Today we'll have a quick glance at some of those players. Keep in mind that there is plenty of talent on the team. I've compiled a list of some of the players who have put up some great seasons, generated some scouting buzz, or have interesting personal stories, but this list is by no means exhaustive. All of the guys on the Fire's roster are worth watching, I'm sure, and as we introduce more of them in-depth and get to know them throughout the season I can guarantee that some more favorites will arise. That being said, let's take a peek at some of the pre-season note-worthies:
Players to Watch:
RHP Tyler Bersano
The Master's College
Junior - 6'4" 195lb
Tyler Bersano is a veteran of summer ball, pitching the 2009 season in AIA's sponsored club in the Great Lakes League, the Xenia Scouts. After putting together a good year out there and earning All-League honors, Bersano got himself a trip to Alaska for 2010. It'll be interesting to see how Bersano handles the talent in the Alaska League this summer. Bersano has also been added to the Summer Ball blog's 2010 Players to Watch list.
OF Jack Mosbacher
Stanford
RS Freshman - 5'11" 175lb
Mosbacher, a sophomore academically, didn't see any game action last season and will return as a redshirt freshman for Stanford. According to BaseballDraftReport.com, Mosbacher has an "above-average speed and arm, enough defensive tools to play centerfield, [and a] leadoff hitter profile". Though he hasn't logged any collegiate at-bats, his prep stats confirm his success as a leadoff-type (101 runs and .474 OBP career). In addition to his arm, fielding instincts, and speed, he has the ability to hit the ball to all fields as well as lay down the bunt. Mosbacher could be a real threat at the top of the Fire's lineup and a defensive black hole in their outfield in 2010.
P T.J. Swank
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore - 6'2" 190lb
Swank will be fun to watch, if for nothing else, because of his submariner-style delivery. But don't let that fool you; he's not a gimmick pitcher, he's the real thing. A member of this year's powerhouse Coastal Carolina squad, swank has yet to appear in NCAA play this year, but he was stellar in summer ball in 2009. For the Springfield Sliders of the Prospect League last year he posted a 2.87 ERA in 31.1 innings of relief, with 26 strikeouts. In addition to his interesting arm angle, Swank has excellent velocity, which combine to help him ring up batters.
1B/C Trey Wimmer
Liberty University
Sophomore - 6'5" 215lb
Trey Wimmer returns to the AIA-Alaska Fire in 2010 after a stellar 2009 season at the plate. His .306 average and team-leading 26 RBI (overall). Among all ABL players with at least 100 at-bats, Wimmer ranked ninth in batting average and fifth in RBIs. While not as much of a power threat as some teammates, he's a solid contact hitter and he'll take a few for a ride now and again. Last year, Wimmer was listed and primarily used as a backstop, but in 2010 he'll see more time at 1B as the Fire have recruited two other catchers and have Wimmer listed on their roster as an infielder.
Peripheral Vision:
While the players above have the most "buzz" around them, there's plenty of other talented players on the team, including the following bunch:
P David Hawes - Great control, a top strikeout artist in the NAIA
P Cael Johnson - Made the NYCBL All-Star team in 2009.
C David Mitroff - Great defense, played high school ball with Swank.
C Marc Schoch - More great D, strong arm, played in the CPL in '09.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hbarrison/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
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