With home field advantage, Miners set to start ABL postseason

PALMER — Prior to the start of the 2021 Alaska Baseball League summer season, Mat-Su Miners head coach Tyler LeBrun said the coaching staff would have a good idea about where the team is at about 10 games into the season.

The Miners started 5-5 through the first 10, and Mat-Su has a 24-5 record since. After running away with the ABL regular season title, the Miners now have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Mat-Su starts the postseason, hosting the Anchorage Bucs Friday at 6 p.m. in the start of a best-of-3 semifinal set at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

“The fact we have home field advantage is huge,” LeBrun said. “Playing at Hermon Brothers Field, we hope to see 1,000, 1,500 people there.”

LeBrun said the Miners’ five-night stay in Kenai, and five games against the Peninsula Oilers at Coral Seymour Park in mid-June was a pivotal point of the season.

“Us going down to Kenai early in the season is a bonus, a benefit to us,” LeBrun said. “I’ve said it for years, you go into Kenai, you come out as brothers. You come out really close with these guys because they are so close with everyone in the bingo hall.”

The Oilers house opponents in the Bingo Hall, dubbed the Bingo Hilton, a legendary tight quarters.

The Miners finished 4-1 during the trip.

Overall, everything just clicked, LeBrun said.

“These guys just bought in,” LeBrun said. “I’m not taking credit. These guys compete their butts off. There’s no flipping the switch on and off if they’re going to play hard that day. They have one speed and that’s go.”

The Miners have also enjoyed success on the mound, at the plate and in the field.

“When you get all three facets of the game going, you’re going to be tough to beat,” LeBrun said. “We’re about as well-rounded as you can be.”

The Mat-Su pitching staff has allowed a league-low .217 batting average.

“On the mound we’re deeper than we’ve ever been I think,” LeBrun said.

The Miners lead the league with 16 saves.

“Our bullpen is by far the best bullpen in the league,” LeBrun said.

Mat-Su is also second in the league in both strikeouts (302) and earned run average (2.78). The staff is led by Texas A&M standout Will Johnston, who is 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA and a league-best 62 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched.

The Miners are the top offensive team in the ABL with league highs in batting average (.252), hits (306), runs (175) and RBI (147).

Mat-Su’s best-of-3 series against the Bucs is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., with a third game, if necessary, Sunday at 4. The ABL Top of the World Championship series starts Aug. 2.

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