“He’s the kind of guy you hate to play against, but love to have as a teammate,” Christopher said.
And love him or hate him, everyone in the Alaska Baseball League has been paying attention. Schwartz, a Central Missouri sophomore, has been named the ABL Player of the Year.
 ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman file photo Mat-Su shortstop Bret Schwartz rounds third base during a win over the Athletes in Action Fire earlier this season. Schwartz, who currently leads the Alaska Baseball League with a .433 batting average, has been named the ABL Player of the Year. |
Entering play on Monday, Schwartz was leading the ABL with a .433 batting average and 58 hits. He’s also second in the league in runs.
Christopher called Schwartz’s average, “unbelievable.” He’s also walked 14 times, which gives him a .500 on base percentage.
Schwartz was one of six Miners to be named to the first team. First baseman Nick DeBiasse, pitcher Joe Bircher and outfielders Andy Mee, Pablo Bermudez and Tyler Ruch were also named to the first team.
Ruch was tabbed the utility player of the year.
Schwartz, Mee, Bermudez, Ruch and DeBiasse are among six Miners currently ranked among the top-10 hitters of the ABL.
Mee leads the ABL with 33 RBI and 16 doubles. He is second only to Schwartz in the league in batting average (.377) and hits (55), and tied for second with Schwartz with 30 runs.
Bermudez is third in the ABL with a .339 average. Ruch is seventh at .327. DeBiasse is second in the league with 26 RBI and eighth with a .312 average.
“These guys have all contributed. Everybody’s hitting,” Christopher said the Miners, who lead the ABL with .305 team batting average.
Bircher currently leads the six-team league with a 1.29 earned run average and 31 strikeouts. Christopher said the Bradley sophomore has adjusted well to pitching in the wood bat ABL.
Mee, who also pitches for the Miners, was named second-team All-ABL as a relief pitcher. Starting pitcher Blake Dieterich — who tossed nine no-hit innings during Mat-Su’s 13-inning no-hit victory over the Peninsula Oilers in late June — was named the second team, along with designated hitter David Lyon.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
2010 All-Alaska Baseball League
Player of the Year: Bret Schwartz, Mat-Su
Top prospect: Stephen Piscotty, Peninsula
Gold glove: DJ Crumlich, Alaska
Silver Slugger: Stephen Piscotty, Peninsula
First team
First base: Nick DeBiasse, Mat-Su; Second base: Derrick Chung, Alaska; Shortstop: Bret Schwartz, Mat-Su; Third base: Martin Medina, Alaska; Catcher: Marc Schoch, AIA; Outfield: Andy Mee, Mat-Su; Pablo Bermudez, Mat-Su; Stephen Piscotty, Peninsula; Utility player: Tyler Ruch, Mat-Su; Designated hitter: Trevor Hairgrove, Anchorage Pilots; Starting pitchers: Joe Bircher, Mat-Su; Ryan Cabral, Alaska; Tyler Bersano, AIA; Geoff Broussard, Peninsula; Casey Hauptman, Anchorage Bucs; Relief pitchers: Jorge Marban, Peninsula; Justin Hopper, Anchorage; Liam Baron, Alaska; Kyle Brule, Alaska.
Second team
First base: Mike Tauchman, Alaska; Second base: Keith DePew, AIA; Shortstop: DJ Crumlich, Alaska; Third base: O’Koyea Dickson, Anchorage Pilots; Catcher: Kevin Roundtree, Alaska; Outfield: Ryan Gephart, Peninsula; Jake Stewart, Alaska; Tim Maitland, Anchorage; Utility player: Simon Kudernatsch, Alaska; Designated hitter: David Lyon, Mat-Su; Jesse Sikorski, Alaska; Relief pitcher: Andy Mee, Mat-Su; TJ Swank, AIA; Justin Kemp, Anchorage Pilots; Chad Smith, Peninsula; Starting pitching: Zach White, Anchorage Bucs; Blake Dieterich.
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