Connellsville Legion baseball player Jeremy Molinaro is making sure this is a season he will remember for a long time. The versatile leadoff hitter has excelled at several positions and come through with plenty of big hits. Plus, he was chosen to represent Connellsville and Fayette County in the All-West Legion All-Star Game on Tuesday at Slippery Rock. Molinaro has made it through two sets of Legion all-star competitions and is one step away from playing in the East-West All-Star Game on Aug. 3 at Harrisburg's Commerce Bank Stadium. Players must report at 11 a.m., and the game is at noon. "It feels pretty good (to represent Connellsville)," Molinaro said after advancing through the Fayette Legion competition in early June. Since then, Molinaro competed in and advanced through the Region 6 All-Star event held at CCAC-Boyce. In each competition, players are put through tests designed to show off a player's fielding, hitting, running and throwing. In the Region 6 event, Molinaro was up against some of the best players from the area, including Allegheny County. He was thrilled to make the grade in a very tough competition. He qualified as a left fielder. "I was a little surprised when they called my number," Molinaro said. "There are a lot of good ballplayers from Fayette County and Allegheny County. I think it was my speed that did it for me." Molinaro has plenty of speed and has used it to his advantage throughout the season. But speed isn't his only asset. As a pitcher, Molinaro has won several key games during the regular season and posted a complete-game victory against Belle Vernon in the first round of the Fayette Legion playoffs last week. He's made his share of great grabs in the outfield and as a hitter has come through in timely situations. Molinaro got the game-winning hit in the ninth inning in Thursday's series-clinching victory over Belle Vernon. "He's a good kid," Connellsville manager John Przybylinski said. "He loves playing the game, and those are the kinds of kids that deserve to advance through something like this." Molinaro was honored to be selected to the All-West All-Star Game, but he admits that there may be a few butterflies when he takes the field in hopes of advancing to the prestigious East-West game. "I'm more nervous because we're playing a game," Molinaro said, pointing out that this round of competition does not have a tryout portion. "You have to hit well, and you have to do everything perfect." Molinaro mentioned that this is the highlight of his baseball career to date. "This is definitely the biggest thing," Molinaro said. "I've always been on all-star teams, but this is an individual thing, and I'm excited to do it. I'm just going to do my best."

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