As the organization's president and coach, Kevin Giza has built the Allegheny Valley franchise into a Greater Pittsburgh Federation League power since joining the semi-pro league in 2003.

After finishing second in the Fed League to St. Johns-Lefty's in the regular season and playoffs last season, Allegheny Valley has established itself as a regular contender in the wooden bat league that is recognized as one of the best in this part of the country (St. Johns advanced to the National Amateur Baseball Federation's World Series last year).

But as much as Giza and his team strive to win league titles and advance in national tournaments, the goals of the organization focus more on helping players succeed.

"The thing about our program is we strive to give these guys the best competition and the best program available around Pittsburgh," Giza said. "We always try to get the best facilities to train in and bring in different coaches and do different things with competition in terms of going to Mechanicsburg or Harrisburg or New York -- wherever we need to go to play better teams. The guys leave having played high-level competition, and we help them try to find out what they need to work on, and we work on it with them all summer long."

The most prominent example of an Allegheny Valley player moving on in the five years of the program's existence is Nate Buttenfield, the coach of the North Hills High School baseball team who was offered a contract at age 30 this spring by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The ace of the Allegheny Valley staff, he would ultimately decline the minor-league deal because he did not want to lose his teaching and coaching jobs among the uncertainty of a career, but the idea that Allegheny Valley is striving to get its players on to bigger and better things was exemplified.

"Primarily, we try to get these guys better looks," Giza said. "If they're at a small college and not getting playing time, we want to get them on the field. If they're in college and getting playing time, we do what we can to help them get a better scholarship. If they're at a small school, we'll work to get them to a better college. And if they're at that level, at a good college playing, we'll find the things needed to get them to the next level.

"I'm sure we don't have a team full of Nate Buttenfields, but that is a big part of what we want to help make happen."

Not all of the players will be offered a contract by a Major League organization, but Allegheny Valley does have plenty of talent on its roster after conducting open tryouts this spring.

Its top players returning from last season's Fed League runner-up squad include Buttenfield, Steve Long (North Hills High School, Seton Hill University), Luke Katich (Fox Chapel, College of Wooster), J.P. Katich (Deer Lakes, Slippery Rock, professional Slippery Rock Sliders), Alex Sharick (Burrell, Duquesne), Mike Dukovich (Hampton, Harvard), Ryan Dukovich (Hampton, Cleveland State) and Mike Reeves (North Hills, High Point University).

Third baseman Jordan Premick (Hampton High School, Clarion University), Brian Youchak (Vincentian Academy, Johns Hopkins University), John Hastings (Fox Chapel, John Carroll University) and Dustin Mills (North Hills, Cleveland State) are among the top newcomers who figure to be able to contribute greatly this season.

Allegheny Valley, which plays its home games at either Etna Veterans Field or John Herb Field in Ross, also donated a portion of its fundraising proceeds to the Miracle League, an organization that works to provide facilities for disabled children to play baseball.