Palmer and Fairbanks players added to roster of Mat-Su Miners

PALMER - David Breck and Lance Wilson may not be permanent fixtures in the Mat-Su Miners lineup this season. But they went from walk-ons to starters in just about an hour.

Breck, a 2005 graduate of Palmer High School, and Wilson, a 2004 North Pole High School graduate, were named to the Mat-Su roster following an open tryout at Hermon Brothers Field on Friday.

The Miners, shorthanded as players continue to trickle into the Valley, featured the duo in their starting lineup in the season opener against Southern California on Saturday.

&#8220Unfortunately for us, we just don't have all of our players here,” Mat-Su head coach Matt Dorey said. &#8220We're in a unique position where we just need to find some bodies - find some players who can come in and be productive, and help us win the first few games.”

For the last several years Mat-Su has hosted the tryout in an effort to give local prospects a shot at playing for a team loaded with some of the top talent the world of collegiate baseball has to offer. The local products chosen in the past have seen action early as the Miners await the arrival of all the talent on the roster.

This season the Miners have several players who will miss the first few games as they are finishing up their collegiate seasons, or satisfying academic requirements.

Breck and Wilson were chosen from a handful of players who braved the windy conditions at Hermon Brothers during the try out. Another Palmer graduate, Zach Mierva, will be the team's bullpen catcher for the first week of the season. Mierva, who recently finished his freshman campaign with the Army baseball squad, will return to West Point later this month. Mierva was also Mat-Su's bullpen catcher for the first portion of last season.

Going into the try out, Dorey said the Mat-Su coaching staff was on the lookout for a corner outfielder and a middle infielder.

&#8220Luckily we have a guy who can play left field, Lance, and a guy who can play in the infield, David, who can come in and be effective,” Dorey said. &#8220They have the ability to make the routine play, and that's all we're going to ask of them.”

The players vying for a spot on the roster went through a series of basic drills, under the supervision of Dorey and Mat-Su pitching coach John Hendricks. The athletes shagged fly balls in the outfield, fielded grounds in the infield, turned double plays and took a few cracks in the batter's

box.

&#8220It takes a lot of courage for these guys to come here and try out,” Dorey said. &#8220I really respect what they did. Some of these other guys were a little less talented, but still had the courage to come try out for one of the premiere teams in one of the premiere leagues in the country.”

While the coaching staff was curious to see what caliber of talent would venture out to Hermon Brothers for the try out, Breck and Wilson each said they were not exactly sure what it would entail.

&#8220I really didn't know what to expect,” Breck said. &#8220I didn't know how many people, what kind of players.”

Breck enjoyed a stellar career with the Palmer High baseball squad before earning a shot to play at the college level at Central Methodist University in Missouri. He spent most of his freshman campaign as the starting shortstop on the CMU junior varsity squad, and was the next middle infielder on the depth chart if there was an injury on the varsity team. Breck said he does not expect to be an everyday player for Mat-Su, but believes a summer with the Miners can greatly help his chances of moving into CMU's starting lineup. Little things like fielding ground balls next to a Division I infielder, picking up hints from the other players, and getting the chance to be tutored by an all-star class of coaches convinced Breck that he should try out for the team.

He had considered playing in an adult baseball league, just to continue playing. Breck had played in the past with the local American Legion post, the Alaska Road Warriors, but he missed the cut-off on the age limitations by just four days.

Like Breck, Wilson had considered playing in an adult baseball league before he came out to try out for the Miners. A product of the Interior, Wilson had planned on trying out for the Alaska Goldpanners squad in Fairbanks on Saturday if the Miners try out wouldn't have worked out. Wilson has family living in the Valley and decided to give Mat-Su a shot first.

Wilson just completed his freshman season at Lassen Community College in California. Before the try out even started, Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher was impressed with Wilson's credentials, calling Lassen, &#8220a baseball factory.”

Wilson played second base and left field for the junior college squad. He was inserted into the starting lineup midway through the season.

Wilson said he didn't really consider playing in any other summer wood bat leagues. Being from Alaska, he wanted to earn the chance to play in the ABL.

After Dorey and Hendricks broke the news that Breck and Wilson had made the team, Dorey called it an extended tryout for the college freshman.

&#8220Play this weekend and show what we can do, and the rest of the season is a we'll see thing,” Breck said.

Dorey said he wants to see that Breck and Wilson can contribute when needed, and fulfill the role as a practice player and reserve for the remainder of the season.

&#8220If they're not going to be the guys that are going to be playing a bunch for us, we extended them the opportunity to be with the team, work out and develop their skills with some of the best players in the country,” Dorey said.

Since both hail from Alaska, Breck and Wilson will not count toward the Miners' roster limit. Normally, an ABL team is limited to just 22 college recruits.

Dorey said he also likes the idea of having Alaskans on the roster, for non-baseball reasons.

&#8220This is my first year in Alaska, and just being here the first week I can see how much this community embraces the Mat-Su Miners,” Dorey said. &#8220It's important for me to have a little branch of this community in our clubhouse.”

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