Peninsula Oilers boast big ABL lead — and the league’s RBI leader

The Peninsula Oilers are the only team in the Alaska Baseball League with a winning record.

Heading into a Thursday night game with the Chugiak Chinooks, the Oilers were 10-4 in the five-team league. The Mat-Su Miners, who didn't play Thursday, are second in the league with a 7-7 record.

The Oilers are winning in part because of Ryan Koch, a catcher from Cal State-Bakersfield who leads the league in RBIs and home runs.

Koch, who drove in four runs Monday in a 10-6 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, has 12 RBIs — one more than Jake Vieth of the Anchorage Bucs.

He boasts a league-high three home runs — no one else has more than one — and shares the league-lead in doubles with four.

Though they are struggling in the win-loss column, the Pilots boast two ABL leaders. Jordan Arruda of Fresno State has the best batting average (.368) and Cole Cook, a lefthander from Bradley University, has 19 strikeouts.

Adam Seminaris of the Bucs, a lefthander from Long Beach State, owns the lowest earned-run average, a 0.60.

To rank among the league leaders, a batter must have a minimum of 2.7 plate appearances per game and a pitcher must average one-eighth of an inning for every game the teams play.

ABL standings

(through Wednesday)

Peninsula Oilers 10-4
Mat-Su Miners 7-7
Anchorage Bucs 7-8
Glacier Pilots 5-7
Chugiak Chinooks 5-8

League leaders

Batting average

Jordan Arruda, Pilots, .368
Gregory Ozuna, Chinooks, .360
Jordan Wharton, Chinooks, .326
Danny Wright, Miners, .324
Willy Escala, Bucs, 3.10

RBIs

Ryan Koch, Oilers, 12
Jake Vieth, Bucs, 11
Daniel Fredrickson, Bucs, 9
Eli Rawlinson, Pilots, 9
Breydon Daniel, Pilots, 8
Hunter Jump, Miners, 8

Strikeouts

Cole Cook, Pilots, 19
Jared Reklaitis, Chinooks, 18
Malachi Emond, Miners, 17
Andrew Almquist, Chinooks, 16
Preston Price, Bucs, 15

Upcoming games

Friday

Chinooks at Oilers, 7 p.m, Seymour Park
Miners at Pilots, 7:10 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium

Saturday

Chinooks at Oilers, 7 p.m, Seymour Park
Miners at Pilots, 10 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium (solstice game)

Sunday

Chinooks at Oilers, 2 p.m., Seymour Park
Bucs at Pilots (DH), 4 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium

Monday

Chinooks at Bucs, 7 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium
Pilots at Miners, 7 p.m, Hermon Brothers Field