Miners players receive national recognition

PALMER — Members of the 2013 edition of the Mat-Su Miners continue to be recognized for their play during the summer season.

Last week, outfielder Christin Stewart was named a first-team summer collegiate baseball All-American by Perfect Game, a nationally recognized website and scouting service. Shortstop A.J. Simcox was named a second-team All-American.

Both players are beginning their sophomore years at the University of Tennessee.

Stewart and Simcox were also among four Miners named among the top 10 prospects from the Alaska Baseball League in 2013. The list rates the players expected to have bright futures in professional baseball.

“They’re both special players,” Miners head coach Ben Taylor said of Stewart and Simcox after the pair received major postseason awards from the ABL in August. “Both have a chance to play pro baseball for a very long time. It wouldn’t shock me if they become ABL alums in the Major Leagues.”

Stewart and Simcox combined to lead the ABL is seven different batting categories. The duo swept the top two spots in the league in five of those categories.

Stewart, the 2013 ABL Player of the Year, was named the ABL’s top prospect by Perfect Game. He led in league in home runs (five), doubles (14) and RBI (31). He also finished second in the league in batting average (.336), runs (26), hits (42) and triples (two).

Simcox ran away with the league batting title, finishing with an impressive .356 average. Simcox was ranked second on Perfect Game’s list.

The Miners swept the top three spots, with outfielder Gio Brusa ranked No. 3 on the top prospects list. Brusa, the winner of the ABL Home Run Derby, batted .260 with 19 RBI and 16 runs scored. Brusa is a sophomore at Pacific University.

Right-handed pitcher Drew Smith, a Dallas Baptist product, is ranked ninth on the list. Smith made 14 appearances in 2013, and led the Miners with five saves.

Infielder Spencer Mahoney (20th), pitcher Trevor Bettencourt (22nd) were pitcher Cody Ponce (26th) were also ranked by Perfect Game.

Baseball American picks Simcox

While Perfect Game picked Stewart as the ABL’s best, Baseball America selected Simcox as the league’s top prospect, according to the release issued earlier this month.

“I’ve scouted for three (Major League Baseball) organizations since 2003, and for my money, A.J. is far and away the league’s top prospect,” Taylor said after Alaska Goldpanners infielder David Fletcher was named the ABL Top Prospect by the league in July.

Baseball America included four Miners in its top 5 pro prospects in the ABL in 2013. Stewart was ranked second, Brusa was fourth and Smith was listed at No. 5.