The roster of the Allegheny Athletics baseball team consists of 27 players, all of whom are 20 years old or younger.

All of the members of this summer team have started their college baseball careers or will join a college team this coming school year.

Most have dreams of getting noticed by scouts and one day signing a professional contract, even though the odds are stacked against them.

But the Allegheny Athletics, who play their home games at North Allegheny High's baseball field and are sponsored by the McCandless Athletic Association, are already ahead of major-league players in one area -- games played over a seven-week span.

The Athletics are scheduled for 52 games over 48 days. They play in two leagues -- the Tri-State Collegiate Summer League and the AAABA (20 and under) Great Lakes League.

Through games of last Wednesday, the Athletics had an overall record of 13-6. They were 6-5 in the Tri-State League, where the La Roche College-based Pittsburgh Pandas also play.

The Athletics owned a 7-1 mark in their AAABA league, playing against five other teams, all from the Cleveland area.

Last year, playing in the same two leagues, Allegheny compiled a combined 36-13 mark.

"We squeeze a lot in, playing 52 games in 48 days," said Athletics manager Dave Hungerman, 53. "It doesn't give you a lot of days to rest. But we wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't fun."

The Athletics' longest road trips in the Tri-State League are Chillicothe, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio -- both four-hour rides. They take two or three vans for those trips.

In Great Lakes AAABA league play, Allegheny has become quite familiar with the two-hour-plus trip to Cleveland. This past Tuesday, the Athletics left Pittsburgh at 5 p.m. for an 8:30 game in the Cleveland area, gained a win, and were back home at 2 a.m.

"It's a long night for just one game," admits Hungerman, in his second season as manager.

Allegheny's leading hitter through the first 19 games was Mike Carroll, a catcher from Duquesne University who owned a .432 average (16 for 37). The team's second-leading hitter was leadoff batter Harry Austin at .400 (12 for 30). Austin, the Athletics' left fielder, is a North Allegheny graduate who plays at Elon University in North Carolina.

Another North Allegheny graduate, first baseman Josh Hungerman, the manager's son, also has been carrying a hot bat, owning a .346 average (19 for 55), while leading the Athletics in hits, home runs (3), triples (4) and doubles (5).

Hungerman, who plays at Cleveland State, also is a pitcher but has not taken the mound for the Athletics yet. He is expected to enter the rotation shortly.

Also hitting better than .300 is a third North Allegheny graduate -- outfielder Andy Trettel at .360 (9 for 25).

Brian Long, Erik Fargo, Danny Vietmeier and Dylan Henry have been the mainstays on the pitching staff in the early going.

Long, a North Hills High School grad who also plays at Cleveland State, is 3-1 with a team-best 1.85 ERA and a team-high 24 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Fargo, a Trinity High School grad who plays at Division III Denison University in Ohio, is 3-0 with a 2.90 ERA.

Vietmeier, a Montour grad who pitches for Washington & Jefferson, is 2-0 with a 1.90 ERA. Henry, another Cleveland State player, owns a 2-1 mark.

The Allegheny Athletics are in their fourth year of operation. When asked how this year's team compares with last year's squad, Dave Hungerman said, "Hitting-wise, we're probably not as strong as last year. Pitching-wise, though, we're stronger and much deeper."

With lots of regular-season games left to play over a short span, including quite a few doubleheaders, Dave Hungerman will definitely need that 'deep' pitching staff to come through.

And he'd most like for that staff to peak just in time for playoff success.

But Dave Hungerman said he's just as much interested in maintaining the philosophy he and his two assistant coaches -- Andy Maddix and Harry Yeakel -- try to instill during the long seven-week, 52-game march.

"You got to make it fun," said Dave Hungerman. "You got to try to be competitive. Nobody wants to be on a team that loses every game. You want these guys to hone their skills, do well and possibly have the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of scouts."