MERIDIAN— Climbing the ladder in the American Legion all-star system isn't easy.

But Jimmy McCaslin climbed all the way to the top.

The 2006 Butler graduate, a pitcher-outfielder for Meridian of the Butler County American Legion Baseball League, is the lone BCALplayer to be selected for the Pennsylvania East-West American Legion All-Star Game July 23 in Harrisburg.

He is the first BCALplayer to reach that game since Brian Hart of Mars in 2002.

"We haven't had too many play in that game,"leaguepresident Dess Schnur said. "I don't think we've had more than six during my 25 years with the league."

John Baker, Curt Schnur, Matt Clement and Dan DeCola were leagueplayers who competed in the East-West Game during the 1990s.

"I'm pretty excited that I made it,"McCaslin said. "Seeing how my skills stack up at that level is going to be fun."

"Jimmy has the raw talent they look for," said Butler City manager Jerry Piroch, who traveled with the BCALcontingent of all-star selections to the previous three Legion all-star games.

McCaslin was one of 19 players selected from the All-West Game to play in the state's Legion all-star contest. He had advanced from the BCALAll-Star Game and district all-star contests to reach the All-West Game.

"That kid is the total package,"Piroch said. "He's a good hitter with great speed and a terrific arm. He's a big kid, yet Jimmy was clocked at 6.6 seconds in the 60-yard dash."

After batting around .300 with two home runs during Butler's high school season, McCaslin is hitting .492 for Meridian this summer and is among the league leaders with 11 stolen bases.

He leads the Meridian Legion squad in batting average, doubles, triples, hits, home runs, RBI and stolen bases.

"Ask every kid on our team and, to a man, they would say Jimmy is our MVP,"Meridian coach Bo Ballew said. "It's pretty obvious."

McCaslin made the East-West Game as an outfielder, but said his real future in baseball could be as a pitcher.

"I've been to a few major league tryout camps, two with the Pirates, and they keep inviting me back," he said. "I've hit 88 mph on the (radar)gun.

"One of the Pirates' scouts recommended me to Allegany (Md.)College. I may wind up there. I have to check out the money situations at these schools."

Mercyhurst, Indiana (Pa) University and Allegany are all bidding for McCaslin's services.

McCaslin is black, but was adopted by white parents when he was 4 months old. He is the middle child in a seven-child family and has three brothers and three sisters. Two of his younger brothers are adopted as well.

"I've always gotten along with everybody,"McCaslin said. "Being the middle person in the family, I know how to get along with just about any type of person."

McCaslin's older siblings played soccer and he started out in that sport as well.

"I played soccer and baseball,"he said. "When soccer began conflicting with baseball, I chose baseball. The first season I played, Iwas 9 and felt like a natural baseball player."

Ballew echoes those sentiments.

"He's got the speed and the arm. Most importantly, he's got the attitude,"McCaslin's manager said. "His leadership is impressive because he has such passion for the game."

McCaslin may wind up playing for Butler County Community College next season.

"That's a route I'm looking at,"he said. "I'm going to need some (financial)help to go to school, so I may bide my time for a couple of years and see what's out there.

"My ultimate goal is to get drafted by a major league team as a pitcher at some point."