Mossburgh returns to Palmer baseball

PALMER -- The Palmer Moose baseball squad will have a familiar in the dugout this season. When the Moose take the diamond for their opener on April 30, Steve Mossburgh will lead the charge.

Mossburgh, who succeeds Scott Johnson, is in his second stint with the Moose. He served for two seasons as the Palmer junior varsity coach and was the head coach of the Moose varsity squad during the 1999 and 2000 campaigns.

After Johnson, who also owns and operates Dirtworks Excavation, decided to step down, he and others in the local baseball community urged Mossburgh to go for the position.

"It's huge," Palmer High School activities director Jim Simmons said. "Everyone knows who he is. He knows the game, the kids, the community. He's a great asset and I'm glad he's coming back."

Mossburgh, who also serves as an assistant on the Alaska Road Warriors legion baseball team, has spent the last three seasons as an assistant to Jamie Mayo on the Colony High baseball coaching staff. Mossburgh said after his son Luke graduated in 2000, he just got a bit burned out with his head coaching duties. He said with long work hours a break was needed, but during the winter he began to think about pursing another head coaching opportunity.

Mossburgh has coached baseball in the Mat-Su Valley since 1992. He began at the majors level of the Palmer Little League as the head coach of the Combs Insurance Squad. Mossburgh coached the Combs team for three seasons and also coached at the junior and senior Little League level for three seasons before jumping to the high school game. Mossburgh began coaching with Pete Powell on the Road Warriors staff in 1998.

Mossburgh inherits a young Palmer squad this season. He said 20 players are currently on the 2004 roster.

"It makes it tough to have two teams, but I have decided to have a true junior varsity program," Mossburgh said.

Mossburgh has nine freshmen on his squad and the seniors he does have on the roster are inexperienced. He said the sophomore class, which includes David Doerr and J.C. Forrester, will be very important in the success of his team. Mossburgh also listed junior Jeremiah Heikes as an impact player for Palmer. He said a strength of Palmer should be the infield and the Moose will have three to four pitchers they can go with any day.

Joining Mossburgh on the coaching staff are Tim Weeks, the former head coach of the Houston High program, Alan Breck and David Combs, a former player on the Moose squad.

Palmer will host Seward in its season opener April 30 and will host Homer on the following day.