Much about the Mat-Su Miners has changed. They bought new green and yellow uniforms, renovated their intimate ballpark and added real lockers and multiple bathrooms to their tin-roofed clubhouse.
They have hired a new general manager in Pete Christopher and a first-time field manager in 26-year-old Kevin Edwards.
Something that hasn't changed, though, is the blue-collar mentality and enormous community support that makes the Miners the pride of Palmer and the equivalent of a small-market team in the Alaska Baseball League.
Christopher, a former major-league scout who has followed the ABL for 20 years, knows the Miners' history and how the team manages to scratch by year after year despite limited means and a shoestring budget.
"The Miners have always been the ugly stepchild of the league,'' Christopher said.
Giving the team a new look is one way Christopher is helping Mat-Su move up the food chain and -- after finishing last in the six-team ABL a year ago -- hopefully move up in the league standings.
Bringing a professional mind-set to the ballpark is a lot easier when you're looking like a million bucks.
Beautiful and cozy Hermon Brothers Field also got a minor face lift. You'll notice the changes immediately, walking through a 20-foot gate at the entrance and buying a $4 box-seat stub at the new ticket booth.
Other improvements, Christopher said, include new fencing, a new Miners dugout, new team jackets, an upgraded concession stand and rebuilt infield.
He and his wife, Denise, remodeled parts of the clubhouse and painted every inch of the outfield wall.
"I want people to be proud," Christopher said. "I made promises when I took people's money. Someone has to be accountable."
Promoting the team by going door-to-door to homes and businesses, Christopher generated interest and raised money. He's a tireless salesman who doubled advertising space in the media guide before the Miners played their first game.
"Pete's got it pointed in the right direction. He wants to win," said Edwards, an assistant coach at Chemeketa Community College in Oregon.
Christopher demonstrated his willingness to win in March when he fired his original manager, Gerald Pineda of El Paso Community College, for failing to field a competition team. Christopher said Pineda didn't keep his end of the bargain.
"We were going to get our brains beat in," Christopher said.
Enter Edwards, who was initially hired as a Miners assistant before being promoted. This is his first gig as a head coach and he wasted no time making it his team, cutting half of the original 22-man roster.
"We're very clear on expectations," Edwards said. "This league's got too much history to have selfish players."
A handful of hot-hitting players and pair of guys from the University of New Mexico headline the newcomers for the Miners, who opened the season this week at the Peninsula Hardball Tournament in Kenai.
Ryan Beglin from the University of Redlands in California seems to be the jewel of the recruiting class.
Beglin delivered ridiculous numbers such as a .458 batting average and .897 slugging percentage, and displayed power and patience in 28 games -- banging out nine home runs and striking out just 11 times in 123 plate appearances.
Joey Hooft from the University of Miami hit .373 and fanned just 14 times in 115 plate appearances. He knocked in 25 runs in 43 games. Jed Lowrie of Stanford University drove in 26 runs and hit .316 in 50 games. Matthew Inouye batted .339 with 24 RBIs in 38 games for the University of Hawaii.
Nice numbers, but Edwards likes their defense too.
"Those sure-handed guys up the middle will keep us in some games," Edwards said.
New Mexico's Josh Mader and Matt Young are expected to give Mat-Su some added punch. Mader, an infielder, hit .371 in 51 games with 49 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Young, an outfielder, hit .324 in 56 games, stole 10 bases and drew 50 walks.
Wake Forest right-hander Brian Bach looks to be the ace of the pitching staff. Bach was 5-2 with a 3.89 earned-run average in 15 games stretching 69 1/3 innings. Another potential starter is 6-foot-8 Bowling Green righty Kyle Knoblauch, who produced a 3.48 ERA and two complete games in 82 1/3 innings.
On paper the team seems capable of scoring plenty of runs, but the ABL's wood bats are sure to bring most hitters back down to earth. That's where Edwards and his coaching staff comes in.
"Confidence is the key to hitting," Edwards said. "We're just an extra set of eyes to try and help them develop into better players."
Daily News reporter Van Williams can be reached at vwilliams@adn.com or 257-4335.
