Author: Will Geoghegan

The biggest sign that pitchers are a little bit ahead of hitters right now? In five games last night, Cape League hitters struck out 94 times. Every game had the teams combining for double-digit strikeouts, with a whopping 27 in Harwich’s win over Chatham. The A’s struck out 17 times, themselves.

So I guess you could say last night was a good one for pitchers. Wareham’s Max Perlman (Harvard) had probably the best night, and I’m sure for him, it felt like it was a long time coming. Perlman didn’t pitch at all this spring at Harvard. He saw some action in Wareham’s preseason games, but this was his first meaningful start in quite some time.

And he delivered. The 6’6 righthander struck out seven and allowed just three hits in seven shutout innings to lead the Gatemen past Orleans 2-0. Jimmy Saris (Georgetown), Josh Slaats(Hawaii) and Mike Seander (Duke) teamed up to relieve Perlman and kept the shutout intact.

Elsewhere

• If Perlman had the best overall performance, the best strikeout numbers came from Harwich’s Ryan Quigley (Northeastern). He struck out 11 in six innings as Harwich beat Chatham 4-1. Quigley struggled mightily this spring for Northeastern, but it didn’t show last night.

• Hyannis’ Andrew Carraway (Virginia), who I really like on paper, made his first start and pitched five spotless innings. He struck out seven, didn’t walk anybody and allowed only four hits in 5.1 scoreless innings. Hyannis beat Falmouth 1-0 on the strength of a bases-loaded walk to Casey Frawley (Stetson).

• Brewster and Y-D notched the first tie of the Cape League season. The game ended after the potential winning run was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning. Buddy Bauman (Missouri State) threw five shutout innings for Brewster, while Craig Fritsch (Baylor) tossed six scoreless frames for the Red Sox.

• Cotuit was the only team that got its offense in gear last night. The Kettleers beat Bourne 10-4 thanks to three-hit days from Brett Jackson (Cal) and Dallas Poulk (NC State).

• With two games in the books for everybody, three teams are off to 2-0 starts — Harwich, Hyannis and Cotuit. Chatham and Bourne are both 0-2.

• According to the Baseball America Draft Database, Ryan Lavarnway has signed with the Boston Red Sox. The Yale catcher was slated to play for Hyannis this summer. He was a sixth-round pick of the Red Sox. Initially, some reports suggested he would be on the Cape trying to improve his stock, but that’s not the case.

• That’s a big loss for the Mets, but they made a big addition, too. Big East co-Player of the Year Chris Dominguez (Louisville) just showed up on their roster. Dominguez was a fifth-round pick of the Rockies but announced last week that he plans to return to school. A slugging third baseman, Dominguez played for Harwich last summer and struggled a bit. I’d expect bigger things this year.
  

What to Watch For Tonight

• Sean Black (Seton Hall), the highest unsigned pick in the 2006 draft, gets the start for Harwich at home agains Y-D. Black pitched briefly for the Mariners last summer, but is coming off a very good spring for Seton Hall.

This time of year, most teams are sending a couple of pitchers to the mound every night, building people up, seeing who looks good, sorting out roles. In the first two days of the season — five games — 34 different pitchers took the hill.

Cotuit’s Nick Hernandez (Tennesee) had other ideas. Hernandez, a 6’4 lefty who also happens to be on a temporary contract, turned in the best pitching performance so far with seven strong innings on Saturday. He allowed seven hits but struck out eight and didn’t walk anybody. He allowed one run in leading Cotuit to a 4-1 victory over Brewster.

Hernandez is coming off a solid sophomore season with the Vols. His ERA was over 5, but he struck out 63 and walked only nine. Judging from last night, that ratio might get better this summer. That’s assuming Hernandez sticks around, which, also judging from last night, looks like a good possibility.

Elsewhere

• Two-time defending champ Yarmouth-Dennis lost its opener 5-2 to Orleans. The Red Sox had two hits apiece from four different players, including fourth-round draft pick Greg Miclat (Virginia). But Orleans matched Y-D’s total of 10 hits and came away with the victory. Nate Freiman (Duke) had two hits, while Tim Wheeler (Sacramento State) also had two, including a home run. The Cardinals haven’t been hurt too much by Team USA or the CWS and they fielded a lineup Saturday that will probably look a lot like their lineup in August. Not too many teams can say that.

• Hyannis beat Chatham 4-3 behind strong performances by four pitchers. Ryan Sharpley (Notre Dame) stood out with seven strikeouts in three innings of relief. Ben Paulsen(Clemson) had two hits and three RBI for the Mets. Chatham’s Aaron Miller (Baylor) had two hits and two RBI.

• Harwich scored the most runs of any team Saturday in a 9-4 victory over Bourne. Seven different players had hits for the Mariners, with Tim Smalling (Arkansas) delivering three to lead the way. Andrew Giobbi (Vanderbilt), who played for Falmouth last year, had two RBI for Harwich.

• Two recent draft picks were in Cape League lineups on opening day. Miclat, a fourth-rounder, led off for Y-D, while Cole Figueroa (Florida), a sixth-round pick, was batting leadoff for Orleans. Two other first-day picks, Hyannis’ Ryan Lavarnway (Yale) and Cotuit’s Jason Kipnis (Arizona State) are still on rosters, but haven’t yet shown up in box scores.

• This daily fog thing should be a daily feature, hence the name. Ideally, it will be up much, much earlier than it is today. I plan to have it up everyday by 11 a.m.

I was not able to attend the game in Wareham tonight so I’ll leave the description of the ceremonies to everybody else. I trust everything went well, though from listening to manager Cooper Farris on the postgame radio show, the Gatemen would have really liked to get John Wylde a victory.

But Falmouth had a little too much in a 9-2 victory. Kevin Nolan (Winthrop) was on base five times and Chad Bettis (Texas Tech) turned in a strong relief performance to power the Commodores.

Still, this night was about a little bit more than baseball, and that’s the way it should be. I can’t imagine a better way to kick off the 2008 season than a night for John Wylde, a man who’s responsible for much of what the Cape League is today. And it was a perfect night for baseball, at that.

So we begin. The season really gets going on Saturday with a near-full slate of games. I’ve got a wedding to go to, so I won’t be able to keep up with anything as it happens. But I will catch up with things on Sunday.

Until then, enjoy the baseball. Summer starts now.

As I mentioned below, things seem wide open when it comes to the players. That contributes to the idea that the race for the Cape League title may be wide open, too. With 63 players at Team USA trials or the College World Series — more than one-fifth of the league — every team is dealing with significant roster shuffling. The team that can weather that storm the best may give itself a huge head start.

Who’s best equipped to handle it? Interestingly enough, I think it’s the Chatham A’s, the team that probably has the most balanced collection of talent. That balance is built on depth, and the A’s have plenty of it. They’ll be waiting on four North Carolina players, including three pitchers, and they’ll be waiting to see what happens with Justin Marks, who’s been invited to Team USA. But the A’s will still have four pitchers who’ve had Cape League success in Charles Brewer, Brad Boxberger, Gavin Brooks and Kevin Couture. At the plate, they’ll still have Grant Green and Aaron Miller, arguably their best hitters.

For now, I’d give Chatham the edge in navigating the early part of the season. But you know what? Once we hit July and things get sorted out, just about anything can happen.

In putting the early looks together, I was struck by just how talented every team is. Everybody has All-Americans, everybody has all-conference players, everybody has guys who have been drafted and guys who will be at the top of draft boards next year.

When you factor in all the roster changes and the fact that great players are facing other great players every night, you get a serious dose of parity. Sure, teams occasionally run away with division titles, but for the most part, there isn’t much difference between teams at the top of the heap and teams at the bottom. Consider this: Yarmouth-Dennis, the best team this league has seen in a long time, played fourth-place Wareham four times last year. Y-D won three of those meetings but the combined score of the four games was Y-D 14, Wareham 12.

So anything can happen, and that’s why it’s so difficult to predict. The players, themselves, make it even tougher. This time last year, Jason Castro was coming off a spring where he hit .167, Buster Posey had hit only three home runs and Gordon Beckham was still flying under the radar. Who could have predicted that they would team up for Y-D to form one of the best trios in Cape League history.

For teams to have success, they need a lot of things like that. Essentially, they need a lot to go right. Since I’ve already gone into great detail in the early looks, rather than sum things up with generic team capsules, I’ll take a little different approach and talk about those needs. Obviously, a lot of these are in a similar vein, but I’m trying to make them very specific to each team. At the end of all this, I do have a fearless prediction.

Bourne Braves
What has to go right: The big hitters have to hit. With only two players in the College World Series and two trying out for Team USA, the Braves should have a relatively stable roster. The starting pitching should be decent, and the bullpen should be great with Eric Pettis at the back end. To turn stability into success, they’ll need their key offensive players to deliever. Players like Jordan Henry, Richard Jones, Jamie Johnson, Kyle Roller and Ross Wilson will have to hold down that lineup because there isn’t a ton of depth around them.

Cotuit Kettleers
What has to go right: Quite simply, Robert Stock needs a big summer. He’s a guy with all the tools and he was solid last year, but this spring wasn’t great for him. With his talent, he can carry this offense, and as one of the few guys on the roster who looks like a star, he may have to.

Falmouth Commodores
What has to go right: Falmouth needs a dominant starter. With Kyle Gibson at Team USA trials, there’s a gaping hole in the rotation. That stands in stark contrast to last year, when the Commodores had three first-round draft picks and Gibson at the top. Oregon State’s Jorge Reyes, who will be trying to rediscover his freshman year form, is as good a cnadidate as any to emerge.

Hyannis Mets
What has to go right: The junior circuit has to make things happen. Hyannis is the oldest team in the league, a product of their front office changes and the resulting delay in signing players. It could pay off in a big way if juniors like Ryan Lavarnway and Andrew Carraway can deliver. They’re older, wiser, and if they turn that into success, the Mets will be in very good shape.

Wareham Gatemen
What has to go right: Some unknowns will have to make a splash. Wareham got hit harder by Team USA than any other team. Six players — perhaps their six best players — have been invited, which means some temporary players and some guys without all the hype need to step up. It can be done, though. Last year, Bourne won the West with a roster that looked nothing like it did when it was first released.

Brewster Whitecaps
What has to go right: Without a doubt, Brewster needs to find some starting pitchers. Only a few players on that team were weekend starters this spring, and while a guy like Caleb Coltham should do good things, the Whitecaps will need more than that.

Chatham A’s
What has to go right: Just enough offense. I don’t think the pitching has much in the way of question marks. They’re going to hold teams down. That means a Chatham offense that doesn’t look truly explosive just needs to do enough each time out.

Harwich Mariners
What has to go right: More than any other team, the Mariners have to weather the roster shuffling storm. Five players are in the College World series, while two more have been invited to Team USA.

Orleans Cardinals
What has to go right: Kind of the oppostie of Chatham: Orleans needs jut enough pitching. Angelo Songco, Nate Freiman and a host of others are going to make that offense pretty tough to stop. They’re going to score runs. A pitching staff that looks untested will simply have to keep Orleans in front.

Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
What has to go right: The players will hear about last year’s team. They need to not listen. This group is talented, but not close to last year’s team. As long as they don’t feel any added pressure from what they hear about the dynasty, they’ve got a real chance to compete.

So that’s that. I hope it sums things up a little bit. As for the prediction, I was very close to picking Orleans because I’m a believer in the idea that you need more offense than pitching. But in the end, I think I’ll stick with Chatham. They should have no trouble holding their own in the first few weeks, and once Matt Harvey, Adam Warren and Alex White arrive from Omaha, they’ll be primed and ready to take off.

I said last week that Furman’s Jay Jackson did not get drafted. He did get drafted, but because his full name is Randy, I missed it. Sorry about that. He was a ninth-rounder, and he is no longer on the Hyannis roster.

Bourne’s Dusty Coleman (Wichita State) just magically appeared on the Team USA invite list. He wasn’t part of any of the invite announcements, but he’s on there now. Too bad, because I thought he might be one of the top players in the league, perhaps following in the footsteps of teammate Connor Gillaspie and winning the MVP award. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Between the early looks and all the college stats stuff, I’ve written a lot about the 2008 season. In fact, I’ve almost written too much. I have very little to add. But since all of that stuff is so detailed and so freaking long, I’m going to try to pull out some of the main things and put them in this post and the next post. This one looks at the players, the next one will look at the teams. And then . . . baseball, finally.

THE PLAYERS

It seemed that the 2008 draft class had its sure things in place for a long time. I think that was due mostly to Pedro Alvarez and Justin Smoak, who seemed to be in college — and be on draft boards — for eight years each.

Still, the Cape League had a huge impact on the first round. Aaron Crow, Gordon Beckham, Buster Posey, Yonder Alonso — all those guys became bright spots on the radar with big Cape summers. When all of them put up great numbers this spring, they solidified their spots.

As the summer begins again, and as the 2009 draft class starts to take shape, there appear to be more Beckhams and Crows than Alvarezes and Smoaks. Which is to say, nobody’s a sure thing. Maybe, like last year, stars at the plate will emerge and give the league another burst of offense. Maybe the pitching will re-assert itself and turn the Cape into a pitchers’ paradise once again. At this point, I’m tempted to side with the offense, but who can really tell?

Either way, the fact that things look wide open should should make this Cape League summer a very interesting one. And considering the large number of Team USA invitees and CWS participants, the opportunity is there for someone to make a splash. A lot of names we don’t know right now will soon become names we won’t forget.

In an effort to put some names out there, I’m taking a page out of the college sports awards’ playbook. Watch lists, anyone?

I’ll do two 25-player lists, one for hitters, one for pitchers. So, that’s essentially the MVP Watch List and the Outstanding Pitcher Watch List. Since it’s 25 each, this will kind of count as the first Right Field Fog Top 50 of the year. Also, consider it the list of the 50 players I’m excited to see.

As a side note, these lists are coming from an all-things-being-equal kind of perspective. So, Team USA invitees and CWS participants are still included, but I do have stars by the Team USA guys. This is organized by team.

MVP Watch List
*Dusty Coleman – SS – Wichita State – Bourne
*Matt den Dekker – OF – Florida – Brewster
Jim Klocke – C – SE Missouri – Brewster
James Meador – INF/OF – San Diego – Brewster
Connor Powers – INF – Mississippi State – Brewster
Grant Green – SS – USC – Chatham
Aaron Miller – OF – Baylor – Chatham
*Kyle Seager – 2B – North Carolina – Chatham
Jason Kipnis – OF – Arizona State – Cotuit
Robert Stock – C – USC – Cotuit
Tim Fedroff – OF – North Carolina – Falmouth
*Hunter Morris – 1B – Auburn – Falmouth
A.J. Pollock – INF/OF – Notre Dame – Falmouth
Diego Seastrunk – 3B – Rice – Falmouth
*Dustin Ackley – 1B – North Carolina – Harwich
Ryan Lavarnway – C – Yale – Hyannis
*Ryan Jackson – SS – Miami – Hyannis
Cole Figueroa – SS – Florida – Orleans
Nate Freiman – 1B – Duke – Orleans
Rich Poythress – 1B – Georgia – Orleans
Angelo Songco – OF – Loyola Marymount – Orleans
*Josh Phegley – C – Indiana – Wareham
*Derek Dietrich – SS – Georgia Tech – Wareham
Blake Dean – OF – LSU – Wareham
Andy Wilkins – INF/OF – Arkansas – Y-D

Fearless Prediction: Nate Freiman wins it. He’s a junior who’s already had success on the Cape, and he can flat-out hit. I also like Ryan Lavarnway, Grant Green and Angelo Songco. And Josh Phegley if he doesn’t go to Team USA.

Outstanding Pitcher Watch List
Nathan Baker – Ole Miss – Bourne
*Ryan Berry – Rice – Bourne
*Drew Pomeranz – Rice – Bourne
Bob Revesz – Louisville – Bourne
Caleb Coltham – Vanderbilt – Brewster
Brad Boxberger – USC – Chatham
Charles Brewer – UCLA – Chatham
Gavin Brooks – UCLA – Chatham
Kevin Couture – USC – Chatham
*Justin Marks – Louisville – Chatham
Alex White – North Carolina – Chatham
Matt Fairel – Florida State – Cotuit
Dan Jennings – Nebraska – Cotuit
*Kyle Gibson – Missouri – Falmouth
Sean Black – Seton Hall – Harwich
Chris Manno – Duke – Harwich
Andrew Carraway – Virginia – Hyannis
Matt Ridings – Western Kentucky – Hyannis
Eric Erickson – Miami – Orleans
Matt Bashore – Indiana – Wareham
*Mike Minor – Vanderbilt – Wareham
*Andy Oliver – Vanderbilt – Wareham
*Kendal Volz – Baylor – Wareham
*Stephen Strasburg – San Diego State – Y-D
Jerry Sullivan – Oral Roberts – Y-D

Fearless Prediction: I know I said all things were equal and if they really were, Team USA invitee Stephen Strasburg is a no-brainer here. But for the purposes of the prediction, all things are not equal. I’m going with Jerry Sullivan. I’ll put Andrew Carraway, Chris Manno and Alex White just behind him.

Team USA made its final invites on Monday, tabbing eight more players for the trials. Six of the eight are on Cape League rosters, which brings the total number of Cape Leaguers on the invite list to 25. There are 34 players in total, and 22 of them will make the team. The trials will end June 24.

The latest round:
Matt den Dekker – OF – Florida – Sophomore – Brewster
Brian Fletcher – INF/OF – Auburn – Freshman – Falmouth
Rick Hague – SS – Rice – Freshman – Wareham
Shaver Hansen – 3B – Baylor – Sophomore – Harwich
Justin Marks – P – Louisville – Sophomore – Chatham
Blake Smith – P/OF – California – Sophomore – Brewster

(Update: I forgot LSU’s Jared Mitchell, who’s on Y-D’s roster. That brings the total to 37)

The College Word Series field is set, and like always, it will have an impact on the Cape League. A total of 36 players in the CWS are on Cape League rosters. That means all those players will arrive late. Last year, the most games played by a CWS participant was 31 by Kyle Seager. Cape League teams play 44 games, so on average, a player arriving from Omaha will miss about a third of the season, give or take.

The number of CWS players is up from last year, when it was 25. North Carolina had the most then and has the most again, with 12 players scheduled to come to the Cape. Georgia is next with seven. Cinderella Fresno State isn’t sending any.

Here’s a rundown of who will be missing from each Cape League team:

Bourne – 2
Ryan Berry – P – Rice
Justin Grimm – P – Georgia

Brewster – 4
Garrett Gore – INF – North Carolina
Yasmani Grandal – C – Miami
Iden Nazario – P – Miami
Ryan Woolley – P – Georgia

Chatham – 4
Kyle Seager – INF – North Carolina
Matt Harvey – P – North Carolina
Adam Warren – P – North Carolina
Alex White – P – North Carolina

Cotuit – 3
Tyler Holt – OF – Florida State
Joey Lewis – C – Georgia
Matt Fairel – P – Florida State

Falmouth – 3
Tim Fedroff – OF – North Carolina
Diego Seastrunk – 3B – Rice
Nate Striz – P – North Carolina

Harwich – 5
Dustin Ackley – 1B – North Carolina
D.J. LaMahieu – SS – LSU
Jason Stidham – INF – Florida State
Garrett Davis – P – North Carolina
Pat Johnson – P – North Carolina

Hyannis – 3
Ryan Jackson – SS – Miami
Colin Bates – P – North Carolina
Alex McRee – P – Georgia

Orleans – 4
Rich Poythress – 1B/3B – Georgia
Justin Earls – P – Georgia
Eric Erickson – P – Miami
Rob Catapano – P – North Carolina

Wareham – 3
Blake Dean – OF – LSU
Rick Hague – SS – Rice
Brandt Walker – P – Stanford

Y-D – 6
Joey August – OF – Stanford
Sean Ochinko – C/1B – LSU
Jared Mitchell -OF – LSU
Jeff Inman – P – Stanford
Anthony Ranaudo – P – LSU
Dean Weaver – P – Georgia

I’d say Harwich is the hardest hit. Those three offensive players looked to be three of the team’s best. Chatham will suffer a little bit without the pitching trio from UNC. Hyannis escaped relatively unscathed: Jackson is a Team USA invitee anyway, and both of those pitchers are relievers.

The last early look is finally finished and posted below this. There is also a section on the sidebar with links to all of them. I’m pretty pleased with the whole project, mostly because I don’t have to do any more of them. I enjoy learning about all the players and I will do it every year, but . . . I’m so lost in a sea of heights, weights, batting averages and draft results, that I’m pretty sure I got drafted at some point. And I hit eight home runs last year.

But anyway. Now that those are done, I’m going to be posting some more general preview stuff this week, leading up to John Wylde Night on Friday. Then, finally, we will have some baseball.

For now, a few random notes:

• In doing the draft roundup stuff, I was surprised at how many 2008 Cape Leaguers got picked. Twenty seems like a lot to me. It should be interesting to see how the ones who come to the Cape end up doing. Sometimes, the added pressure can be a little too much.

• There were a couple of draft-eligible guys who I was surprised didn’t get called. Virginia’s Andrew Carraway was one of the best pitchers in the ACC this year and Furman’s Jay Jackson was a tremendous two-way player. Both are on the Hyannis roster, so at least them not getting drafted was good news for the Mets.

• Speaking of Hyannis and the draft, Garrett Sherrill, who was on the Hyannis roster, is no longer on the roster. I’ll take that to mean he’s signing.

• I watched the second game of the UC-Irvine-LSU Super Regional today, which featured several soon-to-be Cape Leaguers. D.J. LeMahieu looks like a real player, but the best story of the day was Sean Ochinko. The sophomore tore up the league last year for Y-D but struggled mightily this spring and lost the starting catcher’s job. He came on late in this one and drove in the go-ahead run as the Tigers rallied from a 7-2 deficit to even the series.

• The College World Series is filling up fast. Once everything is sorted out, I’ll try to put something together figuring out which Cape Leaguers will be missing as a result. I can tell you this: I believe North Carolina has the most players on the Cape of any college team. Naturally, the Tar Heels are headed to Omaha.

• The games against the military all-stars were this weekend, but I haven’t seen anything on them. Wareham played a preseason game tonight, and they probably will have some info up since their web site is awesome.

ORLEANS CARDINALS
Manager: Kelly Nicholson
Last Season: 23-20-1

When the Orleans Cardinals won the 2005 Cape League championship, they had the best ERA in the league and the second-best batting average. Last season, as the Cardinals missed the playoffs for the second straight year, they again has the best ERA in the league. But the offense was a little shaky – Orleans finished with a .221 team batting average, second-worst in the league.

If the Cardinals were trying to remedy that, mission accomplished.

Orleans will welcome a squad that looks, on paper, like the best offensive team in the league. Nine players hit over .320 this spring and four of them finished with double-digit home runs. Returnee Nate Freiman, the winner of last year’s Tenth Player award, leads the way, but a corps of talented newcomers isn’t far behind. Angelo Songco and Rich Poythress, both of whom bring an average-power combo to the table, should be at the head of the pack. Factor in ’07 Cape all-star Cole Figueroa, and you’ve got something special.

The question for this Orleans team will revolve around the pitching and whether it can be as good as it was last year. Without anybody who looks like a dominant No. 1 starter, it’ll have to be a team effort. But like last year, when the Cardinals’ bullpen was dominant, that might not be a bad thing. Rob Catapano, who allowed two runs all last summer, will be back to lead the charge.

In what’s shaping up to be a very difficult Eastern division, the Cardinals will be in for a battle. Offensively, though, they’ve got just about as much firepower as anybody.

As it did in 2005, that could go a long way.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 5
Juniors: 8
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen: 5

Notable

• Let’s start with Quinn Haselhorst. He gets a special mention because he attends the University of Dayton. I graduated from that fine institution not too long ago. In all my time there, I don’t ever remember a Flyer making it to the Cape League. So, kudos to you, Mr. Haselhorst. The reputation of a baseball program rests entirely on your shoulders.
• So Nate Freiman is a catcher now? Apparently, he’s giving it a shot. He played there a few times this spring and is listed on the roster as a 1B/C. I’m hoping he plays there a bit this summer, if only to see an umpire trying to look over a catcher who’s 6’8.
• In all seriousness, though, Freiman should be one of the best players on the Cape this summer.
• With Freiman, Rich Poythress, Angelo Songco and Mike Murphy, the middle of the order should be fearsome. That quartet combined for 51 home runs this spring.
• Songco looks like a guy who could really burst onto the scene. He was the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2007 then turned in a spectacular sophomore season.
• There are five catchers back for a second summer on the Cape, and Orleans has two of them in Travis Tartamella and Hampton Tignor. That veteran presence should be a big help.
• The pitching staff will probably need several guys to take on bigger roles than they had this spring. Only a handful of Orleans’ pitchers were weekend starters.
• This will be the second summer in New England for Adam Wilk, and he enjoyed his stay last time. He led the NECBL in ERA last year.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Nate Freiman
2. Angelo Songco
3. Cole Figueroa
4. Rich Poythress
5. Eric Erickson

Pitchers
*Rob Catapano – LHP – 5’10 170 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Justin Earls – LHP – 6’3 190 – Georgia – Sophomore
Eric Erickson – LHP – 6’0 196 – Miami – Sophomore
Brad Gemberling – RHP – 6’2 205 – Princeton – Junior
Elliot Glynn – LHP – 6’1 165 – Connecticut – Freshman
Quinn Haselhorst – LHP – 6’3 205 – Dayton – Junior
*Kyle Kamppi – RHP – 5’9 182 – Georgia Southern – Junior
Isaac Morales – LHP – 6’0 188 – Cal State L.A. – Junior
Rob Rasmussen – LHP – 5’11 160 – UCLA – Freshman
Kyle Smith – RHP – 6’6 195 – Kent State – Sophomore
Brad Stillings – RHP – 6’4 205 – Kent State – Sophomore
Matt Thomson – RHP – 6’4 200 – San Diego – Sophomore
Martin Viramontes – RHP – 6’5 200 – Loyola Marymount – Freshman
Adam Wilk – LHP – 6’2 175 – Long Beach State – Sophomore
* returning player

Rob Catapano – LHP – 5’10 170
North Carolina
Sophomore
Numbers-wise, Catapano was the best non-closing reliever on the Cape last summer. For quite awhile, he didn’t allow a single run. He ended up allowing only two in 14 appearances. He also struck out 17 and walked only three. Catapano has carried his big summer into the spring. Through the regional, he had a 3.11 ERA in 18 appearances, with seven starts among them.

Justin Earls – LHP – 6’3 190
Georgia
Sophomore
Earls split time as a starter and a reliever last season, finishing with a 5.37 ERA. He has been used exclusively as a reliever this season, with a 6.14 ERA in 25 appearances.

Eric Erickson – LHP – 6’0 196
Miami
Sophomore
Erickson had a fantastic freshman season for the Hurricanes last year, finishing with a 10-4 record and a 2.50 ERA. He earned Freshman All-American honors from several publications and was put on the Brooks Wallace Award watch list this year. He’s been overshadowed a bit by freshman teammate Chris Hernandez, but he’s still been very good. His 61 strikeouts and 13 walks really stand out.

Brad Gemberling – RHP – 6’2 205
Princeton
Junior
Gemberling pitched briefly for Orleans last summer, making three appearances. After a strong spring at Princeton, he’s poised to make a much bigger impact this summer. Gemberlind put up a 3.60 ERA while being used as a starter and a reliever. He struck out 45 in 45 innings, with only 14 walks.

Elliot Glynn – LHP – 6’1 165
Connecticut
Freshman
Glynn played for the No. 1 high school team in the country last year in Long Beach, Calif. Oddly enough, he went cross-country to UConn, where he started from day one. He finished with a 6.00 ERA but played both ways and shined at the plate, where he hit .324.

Quinn Haselhorst – LHP – 6’3 205
Dayton
Junior
Haselhorst has had a solid career at Dayton but he made his biggest splash with Columbus of the Great Lakes League last summer. He went 6-2 with a 1.62 ERA, but the most impressive numbers were these: 28 strikeouts and one walk. He flashed good control for the Flyers this spring but had a 4.37 ERA.

Kyle Kamppi – RHP – 5’9 182
Georgia Southern
Junior
Kamppi was part of Orleans’ dynamite bullpen last year, finishing with a 1.50 ERA in 12 appearances. This spring, Kamppi split time between starting and relieving and ended up with a 6.18 ERA in 20 appearances. He struck out 58 in 67 innings.

Isaac Morales – LHP – 6’0 188
Cal State L.A.
Junior
Morales is a small school guy who will be looking to prove himself. Playing at D-II Cal State Los Angeles, Morales put up great numbers this spring. He went 9-1 with a 2.47 ERA.

Rob Rasmussen – LHP – 5’11 160
UCLA
Freshman
Rasmussen is a little short in stature, but he’s not short in many other areas. After a dominant high school career, Rasmussen was drafted in the 27th round last year. He opted to attend UCLA, where he spent the season mostly in the bullpen. He struggled with his control – walking more than he struck out – and finished with a 5.60 ERA.

Kyle Smith – RHP – 6’6 195
Kent State
Sophomore
Smith had a very good freshman season a year ago, putting up a 3.84 ERA while throwing the second-most innings on the team. As a weekend starter this year, Smith put up good strikeout numbers but finished with a 5.76 ERA. He did manage a 9-1 record, so that’s got to count for something.

Brad Stillings – RHP – 6’4 205
Kent State
Sophomore
Stillings was also in the weekend rotation for the Golden Flashes and put up similar numbers to those of Smith. Stillings, also a tall righty, had a 5.35 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 79 innings.

Matt Thomson – RHP – 6’4 200
San Diego
Sophomore
Thomson went the junior college route immediately after high school and was drafted last year in the 22nd round. He opted to head to San Diego, where he put up solid numbers out of the bullpen. He ended up with a 3.86 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

Martin Viramontes – RHP – 6’5 200
Loyola Marymount
Freshman
Part of a trio of LMU players on the Orleans roster, Viramontes will be looking for a big summer after some ups and downs in his first collegiate season. He was a regular starter for the Lions, but went 3-6 with a 6.26 ERA. His strikeout numbers were good, though – 55 in 54.2 innings.

Adam Wilk – LHP – 6’2 175
Long Beach State
Sophomore
Wilk pitched pretty well as a freshman but made a huge splash over the summer when he pitched for the Newport Gulls of the NECBL. He led the league in ERA with a 1.12 mark. This spring, working exclusively out of the bullpen, Wilk put up a 1.26 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just two walks in 14.1 innings.

Position Players
*Travis Tartamella – C – 6’0 195 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
*Hampton Tignor – C – 6’0 200 – Florida – Sophomore
Matt Bowman – INF – 5’7 175 – Nevada – Junior
Gary Brown – 2B/OF – 6’0 175 – Cal State Fullerton – Freshman
Christian Colon – SS – 6’0 180 – Cal State Fullerton – Freshman
Cole Figueroa – SS – 5’10 180 – Florida – Sophomore
*Nate Freiman – 1B /C – 6’8 240 – Duke – Junior
Shaun Kort – 1B – 5’9 160 – Nevada – Sophomore
Mike Murphy – 3B – 6’0 195 – Maryland – Junior
Rich Poythress – 3B/1B – 6’4 235 – Georgia – Sophomore
Kyle Spraker – SS – 5’10 180 – Loyola Marymount – Junior
Alex Hassan – OF – 6’3 195 – Duke – Sophomore
Angelo Songco – OF – 6’0 190 – Loyola Marymount – Sophomore
Tim Wheeler – OF – 6’4 205 – Sacramento State – Sophomore
* returning player

Travis Tartamella – C – 6’0 195
Pepperdine
Sophomore
Both of Orleans’ catchers are back for a second season with the Cardinals, and both will be looking to improve on last summer. Tartamella hit .200 last year without a home run. This spring for Pepperdine, Tartamella hit .207.

Hampton Tignor – C – 6’0 200
Florida
Sophomore
Tignor had a tougher summer than Tartamella, finishing with a .139 batting average. But this spring, Tignor hit .304 while splitting time behind the plate. Tignor is also a standout defensive catcher.

Matt Bowman – INF – 5’7 175
Nevada
Junior
Bowman might be the shortest player on the Cape, but he can really hit. After posting a .376 batting average in his sophomore year, he missed all but five games of his junior season to injury and was redshirted. But he didn’t miss a beat in returning this year, putting up a .355 average and a .454 on-base percentage.

Gary Brown – 2B/OF – 6’0 175
Cal State Fullerton
Freshman
Brown was a 12th-round pick out of high school last year but stuck with Fullerton and turned in an impressive freshman campaign. After switching to the outfield from his normal second base spot, Brown hit .292 with five home runs and 27 RBI.

Christian Colon – SS – 6’0 180
Cal State Fullerton
Freshman
Like his frosh teammate Brown, Colon also came into Fullerton with big credentials after getting drafted in the 10th round out of high school. Colon didn’t disappoint, either, finishing the season with a .329 average and four home runs. He has been invited to Team USA.

Cole Figueroa – SS – 5’10 180
Florida
Sophomore
Figueroa was an all-star for Harwich last summer and left a pretty good impression on scouts, who liked his all-around game. Draft-eligible because of his age, Figueroa went in the sixth round last week. He still may play in Orleans, though, and he would be a big addition. This spring for Florida, he hit .350 with nine home runs.

Nate Freiman – 1B /C – 6’8 240
Duke
Junior
Freiman flew under the radar a little bit summer, hard to do for someone who’s 6’8. But in a year where offensive standouts stole the show, Freiman’s .282 average and 28 RBI left him just off stage. That should change this year. Freiman, who’s from Wellesley, Mass., was a late-round pick last week, but I’d expect him to be back on the Cape. And with the season, he just had, look out. Freiman hit .381 this spring with 11 home runs.

Shaun Kort – 1B – 5’9 160
Nevada
Sophomore
Kort will join his teammate Bowman in Orleans after a strong season for the Wolfpack. He hit .324 with six home runs and 60 RBI. Solid numbers, but they actually pale in comparison to his freshman season, when he won the WAC batting title with a .392 average.

Mike Murphy – 3B – 6’0 195
Maryland
Junior
Murphy has been nothing but solid since he arrived at Maryland, and he continued the trend this season, hitting .289 with a team-best 13 home runs and 42 RBI. Murphy was eligible for the draft but didn’t get picked so he’ll certainly be trying to prove himself this summer.

Rich Poythress – 3B/1B – 6’4 235
Georgia
Sophomore
Poythress is big and powerful, and this season, he’s hit for average as well as power. In 61 games, he’s hit .366 with 15 home runs and 65 RBI, numbers that leave him just behind teammate Gordon Beckham for the team lead. He should be one of the premier power hitters in the league.

Kyle Spraker – SS – 5’10 180
Loyola Marymount
Junior
Spraker spent two seasons at Cal before transferring to LMU this season. He stepped right into the starting shortstop role and hit .260 with a .348 on-base percentage.

Alex Hassan – OF – 6’3 195
Duke
Sophomore
Hassan is listed as just an outfielder on the Orleans roster, but he’s played both ways in his two years at Duke. Wherever he’s been, he’s been good. At the plate this season, he hit .353 with four home runs. On the mound, he went 5-0 in 17 relief appearances with a 1.30 ERA.

Angelo Songco – OF – 6’0 190
Loyola Marymount
Sophomore
Songco started from day one for the Lions and finished his freshman season with a .321 batting average, second on the team and good enough to earn him WCC Freshman of the Year honors. This season, he put up incredible numbers, finishing with a .356 average, 15 home runs and 48 RBI, all team-bests. He was a unanimous all-conference pick.

Tim Wheeler – OF – 6’4 205
Sacramento State
Sophomore
A tall and lanky centerfielder, Wheeler hit .310 as a freshman then put up even better numbers this year. He closed out the season with a .330 batting average and three home runs. He also stole 10 bases.