The Rewind: Eagle River Legion baseball claims state, Anchorage wrestler wins national title and Lydia Jacoby earns medals at worlds

Welcome to The Rewind, a weekly digest that puts a spotlight on the biggest stories and best performances from Alaska’s world of sports.

In summer baseball action, the 2023 Alaska American Legion postseason came to a close and the Alaska Baseball League regular season is just about wrapped up. On the national and international scene, several Alaskans shined domestically and abroad over the past week, including a wrestler, a seasoned bodybuilder, a trail runner, and an Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer.

Headlines and highlights

The 2023 Alaska American Legion baseball season concluded early last week and for the third year in a row, the Eagle River Wolves were crowned state champions. In a rematch of last year’s title bout, the team edged out the Service Post 28 Cougars 1-0 thanks in large part to the clutch all-around performance of Liam Lierman. The left-handed pitcher who will be a junior this fall threw the first no-hitter in the state tournament since 1992 and scored the only run of the game.

[Pitcher throws no-hitter to lead Eagle River to 3rd straight Alaska Legion state title]

“He has had some big moments in his career and I’m just super proud of him as a dad, and obviously as a coach, I’m super happy for our team,” said Eagle River coach Bill Lierman, who is also Liam’s father. “He did a good job on the mound for sure.”

In Alaska Baseball League action, the 2023 regular season wrapped up for all but two teams over the weekend. The two-time defending Top of the World series champion Anchorage Glacier Pilots won three of their four games this past week including sweeping their intown rival Bucs in back-to-back games on Sunday in a doubleheader. Heading into their Monday doubleheader with the Mat-Su Miners, they hold a one-game lead in the standings.

The 2023 postseason will take place this week with dates, times, and matchups pending the results of Monday night’s doubleheader between the Glacier Pilots and Miners.

Alaska stars shining Outside

Anchorage’s Elyle Francisco is heading off to college in style and full of confidence after winning the 120-pound title in Greco-Roman at the 2023 Junior National Championships that were held in Fargo, North Dakota from July 21-22. Widely considered the biggest tournament in the nation, the recent Bettye Davis East graduate absolutely dominated his competition in route to the top spot in his bracket.

“I outscored all my opponents 55-0, nobody scored on me, (and) I tech-falled every kid I wrestled,” Francisco said. “It’s easier to (earn a) tech fall in Greco because you need eight points to tech somebody and all I do is throw them until I get eight points and just get off the mat.”

He originally didn’t even want to compete in the tournament after just missing out on qualifying for the World Team for the second year in a row. But was convinced by his coaches and didn’t want to officially end his prep career on a sour note.

[Anchorage wrestler Elyle Francisco is ready to represent state and country at the U17 World Championships]

“After I didn’t make the World Team, I was like ‘Man, I can’t let it end like this, I want to win,’ ” Francisco said. “All my coaches said, ‘We really want you at Fargo. We need you, and it’ll be fun,’ ” he said.

He ended every match-up until the finals in the first period and went into the second period to defeat his championship opponent. Francisco recently committed to Northern Michigan University, which has one of top Greco wrestling programs in the country.

“I’m hoping to get better there, they have all the top quality wrestlers there,” he said. “All of them are trying to make the World Teams and Olympic teams. That’s what I want to do. I want to go to the Olympics.”

Francisco plans to major in biology while in college and become a radiologist someday when his wrestling career concludes.

Seward’s Lydia Jacoby continued her impressive summer of swimming both domestically and overseas when she earned a bronze medal in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke final at the World Championships in Japan last week. The Olympic gold-medalist edged out world-record holder Lilly King by eight-hundredths of a second with a time of 1:05.94 and was the only American to reach the podium.

Jacoby also contributed to Team USA’s gold medal-winning women’s 400-meter medley squad even though she didn’t take part in the finals. The University of Texas rising sophomore was on the relay team that advanced through two rounds of prelims before her coaches decided to replace her in the lineup with King for the finals.

Anchorage’s Brody Jessee earned his first career win last Sunday when he came out of the bullpen in the third inning and helped lead the Daytona Tortugas of the Single-A Florida State League to a 5-2 win over the Jupiter Hammerheads. The right-hander pitcher of South Anchorage High fame who was a 10th round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 out of Gonzaga University moved to 1-0 on the season after he allowed just two hits and one walk while registering a trio of strikeouts.

Anchorage’s Philip Bradfield made his return to completive bodybuilding after a 24-year hiatus and won a national title for his age group on July 20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 79-year-old personal trainer won the NPC Masters’ National Championship for the age 70-plus division. When he was 54, Bradfield won the same competition back in 1997.

Last week’s results

American Legion

Monday

Service 1, Kenai 0

Eagle River 3, Dimond 1

Tuesday

Eagle River 1, Service 0

Alaska Baseball League

Monday

Chinooks 5, Miners 3

Glacier Pilots 8, Oilers 5

Wednesday

Oilers 6, Chinooks 3

Miners 8, Glacier Pilots 2

Thursday

Oilers 5, Chinooks 4

Miners 9, Bucs 0

Friday

Oilers 4, Chinooks 3

Bucs 3, Miners 2

Saturday

Oilers 4, Chinooks 1

Sunday

Chinooks 7, Oilers 1

Glacier Pilots 7, Bucs 3

Glacier Pilots 8, Bucs 3

2023 Alaska Baseball League ALL League Team

Player of the Year (Tie): Nick Costello-Oilers and Blake Jackson-Pilots

Top Prospect: Ty Correa-Oilers

Gold Glove: Will Bermudez-Pilots

Silver Slugger: Blake Jackson-Pilots

Coach of the Year: Tyler LeBrun-Miners

First Base (Tie): Cooper Vest-Miners and Nathan Barraza-Pilots

Second Base: Will Bermudez-Pilots

Shortstop: Emilio Barreras-Miners

Third Base: Ryan Mathiesen-Chinooks

Catcher: Steven Lancia-Miners

Utility: Jaxon Sorenson-Bucs

Outfield: Blake Jackson-Pilots, Lex Boedicker-Bucs, Nick Costello-Oilers

Starting Pitchers: Ty Correa-Oilers, Aaron Ceniceros-Pilots, Casey Euper-Pilots, Sky Wells-Bucs, Candon Dahle-Miners

Relief Pitchers: Ethan Lyke-Miners, Tai Atkins-Pilots

Closer: (Tie) Tai Atkins-Pilots and Connor Throneberry-Oilers

Designated Hitter: Austin Young-Chinooks

2023 Alaska Baseball League ALL League Second-Team

First Base: Theo Forshey-Oilers

Second Base: Alex Pendergast-Bucs

Shortstop: Owen McElfatrick-Oilers

Third Base: Cade Lacy-Bucs

Catcher: Troy Harding-Pilots

Utility: Cade Lacy-Bucs and Andrew Lamb-Pilots

Outfield: Elijah Rodriguez-Pilots, Kaden Carpenter-Miners, Alex Vergara-Miners

Starting Pitchers: Michael Sarhatt-Bucs, Drew Christo-Miners, Arnad Mulamekic-Oilers

Relief Pitchers: Larry Westall-Miners, Connor Throneberry-Oilers, Cameron Crain-Bucs

Closer: Ryan Mathiesen-Chinooks

Designated Hitter (tie): Andrew Lamb-Pilots and Dante Turgeon-Bucs

Fast Forward

Softball

Great Alaska Showcase, Tuesday-Thursday

The annual exposure event for players and coaches from around the state will take place this week at the Loretta French ballfields in Chugiak. It will feature three events that include a coaching clinic and umpire training sponsored by Protect The Game in partnership with Battlefields to Ballfields. It also includes a skills camp in which 29 college coaches are coming up to help coach up and recruit some local talent from the Last Frontier. The event is being put on by Triple Crown Fastpitch and USA Softball.