Road Warriors working to build team chemistry early in 2017 legion season

WASILLA — Familiar faces line the Wasilla Road Warriors dugout. But early in the 2017 American Legion baseball season, head coach Ken Ottinger is working to bring his team together.

“Every single kid has played for me before, but this team needs to find its chemistry,” Ottinger said after a recent win over Kenai. “They haven’t done that yet.”

Wasilla is off to a 3-2 start in league play, and the Road Warriors have already faced some early-season challenges. The Warriors were 4-0, but their win over East Anchorage was protested to a call made by the umpire, Ottinger said. The challenge was upheld and the rivals will have to restart the game in the second inning at a later date. Wasilla also suffered a pair of road losses at Juneau over the weekend.

But the Road Warriors have a squad loaded with players who have had success at the high school and American Legion levels. The majority of the players were part of a Wasilla High School team that won its fourth straight Southcentral Conference title in May. WHS also finished third in the state tournament for the second time in four years. Last season, the Road Warriors were 2-2 in the state tournament. The fifth-seeded Road Warriors beat fourth-seeded Chugiak, the 2015 state champions, and top-seeded Juneau. Both of their losses came by just a run.

Among the top veterans is catcher Jeffrey Forster, a 2016 graduate of Wasilla High, who recently completed his first year of baseball at Feather River Community College in California.

“Having Jeffrey Forster back is big. He’s a leader, an impact player,” Ottinger said.

Pitcher and centerfielder Nolan Monaghan, another Wasilla High 2016 graduate, was also eligible to return after his first season at Feather River, but had the opportunity to sign with the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League. Ottinger said he was hoping to have Monaghan back for another season of American Legion, but can’t blame Monaghan for taking advantage of the opportunity.

“It’s good for him. Better competition,” Ottinger said.

Wasilla’s squad also includes pitcher and infielder Hank Boyer, who was named the Southcentral Conference North Division Player of the Year at the end of the high school season. Boyer is one of three Road Warriors to be named first-team all-conference during the high school season. Outfielder Kyle Graham and infielder Kendall Ruta also earned all-conference honors.

Infielders Ben Werner and Taylon Ottinger, pitcher and outfielder Jacob Gilbert and catcher James Arend are Road Warriors who earned second-team all-conference honors as members of the Wasilla High team.

Forster, Ruta and Sam Reed are the only players on the team who didn’t play for Wasilla High last season. Ruta and Reed both played for Houston High.

The Road Warriors return to the field to play West Anchorage Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Bartlett.

** Editor’s note: For a feature on the Palmer Pioneers American Legion program, see an upcoming edition of the Frontiersman. Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.