Missing the playoffs by a half game, the season has come to an end for the Allegheny Valley team in the Greater Pittsburgh Federation League.

The season was not a complete failure as Allegheny Valley fashions itself as more of a program than just a summer team.

The team's main goal is to give area players a place to play for the summer against some of the top competition available while allowing them to progress as players.

"There's a lot more that you can get out of baseball than just trying to reach the major leagues," Allegheny Valley manager Kevin Giza said.

"If you are playing at college, we can help you try and earn a scholarship, move on to a better college or just earn more playing time. We want to be more of a program than just a summer league team."

A good example of the importance of having a league such as the Federation League around is Jason Zoeller, a former standout at Shady Side Academy and a Penn Hills resident. He played most of the infield positions for Allegheny Valley and was one of the top power hitters for Ohio State this past season.

Zoeller was studying in Rome and nearly missed the opportunity to play summer ball for a second consecutive year. Last year, Zoeller stayed in Ohio after graduation and didn't play ball.

"When he got back [from studying abroad] he just wanted to hop on a team," Giza said. "That is a prime example of why our league is a good outfit. A guy like that ... you don't want him to stop [playing]. You want him to get his hacks in throughout the summer."

Giza held a roster spot for Zoeller. He is one of the faster players on the team and can hit for average and power. He is solid defensively and plays everywhere from shortstop to second and third base.

"I missed the game a lot when I was over in Italy. I just wanted to get back on the field," Zoeller said. "For them to give me that opportunity ... I was very grateful."

With his performance in the Federation League Zoeller earned a tryout with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League. He also plans on starting law school at Duquesne University.

Graduating from Shady Side Academy in 2003, Zoeller signed a letter of intent to play at Ohio State. In his final seasons at Shady Side Academy Zoeller hit .610 with 31 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.

Allegheny Valley finished in fourth place out of five teams in the Federation League. Only the top three teams -- St. Johns, Bethel Park and Elliott -- advanced to the playoffs. Bethel Park finished 11-11 and Elliott 10-8-2 just ahead of Allegheny Valley's 10-10-1 record.

"It was a good season. We were able to get a lot of players who are playing in college a lot of work and exposure," Giza said. "We try to keep the greater goal in mind when we go through the season.

"Our No. 1 goal is not to try and win a Federation League championship. We are here for the younger guys who need to play.

"Instead of not playing for four months, they can come get bigger, faster and stronger."