Mat-Su Déjà Vu: Outfielder has shot at Miners’ third straight league batting title

PALMER — Last season, Mat-Su Miners infielder A.J. Simcox and outfielder Christin Stewart, a pair of University of Tennessee products, combined to lead the Alaska Baseball League in just about every important offensive statistic category.

Simcox won the league’s batting title, with a .356 average. Simcox was also the only thing standing between Stewart and the ABL Triple Crown. Stewart led the league with five home runs and 31 RBIs.

Heading into this season, Mat-Su field manager Ben Taylor, who coached Simcox and Stewart last year, said he certainly didn’t expect to have another player put up those types of numbers for the Miners.

But this summer, Mat-Su outfielder Cameron Newell is putting up numbers that could even leave Simcox and Stewart feeling a little envious.

Through 22 games and entering Mat-Su’s bout with Chugiak Saturday night, Newell was batting .392 with 31 hits, 18 runs, six home runs and 28 RBIs. As of Saturday, the UC Santa Barbara product was second in the league in batting average, and first in both home runs and RBI. His six home runs are already better than the five Stewart hit to lead the league last year. Newell is also only three RBIs shy of Stewart’s league-leading total in 2013.

“I knew we’d have some guys who had the ability to be MVP or (league) player of the year, for sure. But in terms of reaching those types of numbers, (Simcox and Stewart) kind of caught lightning in a bottle,” Taylor said.

Newell, who recently capped his junior season at UC Santa Barbara, has spent much of the last few weeks among the top 3 in the league in batting average. As of Saturday, he stood only four points shy of the league. Andy Crowley, of the Anchorage Bucs, stood at .396.

If Newell can finish the final three weeks of the season strong and finish first in batting average, he’d become the third Miner in as many years to win the ABL batting title. In addition to Simcox in 2013, outfielder Clint Freeman led the league with a .397 average in 2012.

Newell’s stellar numbers also include at least one thing he has not shown in college. Through 109 games with UC Santa Barbara, Newell has yet to hit a home run. Only 19 of his 115 career college hits are for extra bases.

“Power is the last thing to develop,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the Miners have also used the veteran college player in a different role this summer.

“They run a bit of a different offense, more of a smallball offense. He’s more of a table-setter player for them. He’s adapted to a different type of role for us,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the Miners have given Newell the green light to swing the bat, and Newell is also outstanding when it comes to pitch selection, Taylor said.

In 79 at-bats this summer, Newell has struck out only three times this summer. Earlier this season, Newell stepped up to the plate 55 straight times without striking out.

The well-rounded Newell also has 16 walks and eight stolen bases this season.

Wednesday, Newell finished 2 for 3 with 5 RBIs in a 5-3 win over Chugiak. Newell hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the Chinooks. But he also drew a walk to score a run, and reached base on a drag bunt earlier in the game.

“He’s a really complete baseball player,” Taylor said.

Taylor also noted the strength of the 6-foot-1, 190-pound left-handed hitter.

“He’s strong as an ox,” Taylor said. “He’s very strong for his size. He’s got a short, compact, consistent swing. He’s not going to get himself in trouble a lot.”

Newell is putting up mind-blowing numbers, but Taylor said the Miners have plenty of talent in the lineup to protect a hitter like Newell. Entering Saturday’s contest, Mat-Su had five players hitting .300 or better, seven batting .296 or better and nine hitting at least .286.

Former Miner named to Team USA

Earlier this summer, former Mat-Su Miners outfielder Christin Stewart was named to the 2014 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

As of July 11, Stewart was batting .354 with 11 runs scored and 12 RBI.

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