Miners complete 2004 coaching staff

The Mat-Su Miners coaching staff is now complete.

The organization added the final piece of the puzzle, Jack Krawczyk, earlier this week. Krawczyk will act as Mat-Su's pitching coach.

The Miners, who hired Mike Buchmiller as the team's field manager and Jimmy Smith as an assistant coach in late 2003, originally named former Anchorage Bucs head coach Jim Yanko as the pitching coach. Yanko, who also serves as head coach of San Joaquin Delta Junior, became unable to fulfill his duties with the Miners, due to health reasons. The ensuing search brought a promising list of candidates, but it was a recommendation from a former Miners pitching coach that led to the hire of Krawczyk . Mike Zirelli, the Mat-Su pitching coach last season, gave Krawczyk the idea of looking for coaching opportunities with the Miners.

"Mike Zirelli happened to mention the Miners and told him about an opening that we might have," Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher said.

Christopher said Krawczyk inquired about the job, originally asking about the future, but quickly was on a short list of final candidates.

"With his background, he just jumped out," Christopher said.

After a long conversation with Buchmiller and after speaking with an impressive list of references, Krawczyk was hired.

After a very successful college career, Krawczyk spent time in the minor league organizations of the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland A's. As a senior with the University of Southern California, Krawczyk helped the Trojans win a national championship. In the championship game of the NCAA College World Series, Krawczyk set the Division I career and single season saves records.

After finishing his college career in 1998, Krawczyk was drafted in the 25th round of the June amateur draft by the Brewers and began his professional playing career that summer in Helena of the Pioneer League. Krawczyk , who holds a 30-18 career record and struck out 443 hitters in 450 innings pitched, had his best season in 2000. He was 7-1 with 80 strikeouts and only eight walks in 85.2 innings with Mudville of the California League, before a promotion to Huntsville of the Southern League. At Huntsville Krawczyk was 6-2 with 66 strikeouts.

Krawczyk called an end to his playing career last fall after spending the latter part of the 2003 season as a player/coach with the South Bend Silver Hawks of the Midwest League. Christopher said the Diamondbacks organization saw Krawczyk as coaching material.

Christopher said Mat-Su was a bit hesitant about hiring a coach with little amateur baseball coaching experience, but the list of those vouching for Krawczyk's abilities represented quality collegiate baseball programs such as USC, Santa Clara and Pepper- dine. Krawczyk is also a certified baseball clinician and has worked in countless baseball camps.

Krawczyk's career goals include becoming a Division I pitching coach.

Buchmiller was the first addition to the 2004 coaching staff. After serving as an assistant with the Anchorage Bucs during the 2001 Alaska Baseball League season, Buchmiller formed, organized and led his own amateur baseball team, the Las Vegas Desert Devils, to the National Baseball Congress World Series in 2003.

Buchmiller later hired Smith to coach the Mat-Su infielders and assist in the coaching of the Miner hitters. Smith, a college baseball veteran with King College and Frostburg State College, is an assistant coach with Frostburg State.

Miner Notes … Several members of the 2003 Miners were recognized by Baseball America in the college baseball preseason issue. Mike Kelly, who played and excelled virtually everywhere for Mat-Su last year, was named the Northestern Conference's preseason player of the year and to the preseason All-NEC team. Kelly is a senior at Monmouth College and considered one of the best professional prospects off the 2003 Miners' squad … Josh Mader, a shortstop for the Miners last season, was named preseason All-Western Athletic Conference. Mader is a junior at New Mexico … Koley Kolberg, Mat-Su's ace and one of the top pitchers in the ABL last year, was listed as the top newcomer in the Pac-10. Kolberg is a junior at Arizona … Starting pitcher Kyle Knoblauch underwent season ending "Tommy John" surgery in November and will redshirt the 2004 season at Bowling Green State

University.