ABL’s opening week to feature legendary coach, local talent, big bats and lots of baseball

It's not every year a legend returns to coach in the Alaska Baseball League, yet alone a coach the caliber of American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame member Jim Dietz. It just seems that way.

For Dietz, 78, his new job as the Peninsula Oilers coach is his fifth stint in the league in four decades.

Baseball is in his blood. And so is Alaska.

Dietz owns a summer home in Soldotna along the Kenai River, and after going to Oilers games for a while as a fan, he thought he could bring an extra spark to a program that made it to the ABL Top of the World Series last season but couldn't quite get over the hump.

"Kenai has always historically had a great program and what I'm trying to do is build on the past and make them even better if I can," Dietz said. "The Alaska league has a special place in my heart."

Dietz's grand-slam resume includes four National Baseball Congress World Series titles with the Fairbanks Goldpanners and a record of 1,231-750-18 with San Diego State. He coached the Aztecs from 1972 to 2002 and was with the Goldpanners from 1971-77, 1990-93 and 2009-12.

In 1982 and 1983 he coached the Anchorage Glacier Pilots.

Around the league, people are excited about facing a Dietz team over the next three months. The ABL season starts Monday with games between the Pilots and Mat-Su Miners at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer and the Anchorage Bucs and Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks at Mulcahy Stadium.

Dietz makes his debut with the Oilers in a Friday game against the Miners at Coral Seymour Memorial Park.

"You know it's good to have the history of a Hall of Fame baseball coach in the league," Bucs general manager Shawn Maltby said. "I know Jim personally and he's a wonderful guy, he's well-connected and I'm sure he'll put together a great team down there."

Pilots general manager Mike Hinshaw joked that Dietz "may find that this may kind of be a bother to his fishing … but it's sure nice to have a Hall of Famer back, in uniform in Kenai."

Dietz said he's seen a lot of changes in the ABL over his decades in the league, but the biggest change is that the league only features five teams. The Goldpanners, who open Tuesday with a road game against the Seattle Studs, left the league to pursue an independent schedule in 2015 and won't play any ABL teams this summer.

In the old days, the ABL had as many as eight teams, including one in Hawaii and one in Pullman, Washington.

"I'd like to see somebody start a team," he said.

Dietz retired from San Diego State 15 years ago but continues to be involved with baseball as a scout for the San Diego Padres and a coach for an Oregon high school team. When he's not on the diamond, he enjoys fishing and spending time with his grandchildren.

Dietz said there's excitement on the Peninsula as opening day approaches. Whether he's hitting the boat repair shop in town or working in the Oilers office, he's always down to talk baseball with a fan.

He said he runs into fans who watched his teams play or attended one of his camps when they were kids, and now they're looking forward to bringing their own children to games and camps this season.

There's excitement among the Oilers staff as well. Dietz said assistant general manager Tory Smith is getting her chance at the plate to challenge an Oilers pitcher.

"Tory thinks she can hit an 88 mile an hour slider," Dietz said. "So we're gonna find out in a couple nights."

Anchorage Bucs

Fans of the Anchorage Bucs can root for the home team Monday at Mulcahy – and, if they're lucky, some hometown players.

Four players from Anchorage and one from Palmer will battle for the Bucs' four roster spots available for Alaska players.

Matt Kley, Tommy Koloski and Julito Fazinni of Anchorage and William Floyd of Palmer all return to Alaska following their freshman year of college, and Jonny Homza helped South High finish second at last weekend's state high school tournament.

The players will have to earn their roster spots, according to Maltby. Being an Alaskan doesn't merit anything.

"I'm very honest with my players, especially the local guys, very quickly," Maltby said. "I let 'em know, 'You know you're not guaranteed a spot on the team, you're not guaranteed to play everyday.' "

Homza, a two-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year, is entering the first week of play with a workmanlike mindset.

"Just play as hard as you can," he said. "Whatever happens, happens."

At least Homza knows he can hit with the best of them — he's hit three homers at Mulcahy Stadium while playing with the Wolverines.

Homza and Floyd both have family ties with the Bucs.

Floyd's father, Pat, played for the Bucs in the early 1990s and served as a coach a decade later. Homza's brother Willy played in 26 games with the Bucs last season.

Maltby said the Bucs are reaching out to Alaska Aces fans who bid farewell to their hockey team this winter – season ticket holders who bring a ticket stub will receive a season pass good for every home date except the Fourth of July.

"We just lost (our) minor league hockey team," Maltby said. "A lot of their fans are affected. Their fans are die-hard fans."

Anchorage Glacier Pilots

The Oilers aren't the only team with an old-time ABL coach making a comeback. Former Pilots coach Kevin Smallcomb returns to the Anchorage Glacier Pilots 18 years after hanging up the blue and white.

Smallcomb first joined the Pilots as an assistant from 1990-91 and returned as head coach for five years from 1995-99. He led the team to the National Baseball Congress World Series in 1995 and 1996 and compiled a 142-94 record as head man.

"The board was excited when his name came up as a possible candidate," Hinshaw said. "He's a laid-back guy but he gets it done. He earns the players' respect right off the bat."

Smallcomb will have a solid roster that includes a record-breaking player out of Kansas State. After starting the season at pitcher, Will Brennan moved to the outfield and proceeded to break Kansas State's freshman hitting record. His .350 average in 49 games bested the 44-year-old record of .346 by Steve Anson.

Joining Brennan is outfield teammate Cameron Thompson, who hit .318 in 55 games.

"That double punch of Will Brennan and Cam Thompson … we're thrilled about that," Hinshaw said. "This is a pitcher's league for a good period of time but it would be really something exciting to see these guys burst out early."

[Before he was a star for the Yankees, Aaron Judge cost the Glacier Pilots a lot of baseballs]

Hinshaw said he has five players playing in the College World Series who will likely join the team later in the summer, but expects to have around 15 players on opening day.

"It's another exciting year with new faces and great spirit," he said. "A couple players got here and go, 'This place is beautiful,' and they're not down there in 90-degree heat, so they're enjoying it."

Mat-Su Miners

Like most teams in the ABL, the beginning of the season means the defending league champion Mat-Su Miners are scrambling to finalize their roster and get ready for the season's opening pitch.

With postseason college tournaments in full swing, several players often don't show up until late June.

"We recruit August, September, October, so you really have no idea who's going to make regionals in May," said Miners general manager Pete Christopher, who expects to have about 16 of his 26 players on opening night. "It's a crapshoot.

"You pick guys from the perennial teams that go deep into regionals and super regionals so it's expected that you won't have guys in the first week of June."

Christopher said he had to search for a pair of last-minute pitchers after one recruit got injured and another was pulled back by his coach because he threw more than 100 innings this season.

"You still find guys," Christopher said. "Guys who don't get placed 'cause they were hurt in the spring … or you reach out to a junior college to get a player."

[A look back: Miners win 2016 Alaska Baseball League championship]

In addition to filling out his roster, Christopher and the Miners maintenance staff are working to get Hermon Brothers Field back in pristine condition for Monday's opener.

Christopher said rainy weather caused the field to get chewed up during the Southcentral Conference high school tournament May 25-27.

"It's a rush, especially with the way the weather has been," Christopher said. "As soon as the high school season ends, it's crunch time."

Christopher said the Miners have two returners this season — left-handed pitcher Calvin LeBrun from Gonzaga, who played for Mat-Su in 2015, and Zach Sharpley from USC.

Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks

The Chinooks will welcome the return of former catcher Chris Matthews as an assistant coach this season.

Matthews played for the Chinooks in 2012, the first year the team was based in Chugiak.

Few former players return to coach in the ABL, especially with the team they played for, said Chinooks coach Jon Groth.

Matthews, who spent the last five summers professionally in independent minor leagues, will be relied upon for his ABL experience.

"He brings a unique perspective of (knowing how) to play in this league," said Groth.

New this season at Lee Jordan Field is sign on the scoreboard honoring Jordan, one of the team's charter board members, the founder of Knik Little League and a longtime youth baseball coach.

"(We're) so happy he's been honored," Groth said.

The Chinooks, who are affiliated with the Christian fellowship Athletes in Action, offer a family-orientated brand of baseball. Games are free and no alcohol is served.

The team averaged 300 fans last year and has seen attendance increases every season since it moved to Chugiak, general manager Chris Beck said.

Monday's season openers

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

Pilots at MIners, 7 p.m., Hermon Brothers Field