Miners cap home slate with win; Mat-Su begins battle for ABL title Tuesday

PALMER ¬— Mitchell Nau saved his best for the last day of the regular season.

The Mat-Su catcher cracked a pair of home runs and led the Miners to an 8-4 win over the Anchorage Bucs at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer Sunday evening.

Nau helped Mat-Su, the top team in the Alaska Baseball League National Division, improve to 26-14 overall and 21-12 in league play. The Miners had already clinched a division crown and spot in the league championship, the ABL Top of the World Series, which starts Tuesday in Anchorage.

Nau, a Texas A&M incoming senior, came into the regular-season finale with a dozen hits, two home runs and eight RBIs in 19 games. But Sunday the right-hander erupted, jacking a three-run home run over the right center field fence, and a solo shot over the left field wall. Mitchell, one of three catchers on the Mat-Su roster, had played in only 19 of Mat-Su’s 39 games this season, but proved his value Sunday with the four-RBI performance.

“Nau is an SEC senior who maybe for a lot of different reasons may have not had the most ideal summer,” Miners head coach Ben Taylor said of the catcher playing in the prestigious Division I Southeastern Conference. “It’s a real compliment to Mitchell how hard he played tonight, and I have a lot of time and respect for someone who handles himself that way.”

Nau was also one of at least three part-time starters who had big nights Sunday. Designated hitter Hunter Simmons was 2 for 3, with a double and two runs scored. Right fielder Brandon Smith had a big two-run double during the Miners’ four-run fifth inning.

“It was awesome to see some guys put their hand up and get themselves into the conversation going into the playoffs,” Taylor said.

Centerfielder Cameron Frost, a statistical leader throughout the season, also continued his big summer with a two-run single.

Mat-Su will face the Alaska Goldpanners, the ABL American Division champion, in a best-of-3 series that starts Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. Taylor said it’s great to see players come up big at this time of the season.

“It really excites me, really excites me to have some of these guys heating up,” Taylor said. “Guys want to be part of the World Series. Guys want to be in the mix for the World Series. To see guys put their hands up makes me really proud.”

The win was a part of a doubleheader against the Bucs. Anchorage captured Game 1 with an 11-2 victory. The Miners used 10 different pitchers in the two games. Mat-Su also had seven different pitchers on the mound during a 5-4 extra-innings win over Chugiak on Saturday. Taylor said the Miners intended to use as many pitchers as possible during the final three games of the regular season, and give key relievers work on consecutive days.

“We wanted to make sure everybody had some work going into (Monday’s) off-day. We wanted some guys to have some innings they felt good about. We wanted relievers to throw back-to-back days, and be in the condition to do that for the playoffs,” Taylor said.

Hunter Rodriguez pitched two perfect innings in relief to get the win Saturday night. Vince Arobio worked the seventh to notch his seventh save of the summer.

The Top of the World Series starts Tuesday, and continues with a maximum of two games Wednesday. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Mulcahy. Game 3, if necessary, would be Wednesday at 7.

Mat-Su split with the Goldpanners during four regular-season games. The Miners were 1-1 against the Panners at home and on the road.

“It’s two pretty evenly-matched teams. They’re a well-coached team and play hard,” Taylor said. “It’s an honor to be in the spot we’re in.”

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