Sports

Mat-Su outfielder Erik Webb is ABL’s player of the year

A Mat-Su Miners outfielder who stands 5-foot-8 but wields a big bat has been named the Player of the Year in the Alaska Baseball League.

Erik Webb, who plays college baseball for Central Missouri, led the ABL in batting and RBIs this summer. He earned the league’s Silver Slugger Award and a first-team spot on the all-ABL team announced Thursday.

Webb hit .368 and drove in 33 runs for the Miners, who clinched second place in the league Wednesday night by beating the Chugiak Chinooks.

Bryan Woo, a right-handed pitcher for the Peninsula Oilers from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, was named the league’s Top Prospect. Woo struck out 36 batters in 25 1/3 innings for the Oilers.

Other top end-of-season award-winners were Skylar Messinger of the Oilers, who won the Gold Glove award, and Grant Palmer of the Bucs, who was named Coach of the Year.

The Bucs and the Miners are both hosting best-of-3 playoff series that will wrap up Friday or Saturday. The Miners are playing the third-place Anchorage Glacier Pilots, and the first-place Bucs are playing the fourth-place Oilers.

Top of the World Tournament

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Friday’s games

Oilers at Bucs, 7 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium

Pilots at Miners, 6 p.m., Hermon Brothers Field

Saturday’s games (if necessary)

Oilers at Bucs, 2 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium

Pilots at Miners, 6 p.m., Hermon Brothers Field

ABL all-league honors

Player of the Year — Erik Webb, Miners

Top Prospect — Brian Woo, Oilers

Gold Glove — Skylar Messinger, Oilers

Silver Slugger — Erik Webb, Miners

Coach of the Year — Grant Palmer, Bucs

First-team selections

First base — Ryan Sullivan, Bucs

Second base — Malcom Tipler, Pilots

Shortstop — Matt Ottino, Pilots

Third base — Cole Tate, Bucs; Bobby Goodloe, Oilers

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Catcher — Zach Morgan, Pilots

Utility — Kody Huff, Miners

Outfield — Erik Webb, Miners; Issac Barrera, Bucs Chad Castillo, Bucs; Camden Vasquez, Oilers.

Starting pitcher — Randy Abshier, Miners; Kyler Bush, Miners; Matt Sanchez, Pilots; Brian Woo, Oilers

Relief pitcher — Grant Sloan, Miners; Hunter Rigsby, Pilots; Keaton Chase, Bucs

Closer — Colton Rendon, Bucs

Designated hitter — Ethan English, Chinooks; Chaney Rogers, Bucs

Statistical leaders

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Batting averages

Erik Webb, Miners, .368

Bobby Goodloe, Oilers, .339

Chad Castillo, Bucs, .335

Cole Tate, Bucs, .302

Travis Bohall, Oilers, .297

RBIs

Erik Webb, Miners, 33

Ryan Sullivan, Bucs, 31

Matt Ottino, Miners, 31

Haden Keller, Chinooks, 26

3 with 25

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Earned-run average

Kyler Bush, Miners, 1.32

Randy Abshier, Miners, 1.52

Matthew Sanchez, Pilots, 1.77

Michael Frias, Bucs, 2.52

Connor McCord, Oilers, 2.54

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Strikeouts

Matthew Sanchez, Pilots, 51

George Arias, Miners, 47

Connor McCord, Oilers, 45

Randy Abshier, Miners, 42

Tyler OClair, Chinooks, 41

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