Season opener slated for Saturday June 5th at Herman Brothers Field against the Anchorage Bucs

After the 2020 ABL season was wiped out due to COVID-19, the Mat-Su Miners are eager to return to play in 2021.

Manager Tyler LeBrun is back at the helm for the Miners in 2021, the Sunnyslope H.S (AZ) coach will bring in a group with a lot of talent that includes two returning players such as first baseman/outfielder Aaron Walters (Angelo State) and catcher Sam Thompson (Kent State). Walters and Thompson were a part of a group that finished the 2019 season with a 26-18 record, good for a tie in second place in the ABL with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, who they bowed out to in the semi-finals on the ABL championship that year.

The Miners will feature a number of local products, including three right-handed pitchers in James Arend (Wasilla, Corban University), Evan Floyd (Wasilla, University of West Florida), Jacob Gilbert (Wasilla, Iowa Lakes Community College) and Austin Robertson (Wasilla, Northern State University) as well as utilityman Waylon Payne (Wasilla, Arizona Christian University).

An obstacle for the miners to overcome early in the season will be their lack of overall depth, as they have six players that are still playing in post-season college baseball tournaments. Those players include the previously mentioned Walters, infielder Jordan Williams (Angelo State), infielder J.D Urso (University of Tampa), outfielder E.J Cumbo (University of Tampa), utilityman Tyler Wilson (Grand Canyon University) and pitcher Michael Paul (University of Tampa). Without that group, the Miners will be down to just 11 total position players, making it a tight bench. The pitching won't be hit as hard, as even without Paul, they will still have 14 pitchers total.

The Miners will open up their season at home against the Bucs on the 5th, and will play five out of their first six games at home that will also include games against the Bucs (June 8th, 7pm start), the Peninsula Oilers (June 10th, 7pm start) and the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks (June 11th, doubleheader, 5pm game one start).

For tickets, check out www.matsuminers.org or call the Miners clubhouse (907)-745-6401, we hope to see you at Hermon Brothers Field for a game this year, go Miners!