Showcase a chance for players to show off

ANCHORAGE — The Alaska Baseball League features some of the premier amateur baseball players in the country. This weekend at the ABL/MLB Showcase, that talent was on display.

The Showcase, which features a pair of games for each of the six ABL teams, concludes today at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage with the second annual home run derby and all-star game. The event was created to display the ABL’s talents. In addition to the fans who hit the Anchorage field for three days of baseball, numerous MLB scouts also attend the event.

Mat-Su infielder Branden Berry is among the Miners who had a chance to display his skills. The talented University of Washington freshman launched two home runs.

Both Mat-Su Miners head coach Chris Gordon and New York Mets northwest area scout Jim Reeves noticed Berry, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound first baseman.

“No doubt he’s solid defensively,” Gordon said of Berry. “The power numbers are not there yet, but he makes solid contact. He goes up there and gets good at-bats. He’s got a chance to be a high profile draft pick.”

Miners infielder Tino Lipson has been impressive, hitting about .600 during the last week of games. Outfielder Bill Cullen leads the league with seven home runs.

“We knew we would have speed, but were surprised by our power numbers this year,” Gordon said of the Miners.

The showcase offers an equal opportunity for all the players to make a good impression. A pair of local athletes, Josh Boring and J.D. Mayo, who both played for Colony High School, got into the action Friday. Boring recorded an RBI with his bases-loaded walk in the fifth. Boring played second and Mayo played first for the later innings of the game, able to take advantage of their roster spots and showcase their talent in front of Major League scouts.

Reeves said it doesn’t matter where the talent is from.

“Last year we drafted our first rounder out of Wyoming,” Reeves said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, there’s athletes all over the United States. We think that once we get them into our system we’ve got the development to get them to be pretty good if they work hard enough.”

Reeves has been a scout for the Mets for 24 years. He’s been attending the ABL/MLB Showcase for 20 years.

“I love it. There’s some good talent up here,” he said. “We don’t want to miss it.”