Miners baseball: Stanford product returns for another summer in the Valley

June 24, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - Before Joey August left the Mat-Su Valley last summer, Miners general manager Pete Christopher gave the Stanford product an offer he couldn't refuse.

&#8220Pete always said, If you want to come back, I'll let you. Just contact me,” August said.

So August did. And now the native of Salem, Ore., is spending his second summer in what is turning into a home away from home.

&#8220When I got back to school I told my coach I had a great time,” August said.

August said he told his coaches Alaska is where he wanted to be, and the Alaska Baseball League is where he wanted to play. If his Stanford coaches had other ideas, August said, he'd respect that.

&#8220But they said no problem. Go back,” he said.

Now August is one of two players who have returned for a second tour of duty with the Palmer summer collegiate developmental team, joining Pepperdine outfielder Donald Brown.

Both August and Brown factored into the Miners 5-2 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots on Friday.

Brown was one of two runners to score after an August single in the sixth running. The August RBI broke a 2-2 tie.

August said there are a few reasons why he is sold on Palmer, Alaska and the ABL.

&#8220I love it up here,” August said. &#8220You can't beat the mountains behind the fence. The guys are great. You can't beat it.”

Plus the competition is pretty good too.

&#8220You get to see a ton of great pitchers, and play with a ton of great guys,” August said.

August appeared in 36 games for the Miners last season. August hit a modest .224 during the summer, but finished the season with hits in six of this last eight games. He collected 32 hits, scored 14 runs and drove in 18 in 131 at-bats.

August returned to Stanford to enjoy a stellar sophomore season. He finished his second season in Palo Alto, hitting a career-high .343, a mark good enough for second best on the squad.

Mat-Su head coach Jeff Prtichard said he's thrilled August opted to return to Alaska for another summer.

&#8220Joey is probably one of the most intelligent players I've been around,” Pritchard said.

August is just one of several Stanford players to have success with the Miners. August and Cardinal catcher Brent Milleville were part of the 2006 squad. Outfielders John Hester and Michael Taylor were standouts on the 2005 squad. Hester joined pitchers Matt Manship and Jeff Gilmore on the 2004 team.

Hester, Taylor, Manship and Gilmore have all signed contracts with professional baseball teams since their days in Palmer.

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