The path to success is there to follow for current Bulldogs players in the Western Pennsylvania Elite Baseball League.

It has been carved out by previous Bulldogs players who have used the summer league schedule to propel themselves to bigger and better things.

To see an example of what hard work in the batting cages in the summer translates to, the Bulldogs just have to look at former team members, one from as recently as earlier this season, Gus Benusa.

After starting out playing summer ball for the Bulldogs, Benusa was drafted in the eighth round by the San Francisco Giants and is currently in Arizona playing on the Giants' Rookie League team.

"He had a little talk with the players prior [to leaving] and what he said was one of the big things was do what is right, not what is always popular," Bulldogs manager Mike Kosko said.

"Gus bought into that philosophy. Rather than going to the wave pool, he knew he needed to take his swings."

Benusa hopes to match the success of other former Bulldogs players, Pine-Richland graduate Neil Walker and Upper St. Clair graduate Kevin Slowey.

Slowey is currently having a standout season pitching for the Minnesota Twins, while Walker has reached the Class AAA level in the Pirates organization.

Looking at this summer's Bulldogs lineup, there is potential to add at least another name to that list of Major League Baseball Draft picks.

Making the pros is not the only measure of success for Kosko's program. The Bulldogs have produced more than 100 college baseball players and 11 have gone on to play in the minor leagues in the 10 years since Kosko first put the team together.

Through 14 Elite League games the Bulldogs were at the top of the standings at 10-4 and won a Memorial Day tournament in Mentor, Ohio.

Competition for starting spots is stiff. Just last summer the outfield featured three Division I prospects and a Major League prospect in Benusa. The other three outfielders were Chris Rasky, who is playing at West Virginia, Pat Glass who is at Miami of Ohio and current Bulldogs player and California Area High School graduate Ben Carson, who is a George Mason recruit.

"We have kids here with a ton of talent who just need to refine some things," Kosko said. "When you surround yourself with good players, some people don't like that challenge, they just want to go play their games and play every inning."

Kosko had a lot of reworking to do with his lineup this year after losing most of his roster from last summer. One returning starter is Canon-McMillan graduate Matt Pierpont, who will matriculate at Winthrop University, a Division I program located in Rock Hill, S.C.

He was named the PG South Baseball Player of the Year. He starts at shortstop for the Bulldogs and also pitches. Carson is a returning starter in center field. Evan Bukowski from Trinity is back this year as the Bulldogs catcher where he splits time with Upper St. Clair graduate Ryan Dixon, who figures to play at Thiel next season.

Pierpont has anchored the pitching staff and another Upper St. Clair graduate, Roberto Capriotti, has been a welcome addition to the rotation. Capriotti is going on to play baseball at Macalester College in Minnesota. La Roche College recruit Tyler Schrader of Trinity along with Carson and Dixon are other capable pitchers to whom Kosko can turn.

Joe Harrison of South Park has emerged as a valuable utility player for the Bulldogs.

Kosko sees plenty of potential in a few of his younger players, too. Ryan Siegel of Freeport, Joe Havrilak of Trinity and Tyler Garrone of Kiski are all going to be seniors next year and figure to be impact players during the WPIAL season.

"Ryan is pretty special. He has a lot of tools and his career will be interesting," Kosko said.

"I know Joe [Havrilak] is battling between different sports but he definitely can be a pretty solid baseball player and then Tyler Garrone, he can swing a big bat. I think getting all these kids together and playing with each other brings out the best in them."

Siegel and Havrilak start in the outfield and Garrone, the WPIAL's home run leader this year, plays either first base or catcher.