ABL: Miners host open try out

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman

PALMER - Could the average player from the Mat-Su Valley, just out of high school, ever get the opportunity to participate in one of the highest levels of amateur baseball?

Ask Brian Ferry.

Ferry, a 2003 graduate of Palmer High School with little baseball experience outside of the prep level, had the chance to step into the batters box and face big-league caliber pitching, and play and practice alongside some of the best athletes in college baseball. All because he attended the Mat-Su Miners open tryout two summers ago, he caught the attention of the Miners coaching staff and made the team.

Last summer Bud Baun, a former Juneau-Douglas High School standout was added to the Mat-Su roster after an open try out.

Friday the Mat-Su coaches will be looking for a few more Brian Ferrys. For the third consecutive season, the Miners are hosting an open tryout. All local players with a desire to add to their amateur baseball careers are welcomed to attend and compete. Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher said, ideally, he would prefer college-aged players, with at least some college playing experience, but will not turn away players will just prep and American Legion playing time.

The try out beings at 10 a.m. Friday at Hermon Brothers Field. Mat-Su coaches Matt Dorey, John Hendricks and Ron Omori will be on hand for the event, and will ultimately decide who could be added to the 2006 roster.

Ferry did not fall into the category of players with college experience, but had the opportunity to see playing time early in the season as players on the Miners roster trickled into Palmer. He was the Miners' opening day leftfielder. Even though he didn't see much playing time late in the season, he stayed on with the team and earned an Alaska Baseball League championship ring.

&#8220Brian Ferry showed me a lot,” Christopher said. &#8220He didn't play much, but he showed up everyday ready to play. He helped us out in the beginning when we were shorthanded, and didn't get hardly any playing time the rest of the season. But he never complained.

&#8220It's important to have someone like that.”

The Mat-Su coaches run players through a series of drills during the tryout. Players are tested in the field, and in the batters box. Pitchers are tested on the mound.

For more information, contact Christopher at gmminers@gci.net.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com