic said the Sliders have been showing improvement at the gate and on the field.

“Our first game ever, we had maybe 95 people show up,” Bencic said. “At our last game last year, we had 800.

“We’re doing a better job of getting the word out and winning over the skeptics. The Frontier League’s Sliders left here after a year. A lot of people thought we were gonna do the same thing.

“We’re here to stay. People are realizing that now and they’re responding,” Bencic added.

He also said it’s up to the community and area businesses to help the Sliders’ growth.

“One of the reasons my wife and I got this team was because the community wanted a second chance to keep a summer baseball team here,” Bencic said. “Now we have that chance.”

The Sliders play the nerighboring Butler BlueSox in a home-and-home series Saturday and Sunday.

“We get more people at our place when we play Butler and they get more at theirs,” Bencic said. “Each wants the other to succeed because if one of us goes away, transportation costs go way up.

“We support each other off the field. On the field, we want to kick their butts.”