Local American Legion team full of young talent

June 5, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - It's still a little early to make too many judgments about the 18-man roster of the Alaska Road Warriors.

But second-year head coach Steve Mossburgh certainly knows one thing about his American Legion baseball squad.

&#8220We're young,” Mossburgh said. &#8220Very young.”

But for Mossburgh, having a group of young players is not all bad. He already sees the long-term potential of these athletes.

&#8220They're hungry. They want to play. They're willing to learn and work hard,” Mossburgh said. &#8220A lot of them are going to turn into some pretty good ballplayers.”

The varsity, or ‘AA,' roster of the Road Warriors includes a dugout full of players who recently capped successful freshmen or sophomore campaigns in their respective prep programs.

Mossburgh figures to see names such as Josh Boring, Wes Smith, Chris Bydlon and Mike Shaw to figure prominently into the roster in seasons to come.

Smith, who recently completed his sophomore season at Colony, impressed Mossburgh last season, and returns as the team's starting catcher.

&#8220For such a young kid, he stepped up big as the starting catcher last year,” Mossburgh said. &#8220We're looking for big things from him.”

Boring had success in the Colony middle infield as a freshman, and Mossburgh said the young infielder could settle into the shortstop spot for the Road Warriors.

Bydlon manned the lead-off spot for Wasilla High as a freshman, and could play in the middle infield during the American Legion season.

Shaw, Mossburgh said, could play first or third, and has the ability to pitch and hit the ball hard.

Another young player from that Wasilla squad is Eric Washington, who could play in the infield or outfield.

Two other young Knights, Kody Ziter and Matt Packa, also made the squad.

Ziter can catch and play outfield, while Packa will pitch, play outfield and be used at designated hitter.

Another Colony veteran, Chris Comerate, made the squad for the first time. Comerate can play third and pitch.

Sprinkled among the young talent is a handful of veterans.

Leading that group is Carl Brent, who recently graduated from Wasilla High School. Mossburgh said Brent is his utility man.

&#8220He's a guy I can use anywhere I want,” Mossburgh said. &#8220He plays all the positions, and he plays them well.”

Brent's Wasilla classmates Corey Cowgill and Ben Briceland are also on the team.

Mossburgh said Cowgill could play in the infield, the outfield or pitch, while Briceland will see time in the outfield and on the pitching mound.

Three veterans of the Palmer High squad - Mike Dotson, Casey Smith and Cole Smith - made the legion team.

Mossburgh said Dotson could see time at third place, but he really made his presence known at the plate last season for the Road Warriors.

&#8220He really helped us out last year with some really big hits,” Mossburgh said. &#8220He won a few games for us.”

Casey and Cole Smith are both expected to pitch, Mossburgh said. Casey Smith should play in the middle infield, while Cole Smith will see time at first.

Colony veterans Rob Fitch and Chris Breck are also on the squad.

Fitch could be penciled in as the team's starter in center, while Breck should be a staple in the infield.

Breck will also throw for the Road Warriors.

Mossburgh has a pair of players recovering from offseason injuries, Kevin Kramer and Tyler Eli. Both are expected to be in the lineup within the month, Mossburgh said.

The American Legion scheduled has been tweaked just a tad this season. Gone are the individual district tournaments, and the state now includes just one 11-team district. Each team in the district earns an automatic berth into the state tournament, which is slated for the first week of August, and the top three teams of the district receive first-round byes.

The Road Warriors' 2007 schedule includes 20 league games and 10 non-league games. The team also hosts the annual Todd Ryan Tournament, slated for June 29-July 1.

Joining Alaska in the tourney are Service, West and a team from Minnesota.

The local legion squad opens the 2007 season Thursday against Service at McManus Field in Wasilla. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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