ALASKA SPORTS TALK
The show opened with a recap of the high school baseball state championships, where Juneau-Douglas captured the D1 title and Homer brought home the D2 championship. It was another great reminder of how strong and competitive Alaska baseball continues to be across the state. From there, the conversation shifted to the softball diamond, where the Chugiak Mustangs claimed the D1 championship and continued an impressive run of success. Isaiah and Keaton broke down Chugiak’s consistency over the past five years and what makes their program such a steady championship contender. In D2 softball, the Palmer Moose put together a memorable postseason run, winning four straight games to capture the state title. Their championship push was one of the great stories of the tournament and showed just how dangerous a team can be when it gets hot at the right time. On the hockey side, Isaiah broke down major changes coming to the NAHL structure. The Chippewa Steel are moving from the Midwest to Pueblo, Colorado, while the league adds five new teams and expands to five divisions. The Minnesota Mallards will join the Midwest Division, replacing Chippewa. Isaiah explained how these moves impact league alignment, scheduling, and what future realignment could look like. To close things out, Isaiah and Keaton checked in on UAA athletics as the Seawolves prepare for the upcoming season. They discussed new coaching hires, roster additions, and the continued growth of both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. They also touched on the still-open athletic director position, the timing of the hiring process, and why that role is such an important piece for the future of UAA athletics. Watch the Full Episode on AST YouTube: https://youtu.be/c3eUIvvmYmg
AST RECENT EPISODES
A podcast all about Alaska Sports! We bring insight, knowledge, with an interesting and fun perspective about all the happenings in high school and college sports in Alaska!
Photos on AlaskaSportsTalk.com provided by Stephanie Goon (@goongallery96), Todd Ramoth and the University of Alaska Anchorage
SEASON 3, EPISODE 50
The crew kicks things off by recapping the high school soccer state championships, highlighted by an absolutely dominant season from the South Anchorage girls soccer team. South finished a perfect 20-0, captured the D1 state title with a 5-0 championship win over Wasilla, and allowed only three goals all season. That is not just a championship run — that is a statement season. On the boys side, Dimond brought home the D1 state championship, defeating West Valley 1-0 in the final and claiming the program’s first title since 2018. The guys also broke down the D2 soccer action, including Soldotna’s 1-0 win over Ketchikan in the boys championship and the wild Kenai vs. Soldotna overtime battle that ended in a shootout after Kenai had jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Previews the upcoming D2 baseball state tournament in Kenai. Isaiah gives a strong thumbs-up to the new four-team format, arguing that fewer teams should lead to better baseball, fresher arms, and a stronger overall championship product. The group also looks ahead to the D1 baseball tournament at Mulcahy Stadium, including Service vs. Soldotna, Juneau vs. Colony, West Valley vs. South, and Palmer vs. Dimond. The softball state tournament also gets plenty of attention, with discussion around the current format, pool play, double elimination, and whether state tournaments should look different from regular season or summer softball events. Watch the Full Episode on AST YouTube Page: https://youtu.be/AgjeSCJVs2E
SEASON 3, EPISODE 49
Isaiah and Brad welcomed Scott Campbell, head track and field coach at Dimond High School, to preview the upcoming state track and field championships. They talk about what it takes to build a strong program. Scott shared the highs and challenges of coaching, including keeping athletes focused after the holiday weekend, Dimond’s strong second-place regional finish. The conversation also dives into Scott’s coaching style, the value of middle school sports, the rise of Mat-Su programs, and what it means for Anchorage/Dimond to host the state track meet for the next three years. From early morning practices to facility upgrades and the behind-the-scenes work of running a major meet, Scott gives a great inside look at Alaska track and field. The crew also breaks down the upcoming state soccer tournaments, including top seeds, bracket locations, overtime rules, and teams to watch as championship weekend gets underway. The guys then walk through major state tournament qualification changes coming across Alaska high school sports, including new RPI-based formats for basketball, volleyball, softball, and flag football. The group debates the good, the bad, and the complicated parts of using RPI, guaranteed berths, and at-large selections to determine state tournament fields. Watch the Full Episode on AST YouTube Page: https://youtu.be/gPW8JQG309w
SEASON 3, EPISODE 48
Steve Nerland from the American Legion Baseball and the AST crew break down the Cook Inlet Conference baseball format, including how tournament byes work, why the final regular-season games matter so much, and which teams are positioning themselves for a big postseason run. Steve gives a detailed look at the current CIC standings, with Service leading the way, Dimond and Chugiak battling near the top, and strong pitching performances becoming the difference-maker as teams get ready for conference and state tournament play. The baseball conversation expands statewide with updates on Juneau, Sitka, Soldotna, and Southeast Alaska’s long history of postseason success on the diamond. The group also talks player development, year-round training, and standout athletes like Rylan from Service, who continues to turn heads with high-level talent and big-game potential. Steve also shares exciting updates on the continued growth of baseball in Alaska, including the impact of field turf at Mulcahy, Kosinski, and Bartlett, future turf-field possibilities, and major fundraising efforts supporting American Legion and youth baseball. To wrap things up, the crew welcomes John Lewis from South Anchorage High School for a great conversation on track and field, coaching multi-event teams, and the success of South’s athletic programs. John highlights standout athletes, the value of track for multi-sport development, and the culture that has helped South Anchorage build one of the strongest athletic programs in the state. Watch the Full Episode on AST YouTube Page: https://youtu.be/7K1AD9Z_ilA