Upper St. Clair American Legion baseball coach Jeff Gleim enjoys watching Conor Frazier play the outfield.

"Conor has deceptive speed," Gleim said. "I compare it to the speed most point guards have in basketball. Conor doesn't have blazing speed, but when the ball is hit his way, he kicks into another gear. That burst of speed is a lot of fun to watch.

"He's also great at judging where the ball is going. He always gets a good jump as soon as the ball leaves the bat."

Frazier's "deceptive speed" obviously impressed the coaches and scouts who attended the series of showcases conducted by Pennsylvania's American Legion Baseball Association.

"This is my first year of Legion ball," Frazier said. "I went into the first showcase with an open mind. I wanted to see how I would do. I didn't expect to go as far as I did."

Frazier went all the way to the East-West Showcase, which took place July 25-26 in Harrisburg.

"I ran well, threw well and got a hit in almost every showcase," Frazier said. "I have pretty decent speed and I'm pretty good at the plate. I try not to do too much at the plate, just stay within myself. And that seems to work."

Frazier was joined in Harrisburg by his parents and younger brother, Ian.

"The first day began like all the other showcases," Frazier said. "They had us throw from the outfield, timed us in the 60-yard dash and had us hit the ball. It was a basic workout. Later that evening, they held a banquet at American Legion Post 594 for the players and their families.

"The next day, we arrived at [Harrisburg's] RiverSide Stadium at 1 p.m. and they had a buffet lunch. At 2 p.m. we watched the Harrisburg Senators in a minor league game. In the eighth inning, they took us to the batting cages for batting practice. As soon as the game was over, we played a nine-inning game."

Frazier was one of 21 players chosen on the West All-Star team.

"I played six innings, two in each outfield position," Frazier said. "I batted twice and singled and flew out. The East team scored six runs in the first two innings and eventually won the game, 8-2. Win or lose, it was a great experience."

Frazier has been playing baseball since he was 5 years old.

"My dad played baseball in high school at Penn Hills," Frazier said. "He never played college ball. That's something I would like to do. That's the main reason I entered the showcases. I wanted to show the college coaches what I can do."

He was successful in doing that.

"I had coaches from Slippery Rock, Duquesne and IUP send me letters," Frazier said. "All three invited me to camps they sponsored. I went to Slippery Rock on Sunday and I'm going to Duquesne this coming Saturday. I've also been invited to play in the Blue-Gray Classic, which will take place in Erie on Aug. 15."

Frazier also plays AAU ball.

"I also play for the RBI Redwings," Frazier said. "It's a travel team. I've played a lot of baseball this summer. It hasn't left me much time for anything else, but that's fine because I love baseball."

Frazier played center field for Upper St. Clair's Legion team and finished the season with a .380-plus average. He started for Upper St. Clair High School's varsity team this year.

"I'm really looking forward to my senior year, both athletically and academically," said Frazier, who noted that he has a 3.6 grade point average.