Yale sophomore is a pleasant surprise addition to Mat-Su Miners

PALMER - Even after the roster is completely full, Mat-Su Miners general manager Pete Christopher keeps the names of potential players handy, just in case.

It's not just a list, Christopher said. It's a book.

&#8220I get e-mails from players all of the time. Most of my counterparts probably delete them. But every one I get, I keep. I keep a book with all these e-mails. By the time the season starts, the book is pretty thick,” Christopher said.

Whenever the Miners lose a player to injury, or a Mat-Su prospect is drafted and signs a professional contract - both happen with great regularity - Christopher takes a look inside his book of talent.

Chris Wietlispach's name was inside that book.

Christopher originally signed the Yale sophomore just to put another arm on the roster. But on Sunday, Wietlispach proved he could be more than just filler on the roster. He might just fill a hole in the Mat-Su starting rotation.

&#8220After that start tonight, It'd be hard for me to say no,” Mat-Su head coach Matt Dorey said.

The lanky right-hander controlled the action against Lake Erie, rolled through the Monarch lineup and led the Miners to a 4-3 win.

Wietlispach allowed only two hits in seven innings, and fanned seven batters.

&#8220He really surprised me,” Christopher said.

Wietlispach got ahead of hitters, he threw strikes and was able to end the inning in key situations. Wietlispach's performance has erased the question mark next his name, in the mind of Dorey and Christopher, and replaced it with an exclamation point.

&#8220He was kind of the unknown guy on the staff,” Dorey said. &#8220The biggest thing I saw today was Chris was being really competitive. That crossed off any uncertainty we had.”

Christopher said he knew Wietlispach was a guy at the front of Yale's rotation - he was the team's second starter this year - with the ability to control three pitches - the fastball, curve and change up.

&#8220He had a lot better curve then I thought,” Christopher said.

The break on his curve ball was a key to his success Sunday, Wietlispach said. He wanted to get ahead early in the count with his fastball, and then mix in the breaking ball and change up.

In is first appearance of the summer, Wietlispach faced what many hurlers in the Alaska Baseball League face each year - getting back into the groove of pitching after a big break from live action. Wietlispach had not pitched in a game since late April. Since he has thrown two bullpen sessions a week to try to keep the rust off his right shoulder.