Ace helps Mat-Su Miners win National Division

PALMER — When Mat-Su needed a win that could potentially clinch a division, the Miners turned to their ace.

And Tyler Stubblefield delivered.

Stubblefield pitched a complete-game shutout to lead the Miners to a 1-0 lead over the Alaska Goldpanners Tuesday at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer. The Miners clinched the Alaska Baseball League National Division title with the victory, and earned a spot in the ABL’s league championship series, the Top of the World Series, which starts Tuesday at a location to be determined.

“He’s a big-game pitcher,” Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor said of Stubblefield, a 6-foot-5 Texas A&M incoming sophomore. “He showed everybody in the country that when he beat Texas in the regionals this year. We’re lucky to have him.”

Shortly before arriving in Alaska, Stubblefield was on the mound in the biggest start of his baseball career. In early June, Stubblefield scattered four hits en route to his first career collegiate complete game to help the Aggies beat rival Texas 3-2 in the regional round of the NCAA Division I postseason.

“It was an experience of a lifetime,” Stubblefield said Tuesday of pitching against the Longhorns. “As a kid growing up, and Texas and A&M being the big rivals, knowing I was out there on the mound, I was living the dream basically.”

The Diboll, Texas, native carried the momentum from that win over the Longhorns into his summer with the Miners. Tuesday, Stubblefield allowed only four hits, and five total baserunners, during the win over the Goldpanners. He struck out 11 and didn’t walk a hitter.

“He has incredible belief in himself, belief in his stuff,” Taylor said of Stubblefield. “He believes in his team, and brings a phenomenal energy to the ballpark every single day. He’s fantastic to be around.”

Tuesday’s performance stands in a line of stellar outings for the lefthander. Stubblefield lowered his league-leading earned run average to 1.06 and notched his league-best fifth win. He also has 45 strikeouts, compared to only nine walks, in 42 2/3 innings. He’s fanned 11 hitters in a game twice, and had nine strikeouts in another. He’s allowed a combined four earned runs in his last six starts, and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any game this season.

Stubblefield has thrown a pair of seven-inning complete games this season, and a nine-inning complete game. He also pitched eight innings during a win over the Oilers.

“I’m feeling great. I want to keep it going,” Stubblefield said. “I want to keep doing what my coach taught me back home and what (Miners pitching coach Brad Baker) is telling me to do (here).”

Stubblefield was also quick to credit Miners catcher Josh Meyer, who backstopped Tuesday’s win.

“My catcher’s an outstanding catcher. I’m just hitting the spots Josh tells me,” Stubblefield said.

Meyer played a part of Mat-Su’s roller-coaster sixth inning that included the game’s only run. The Grand Canyon catcher sparked the Miners with a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh. Meyer advanced to third on a Cameron Frost double, and nearly scored on a Jonny Locher fly out. Meyer barely missed scoring the run, on a close play at the plate.

Despite the out, Mat-Su’s second of the inning, the resilient Miners found another answer. Terrence Connelly used a double to set up another play at home plate. This time, Frost rounded third and slid in before the tag to score the run and give the Miners the lead.

“Knowing who was on deck, I had a lot of faith in my guys,” Stubblefield said. “I told them, all I needed was just one (run).”

Meyer finished 2 for 2 in the win, and Frost also had two hits.

By clinching the National Division with the win, the Miners have a shot at their fifth league title since 2004.

“I’m really excited, really happy for the kids. They’ve worked very hard,” Taylor said. “We’ve attracted some good players, and they’ve bought into the system. They’ve worked really hard, played for each other. I’m really happy for them. They get a chance to play for an ABL championship.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.