SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock Sliders are going small in hopes of winning big.

The Prospect Baseball League franchise begins its second season Thursday when it hosts the West Virginia Miners at 7 p.m. at Critchfield Park.

Slippery Rock finished lastin the East Division in its premiere season in 2009, sporting a 22-31 record. The league website reported the team's average home attendance at 222. Only Lorain County (Ohio) averaged fewer fans per home game.

"Unfortunately, our marketing got pushed off until last," Sliders owner Mike Bencic said of last season. "We've got many more sponsors on board this season, our ticket sales are better. ... Our marketing is triple what it was last season."

Bencic said between 600 and 800 tickets have been presold for the season opener. Critchfield Park can hold 2,000.

"We're not gonna sell it out, but we're expecting a very nice crowd," Bencic said.

Andy Chalot, pitching coach at West Virginia Tech and a manager in the summer Valley League the past three summers, takes over as Sliders manager, replacing Knoch graduate Chase Rowe.

"We decided to go after players from smaller schools who played a lot for their respective schools this spring," Chalot said. "Sometimes when you get players from bigger schools, they can't get here right away.

"I know we've got some solid talent assembled, even if they're not from huge universities."

The biggest schools the Sliders are drawing players from in 2010 are Akron, Xavier and Austin Peay. Tom Shirley, a left-handed pitcher from Xavier, was 5-3 and pitched more than 100 innings for the Musketeers.

"He pitched seven scoreless innings in their conference tournament," Chalot said. "We'll rest him for a week or so and he'll be ready to go."

Matt Baer, an outfielder from West Chester, hit 13 home runs, added 59 RBI and batted .355 for the Golden Rams.

Utility player Matt Fenster hit .410 for Lafayette, infield Zach Hofer hit .320 for Elmhurst (Ill.) and third baseman-catcher Kyle Mossbarger hit .308 with nine homers for Wright State.

Shortstop-third baseman Brian Davila hit .315 for Lafayette and Youngstown State first baseman Jeremy Banks hit .313 with five homers and 37 RBI.

Sam Trecaso, a third baseman-second baseman for Akron, hit .330 for the Zips.

"One of my assistant coaches from last summer is an assistant at Akron, so I feel very comfortable with his recommendation of Trecaso," Chalot said.

Rich Rairigh, a left-handed pitcher from North Allegheny High who was 3-3 with a 2.59 ERA for Seton Hill, will start in the Sliders' opener.

Outfielder Derek Carr from Youngstown State and right-hander Andy Young from Mansfield are the two other Slider players returning from last year.

"It's a nice reward to give Rich for coming back for another season here," Chalot said of the opening-game assignment. "All three of those guys got here early to help acclimate the other players to the area."

The Sliders have no Butler County players on their roster, but a number of players are from the Pittsburgh area.

Sliders assistant coaches are Slippery Rock University graduates Billy Messer and Don Pugliese, along with John Rodriguez, a graduate assistant coach at West Virginia Tech.

Messer has a broken ankle and Pugliese is receiving some looks from major league organizations as a pitching prospect.

Bencic is hopeful his team averages 700 fans a game.

"I know we'll do a lot of running and scrapping to score runs any way we can," Chalot said. "We will play an exciting brand of baseball."

Coming Thursday: A preview of the Butler BlueSox season

SLIDERS 2010 HOME SCHEDULE

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June 3 West Virginia, June 7 Lorain County (Ohio), June 10 Richmond (Ind.), June 11 DeKalb (Ill.), June 15 Butler, June 17 Lorain County (Ohio), June 23 Quincy (Ill), June 24 Springfield (Ill.), June 25 Springfield (Ill.), June 26 Chillicothe (Ohio), June 27 West Virginia 2 p.m., June 30 Lorain County (Ohio)

July 1 DuPage (Ill.), July 3 Lorain County (Ohio), July 4 Chillicothe (Ohio) 2 p.m., July 8 Butler, July 11 Butler 2 p.m., July 12 Richmond (Ind.), July 13 Richmond (Ind.), July 16 Hannibal (Mo.), July 21 Chillicothe (Ohio), July 23 Butler, July 29 West Virginia, July 31 Butler

Aug. 3 Chillicothe (Ohio), Aug. 4 Butler, Aug. 6 West Virginia, Aug. 7 Lorain County (Ohio).