Not going to panic

PALMER — Mat-Su head coach Conor Bird and general manager Pete Christopher know a little something about winning games with stellar pitching and timely hitting.

Bird and Christopher watched the 2007 edition of the Miners earn a share of the Alaska Baseball League title after posting a league-best team earned run average, while ranking near the bottom of the ABL in total batting average.

That’s why the Mat-Su baseball bosses aren’t ready to freak when they look at the numbers Mat-Su has put up through the first seven games of the season.

The Miners, who entered Monday’s contest with the Anchorage Bucs sporting a 6-1 overall record, have a pitching staff that’s been virtually untouchable, but are still waiting for the offensive marks to rise.

Mat-Su’s team ERA is a wicked 1.12, and opposing hitters have managed to hit just .141 against the Miners.

But while the pitching has been prime, Mat-Su is hitting just .208 as a team.

“We’re not ready to hit the panic button quite yet,” Bird said prior to game time on Monday. “It would be nice to see us put up a couple more timely hits with guys in scoring position.”

The Miners also know, in addition to the pitching, Mat-Su has also played nearly flawless on defense.

“We’ve been defending. That’s two of the three pieces,” Bird said. “The third piece is the offense. When the offense comes, we’re not going to be too shabby.”

Both Bird and Christopher said they feel the Miners don’t necessarily have to eclipse the .300-mark as a team to be successful, but just a decent spike in the average would do.

“If we can just hit 40 points higher, we’ll win 75 percent of our games,” Christopher said. “We’ve been lucky, the pitching is bailing us out.”

Regardless, Christopher said he certainly hasn’t lost faith in his crew of talent.

“The boys have been really trying their best,” Christopher said. “It hasn’t happened, but it will. If the guys just stay positive, the hits will come.”

A slow offensive start is not entirely out of the ordinary for many college hitters. Players are accustomed to using the aluminum bat in the collegiate game, but swing the lumber in the wood bat ABL.

“They’ve been putting in the work,” Bird said. “It’s a little different swinging the wood bat.”

Miners add right-hander

The Miners have added Oklahoma sophomore Garrett Richards to the pitching staff, Christopher said on Monday morning.

Richards, who joins Michael Rocha and Jeremy Erban as Sooners on the Mat-Su staff, will help fill the void of the impending loss of Santa Clara sophomore Thain Simon, who will report to duty with Team Canada in early July.

Simon, a native of Toronto, will be with the Miners until July 5. After that’ll compete in the World University Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic as a part of the Canadian national team.

The international tourney is slated for July 17-27.

Simon pitched six innings of two-hit ball in a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Seals on June 17. He fanned six and walked just one in the win, his first outing of the year.

Richards, Oklahoma’s closer during his freshman campaign, logged a 6.97 ERA in 18 appearances as a sophomore.

“He throws gas,” Bird said of Richards. “He’s supposed to have a big arm.”

Christopher also said the Miners are losing a pair of positions players — infielder John Tommasini and outfielder Cortez Cole.

Tommasini, an Oregon State freshman, has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and will return to his home in Auburn, Wash.

“He was sick before he came up,” Christopher said. “He was misdiagnosed by his doctor.”

Christopher said the Miners’ team physician, Dr. Wade Erickson, made the correct diagnosis after an examination.

“He gave him some tests and figured it out,” Christopher said of the Valley physician. “(Tommasini) was tired, run down with no energy.”

While sickness is forcing Tommasini off the team, Christopher said Cole is reporting back to Jackson State for summer school.

Tommasini had one hit in five at-bats with the Miners, while Cole collected two hits and scored a run.

Rain out rescheduled

for Thursday

Rain forced Mat-Su’s game against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage on Sunday to be postponed, and the teams have set a make-up date for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy.

Anchorage was 8-3 overall and 2-2 in ABL play, as of Monday afternoon.

Miners make first

road trip of season

The Miners hit the road for the first time this season, with a two-game series against the Peninsula Oilers that’s set to start today at Corel Seymour Park in Kenai.

The ABL foes clash today and Wednesday. Both games start at 7 p.m.

Mat-Su also faced the Bucs on Monday. Results were not available prior to press time.

The Miners return home on Friday to host the Pilots at 7 p.m. at Hermon Brothers Field.

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