New Palmer Pioneers squad makes American Legion debut

PALMER — For the first time in nearly 20 years, there’s American Legion baseball on the west side of the Mat-Su Valley.

The Palmer Pioneers, now one of two Valley American Legion baseball programs, made its debut against the Bartlett Golden Bears in Anchorage Saturday. The Pioneers fell 18-7, but the immediate goal for the program, first-year head coach Gary Skan said, is building the foundation.

“This season is just about getting Palmer’s legion program re-established,” Skan said.

The Valley has been home to only one American Legion program, the Wasilla-based Alaska Road Warriors, since the last legion team folded in Palmer in the mid-1990s. That changed during the offseason when American Legion Baseball Alaska expanded to 18 varsity teams. Expansion included re-establishing programs in Palmer, Kodiak and Ketchikan and adding a second program in Fairbanks.

Steve Nerland, president of the Alliance for the support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska, said expansion is an idea years in the making.

“We want to offer opportunity for more kids to play American Legion baseball,” Nerland said recently. “We first looked at the history, what places had American Legion baseball before, places where American Legion baseball could potentially be supported.”

Expansion started last year with the addition of Juneau to the list of teams. It had been about 16 years since there was an American Legion program in the Capital City.

Skan reiterated the importance of using this season to build the foundation of the program. He currently has 14 players on the roster, and hopes to see that number grow.

“There are definitely going to be growing pains. I explained it to all of the guys,” Skan said. “We’ve got a bunch of inexperienced players mixed with some varsity players.”

Until this season, the Road Warriors had drawn its talent from the Valley’s four major high schools: Palmer, Colony, Wasilla and Houston. With the new team, athletes who attend or play high school baseball at Palmer and Colony will play for the Pioneers program. Those who attend or play high school baseball Houston and Wasilla will play for the Road Warriors.

There is an exception. Players already in the Road Warriors program when expansion was announced can continue to play for the Road Warriors, regardless of what school they attended.

Despite keeping a number of players zone to play for the Pioneers with the waiver, participation in the Road Warriors program dropped dramatically. Last year there were 34 players in a program, that included both varsity and junior varsity teams. The Road Warriors only have 14 players this season, and will not field a junior varsity team, Wasilla coach Myrl Thompson said.

For more on the Road Warriors, see the related story on Page B1 or frontiersman.com/sports.

With many of the Valley’s veteran players opting to continue with the Road Warriors, Skan is building with younger players this year.

Skan said he expects Kevin Hale and Layne Cottingham, both Colony products, to be among the leaders on his team this summer. He said he also expects good things from Palmer High sophomore Ryan Perkins.

Cottingham led the Pioneers with a pair of hits against Bartlett. Perkins, Stephen Sreberneck and Cooper McLaughlin finished with an RBI each. Jacob Copeland had a hit and scored two runs.

Also with expansion comes a pair of eight-team divisions. Wasilla (currently 4-0) shares the American Division with Service, Dimond, Juneau, Ketchikan, East, South and West. Palmer is in the National Division with Eagle River, Chugiak, Kenai, Bartlett, Kodiak and both Fairbanks teams.

Each team will play 18 league games. Palmer and Wasilla are scheduled to only play twice the season. The Road Warriors will host the Pioneers on June 27. The teams will meet again in Palmer on July 10.