Miner star of 2006 to return in 2007

June 26, 2007

PALMER - One of the stars of the Mat-Su squad in 2006 will once again wear the Miners green and gold in 2007.

Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher announced Monday the addition of Lehigh junior Joe Ercolano to the roster.

Ercolano fills the void left by California outfielder Ryan Hanlon, who left the team for personal reasons.

Ercolano had tremendous success during his first tour with the Miners, hitting a team-high .344 in 2006. He collected 53 hits, and recorded at least one hit in 19 of his first 21 games.

The Fairfield, Conn., native also led the squad with 29 runs.

Ercolano posted a .281 batting average during his junior season, after hitting .339 at Lehigh as a sophomore and .422 as a freshman.

Christopher said he is excited about the return of Ercolano to the Miners, also noting the addition gives the Miners great depth in the outfield and a number of options for the top of the batting order.

Last season Ercolano was cemented in the lead-off spot. This season, the Miners have Carl Uhl in the top spot. Uhl currently leads the Alaska Baseball League with a .522 batting average.

National champion

to join Mat-Su

The Miners are awaiting the arrival of catcher Ryan Ortiz, a member of an Oregon State program that won its second straight national title last week.

The Beavers swept North Carolina in a two-game series to claim the 2007 Division I crown.

The Oregon State roster also include a trio of former Mat-Su pitchers - Mark Grbavec, Greg Keim and Daniel Turpen.

Miners prepare

for big series

On Wednesday the Miners will welcome the top team in the ABL, the Peninsula Oilers, to Hermon Brothers Field.

The Kenai squad took a perfect 11-0 mark into its match with the Anchorage Bucs on Friday.

The Oilers currently have two of the top four pitchers in the ABL. Matt Thompson has a perfect ERA to go with a 2-0 mark. Chance Deason is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA.

Peninsula also has two of the top hitters. Toby Davis is hitting .410 with 13 runs scored. Michael Dabbs is hitting .381 with a league-high 14 RBI.

Mat-Su hosts the Oilers Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with each game starting at 7 p.m

Tonight the Alaska Goldpanners visit Hermon Brothers Field, with the first pitch at 7 p.m.

Michael Taylor

signs with Philadelphia

Michael Taylor, a member of the 2005 squad, has signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team announced on June 17.

Taylor was one of 20 players assigned to the Phillies' mini-camp in Clearwater, Fla.

The Phillies selected Taylor with the 173rd pick of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in early June.

Taylor was named All-ABL after posted a .317 batting average in 2005.

Taylor also scored 20 runs, drove in 25 and stole a league-high 25 bases.

- Jeremiah Bartz