On paper, the newly formed Pittsburgh Riverbandits have the talent to compete for a Greater Pittsburgh Federation League title.

The lineup is dotted with Division I athletes, former Major League Baseball draft picks, collegiate champions and all-conference players.

Getting that talent together for a stretch of games has been another issue.

Running out of rested pitching arms and an unsteady schedule because of cancellations because of weather has been a big problem for the Riverbandits (7-8-1 before yesterday), a team full of current collegiate players.

"Without a doubt I would say on paper we are definitely in the top two," said Dustin Mills, the Riverbandits manager and a 2003 North Hills High School graduate.

"It is all about putting it all together. We have yet to get on a roll. It has been choppy at first and right now we are just scraping by. We've been doing a lot of lineup juggling."

Mills is a Fed League veteran, having played in the 80-year-old wooden bat league five of the past six years for Allegheny Valley. He assembled this year's team from players he has met during his career from North Hills to Pitt-Greensburg and Cleveland State University, where he graduated last year.

"Playing baseball for as long as I have, I have known a lot of people and I knew I wouldn't have a problem getting players," Mills said.

Six players on the Riverbandits roster have experience playing in the Fed League while the rest are new to the eight-team league.

The pitching staff has been anchored by Steve Long, a Fed League veteran and a North Hills and Seton Hill graduate. Another player from Seton Hill, Matt McCartney, has been an important member of the rotation. McCartney was first-team all WVIAC this past year, his last at Seton Hill.

Right-hander Aaron Hilt was a sophomore this past season for Ashland University in Ohio. Ashland was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation in Division II this past season.

Hampton graduate and current Winthrop player, Corey McGuinnis is another right-handed pitcher to whom Mills can turn. Rick Austin joins the Riverbandits pitching staff after pitching for the Washington Wild Things earlier this year. In 2007, Austin was a 27th-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Travis Miller, a player from Toronto, Ohio, has been used primarily as the closer and Mike Zukowski, a player whom Mills knew from Pitt-Greensburg, provides another pitching arm.

In the field, a pair of Shaler Area graduates start. Tom Carter is at shortstop, while Troy Handza is in the outfield. Handza is coming off an outstanding freshman season at California University of Pennsylvania.

Josh Campanella, a Hampton High School graduate and a player at Pitt-Johnstown, starts at third base. Mike Reeves, a classmate of Mills at North Hills, is the starting catcher. Reeves is playing baseball at High Point in North Carolina. Mills uses Sean Clarke and T.J. Zarewicz, both North Hills graduates, in relief pitching roles.

The group of 2003 North Hills graduates on the Riverbandits -- Mills, Clarke and Long -- have been playing together for more than a decade throughout grade school, high school and previous summer seasons.

Two 2004 North Hills graduates, Dante Vacarro and Chris Kappas, see time in the outfield. Vacarro is a former Allegheny Valley player who emerged last season in the Fed League. Kappas owns the rare distinction of being a three-time college football national champion. A three-year letter-winner, he was a starting safety for NCAA Division III powerhouse Mount Union College.

Stepping in at designated hitter has been Matt Messer, son of Slippery Rock baseball coach Jeff Messer.

"Without a doubt I feel that we can make a run here," Mills said.

"The season is young and we hold our destiny. It would make it a lot easier if some other teams can step up and take wins away from the powerhouse teams."

The powerhouse team Mills was referring to is St. Johns-Lefty's, the league champions seven out of the past nine years. The Riverbandits fell to the reigning champions, 5-3 and 4-2, in a doubleheader but still have two games remaining against them.

"We have put a lot of pressure on ourselves," Mills said of his team's slow start. "Right now we are just trying to find what is going to click."