Coaches see great potential in pitchers

PALMER — As Mat-Su Miners head coach Ben Taylor works to put together a pitching staff, there’s one thing he likes to look for.

Velocity.

This season, Mat-Su has a handful of pitchers with the ability to impress.

“Velocity solves a lot of problems,” Taylor said recently. “I always feel that way. Yes, young pitchers who throw hard deal with wildness. Once they learn how to control themselves, it makes life a lot easier.”

Taylor said there are many things he likes about the collection of 14 players on the current pitching staff. The group includes the power arms he likes. There are top prospects from big conferences. And he’s thrilled about the potential of his bullpen.

“This year we wanted proven bullpen arms,” Taylor said. “The whole goal for us is to shorten the games with the quality of our bullpen. Give me six or seven innings out of a starter, give me a 100 pitches, lets get the lead and turn it over to some proven guys in the back end.”

Taylor immediately noted Kentucky junior closer Spencer Jack and Washington sophomore reliever Will Ballowe. Jack finished the season 4-1 with four saves and a 1.16 earned run average. He fanned 31 hitters in 38 innings. Ballowe was Washington’s go-to left-hander in the bullpen, Taylor said. He was 4-1 with 32 strikeouts and a 2.34 ERA in 29 appearances. The Miners also have Pacific’s Vince Arobio, who averaged more than a strikeout per inning as a freshman.

“The pitching staff, I’m super excited about. We’ve got some highly-billed freshman coming in,” Taylor said.

That group includes Texas A&M freshmen Tyler Stubblefield and Ryan Hendrix, Tennessee freshman Kyle Serrano and Northwestern State freshman Adam Oller.

Serrano, son of former Miners pitching coach and current UT head coach Dave Serrano, was one of the top pitchers in the nation last year as a high school senior. As a freshman at UT, Serrano was 3-3 with 40 strikeouts in 57 innings.

Oller was recently named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and received Freshman All-American honors. He was 6-2 with 58 strikeouts and a 2.44 ERA in 16 games.

Both Texas A&M pitchers, Hendrix (a power arm right-hander) and Stubblefield (a lefty) have already been drafted by Major League teams. Stubblefield threw his first career complete game to lead the Aggies past Texas in the NCAA regionals June 1.

The staff also includes San Diego freshman Seve Romo, Utah sophomore Hunter Rodriguez, Northwestern State freshman Josh Morris, Texas A&M sophomore Hayden Howard, Chandler-Gilbert CC sophomore Jon Ferrendelli, and a pair of local prospects, Josh Grissom and Jonathon Boyer.

Grissom is entering his second season with the Miners. The Wasilla High School graduate recently capped his sophomore season at Blue Mountain Community College. Last season, Grissom started the summer as the team’s bullpen catcher. He made three total appearances on the mound with the Miners, two in nonleague play in one in league action. Considering Grissom’s experience with the Miners last year and that he played for Miners pitching coach Brad Baker at Blue Mountain this year, Taylor is excited about Grissom’s potential to contribute.

“Especially after him having a good year at Blue Mountain and being in the system last year, I expect him to contribute and do a good job when he’s called upon,” Taylor said.

Boyer, a former Colony High and Alaska Road Warriors American Legion standout, is getting his first opportunity to play for the Miners. Boyer recently wrapped up his freshman year at Kansas City Community College, but missed most of the year due to injury.

Taylor said he’s excited to see what Boyer can do.