PANNERS SNAG LEAGUE, STATE HONORS IN 1995
1995 GOLDPANNER YEARBOOK & STATISTICAL RECORD
It was two more major titles for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks in the 1995 summer season as they repeated as champions of the Alaska League and claimed the Alaska Federation. It was also a summer of individual accomplishment as Adam Kennedy of California at Northridge set a new team batting record of .432.
Kennedy’s season-long hot streak enabled him to better the mark of .425 set by Steve Kemp in 1974. Kennedy proved to be the team’s most sensational leadoff hitter since Tommy Sain of Arizona State, also on the ’74 team. Kennedy swiped 25 bases in addition to rapping out 96 hits and driving in 38 runs.
The 1995 team also featured the best hitting outfield trio in team history with Kennedy’s .432 leading the way. He was joined by Jeff Cermak of Mesa College in Arizona at .352 and A.J. Marquardt of Oregon State at .351. Marquardt also had a big year in 1994 and his two-year mark ranks him high on the team’s all-time career list.
Right-hander Brian Scott of San Diego State will go in team records as a relief pitcher as he made only seven starts in his 20 appearances on the year. However, by the end of the season he had become the club’s top starter. Scott’s performance was similar to an outstanding season put together by Mike Boddicker of Iowa in 1977 when he moved into a starting role for the stretch run after a brilliant summer as a stopper.
Scott, just a freshman, posted a 5-1 record and 2.11 earned run average. He also posted one save in 59.2 innings of work. The youthful hurler walked just 16 and struck out 56.
Relief veteran Dan Boone had another strong season but did suffer two losses—giving up his only two homers of the year to lose games against the first batter he faced during the summer and the last in Alaska as Kenai knocked the Panners out of the Bucs’ Invitational in the 11th inning. Boone tacked on eight saves to his already career-leading total and had two wins while finishing with a fine 1.87 earned run average.
A memorable pitching feat of the ’95 season came in the Alaska Federation clinching victory over the Mat-Su Miners when Rosario Ortiz of Arizona Western College came on to start the seventh inning and struck out all nine batters he faced to close out the game and tuck away the Federation crown. The Goldpanners have dominated the State Federation since it came into existence in 1993, winning in 1993 and 1995 and finishing second in 1994.
Coach Stacy Parker’s club played with consistency throughout the summer but peaked in a three-game home series with the Korea National Team in late July. The Panners won the first game in 12 innings, lost the second as Korea rallied in the eighth inning and then played to a blistering 7-7 tie in 10 innings, the first tie in Goldpanner history.
1995 GOLDPANNER YEARBOOK & STATISTICAL RECORD
