Fairbanks product uses summer with the Miners to prepare for Division I baseball career

PALMER — Scooter Bynum spent his high school career among Alaska’s basketball elite.

The 2014 graduate of Monroe Catholic School in Fairbanks led the Rams boys’ basketball team to three straight 3A state titles. The 6-foot-1 guard earned first-team all-state three times, and was named the 3A state player of the year as a senior. But Bynum wasn’t just a basketball player.

He was also a standout on the baseball diamond.

Most who watched Bynum excel on the hardwood during his four years with Monroe probably expected Bynum to take his basketball skills to the next level. But Bynum’s heart was in a different place.

The ballpark.

Bynum chose a different path. And now Bynum is a Division I athlete.

Bynum, who spent his summer as a member of the Mat-Su Miners playing in the Alaska Baseball League, is set to begin his first season at Northern Illinois this fall. Bynum committed to the Division I program after playing for two seasons at Arizona Western Community College.

“Basketball was my first love, but (now) I have a love (for baseball), more and more everyday,” Bynum said earlier this summer.

While in high school, Bynum said he knew he wanted to pursue a sport in college, and for a long time he thought it’d be basketball. But once the time came to really starting thinking about his future, it became clear that he saw his future on the diamond, not on the hardwood.

“It was tough to finally come to grips about it. It was tough at first. I’ll always love basketball. But I wanted to play baseball,” Bynum said.

Bynum’s journey from starting his baseball career as an eighth grader to Division I included a summer in Palmer with the Miners. Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor, who is also the associate head coach at Chandler-Gilbert College in Arizona, added Bynum to the roster after watching him play during the past two years for Arizona Western, a rival in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.

“I’ve seen Scooter since the summer after his senior year in high school. In those three summers, I’ve seen Scooter become a more polished product. It’s a real testament to how hard Scooter is working,” Taylor said earlier this summer.

Bynum admits he’s a late bloomer in the sport. He didn’t start playing until the eighth grade, and hails from a state in which high school players have very short seasons. Taylor said the difference in the amount of experience an Alaska high school baseball player can gain in a year versus the players he typically recruits in the southern portion of the United States is tremendous. But Taylor said Bynum has taken advantage of his opportunities, and shows excellent progress.

“With his work ethic and desire to develop as a ballplayer, I think Scooter has a really bright future in the game,” Taylor said.

Bynum was part of a crowded outfield, that featured multiple all-conference selections for Division I programs, during Mat-Su’s run to the 2016 Alaska Baseball League championship. But Bynum did appear in 29 games for the Miners.

“Scooter’s done a really nice job. He’s made the most out of his opportunities,” Taylor said. “It’s a really tough outfield to crack. But when Scooter gets in there, he adds some really excitement and energy to the lineup. He’s a very dynamic player.”

Taylor said Bynum possessed several key attributes that helped the Miners win ballgames.

“He’s a weapon off the bench for us. He (added) great depth to the outfield, and has game-changing speed,” Taylor said.

Bynum’s summer with the Miners came after a stellar sophomore season at Arizona Western, which competes in a conference Taylor calls the SEC of junior college baseball. In 51 games with the Matadors, the speedy centerfielder batted .351, with 65 hits, 35 runs, 33 RBI, 12 doubles, five triples and five home runs.

“I was very happy,” Bynum said of his time with Arizona Western. “I had the opportunity to hit over .300 both years.”

Now, Bynum is ready to start his career with Northern Illinois, which finished second in the West Division of the Mid American Conference last year.

“I think he’ll do really well (at Northern Illinois). This summer has been really good for him,” Taylor said.

Bynum officially committed to the DeKalb, Illinois, school in early May.

“I visited Northern Illinois and fell in love,” Bynum said. “I’m really excited to get an opportunity to play (Division I),” Bynum said.

It’s one of a handful of decisions Bynum has had to make already in his baseball career. One of the biggest decisions came before Bynum’s college career even started. Shortly after Bynum graduated from Monroe Catholic, he was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 545th overall pick in the 18th round of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Bynum ultimately opted to go to Arizona Western.

“It was a very tough decision,” Bynum said. “I come from a humble home. Someone offers you money to play the sport you love, it’s very difficult to pass up. I wanted to make the more mature choice. I don’t regret it. I’m happy.”

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