Newburyport's Casey McLaren never dreamed of having his name uttered in the same context as the best players in professional baseball. Only 8 years old, he and 60-plus Major League Baseball All-Stars will all soon share a common achievement — they'll be heading to the 2009 MLB All-Star Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

After weeks of hoping a Pitch, Hit, and Run official would hold off a bit longer in calling their house (those who were eliminated heard first), the McLarens finally got the call on Sunday, informing them that Casey has been named a finalist for his age group.

"We were all home last Sunday night," Craig McLaren, Casey's father, said. "I saw the 404 area code show up on caller ID, so I knew it was them. The gentleman told me the news and told me to not act too excited so he could tell Casey firsthand. I put Casey on the phone and he let out a big 'yes.' It was great."

All 30 MLB teams held a Team Championship for each age group of the competition, and only three athletes across the United States from each group were invited to compete in the Pitch, Hit, and Run National Finals on July 15 in St. Louis. Ballplayers from all over New England competed in the Red Sox Team Championship, which was held at Fenway Park on June 6.

Casey posted terrific scores at Fenway. He was one of two contestants to throw five out of six pitches for strikes in the pitching portion of the contest. He also ended up with the fastest run, longest hit, and most strikes in his age group, which was the 7- and 8-year-old division. Casey's total score was better than the total of the winner of the 9- and 10-year-old division.

Craig McLaren said that when the Pitch, Hit and Run journey began, he was not looking ahead to the possibility of his son being able to compete in the National Finals. After the Fenway competition, however, he said he started to accept that it was a genuine possibility.

"We were definitely taking it one step at a time until Fenway," he said. "His score was so much higher than he'd gotten in the past. His score for his age group was high, so I was pretty confident after that. Leading up to that, it was just something that was fun, and I wasn't looking that far ahead at all."

Those competitors who had been eliminated from the competition heard their fate as the results of each Team Championship were calculated. Each day that passed without a phone call, Casey and his parents said they felt more and more confident that he had a legitimate shot at qualifying for the finals.

Perhaps it is Casey's unusual competitive edge that has put him in a position to be named one of the best Pitch, Hit, and Run contestants in the United States. When the official called the house to inform Casey of his accomplishment, Casey immediately wanted to know the scores of the other two athletes he beat.

"I wish (the Pitch, Hit, and Run official) told me what the other kids' scores were," Casey said. "I want to know how much I beat them by."

As soon as he was told he had advanced to the National Finals, Casey wanted to find out who his opponents would be and where they were from, his mother, Amy McLaren, said.

"He always wants to know," she said. "Right when he found out who the other two contestants were, he jumped online to see where they were from while my husband was still on the phone. He's written down their names and already knows who they are. It will be fun to see them interact."

Earning a trip to the National Finals means an all-expenses paid trip for Casey and his father to St. Louis, where he will have access to Fanfest, an interactive baseball theme park and also enjoy brunch at the official MLB hotel in St. Louis. He will also be on the field while the MLB All-Stars are stretching and preparing for the Home Run Derby, giving him a chance to meet some of his favorite players.

McLaren's mother and younger brother will also fly to St. Louis to cheer him on.

While they admit it would certainly be the perfect end to an amazing ride, McLaren's parents said they feel Casey has already won enough.

"I encourage him to get out and practice only because I want him to feel comfortable with himself when he competes," Amy McLaren said. "As far as what place he comes in, we aren't worried about it. Just being in the top three of his age group nationwide is an unbelievable achievement."