This is how dedicated Vince Lloyd is to improving himself as a baseball player:

Beaver Falls American Legion manager Mike Kirschner conducts a camp in the summer from noon until 2 p.m. three days a week for players ages 13-19. With temperatures in the mid 90s Monday, just five players showed ... one of them was Lloyd.

It needs to be pointed out that Lloyd, a recent Beaver Falls High School graduate, has a scholarship to play baseball at Slippery Rock University and has been selected to play for the West team this weekend in Harrisburg in the American Legion's annual East-West All-Star Game.

If anybody had reasons not to throw a baseball around in the heat Monday it was Lloyd. But there he was, sweating with the other four guys.

"He's worked hard to improve on his abilities," Kirschner said.

Which is why Lloyd has impressed scouts this summer and why he earned a trip to Harrisburg for Sunday's 6 p.m. all-star game at Commerce Bank Park.

Lloyd was named the MVP in the All-West American Legion game played July 10 at Medlar Field, the home of the State College Spikes. A right-handed pitcher, he retired seven of the eight batters he faced, four on strikeouts.

His fastball was clocked between 92 and 94 mph at the All-West game.

"I was surprised that I got the MVP," Lloyd said. "I was just hoping to make it to the next level."

He received a plaque and had his photo taken after the All-West game. Not bad for someone who, at one time, wasn't thrilled with pitching and didn't play summer ball before his sophomore year of high school.

"When I was younger I thought [pitcher] was a boring position," Lloyd said. "I liked playing other positions better."

As he matured, he rediscovered the mound and after his junior season at Beaver Falls, Lloyd dedicated himself to improving his ability to throw a baseball.

He added about 7 to 8 mph to his fastball and sharpened his control.

"Vince put in a lot of hard work in the offseason," Kirschner said. "He threw a lot and spent a lot of time in the weight room."

At 6 feet 2 and 205 pounds, Lloyd has the potential to get stronger and faster. He had a 5-2 record for Beaver Falls' American Legion team and a 2.05 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 44 innings.

In high school action this past spring, Lloyd was 5-1 with more than 100 strikeouts.

"He improved from about 75 strikeouts a year ago," said Kirschner, who also coaches the high school team. "The big thing is that he cut his walks down. He just became a more polished pitcher."

Besides a fastball, Lloyd throws a curve, slider, changeup and a knuckleball.

Kirschner said Lloyd's fastball is impressive and that he kept batters off balance with his curve.

"It was hard for guys to catch up with his fastball, but we'll see what happens at the next level," Kirschner said. "His slider comes in too flat right now. He does have a decent changeup."

Lloyd has received offers from Division I colleges, but is sticking with his commitment to Slippery Rock. He also worked hard to improve his grades this past school year.

When he wasn't pitching for Beaver Falls, Lloyd played in the outfield or as the designated hitter. He isn't bad with a bat and hit .285 with three home runs with the high school team.

"When he gets a hold of one, it goes a long way," Kirschner said. "But I don't think he's going to have to worry about hitting once he gets to Slippery Rock."

Kirschner figures he'll continue to see Lloyd at the Beaver Falls camp the rest of the summer.

"I don't think he's missed a day, which is good, because he's like having an instructor because he works with the younger guys on pitching," Kirschner said. "Just his being there all the time sets a great example for the younger guys."

NOTES: Three other Beaver County players were also selected to play for the West team in the East-West game. Hopewell's Scott Dunn, a South Side Beaver High graduate who played at Marietta College in the spring, was picked as a pitcher. So was Blackhawk's Adam Liberatore, who played at NCAA Division I Tennessee Tech this past season. The other is Brighton Township's Cory Diamond, an outfielder who will be a junior at Beaver Area High School. ... The All-West game was played in State College because PNC Park was the site for Major League Baseball's All-Star game. ... Players for the West team were selected by college and professional scouts at the workout/ game at State College.