When you experience the kind of domination in a league that St. Johns has recently, you begin to shoot for things bigger than just championships. St. Johns-Lefty's, as they are now known, has won six of the past eight Federation League titles, but it has yet to achieve the elusive three-peat.

This season marks the team's third try at winning three consecutive titles since 2002. Bethel Park and Mt. Lebanon, a Federation team that has since folded for at least this season, have denied St. Johns the chance for three titles in a row and all the games have come down to last inning rallies by the other team.

St. Johns-Lefty's formerly known as St. Johns-Lambros, has a new sponsor this year as Lambros bar is set to close with the expansion of Route 28 and outfielder Rickie Krist's bar, Lefty's, is the new sponsor.

One thing that has not changed about the team is the dominant pitching. It has started the season an uncharacteristic 6-4-1, but three of those losses came at the Reno Powell Hagerstown tournament in Maryland where St. Johns did not have any of its top four pitchers. Todd Schiffhaur, Brandan Federrici and Scott Chisholm were unable to make the trip and John Astfalk is awaiting MRI results on a baseball related arm injury.

When they have had their full complement of healthy pitchers, St. Johns-Lefty's has gone 6-1-1. Being the current powerhouse in the Federation League, St. Johns is getting used to seeing nothing but other team's aces.

"Everyone saves their best pitcher for us," manager Tom McCarthy said. "That's fine because that goes with the challenge and we kind of look at it as a positive thing. If we are going to get better we need to see better pitching."

Offensively Krist, along with designated hitter Jim Jaskowski, catcher/first basemen Rich Satcho and outfielder/first basemen Nate Thimmons, have had big seasons. Mike Schmidt is a new addition to the team from Bethel Park and is playing third base.

Recently in a game against the Bethel Park Federation League team, McCarthy looked at his roster and found more Bethel Park players on it than the Bethel Park roster. St. Johns-Lefty's also has players from Shaler and North Hills.

St. Johns also has three WPIAL standouts from this year playing for them part-time. Cory Mazzoni from Seneca Valley, Jordan Steranka from Mt. Lebanon and Jim Rider of Peters Township are splitting time between the Federation League and the Pittsburgh Elite League.

McCarthy maintains good connections with WPIAL baseball through his previous experience in the league. He is a former coach at Plum High School and McKeesport and is currently the vice president of the baseball coaches association and helps run the WPIAL showcase games.