More players arriving soon for Miners

PALMER -- The Mat-Su Miners are 7-5 on the season, are second in the Alaska Baseball League with a 3-2 record in league play and are not even at full strength yet.

Through Sunday the Miners played 12 games. Though the Miners are 1-3 in their last four games, the club is off to a significantly better start than last season.

Mat-Su could have greener pastures ahead as four more players will join the club this week. Each of the four players, who are late joining the team due to their team's participation in the collegiate tournament, could make a significant impact with the club.

Joey Hooft will be the first of the four to join the club. Hooft arrived in the state late Sunday night and should be in the lineup for Mat-Su's series against the Glacier Pilots early this week.

According to Mat-Su manager Kevin Edwards, Hooft, who played both left field and second base and batted in the heart of the order for the University of Miami, should play in the infield and bat in the middle of the lineup for Mat-Su.

Hooft and the Hurricanes advanced deep into the NCAA Division I playoffs, but were eliminated from College World Series play by Texas on June 17.

Hooft hit .373 and drove in 26 runs in the five spot for the Hurricanes this season. The infielder/outfielder posted a .981 fielding percentage.

A trio of Stanford Cardinal, pitchers Jeff Gilmore and Billy Paganetti and infielder Jed Lowrie, will join the Miners this week. The Cardinal squad played the third and final game of the College World Series last night. Rules state that college players can join their summer league club 48 hours following their final NCAA game of the season.

Lowrie is currently the starting second baseman for the Cardinal. The Stanford freshman had a pair of hits in the first two games of the CWS. Lowrie is hitting .297 this season.

Gilmore, a freshman, has seen limited action this season, and Paganetti, a sophomore has 12 strikeouts and 14 innings of work for Stanford.

The Miners may be most eagerly awaiting the arrival of the infielders.

"We need the ability to change the lineup around," Edwards said. "We get the bench to three or four deep and it will be manageable."

Infielders Mike Kelly, Ryan Beglin and Josh Mader have played in all 12 games thus far. Beglin has played in every inning at third and Mader has played in every inning at shortstop.

Jase Turner played in the first 10 straight games at first base. Late last week Edwards juggled the lineup and Kelly and Kevin Noles have seen time at first.

Kelly has also pitched in three games this season, registering three saves for Mat-Su.

Kelly, a pitcher and infielder for Monmouth University, is expected to move to the bullpen once Lowrie and Hooft arrive. Kelly's primary position on the club could be the Mat-Su closer.

Paganetti and Gilmore will each be put into the bullpen upon their arrival to the Valley.