Veteran helps lead Road Warriors into state tourney

WASILLA — With about 10 high school players on the varsity roster, the first-place Alaska Road Warriors still sport a fairly young American Legion AA team. But the Wasilla-based squad does have one player who brings some extra experience.

Fresh off his first season of college baseball, infielder Russ Ruta has helped lead the Road Warriors to the regular season title and the top seed in the upcoming state tournament.

“I had a good time. I learned a lot,” said Ruta, who finished his freshman season at Simpson University in Redding, Calif.

Ruta, a middle infielder and leadoff hitter for the Road Warriors, said he’s using the experience and knowledge gained during his season of college baseball to help the Road Warriors through the 2013 summer season.

“I learned quite a bit about a lot of different things,” Ruta said. “I come out there and teach these guys a bunch of different things.”

Ruta, a 2012 graduate of Houston High School and former multisport athlete for the Hawks, is wrapping up his final season of American Legion eligibility.

“He’s pretty driven this year,” Road Warriors head coach Myrl Thompson said. “He knows this is his last year playing legion. He’s been producing, having a great year for us.”

Ruta has always been a solid player, but Thompson said he can see the difference a year of college baseball made.

“He’s money now,” Thompson said. “Hit the ball to Ruta, and you’re going to be out.”

In the past, Ruta had been a utility player for the Warriors. This year, Ruta has settled in as the team’s everyday second baseman.

“Last year we played him all over, every position except for first base,” Thompson said. “That’s the way the team was last year. This year, we had that middle infield spot for him.”

Ruta said he’s trying to use what he’s learned to help out his teammates, young and old.

“It felt really good to come back here, be with all my friends and teach them new things, be here with these guys, a lot of younger guys,” Ruta said. “And the guys going off to college, tell them what it’s going to be like.”

Contact Jeremiah Bartz at 352-2273 or sports@frontiersman.com