Miners listed as one of nation’s best

PALMER — The Mat-Su Miners are working through just their second week of the Alaska Baseball League season, but the Valley squad has already been recognized as one of the top-10 summer collegiate developmental organizations in the country, according to Perfect Game.

The nationally recognized scouting service, considered as a top resource in the field, has the Miners ranked ninth in the country.

“We’re usually ranked in the top-25 every year, in at least the last three or four years,” Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher said. “But being ranked ninth this early in the season really surprised me.”

The Miners, who have won five straight, are the lone ABL squad to be listed in Perfect Game’s top-25. The top-ranked team, the Chatham Anglers, is one of three Cape Cod League clubs in the top-seven.

According to Perfect Game, each Wednesday during the summer, the baseball scouting Web site will release the rankings of the top-25 teams from more than 20 summer collegiate leagues across the country.

Perfect Game Top 10

1. Chatham Anglers (Cape Cod League) 3-0; 2. Santa Barbara Foresters (California Collegiate League) 8-2; Forest City Owls (Coastal Plains League) 12-2; 4. Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Cape Cod League) 3-1; 5. Eau Claire Express (Northwoods League) 12-5; 6. Waynesboro Generals (Valley League) 7-2; 7. Wareham Gatemen (Cape Cod League) 2-1; 8. DeLand Suns (Florida Collegiate League) 8-1; 9. Mat-Su Miners (Alaska Baseball League) 5-1; 10. Kelowna Falcons (West Coast League) 6-1.

Pitcher, coach leave team

PALMER — Left-handed pitcher Danny Almonte has left the Mat-Su Miners, general manager Pete Christopher said.

Almonte, who became a national baseball figure during a Little League baseball age scandal in 2001, made just one start with the Miners. The Western Oklahoma State Junior College sophomore made his ABL debut on opening day, and allowed four earned runs and 10 hits during four innings of work.

Prior to deciding to leave, Christopher said Almonte told coaches he was hurt.

As a sophomore at WOS, the two-way athlete finished a perfect 9-0 on the mound. He also led his team with a .472 batting average.

Almonte was not selected in the Major League Baseball draft earlier this month.

Christopher also said pitching coach Matt Kruse has also left the team, due to “philosophical differences.”

Kruse serves as the pitching coach at Western Oklahoma State.

The Miners replaced Kruse with Michael Hunt, who coaches high school baseball in the St. Louis, Mo., area.

In 2001, as he dominated the Little League World Series, Almonte was found to be 14 years old, two years older than the Little League age limit.

Miners add pitcher

PALMER — Mat-Su has added Seminole Community College right-hander Owen Dew to the pitching staff. The Central Florida recruit led SCC with seven wins, four complete games and 76 strikeouts in 13 starts as a freshman. His 4.90 earned run average was third-best on the team and he walked only 19 hitters in 86 innings.

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