Greg Partyka

With the 2013 Mat-Su Miners already a week into their season, it might be a little too late for a preview. If you bleed Miners green, you’ve undoubtedly taken advantage of the awesome weather in the Mat-Su Valley and seen your boys of summer in action. That being said, maybe there’s a thing or two you don’t know about the crew that’s calling Hermon Brothers Field home this summer. Or at the very least, maybe I can confirm some of your early observations on the young season!

The Miners had a down year last season, failing to break the .500 mark after a string of winning seasons that included back-to-back championships. Now they’re looking to get back to their winning ways, and this is the group of guys that want to bring the rally back to the valley.

For the record, even though I’ve laid eyes on the team, this was written solely based on internet research (and most of it prior to my observation). For my personal scouting notes, you’ll have to wait a couple days until I release my first game report, and then see how things develop throughout the season. But for now, here’s a little bit of info on the guys. Without further ado, here are your 2013 Mat-Su Miners:

PITCHERS:

RHP Trevor Bettencourt (FR Tennessee): Scouted by Perfect Game last summer, his heater hit 86 plus he packs a slider and change. He’s playing for Tennessee but he’s from clear across the continent in San Jose, (so he might actually be closer to home this summer). The Vols have used him mostly in relief but he did pick up three starts and made a respectable 20 overall appearances.

RHP Gavin Glanz (JR Oral Roberts): According to Baseball America, his fastball hangs in the 88-91 mph range with a “decent feel for pitching”. He’s a junior transfer to Oral Roberts after a successful JuCo career.

LHP Beau Hilton (SO Gardner Webb): Hilton is a big left-hander who was ranked a “High Follow” by Perfect Game in 2011. They noted, at that time, a fastball that bumped 86 (again, two years ago) with a curve and a change.

RHP Patrick Kenney (FR Purdue): Graded a “9″ (out of 10) on Perfect Game’s scale for the class of 2012. He’s known to throw out of a 3/4 arm slot with a live, sinking fastball.

LHP David Koll (SO Bradley): Koll struggled a bit in his sophomore season at Bradley, but he’s proven durable, eating up 62.1 innings in 12 starts for the Braves this college season.

RHP Tyler Martin (FR Central Florida): Touched 90 on the fastball when PG saw him in 2011, plus a slider and a curve. Used mostly in relief during his freshman campaign, but picked up a couple starts for UCF.

RHP Blake McFadden (FR Kansas State): McFadden was drafted last year by Detroit in the 32nd round, so if he’s good enough for the Tigers he’s probably good enough for the Miners. His PG profile says his heater bumped 89 in 2011, and they ranked him a “9″ out of 10. As a high school player, he was selected as the Gatorate Player of the Year for the state of Missouri and as a freshman he made 11 starts at Kansas State.

LHP Phillip Orr (FR Dallas Baptist): Didn’t see much action as a freshman at Dallas Baptist, so he’ll be looking to earn some work with the Miners and get into some games. His coach cited an 88-mph fastball and a three-pitch arsenal.

LHP Ty Schlottmann (FR Texas A&M): Works with a mid-80′s fastball bumping 88. Schlottmann is a two-sport star, playing football as well, with great athleticism.

RHP Drew Smith (FR Dallas Baptist): When he was recruited in 2011, his DBU coach Heefner said he was throwing in the 88-92 range with a jump in velocity anticipated, so that sounds good. He referred to his arm as “electric” and noted his sharp breaking ball. He got roughed up early on in the collegiate season and had limited opportunities to straighten his stat line out, but he seemed to settle things down as the spring went on, so he should be in fine shape for ABL play.

LHP Dylan Stewart (JR UC Riverside): Had a great freshman year out of the pen, then earned a spot as a starter as a sophomore. Through his junior year, he’s been the most reliable starting pitcher in UCR, gobbling up a lot of innings, and walking very few batters.

LHP Mitch Warner (SO Gardner Webb): Selected a Freshman All-American in 2012. This past collegiate season, Warner was their go-to guy out of the bullpen, logging 32 innings of work on a bullpen-best 24 appearances and notching a 2.25 ERA in the process.

CATCHERS

C Josh Grissom (FR Dakota State): Grissom is an Alaska-grown product, coming out of Wasilla High. His play was limited to six at-bats on the collegiate season, so he’s another guy who’s looking to get some cuts.

C Nick LaFace (RSJR UC San Diego): Every-day starter for UCSD. Not really tall at 5’10″ but at 210 lbs he’s built like a catcher. One of the biggest offensive contributors to the Tritons the past couple seasons.  

C Michael Thomas (RSJR Kentucky): Thomas is another veteran who’s seen more playing time as he’s progressed in his college career. He’s had summer-ball experience, playing in the New England Collegiate league.

INFIELDERS

IF Nash Knight (SO Dallas Baptist): Knight is a returning Mat-Su Miner, which is noteworthy because the Miners don’t bring back as many second-year guys as other clubs do. Knight’s stats in 2012 weren’t off the chart but he has decent speed, and is a selective hitter who isn’t afraid to take a walk. He could see some pitches to hit in 2013.

IF Spencer Mahoney (SO Valparaiso): This guy’s from a college I can barely spell and have no prayer of pronouncing. Mahoney has been a huge contributor to his team at school, making an impact as a freshman and sophomore and leading his team to post-season berths. He’s got some summer ball under his belt with a season in the Prospect League last year.

IF Patrick McGrath (FR Washington State): A big, versatile freshman who can play around the infield well. He was a little bit buried in the Cougars’ depth chart this college season, but his abilities got the Washington local 13 starts and 23 overall appearances.

IF Greg Partyka (JR Bradley): Fresh outta’ Bartlett High School…gotcha, not that Bartlett High School. He’s an Illinois kid playing for Bradley who’s been a big left-handed bat and a steady glove for Bradley the past three seasons. His stats have definitely been on a strong upward trajectory over his collegiate career, and he brings summer experience, having fashioned a .299 average with four homers in the NECBL last year.

IF R.J. Santigate (JR Kansas State): Santigate is another veteran anchor of this infield, bringing serious prospect background with him. He was drafted by the Angels in 2009 in the 44th round and graded a 9 out of 10 by Perfect Game. He had a solid summer ball season last year in the Texas Collegiate League, making a playoff run with East Texas. For a big kid it looks like his speed plays; he’s been a threat to steal as well.

IF A.J. Simcox (FR Tennessee): For a Freshman, Simcox has a lot of accolades under his belt. 32nd-round draft pick of the Rockies and high-school All American to name a few. A regular starter as a Freshman, he contributed to his team and showed off his wheels a bit.

IF Ben Wylly (FR UC San Diego): A PG Top 1000, Wylly redshirted 2012 and got sparse playing time in 2013. He’ll definitely be hungry to get into the game and benefit from taking some cuts up here in Alaska, and we’ll benefit from seeing what he’s got before the rest of the world gets to.

OUTFIELDERS

OF Jack Amaro (FR Purdue): Amaro is looking to get some additional playing time this summer to work on his game before heading back to Purdue in the fall. The book is very much open on Amaro as far as what he can do with a little more seasoning.

OF Gio Brusa (FR Pacific): As a high-schooler, Brusa was drafted by Atlanta and was approached as early as the 5th round as a possible draft pick by Boston. He’s been a corner outfielder for the Tigers, playing every day, and could pitch in a spot.

OF Dalton Kelly (FR UC Santa Barbara): Started 10 games of 27 total in 2013 for UCSB. Kelly showed a steady hand with the glove when he had the opportunity in the field.

OF Christin Stewart (FR Tennessee): Originally out of the great state of Georgia, Stewart has shown some speed, patience, and reliability as a freshman starter for Tennessee. PG ranked him a 9 out of 10 for the class of 2012. Played catcher in high school and flashed a good arm.

OF John Williams (SO UC Davis): Became an everyday starter in 2013 for his sophomore year. Known as a great all-around athlete and a grinder, he’s supposed to have a decent arm and can run a bit.

THE VERDICT:

This looks like a very young club. Lots of freshman and some sophomores on here; plenty of guys who don’t have a lot of experience. That said, it’s peppered nicely with juniors, and many of the freshman come with a reputation as established names, be it from showcases, being drafted, or what have you. I definitely like the balance of lefties and righties, both batters and on the mound. They should have a flexible lineup and rotation that can match up to any team well. There’s a lot of guys on here with summer ball experience, some power arms, some power bats, some speed. Really, there’s a lot to like here. This is a pretty exciting roster. With this group of guys, I think the team should be able to have a winning season.

Joey Capistran

It was another beautiful day for a ballgame, this time at Lorretta French Park where the visiting Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks took on the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks.

On the bump for the home team was the second-year ABL right-hander, Mike Jeffreys. Jeffreys was effective through four frames, holding the Goldpanners to a single run by way of a Jim Sinatro homer, but the Fairbanks batters challenged him repeatedly and ran his pitch count high. His counterpart, Drew Mitrisin, labored through two and a third innings of work, battling hard but surrendering an earned run apiece in each of the three frames he had a hand in.

Mitrisin’s work was enough to keep the Panners in the game, though; Jeffreys was lifted in favor of Caleb Dirks and the Fairbanks club immediately went to work on him. They put up a three-spot in the fifth inning to go ahead, thanks to an RBI double from Dylan Brock and a 2-RBI double from pinch-hitter Kyle Herrington. Meanwhile, it was the Goldpanners’ turn to knuckle down. Joey Capistran came on in relief and plunked the first batter he faced – Daniel Arthur – with the bases loaded to walk in Collin Radack, but he recovered nicely and was lights-out after that.

Heading into the ninth inning, the Chinooks were down 5-3. Their reliever Devin Stanton successfully completed his 2.1 inning outing with no hits and just one walk. It was up to Mikey Ramirez to close out the game. Nicholas Covello sparked a ninth-inning rally for the Chinooks with a leadoff first-pitch double, and later scored on a wild pitch to bring his team within one run. The stage was set for some heroics from Matt Kimmel with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Ramirez forced him to ground out to first and converted the three-inning save for his first of the season. Capistran was awarded the win and Dirks the loss in this contest.

My wife needed some time alone to get some work done, so I loaded up the whole crew – the twins (turning 4) and their big sister (7) — to catch this game. Probably one of the best things about this league is that it’s really family-friendly entertainment. On a semi-related note, the $4 hot dogs were probably worth the $4. Spicy foot-longs on a hoagie! I probably could have bought one for the twins and cut it in half.

So, on to the player notes. Both teams brought back players from 2012 so this game was a nice mix of old and new for me. Since it’s early in the season and some of you are just tuning in for the first time, a heads up: this is the part where I break down some player performances and tools. This is the first time I’ve seen either of these teams and obviously nine innings isn’t enough to close the book on any of them. The idea is that the picture will come into better focus over the course of the season, so check back as I see more of them.

Let’s start with the visiting Goldpanners:

Chance Abrath (Utah State) was the starting third baseman and showed a strong arm throwing across the diamond; unfortunately, he let one sail high so maybe some more reps are in order for him. He was aggressive at the dish, lacing a chopper right past Turbin’s glove down the third base line on the first pitch.

Joey Capistran (Colorado Mesa) picked up the win for a solid long-relief appearances. He came on with the bases loaded and plunked the first batter to walk in a run, but quickly regained composure and slammed the door. He used a 72 mph curve and a fastball that sat 85-86 to get two strikeouts and close the frame without further damage.

David Edwards (Loyola Marymount) flashed some good dirty defense as second baseman with a sliding stop and throw for the out at first. He also had a very good, long at-bat with Jeffreys. He ultimately did not win that battle but he fouled off several pitches.

Nolan Meadows (Long Beach State) didn’t try to do too much when he took a lead-off walk in the fourth inning. One of the field umps wishes the right-fielder had been as selective his next at-bat when he lined one straight up the middle and totally nailed the umpire.

Drew Mitrisin (William Jewell) got the start on the hill for the Panners. Kind of redundant but I’ll give him credit for battling hard. His start was not of the “quality” variety but he hung in there, didn’t get rattled, and ultimately kept the score tight enough to get the ball to Capistran who nailed it down for the win. He just had to wiggle his way off of too many hooks to log the type of innings I’m sure he’d like to, but I tip my cap to him for hanging tough.

Rick Reigner (PhilU) played hard both ways all night. When batting, he ran hard and beat the throw to first to beat out an infield hit. In center field, he made an excellent lay-out catch to hold the runners in the bottom of the ninth and it probably saved the game for his team. Awesome effort in this game.

Jim Sinatro (Gonzaga) showed power with a pull-side homer, and squared up nicely to another line-drive in to center field.

Moving along to the Chinooks:

Nicholas Covello (Cornerstone) made solid contact on more than one occasion. He had a couple nice line drives; one to left center and the other in the right field gap for a double.

Caleb Dirks (Cal Baptist) sat 88-89 mph on a fastball that topped out at 90. He occasionally went to a 77-78 offspeed offering. Dirks works with a slow, deliberate rhythm on the mound. He labored in the 5^th inning but closed it out and came on strong in the 6^th for a 1-2-3 inning.

Griffin Gum (Alabama Birmingham) looked pretty good at the plate, working the count full in the 6^th inning and eventually drawing a walk. I liked his effort in right field. He laid out to take a stab at a catch; he didn’t make it but I appreciate the attempt.

Mike Jeffries (Geneva College) was a favorite pitcher in 2012 and I’m glad to see him back. He came out of the game throwing around 87-89 but bumped 92mph at his peak. He mixed in a low-70’s curve and a 77-80 changeup which he employed effectively as a strikeout pitch. He looked like he was a little bit gassed by the 4^th, missing arm-side and with velocity down to 86-88 before he was relieved.

Jacob Murray (Lewis U) came on to pinch hit in the bottom of the 8^th with a nice piece of two-strike hitting. He squared up for an opposite field line-drive double. Unfortunately a sloppy piece of baserunning got him thrown at third.

Daniel Salters (Eastern Oklahoma State) flashed some offense. He pulled a hit down the right-field line with two outs for an RBI. For a catcher he’s not too shabby on the base paths. His 4.35s time to first wasn’t spectacular but he’s definitely better than station-to-station. He proved that with a double. He might have some power, too. He hit one clear out into the parking lot but hooked it foul. If he’d hit it the same distance to straight-away center it would have been a homer.

Ryan Shackelford (The Master’s College) worked well around the bag at first, overall. Early on he booted a hot shot but stuck with it to make the play. He made a nice backhanded stab in the 5^th and a cleanly-fielded play on the hop in the 8^th. He didn’t look bad offensively, either; He had a solid opposite-field line drive into the gap and stretched it for a triple.

Devin Stanton (Georgia Tech) had a live arm and worked both sides of the plate well in his relief appearance. His fastball bumped 86 and settled in at 83-85 with good movement. He also showed a good curveball, which he spotted well, but he seemed shy to use it at times.

Drew Turbin (Dallas Baptist) got the start at third and I thought his arm played well there. He handled an outside pitch and dropped a hit into center field in the third. I’d like to see him take better at-bats, though; he was pretty free-swinging in this game and could have done better with a little more discipline at the plate.

Now, some photos. You can check out this set on my new Flickr by clicking here, but some of the best photos I’ve picked out and posted up below:

RHP Matt Milke (Photo Credit: Goldpanners.com)

The Goldpanners made their triumphant full-time return to the Alaska Baseball League in 2012. Finishing in fourth place, they put together a decent but somewhat disappointing season; standing at .500 a few days before season’s end, they had a chance to seal a winning record, but went on a three-game skid to end the summer with a win deficit. They’re coming into 2013 looking to reclaim some glory with a victorious season.

The season has already started, but the Goldpanners have yet to meet the home-town fans as they wrap up their long, season-opening road trip before their Fairbanks homecoming. So, late as it may be for the rest of us, it’s not too late for the Panners faithful to read a preview of their home team, which recently brought the hardware from the Barona Bash tournament up to Alaska with them.

So, without further ado…because it’s almost 1 a.m. and I want to go to bed…here are your 2013 Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks.

PITCHERS:

RHP Nathan Bannister (FR Arizona): Perfect Game recorded his fastball humping 84 plus a slider and change in 2011.

RHP Michael Bennett (SO Feather River): Made 16 appearances, 12 of them starts, at juco Feather River College. He went 10-1 plus a save and ended up with a 2.10 ERA on the junior college season, so he’s pretty much proven everything there is to prove at the juco level. Now he’ll be looking to prove that he can handle next-level competition.

RHP Andrew Buehler (JR Arkansas Pine Bluff): At 6’5″ 230 lbs, Buehler is the biggest guy on the club. Owner of a moustache.

RHP Joey Capistran (SR Colorado Mesa): Capistran is a Colorado local playing for an in-state school. He’s listed as a Senior but redshirted 2013, so he has another year of college eligibility. At 6’3″, 180 lbs, he’s got decent size.

RHP Michael Dingilian (SO Cal Poly): It’ll be interesting to see him. PG projected him well way back in 2007; I won’t even quote what they said because that was so long ago. That said, he struck out 13 on 12 innings of work and notched an even 3.00 ERA for Cal Poly this year. He could be a really nice pickup for the Panners.

RHP Heath Horvath (SO Three Rivers College): PG clocked him at 85 mph a few years, an inch, and 25 lbs ago. I’d say he could have a power arm by now with that type of projection. Also noted a tight curve.

LHP Michael Kaufman (FR Wheaton) As a freshman, Kaufman clearly outplayed D3 competition going first-team all conference and taking the D3Baseball.com Newcomer of the Year award. Good-sized lefty, physically mature for his class, and he logged an ERA of 1.69 with a 6-2 record, only walking 14 batters in 80.1 innings.

RHP Matt Milke (SR Brigham Young): If you’re a Panner Fan you don’t need an intro to Matt Milke because he’s becoming somewhat of a franchise player. The Milke Man is making his third tour of duty with Fairbanks. He went undrafted after a solid senior year at BYU, so maybe he’s up here gunning for a free agent contract, or maybe just another year in the midnight sun.

LHP Drew Mitrisin (RSJR William Jewell): Last year’s Midnight Sun Game starter, Mitrisin went home after his season was cut short due to injury. Now he’s back for another crack at Alaska. He pitched 80 innings in college this season and went deep into a lot of games, so he’s definitely a dependable innings-eater.

RHP Nathan Michalski (HSSR La Jolla CDS) A rare non-college player in the ABL. Perfect Game ranked him an 8 out of 10; he was throwing 81 in 2011 but he’s put on an inch and about 25 lbs since then.

LHP Cody Moffett (FR Arizona) 6’4″ and 210 lbs, good build for a Freshman left-hander. PG had him bumping 90 mph two years ago so he could be another good power arm for the Goldpanners. He got four starts in his rookie college season at Arizona and, in total over the year, put up a 3.13 ERA and held batters to an average of just .217.

RHP Mikey Ramirez (JR Arkansas Pine Bluff) A Scott-Sitzy stout fellow from LA who played juco ball at Citrus College. Made ten starts on the collegiate year.

LHP Kevin Sprague (SO UC Riverside) Chino Hills southpaw, used mostly in relief but made a couple of starts for the Highlanders in the college ball season. Made 13 regular-season starts for the Cowlitz Black Bears of the West Coast League in 2012.

CATCHERS:

C Kyle Herrington (RSSO New Mexico Highlands): Played a year of juco but missed his true sophomore season due to injury. Spent a summer as bullpen catcher with the indy-league Sonoran Explorers.

C Jimmy Sinatro (FR Gonzaga) At 5’10″, 200 pounds he’s definitely got the build of a classic backstop. The Astros previously drafted him in the 35th round of the 2012 draft, so he’s a prospect. His father is former Major League catcher Matt Sinatro, so he comes from good stock.

C Matthew Wixon (SO Dakota County College): Wixon should be familiar to the Fairbanks locals; he’s a hometown product out of West Valley.

INFIELDERS:

3B Chance Abrath (SO Utah State Eastern) Also pitches some, Abrath played two years of juco at USUE; he’s signed a national letter of intent to play for Dixie State. He’s got a reputation as an athletic guy as he turned down a spot on a DI football team to pursue baseball.

3B David Edwards (SO Loyola Marymount) 6’1″ 187-lb sophomore who bats switch. His speed must play alright since he swiped 16 bags for Loyola Marymount this college season.

SS David Fletcher (HSSR Cypress Prep) Another high school senior, Fletcher has your prototypical shortstop build at 5’9″ 165lbs. He stole a bunch of bases in the Goldpanners’ pre-season tournament appearance, so he’s got the speed you might expect for his build and position.

2B Alex Rubanowitz (SO UC Riverside) Started 41 games for UCR this past college season, and last summer he had an All-League performance in the West Coast League for the Cowlitz Black Bears.

OUTFIELDERS:

CF Nick Catalano (FR Oregon) Played in the California Collegiate League last year, for the Conejo Oaks. He didn’t commit a single error for Oregon in 2013.

LF Payden Cawley-Lamb (JR Gonzaga) A left-handed bat with good build for his size, some speed, and has been known to use the whole field. Played in the Northwoods League last summer and the West Coast League the summer before, so he’s got plenty of wood-bat summer ball under his belt.

OF Nolan Meadows (SO Long Beach State) Previously of Los Angeles Harbor College, a junior college program. He’s played both the infield and the outfield, so he’ll be a good depth option.

RF Casey Munoz (JR Santa Clara) Another familiar face, Munoz played for the Panners in 2012 and the San Diego Waves the year before that. His speed’s not bad, and he showed an ability to drive the ball to the opposite field well.

OF Rick Reigner (JR Philadelphia U) A Pennsylvania local and the leading offensive force on the Phil U baseball squad. Reigner is a base-stealing left-handed batter.

THE VERDICT:

This is a really interesting team. Definitely a variety of players here. College seniors all the way to high school seniors, good mix of lefty and righty batters, some highly-touted guys and some unknowns. They could use another lefty or two on the pitching staff but it’s not too skewed to the right side. As usual, the Goldpanners have brought back a couple of second (or third!) year players.

Do we have some hidden gems here? Or are the proven players going to have to carry the team? I’m hoping for the former. It’s always fun to watch a team that you don’t know all about in advance.

Bucs starter Garrett Mundell

What a day for baseball! I don’t want to jinx it, but after the past two seasons of dreary wetness, the Alaska Baseball League is due for some sunshine. And we sure got it on Sunday. Game time weather was perfect: 74 degrees, a few scattered clouds, and a light breeze blowing in from right field. The Bucs and the Glacier Pilots took advantage of the beautiful weather on their opening day in this exhibition doubleheader.

Game one was a pitching duel in which both teams sent out a string of pitchers for light duty in this tune-up affair. The Bucs had a solid no-hitter brewing until local product Sagan Osborne  broke it up with a fifth-inning single. That was the lone hit for the Pilots who fell to the Bucs in a 2-0 shutout. In Game 2, the bats got a little hotter. Pilots outfielder Micah Green squared up nicely on a pull homer to left field to even the score 3-3 in the sixth, but the Bucs answered back by manufacturing three runs in the bottom of the frame.  It was a team effort on offense, but Lawton Langford stood out with a hit, two walks plus a beaning, and four (!!!) stolen bases.

Based on my pre-season reviews, the Bucs really looked strong and so far they have given me no reason to doubt my analysis. Their pitching was solid. In general they weren’t bashing the ball, but they were able to small-ball plenty of runs across and found a way to hurt the Pilots that way. That said, I wouldn’t expect the Pilots to roll over and be bottom feeders this season. These exhibition games are good for tune-ups and if they can shake off some of the errors and pitching mistakes they’ll be a strong club.

I chose this game because I knew I’d get 14 innings – exhibition games typically go 7 innings in the ABL — to see lots of pitchers and at-bats, and sit behind the plate with my new man-toy (the Stalker gun). I got plenty of player notes, the best of which I’ll share with you now. Please note that I’m lumping both games together, just FYI.

Starting with the Bucs:

Don Andre Clark (SO St. Mary’s) got the start in left. In game 2 he laid down an excellent bunt for a hit in the bottom of the sixth. Would have been a solid sacrifice but he didn’t even draw a throw. Worth getting a stopwatch on in the future; couldn’t clock him in this game.

I got to see Anthony Gonsolin (FR St. Mary’s) pitch and play the outfield. He wasn’t bad at either. On the hill, he was pushing 85-87 with a high-70’s breaking ball. Control wasn’t the best but he kept it around the plate and set the Pilots down 1-2-3 to close out the first game. At the plate, he had a good opposite field hit and swiped second ahead of a well-located VanMeetren throw.

Lawton Langford (JR Baylor) was the star of Game 2 for the Bucs and for good reason. At the plate he was very patient and had good at-bats, not trying to do too much. He took some walks, including a bases loaded one, but wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger when he got a pitch to hit. I need to get a watch on him because it’s obvious that his speed plays. He got four steals, and ranged around nicely at second base.

Right-hander Garrett Mundell (SO Fresno State) got the first pitching start of the season for the Bucs. He threw a fastball which consistently hit 88-90 mph, occasionally bumping 91. He mixed that in with a big bending curveball which hung around the 74 mph neighborhood. At times he struggled to find the zone, it seemed, but he was generally around the plate and battle hard.

Trevor Renfro (FR Texas State) showed a fastball with a bit of life to it, about 87 mph, with an 11-5 o’clock curve sitting 72-73. He mixed his speeds well and worked the zone effectively.

Gonzaga freshman Andrew Sopko’s heater was consistently 87-88 and he mixed his pitches well, using a 71-72 mph curve and a high-70’s changeup. He worked down in the zone and used his curve for the strikeout; his pitching (as opposed to throwing) looked mature for a freshman.

Austin Stone (SO Baylor) might have been the hardest thrower of the night, pitching a fastball that consistently hit 90-91 mph with offspeed offerings around 84.

And now, some Glacier Pilots notes:

Sean Adler (FR USC) dealt a consistent 86-88 mph fastball out of a ¾ arm slot and occasionally mixed it with a decent curveball, about 74-76 mph. He looked like mostly a fastball pitcher, though he could go to the curve for a strikeout. Adler struggled a bit in the top of the sixth but settled down. On defense, he juggled a come-backer but recovered and made the play at first.

Kevin Garcia (JR Loyola Marymount) is listed as a catcher but got the start at second in both games. Good patience at the plate to take a leadoff walk in game 1, and had a nice two-out hit in game 2. He handled second base adequately; now I’m curious to see him behind the plate.

Micah Green (JR Wichita State) made a statement early on with his pull-side homer. He was aggressive at the plate and on the paths. Good speed; 4.19s from the right-handed box to first base.

Jeff Moberg (FR Tennessee) made the start at shortstop for the Pilots. I liked his athleticism and effort, and he seemed to have good, quick hands. Could use some practice hitting his throws.

Cal junior Dylan Nelson was all business, not wasting any time on the mound. His 88-89 fastball was mixed with a 78-79 breaking ball. He worked both sides of the plate, though he seemed to miss to his arm side frequently.

Southpaw Barry Timko (SO Nevada) showed a live arm, dealing a fastball in the 85 mph neighborhood with a good tailing action and mixing it up with some mid-70’s breaking balls. He looks like he has some projection.

I was really impressed with Erik VanMeetren (SO UNLV) behind the plate. His pop time to second wasn’t spectacular but his throws were all on the money. He looked like a good defensive backstop and made some good blocks and had a strong pickoff throw to first. He had some good at-bats, making Mundell throw quite a few pitches in one duel and later fighting off an inside pitch for a hit.

How about some photos? I’m taking a different approach to photos this season. First, I’m switching from Picasa to Flickr. I’m a little bit turned off by the fact that Google is now trying to force its Picasa users into Google+ and its Windows-8-esque layout. And the fact that Flickr offers a terabyte of storage means I can pretty much use it indefinitely. The other change is, I’m trying to spend more time actually watching the game and take fewer, better photos, and not post up every single snapshot I take. If I can get a good profile pic of most players, and a few cool action shots when I can get them, I’ll be happy. Let me know what you think!

C Erik VanMeetren

Exhibition play has already gotten underway, and I recently attended the Bucs/Pilots opening-day doubleheader. I have a ton of player notes for the Pilots, but I’m holding off on releasing them for the simple fact that I had yet to finish their 2013 roster preview. It wouldn’t be much of a “preview” if I already let you see my notes from that game, would it? So, I had to hurry up and finish this roster preview, so that I could then hurry up and finish typing up my game notes. I am going to purposely NOT look at my game notes so I’m not “cheating” and/or typing the same thing up twice.

Yeah, I’m a little behind the 8-ball as far as getting all of my season-opening stuff done in a timely manner this year.

That being said, let’s take a look at the 2013 Anchorage Glacier Pilots.

PITCHERS

LHP Sean Adler (FR USC): As a freshman at the University of Southern California this collegiate year, Adler has struck out 19 on 18.1 innings of work.

LHP Sam Alvis (JR Louisiana Tech): Grandson of Cleveland Indians all-star player Max Alvis. Sam has been a two-way player for Louisiana Tech this past collegiate year, hitting .269 with the bat and striking out 21 batters in 21 innings on the bump. He was also a two-way player in the Prospect League last summer, striking out 9 in 9 innings, and batting .321 with 3 homers in an All-Star season.

RHP Kyle Bovy (SO Marin CC): An Alaska local, hailing from beautiful Palmer (home of the Mat-Su Miners no less). The right-hander has been used in relief duty at Marin thus far.

LHP Sean Buckle (SO Loyola Marymount): In 2010 Perfect Game saw buckle and noted his fastball that bumped 86 then. They ranked him an 8.5 out of 10 and put him on the Top 1000 list for the class of 2011. The Mets drafted him in the 49th round of the 2011 MLB draft.

RHP Sean Carley (JR West Virginia): A draft pick of the San Diego Padres this most recent draft, Carley was seen touching 89 on his fastball way back in 2008. He’s gotten a little bit bigger then, so perhaps he’s upped the velocity up over the 90 mark?

RHP Carlos Fuentes (JR Loyola Marymount): A PG high follow for the class of 2010. He was a pitcher for the Palm Springs Power in the So-Cal league last year.

RHP TJ Kendzora (JR San Diego State): Four years and 20 lbs ago, Kendzora was seen by PG throwing 86 and was graded a 7 out of 10. Since then he’s been a mixed reliever/starter for SDSU and played in the Northwoods League last summer, forging a 4-1 record on the year.

RHP Brendan McCurry (JR Oklahoma State): A big part of OK State’s postseason effort this year, McCurry has fashioned a 2.72 ERA in 29 relief appearances on the collegiate year. PG called him a Top 1000 for the class of 2010 and noted his 89-mph heater way back then.

RHP Josh Merrill (SO Neosho County): Not much info out there in Merrill. Transferring up to Arkansas-Little Rock from Neosho CC, where he was used in a mixed capacity: 7 starts and 5 relief appearances in 2013.

RHP Dylan Nelson (JR Cal): Nelson has transferred to the Cal Bears program after a year at JuCo College of San Mateo. At CSM he pushed his heater up into the low 90′s range and developed a slider and change-up.

LHP Kyle Porter (JR Cal): A Perfect Game Top 1000 rated 8.5 out of 10 for the class of 2010. Kyle Porter pitched a College World Series win in the 2011 CWS for Cal. PG noted a curve, change and slider and sink on his fastball.

LHP Michael RoBards (SO San Diego State): Robards is a side-arming lefty out of Oceanside, California. In 55 innings of work — 7 starts out of 19 total appearances — he went 4-1 with a 3.58 ERA on the 2013 college season.

LHP Barry Timko (SO Nevada): Went 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA for the Kitsap BlueJackets of the West Coast Collegiate League last summer, walking only 4 on 19.2 innings of work. A versatile pitcher who can work as either a starter or a long reliever.

LHP William White (JR Youngstown State): Completely drawing a blank on this one. He’s not listed on the Youngstown State roster, the Pilots website has no bio, and Google isn’t coming up with anything. So, moving right along…

CATCHERS: 

C Kevin Garcia (JR Loyola Marymount): Switch-hitter who offers some versatility in the field. Garcia was ranked an 8.5 out of 10 by Perfect Game for the class of 2012.

C Chris Hoo (JR Cal Poly): Noted for having an excellent catcher arm. Hoo made the final watch list for the Johnny Bench Award last year, which is awarded to the best college catcher. Had a first-team all-conference season in 2012.

C John Riley (HS Cal): Riley is listed as a freshman on the Pilots roster, but in fact he’s a HS graduate who will join Cal in Fall 2013. That is, assuming he doesn’t go pro; the Giants drafted him in the 31st round last week. Perfect Game rated him a 10/10 for the class of 2013. If he does indeed play for the Pilots this summer, he’s a nice pickup for them.

C Erik VanMeetren (SO Nevada Las Vegas): Rated a 9 out of 10 by Perfect Game, who noted a sub-2.0s pop to second base.

INFIELDERS:

IF Kevin Cornelius (SO Grayson CC): Returning from 2012. Cornelius has twice been drafted by the Yankees: in 2011 (42nd round) and just last week in 2013 (31st round). However, he is here in Alaska, for the time being anyway. He blasted 4 homers last season and was a solid defensive infielder.

IF Kewby Meyer (SO Nevada): Drafted out of high school in 2011, by the Phillies, in the 48th round. He’s been used as the starting first baseman at Nevada thus far in his career.

IF Jeff Moberg (FR Tennessee): A part-time starter as a freshman, he’s listed as a two-way guy on the Tennessee website, so it’s possible that he could get some work on the mound this summer if the Pilots need him.

IF Sagan Osborne (FR Utah Valley): Here’s an Alaska local, a former standout at Dimond High. He was a very versatile player at high school, so he could be a utility guy who can come in to a game and fill any role for the Pilots this summer.

IF Dayne Parker (JR Wichita State): Named a Perfect Game Top 1000 for the Class of 2010, he played for the Liberal BeeJays and was named a top prospect in the Jayhawk League by both PG and Baseball America.

IF Brody Russell (FR Fresno State): In 2012, the Pirates drafted Russell in the 36th round; rumor has it, the Cards almost took him in the 6th but balked when it turned out his commitment to Fresno State was bigger than the check they were willing to write. So you could say he’s definitely a prospect. He had a perfect 7-0 stolen base line as a freshman this year.

IF Kevin Viers (FR Fresno State): The old “Google Scouting Bureau” doesn’t have much to say about Viers, but Fresno State has used him at third base and he’s come up big in a lot of their games this past collegiate season despite a so-so stat line.

OUTFIELDERS:

OF Lance Berringer (FR Nevada): A part-time starter for Nevada as a freshman, Berringer appeared in 27 games and made just one error this past college season.

OF Micah Green (JR Wichita State): Green is coming back from a 2012 campaign with the Glacier Pilots. Last year he demonstrated plus speed on the basepaths. PG named him the #26 prospect in the ABL last season, and ranked him #386 in the Class of 2009. That year he was drafted by the Rockies in the 44th round.

OF/C Adam Manzer (SO, Marin CC): Adam Manzer is an Anchorage local, named the Gatorate Alaska Player of the Year in 2011 for West High, and a returning player for the Pilots. He’s serviceable in both the outfielder and behind the dish.

OF/IF Kris Moules (JR, Youngstown State): Played for the DC Grays in the Cal Ripken League last season. His Youngstown State coach praised his “blend of speed and power”, as well as his versatility in all outfield positions and at first base.

OF Jensen Park (SO Northern Colorado): UNC Head Coach Carl Iwasaki cited Park’s batspeed and footspeed as key aspects of his game. For the Class of 2011, PG ranked the Hawaii product a high follow.

OF Jacob Rice (JR West Virginia): The Baseball Beginnings Guy has a pretty significant write-up on Rice, calling him an interesting prospect to watch and noting his “strength and athleticism”.  PG ranked him the #157 prospect in the class of 2010. Sounds like he might be able to play the baseball game a little bit, no?

THE VERDICT:

Lots of prospects on this team. So many of these guys have already been drafted, you know they must have some talent. I like the balance of lefties and righties a lot, and a good mix of freshman, sophomores, and juniors are represented. The bats have been cold but they’ve had a tough opponent in the Bucs so far and they’re just getting warmed up in these exhibition games. I think there’s more here than we’ve seen. Overall, a very balanced team. They’ll have a tough hill against some good opponents but they’ve got the makings to possibly repeat for the league title in 2013.

• IF Tyler Shryock (2011 Fire, 2012 Chinooks), drafted by the White Sox in the 12th round, #363 overall.
• RHP Phillip Walby (2011 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Yankees in the 12th round, #373 overall.
• LHP Ben Griset (2011 Oilers), drafted by the Rays in the 13th round, #398 overall.
• OF Ian Miller (2012 Miners), drafted by the Mariners in the 14th round, #417 overall.
• C Colton Plaia (2010/11 Goldpanners), drafted by the Mets in the 15th round, #446 overall.
• C Cael Brockmeyer (2011 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Cubs in the 16th round, #468 overall.
• IF Zach Mathieu (2012 Bucs), drafted by the Mets in the 16th round, #476 overall.
• IF Lonnie Kauppila (2012 Goldpanners), drafted by the Mariners in the 16th round, #477 overall.
• RHP Tanner Mendonca (2012 Goldpanners), drafted by the Twins in the 17th round, #500 overall.
• OF Jaycob Brugman (2011 Miners), drafted by the Athletics in the 17th round, #521 overall.
• RHP Jon Maciel (2011/12 Oilers), drafted by the Tigers in the 18th round, #546 overall.
• IF Adam Landecker (2010/11 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Pirates in the 21st round, #629 overall.
• RHP Ben Heller (2011 Fire), drafted by the Indians in the 22nd round, #651 overall.
• RHP Trevor Bayless (2011/12 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Athletics in the 22nd round, #671 overall.
• OF Brenden Kalfus (2012 Bucs), drafted by Blue Jays in the 23rd round, #685 overall.
• C Trey Wimmer (2009 Fire), drafted by the White Sox in the 23rd round, #693 overall.
• RHP Stefan Crichton (2011 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Orioles in the 23rd round, #699 overall.
• OF Zach Esquerra (2012 Bucs), drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 24th round, #720 overall.
• OF Justin Maffei (2012 Miners), drafted by the Pirates in the 25th round, #749 overall.
• IF Blake Miller (2012 Goldpanners), drafted by the Giants in the 25th round, #762 overall.
• LHP Tyler Wright (2012 Bucs), drafted by the Mariners in the 26th round, #777 overall.
• LHP Jordan Mills (2011/12 Oilers), drafted by the Astros in the 28th round, #827 overall.
• RHP Scott Sitz (2010 Miners), drafted by the Tigers in the 28th round, #846 overall.
• C Trent Garrison (2010 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Yankees in the 28th round, #854 overall.
• IF Trey Nielsen (2011 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Cardinals in the 30th round, #905 overall.
• IF Kevin Cornelius (2012 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Yankees in the 31st round, #944 overall.
• RHP John Straka (2012 Oilers), drafted by the Rangers in the 32nd round, #970 overall.
• OF Matt Vinson (2011 Glacier Pilots), drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 37th round, #1110 overall.
• IF Ty Afenir (2011 Bucs), drafted by Yankees in the 39th round, #1184 overall.
• RHP Arturo Reyes (2011 Goldpanners), drafted by the Cardinals in the 40th round, #1205 overall.

There are a few players, not listed above, who are worth mentioning. Former Anchorage Buc Boomer Collins has apparently already signed a contract as an undrafted free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays. Two guys that I figured would go on day three didn’t get picked at all. Jake Long doesn’t surprise me too much; I figured him to be a late-round pick and since he’s got eligibility left its not a huge shocker. But I’m really big on Kris Kwak. I thought he would be a Day 3 guy for sure, but go off the board early in the day even. I thought it was a safe bet that he’d at least get drafted in the late rounds. Guess I was wrong about that. But I stand by my evaluation of him. If someone can sign him as a free agent, he’d be a steal. There are certainly others; feel free to carry on the conversation in the comments box below.

Now that all of the picks have been made, it’s up to the teams to sign their draft picks. And once they’ve signed on the line which is dotted, everyone becomes equal. They’re all prospects tasked with climbing the ladder to the big leagues. We’ll keep track of who signs and where they’re assigned as the season unfolds.

Update: Thanks to Jason Bristol for some help on this list. You the man!

Aside from Braden Shipley and Aaron Judge, who were taken in the first round of the draft, the following players with Alaska Baseball League experience were drafted:

• RHP Jacob Rhame (Bucs, 2012) – Drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round, #184 overall. Rhame bumps 94 with his fastball and mixes his speeds well to get batters out. He’s listed as a 2013 recruit for the Bucs, so if/when he signs he’ll be scratched from the roster.
• RHP Kyle Finnegan (Bucs, 2011) – Drafted by the Athletics in the 6th round, #191 overall. Deals a hard, mid-upper 90′s fastball with great late arm-side tail action to it.
• RHP Trevor Frank (Pilots, 2010) – Drafted by the Indians in the 8th round, #231 overall.
• LHP Tyler Linehan (Pilots, 2011) – Drafted by the Brewers in the 9th round, #272 overall.
• LHP Conner Kendrick (Bucs, 2011) – Drafted by the Yankees in the 9th round, #284 overall.
• OF Mike Tauchman (Goldpanners, 2010) – Drafted by the Rockies in the 10th round, #289 overall.
• RHP Aaron Griffin (Bucs, 2010) – Drafted by the Rays, #308 overall.

There was a bit of a gap between the 1st and 6th rounds, making the day a little boring from an Alaska Baseball League perspective. But this is not a bad showing at all — 9 players in 10 rounds. There are still 30 rounds yet to come and I imagine we’ll see the players bunch up a little bit in the later rounds, so we’re talking about dozens of names still on the draft board, waiting to come off.

Shipley, who played for the Bucs in both 2011 and 2012, was selected #15 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander was an excellent pick-up for the D-Backs in the 15 hole; in another draft, he could have been taken even sooner. In fact, it had been rumored that the Indians were targeting him with their #5 pick.

MLB.com has this to say about Shipley:

The University of Nevada ace makes you take notice with a quick, loose arm and a plus fastball — one that has touched 98 mph. But he’s more than just fastball velocity. He throws both a curve ball and a changeup, and while they’re not as consistent as his fastball, both should be at least Major League average in the future. Shipley is generally around the plate with all three pitches and isn’t afraid to go right after hitters. He might not be a part of the elite group of college arms in the class, but he isn’t far behind, and a very strong junior year had him moving up Draft boards everywhere.

Before Shipley became a pitching phenom, he swung the bat a time or two.

Undoubtedly his two summers in Alaska have done a lot to help develop his stuff and season him for the pros. Over the course of his ABL career, he really transitioned from a raw freshman into a top prospect. When Shipley came up the first time, in 2011, he was a two-way player who established himself as one of the team’s front-line starters. He wasn’t as dominant but he did fashion a 2.98 ERA in 7 starts. The Bucs used Shipley as their fireman in 2012 in an attempt to limit his innings. He worked 13 of them and picked up five saves, striking out 22 batters in the process.
The Diamondbacks already employ a few former Anchorage Bucs on their big-league club, such as closer Heath Bell and slugger Paul Goldschmidt, who is in the midst of a breakout season.

Following not far behind Shipley was center fielder Aaron Judge, who was taken #32 overall by the New York Yankees (my beloved Atlanta Braves took OK State’s Jason Hursh with the #31 pick and severely disappointed me by passing on Judge). I’m sure I’ve told this story before, but when Judge was up with the Glacier Pilots in 2011, I spoke with a Giants associate who pointed Judge out as the guy. “Five-tool prospect”, he told me. This was a season in which he was a freshman with no home runs to his credit, mind you. Here’s MLB.com’s take on Judge:

Guys his size — Judge is 6-foot-7, 240 pounds — stand out on the baseball field. As one would imagine, Judge has considerable raw power from the right side of the plate, winning a college home run derby over the summer. That pop has not shown up consistently in games for Fresno State much, though he did flex his muscles for five homers on the Cape last summer. Judge has patience at the plate, runs pretty well and has a strong arm, all the tools for a future right fielder. How he performed during his junior season with the bat was going to determine where he lands on Draft boards. That performance was a bit up-and-down but a team that saw him on a good day — and put stock in his strong Cape performance –might be willing to gamble he’ll hit enough to tap into that power at the next level.

So there you have it. I think Judge was taken a little bit above his projected draft slot, because he’s a bit of a question mark (as the above passage might suggest). He really hasn’t “put it all together” so he’s going to be a work in progress in the minors. Of course that means that there is not guarantee he will live up to his potential. If he does, though…man, watch out. This guy could be a future All-Star.

Day 1 of the MLB draft has come and gone, and with it the first two rounds proper and the “competitive balance” rounds associated with each. However, the draft being 3 days and 40 rounds long, we’ve still got a long way to go. Rounds 3-10 will commence tomorrow and rounds 11-40 will happen on Saturday. A lot of ABL players are certain to be taken in those rounds, so stay plugged in for recaps of which former Alaska players are drafted in 2013.

Tyler Shryock

Wrapping up the Alaska Baseball League draft previews for 2013, let’s take a look at the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks & AIA Fire. For those of you who haven’t been following along for a while, the Chinooks used to be known as the AIA Fire before moving from Fairbanks to Chugiak in 2012. For preview purposes, the teams have been combined.

So who are the big draft prospects? Have to say Kris Kwak is among them. I just did a scouting report on him so I’ll keep it brief, but basically, he’s an excellent hitter — good contact, power, uses all the fields, doesn’t strike out, can work the count and get a pitch or take a walk — and seems at least average at everything else. Going into his senior draft, I’m sure he’ll be picked.

Tyler Shryock is another guy who will probably get the call. Coming in at #400 on the Baseball America Top 500, Shryock is a solid defensive shortstop with decent speed who plays hard.

Last year I ranked Ryan Gebhart highly; he went undrafted, and so I’m cautiously optimistic about him this year, but optimistic nonetheless. I’m sure there are plenty more, but here it is draft day…time to stop speculating and start watching!

John Straka

In 2012, the Peninsula Oilers had the Alaska Baseball League’s best draft class. Alums Stephen Piscotty and Patrick Wisdom were drafted in the first compensation round and were among at least 13 former Oilers chosen last year. The team might be hard-pressed to come up with a draft class to top that, but there are some good players among their remaining draft-eligible crew.

I’m going to have to dig a little bit deeper here, as I haven’t found any former Oilers on the BA Top 500. But there are plenty of “sleepers” that I’ve identified as good. Let’s talk about pitcher John Straka. He deals a 90-ish fastball and a brutal curveball. He’s entering his senior draft, so he’s gotta be worth a pick, I’d say. Ditto for Jon Maciel, who bumped 91 and had a curve with hard late break. He’s a junior, so he might not go too early, but I see a draft pick in him.

Backstop Tanner Rust is a guy who could get picked. This year’s draft pool is short in catchers and Rust has shown that he can swing the bat with authority. He has a pretty decent arm to second base, too.

I’ll take a chance on a few more guys: Brandon Kizer and Ryan Gebhart. Other than that, we’re counting down the hours, so we’ll let the MLB clubs say the rest.