Excitement surrounds start of 2014 Alaska Baseball League season

PALMER — Heading into his second summer with the Mat-Su Miners, head coach Ben Taylor has a newfound comfort level.

Taylor returned to the Valley with a familiarity of the ballpark, community and historic Alaska Baseball League.

“There’s a lot of excitement for different reasons,” Taylor said recently. “The newness of last year was a lot of fun, really hectic. I’m more comfortable, I guess this year. I’ve got my routine down. I can focus on other things.”

But just as important, Taylor said, is another year of coaching experience. While entering his second year with the Miners in the ABL, Taylor is also beginning his sixth year as a head coach in summer baseball. Taylor came to Mat-Su after four years with the East Texas Pump Jacks of the Texas Collegiate League. In four seasons, Taylor became the winningest head coach in TCL history with 136 victories.

Taylor, also the associate head coach at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona, started his Mat-Su career with a successful 2013 season. The Miners won 20 games, and finished in a tie for second place in the league.

To add to the continuity, Taylor’s right-hand man last season, pitching coach Brad Baker, also returns.

“We have the system in place. The system I ran in East Texas, and it’s now become the Mat-Su system,” Taylor said. “It’s nice to have Brad a part of that.”

Baker, also the head coach at Blue Mountain Community College, is one of three assistants the Miners coaching staff this summer. Taylor added Bobby Rinard and Sean Winston during the offseason.

Rinard, a University of Arizona assistant, will help mentor the outfielders and first basemen. Winston, an assistant at Abilene Christian, will handle a variety of duties. Taylor said Winston will be the bullpen coordinator during games, coach the infielders and assist with the coaching of the hitters.

“Sean will wear a lot of hats,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he has coached against teams that included Rinard and Winston.

“They’re known commodities to me,” Taylor said.

Another bonus to entering his second season as head coach, Taylor said, was his ability to start recruiting early.

“I had a full year this year,” Taylor said. “I got home on the seventh of August last year, and I got started on (Aug.) 9th. That was nice.”

Taylor said that allowed the Miners to sign top prospects such as Texas A&M pitcher Tyler Stubblefield and Washington infielder Andrew Ely.

“We were able to get started earlier on it, and because of that we were able to get Stubblefield. He has a chance to be a star. We got him. He’s not going to the (Cape Cod League),” Taylor said. “Same with a guy like Andrew Ely. He’s a proven perform in the Pac 12 and we got him early.”

For more on the Miners 2014 pitchers and position players, see related stories on B1 and frontiersman.com/sports.

Overall, Taylor said he’s thrilled.

“I’m massively excited about the potential,” Taylor said. “I can’t say enough about how great (general manager Pete Christopher) and Denise are to me and my coaching staff. I really appreciate and respect the opportunity and responsibilities that come with this job.”