Anchorage Daily News

ANCHORAGE BUCS

FIRST SEASON: 1980

LOCATION: Anchorage

HOME: Mulcahy Stadium

MANAGER: Mike Garcia

WEB: anchoragebucs.com

LAST SEASON: 21-14 overall, 13-22 ABL (fifth place)

2008 OPENER: Monday vs. Bears of Cal

ABL OPENER: Saturday vs. Fairbanks Goldpanners

TOP PROSPECTS: Texas State infielder Paul Goldschmidt hit .360 with 14 HRs and 69 RBIs in 57 games. Texas State infielder Thomas Field hit .338 with 10 HRs and 44 RBIs in 57 games. Texas Christian University pitcher Tyler Lockwood went 7-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 1042/3 innings over 17 games, including 11 starts.

ALASKANS ON ROSTER: Chad Nading of Anchorage and Ben Rosen of Chugiak

NOTABLE ALUMNI: Jeff Kent, Wally Joyner, Jeff Francis, Jered Weaver, Keith Foulke

ANCHORAGE GLACIER PILOTS

FIRST SEASON: 1969

LOCATION: Anchorage

HOME: Mulcahy Stadium

MANAGER: Bob Miller

WEB: www.glacierpilots.com

LAST SEASON: 17-27 overall, 10-25 ABL (sixth place)

2008 OPENER: Tuesday vs. Bears of Cal

ABL OPENER: Sunday vs. Fairbanks Goldpanners

TOP PROSPECTS: Cal Poly outfielder Luke Yoder hit .345 with 8 HRs and 33 RBIs in 48 games. Long Beach State outfielder Jonathan Jones hit .343 in 45 games. Kentucky pitcher James Paxton went 4-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 17 appearances.

ALASKANS ON ROSTER: Zac Beltz of Anchorage

NOTABLE ALUMNI: Mark McGwire, Randy Johnson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Bobby Thigpen, Aaron Boone

ATHLETES IN ACTION FIRE

FIRST SEASON: 2001

LOCATION: Fairbanks

HOME: Growden Memorial Park

MANAGER: Mike Gillespie

WEB: aiabaseball.org

LAST SEASON: 26-15 overall, 24-11 ABL (co-champion)

2008 OPENER: Saturday vs. Yuba Sutter Goldsox

ABL OPENER: June 17 vs. Anchorage Glacier Pilots

TOP PROSPECTS: Alabama at Birmingham infielder Jonathan Merritt hit .324 with 9 HRs and 30 RBIs in 58 games. Dallas Baptist outfielder Ryan Enos hit .360 in 51 games. Wayland Baptist pitcher Todd Jeffress went 11-5 with a 3.57 ERA and seven complete games.

ALASKANS ON ROSTER: None

NOTABLE ALUMNI: Jeremy Accardo, Jim Burt Jr.,

FAIRBANKS GOLDPANNERS

FIRST SEASON: 1960

LOCATION: Fairbanks

HOME: Growden Memorial Park

MANAGER: Tim Gloyd

WEB: goldpanners.com

LAST SEASON: 22-20 overall, 17-18 ABL (fourth place)

2008 OPENER: Saturday vs. Anchorage Bucs

ABL OPENER: Saturday vs. Anchorage Bucs

TOP PROSPECTS: Jacksonville catcher Jeremy Gillan hit .377 with 9 HRs and 60 RBIs in 54 games. UC Davis right-handed pitcher Justin Fitzgerald went 3-2 with 15 saves and a 3.24 ERA in 24 games. Skyline College pitcher Matt Maggiolo went 6-1 with a 2.42 ERA and three complete games, including two shutouts.

ALASKANS ON ROSTER: None

NOTABLE ALUMNI: Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Dave Kingman, Tom Seaver, Dave Winfield

MAT-SU MINERS

FIRST SEASON: 1976

LOCATION: Palmer

HOME: Hermon Brothers Field

MANAGER: Conor Bird

WEB: matsuminers.org

LAST SEASON: 26-11 overall, 24-11 ABL (co-champion)

2008 OPENER: Saturday vs. Bears of Cal

ABL OPENER: June 18 vs. Athletes in Action Fire

TOP PROSPECTS: St. Mary's outfielder Kyle Jensen hit .421 with 13 HRs and 52 RBIs in 53 games. Jackson State outfielder Cortez Cole hit .332 with 42 RBIs and 37 SBs in 55 games. Santa Clara pitcher Thain Simon went 9-2 with a 2.59 ERA to earn Freshman All-American honors.

ALASKANS ON ROSTER: Michael Carlson of Palmer

NOTABLE ALUMNI: Craig Counsell, Steve Trachsel, Jeff Brantley, Eric Bruntlett, Rich Amaral

PENINSULA OILERS

FIRST SEASON: 1974

LOCATION: Kenai

HOME: Coral Seymour Memorial Park

MANAGER: Tom Myers

WEB: oilersbaseball.com

LAST SEASON: 25-18 overall, 17-18 ABL (third place)

2008 OPENER: Tuesday vs. San Francisco Seals

ABL OPENER: June 19 vs. Mat-Su Miners

TOP PROSPECTS: Coastal Carolina pitcher Bobby Gagg went 6-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 13 starts and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of about 13-2. West Virginia infielder Vince Belnome hit .377 and had 66 RBIs in 56 games. Fresno State outfielder Danny Muno hit .329 in 68 games.

ALASKANS ON ROSTER: Jim Pollack of Homer; Steven Mabeus of Soldotna

NOTABLE ALUMNI: Frank Viola, J.D. Drew, John Olerud, Dave Stieb, Doug Mientkiewicz

-- Anchorage Daily News

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