Jul 19, 2002 By Dave Stofcheck 2 min read

As the stakes kept getting higher, so did Santino Sloboda’s aspirations. Now, Sloboda can relax a little. He’s made it to the top.

At PNC Park, Sloboda did it again Thursday, making it through another tier of American Legion tryouts to be selected as one of 18 players to represent Western Pennsylvania in the East-West All-Star game in Harrisburg at the end of the month.

“If you’ve never been this far before, it’s hard to understand the feeling,” Sloboda said. “There’s no feeling like it.”

Trying out as a first baseman, the Laurel Highlands graduate and Uniontown Legion star showed off his skills in three areas Thursday. Players were timed in a 60-yard dash, all position players had to make throws from either the outfield into a designated base or from say, first base to third base, and then a mock game followed.

Sloboda fared well in each, and was especially pleased with his time of 6.75 in the 60.

“I knew running would probably be one of the biggest factors in the tryouts,” Sloboda said. “If you can run, they like that.”

Sloboda started his run through the tryouts at Hopwood’s Hutchinson Field. From there, he advanced through tryouts at Peters Township’s Peterswood Park, Boyce Campus CCAC and then PNC Park.

The All-Star game will be played at Harrisburg’s Riverside Stadium, home of the Harrisburg Senators. The Senators are a Class AA affiliate of the Montreal Expos and compete in the Eastern League, along with the Pirates’ farm club, the Altoona Curve.

For that game, Sloboda will receive his own jersey to keep, bearing his name.

Also on Thursday, Connellsville’s Tony Marciante advanced, but Connellsville’s Chris Marcinko and Colonial 3’s Matt Rechichar didn’t.

Sloboda is the son of John and Roseann Sloboda and he also has a brother, Richard (“Tiny”). He’s still undecided about college, but knows his performance in the American Legion All-Star tryouts will definitely catch the eye of recruiters and scouts.

“I just tried to build off what everybody did in front of me,” Sloboda said. “I would watch who went before me, and then I tried just to do my best.”