Author: Will Geoghegan

I’ll leave it to the league to figure out exactly how many players from the Cape got drafted. For now, I want to focus on drafted players who are on 2008 rosters. By my count, there are 20 of them, and it looks like a good chunk will still play on the Cape this summer. Here’s a rundown of the players who were taken on the second day and what their plans look like (the rundown for the first day is here).

• First, the big news. USC’s Tom Milone has signed with the Nationals, who picked him in the 10th round. Milone played for Chatham last year and was the league’s pitcher of the year. He was on the A’s roster again this year, with his presence hinging on how the draft went. It would have been nice to see him again, but this is probably the best option for him. Congratulations to Tom and best of luck.

• Nothing new on Tim Fedroff, UNC’s draft-eligible sophomore. He was a seventh-round pick of the Indians. Judging from this piece, and this one, I’d be surprised if he signed. Fedroff is scheduled to play for Falmouth this summer.

• According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Nebraska junior pitcher Dan Jennings plans to play on the Cape, for Cotuit.
  

  “I’m headed to summer ball and see what happens,” Jennings said from his parents’ West Des Moines, Iowa, home Friday afternoon.

• Cal-Poly’s Kevin Castner also expects to be in Cotuit, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Castner was a 10th round pick of the Rangers.
  

  “I will play out the summer in the cape,” Castner said. “It’s probably the best place I can go after the draft. It’s the best college players around the country, and the stage is set for me to prove what I’ve got and hopefully get a deal.”

• Nothing definitive for Appalachian State’s Garrett Sherrill, who is on the Hyannis roster for the second year in a row. But the Salisbury Post talked to Sherrill, who sounds like he’s ready for pro ball after being drafted in the 12th round by the Brewers.
  

  Sherrill says his arm feels the best it has in a long while, and he’s looking forward to his next assignment. Assuming he signs quickly, he’ll probably be assigned to Helena, Montana, in the Pioneer League, but there’s also an outside chance he could start out in the low Class A South Atlantic League with the West Virginia Power.

• Mississippi State’s Brandon Turner, who missed the season with the injury, was picked in the 12th round by the Marlins. The Cleveland (Tenn.) Daily Banner reports that Turner is waiting to hear before he heads to the Cape, where he’s on the Bourne roster.
  

  “He got drafted better than we expected, especially after he missed most of the season,” Turner’s dad, Mike, expressed. “A lot of the scouts knew him from last year. He was able to go some workouts recently to let them see he’s healthy. He was supposed to leave today (Saturday) for Massachusetts to play in the Cape Cod Wooden Bat League this summer, but he’s negotiating with the Marlins to see what they are offering.”

• According to the Ann Arbor News, things are also up in the air for Michigan’s Adam Abraham, who was taken in the 13th round by Cleveland. The Indians also took UM teammate Zach Putnam. Abraham is on the Hyannis roster.
  

  Abraham, who has another year of eligibility left, will be weighing the same choice. He’ll either go off soon to the Cape Cod League to prepare for another season of college ball or sign and be sent to one of Cleveland’s minor-league affiliates. Abraham, who was selected 411th overall, went into the draft content with returning for his senior year, though the enticement of being able to play pro ball in the same organization with several good friends could lure him into signing. “That makes it very interesting,” Abraham said. “The comfort level would be a lot higher with those guys going with you.”

• It’s the same story for Bethune Cookman’s Joseph Gautier, who’s on the Harwich roster. From the News-Journal in Florida:
  

  Gautier and Pruitt, who both have a year of eligibility left, both said they were not yet sure if they’d return to school for their senior years. “I’m a big believer that when the boat comes you have to take it, and this might be my boat,” Gautier said. “But I thought I’d be taken in the first 10 rounds, and it didn’t happen, so we’ll have to see.

• One of the more interesting guys on this list is Wichita State’s Dusty Coleman. He was ranked in the top 200 prospects, but slipped to the 28th round because he’s considered such a tough sign. From the Argus-Leader in South Dakota:
  

  It’s possible some big league clubs figured that the 21-year-old Coleman would be difficult to sign, considering he has committed to play in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League this summer and has two seasons of college eligibility remaining. “He can come back next year if he doesn’t get the signing bonus he wants to get,” Brad Coleman said over the phone from Tallahassee. “We’ll wait and see how that all comes about.”

• Duke’s Nate Freiman, who played for Orleans last summer and is on the roster again, was projected pretty high but wasn’t taken until the 28th round. No immediate reaction that I can find, but Freiman had this to say in an April interview with GoDuke.com:
  

  “I’m not thinking about the draft. I love school and I expect to be back next year. I‘ve always thought of this as a four-year deal.”

• North Carolina’s Adam Warren, who just tossed a gem to lead the Tar Heels to the College World Series, is on the Chatham roster. He got drafted in the 36th round, but it sounds like he expects to play on the Cape. From the New Bern Sun Journal:
  

  “I was a little disappointed, as far as what round I got drafted in. But they said they were going to follow me this summer and kind of take it from there.”

• Chad Bell, a junior-college player at Walters State, plans to play in Harwich this summer, according to the Knoxville News:
  

  “I was hoping to go a little sooner,” the left-handed pitcher said about being selected in the 37th round. “I guess I was probably asking a little much. I’m happy with it. They can watch me play this summer (in the Cape Cod league) and we’ll see what happens. It will take a lot of money for me to go. They know that. So we’ll just see what they think after watching me throw a couple times this summer.”

• I’ve got nothing on Notre Dame’s David Phelps or NC State’s Jeremy Synan. Phelps, who is on the Hyannis roster, was a 14th-round pick. Synan, on Chatham’s roster for the second year in a row, was taken in the 42nd round.

That was exceedinly long. To sum up, Tom Milone is not coming to the Cape. A lot of other players probably are. These are guys you definitely want to watch this summer.

CHATHAM A’S
Manager: John Schiffner
Last Season: 25-16-3

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox won last year’s Cape League championship with an incredible offense. The Chatham A’s have their eyes on the title in 2008, and if they win it, they’ll do it with incredible pitching.

It was clear from the moment Chatham’s roster was released that the pitching staff had a chance to be special. As I read through the alphabetical roster, I was more and more amazed. Start with Brad Boxberger and Charles Brewer, two returning players who had big success last year. Continue to Gavin Brooks, a top prospect, and Kevin Couture, another talented returnee. In the middle is Matt Harvey, one of the highest unsigned picks in last year’s draft. Louisville’s Justin Marks, one of the top pitchers in the Big East is there, too. Then there’s Tom Milone, last year’s Cape League pitcher of the year. And don’t forget Alex White down near the bottom. He’s a surefire first-round pick next year.

So yes, the A’s have some pitching.

Their offense can’t come close to matching it, but with the addition of USC’s Grant Green, it’s no slouch either. Combined, I think that makes the A’s the most complete team in the league, at least on paper. With an unheard of nine players back from last year’s team – and three more from other teams – the A’s should know what it takes to turn potential into success.

Last year, they turned it on late in the season to finish with the second-best record in the league. They were really no match for Y-D in the Eastern finals, but nobody would have been. It was still a historic year for the A’s, who saw longtime manager John Schiffner become the Cape League’s career wins leader.

For all the wins, though, it’s been awhile since the A’s won a championship – 1998, to be exact. It looks like they’ve got the team to do it this year.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 9
Juniors: 4
Sophomores: 19
Freshmen : 5

Notable

• Chatham has 28 players on the roster right now. It needs to be at 25, so they’re definitely expecting to make some changes in the coming weeks.
• For the pitching staff to live up to its potential, Brad Boxberger, Charles Brewer and Gavin Brooks have to bounce back. All three had shaky springs, but all three have all-star potential.
• As good as the pitching might be, the offense will have to be good, too. Every team in the Cape has good pitching, so you have to score runs to win.
• Since the A’s are a little pitching heavy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see David Hale – who is listed only as a pitcher despite playing a lot in the field this spring – see some time at the plate, too.
• If Matt Harvey doesn’t end up as the top freshman pitcher on the Cape, don’t be surprised if Sammy Solis does. He just has to crack the starting rotation first.
• Catcher is one spot where the A’s might struggle. Gregg Glime hit .209 this spring and Joe Mercurio hit .222. With this team, though, the most important thing may be for them to simply be solid defensively.
• If we’re penciling in Kyle Bellows at third, Grant Green at short and Casey Haerther at first, the A’s would have a very strong infield. It would be significantly stronger if Kyle Seager doesn’t go to Team USA. Seager is currently the only Chatham player to be invited.
• Chatham’s North Carolina pipeline is certainly a great thing for the franchise, but the Tar Heels have turned into such a powerhouse, that the A’s can’t bank on getting a full season out of anybody from Chapel Hill. UNC is poised to make another trip to Omaha this year.
• As far as Seager goes, the A’s might want to be rooting for UNC to make a deep CWS run. That would cut way into the Team USA trials process, meaning Seager would be much more likely to be one of the invitees who doesn’t make the team. So he’d arrive late to Chatham, but at least he’d be there.
• I’d look for Baylor’s Aaron Miller to have a big summer. He was a major prospect out of high school who had his freshman year cut off by an injury. He was very good this season and is poised to make a name for himself again.
• The fact that the A’s have 12 players on this year’s roster who played on the Cape last year is extremely unusual. It could be a huge advantage for them.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Grant Green
2. Alex White
3. Matt Harvey
4. Gavin Brooks
5. Justin Marks

Pitchers
Brad Boxberger – RHP – 6’2 195 – USC – Sophomore
*Charles Brewer – RHP – 6’5 195 – UCLA – Sophomore
*Gavin Brooks – LHP – 6’3 210 – UCLA – Sophomore
*Kevin Couture – RHP – 6’0 185 – USC – Sophomore
Carmine Giardina – LHP – 6’3 210 – Central Florida – Sophomore
David Hale – RHP – 6’2 195 – Princeton – Sophomore
Matt Harvey – RHP – 6’4 200 – North Carolina – Freshman
*Jeff Lorick – LHP – 6’1 185 – Virginia – Sophomore
Justin Marks – LHP – 6’2 180 – Louisville – Sophomore
*Tom Milone – LHP – 6’0 205 – USC – Junior
Joe Serafin – LHP – 5’11 190 – Vermont – Junior
Sammy Solis – LHP – 6’4 215 – San Diego – Freshman
Jake Thompson – RHP – 6’3 200 – Long Beach State – Freshman
Adam Warren – RHP – 6’2 205 – North Carolina – Junior
*Alex White – RHP – 6’3 191 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Matt Zoltak – LHP – 5’11 200 – Clemson – Sophomore
* returning player

Brad Boxberger – RHP – 6’2 195
USC
Sophomore
Boxberger was on his way to a huge summer for Orleans when an injury sent him home a little early. He still made seven appearances and finished with a 1.24 ERA. He made a pretty big impression, too. Baseball America tabbed him as the 24th best prospect in the league, which made him the fourth-best freshman pitcher. Boxberger’s spring wasn’t spectacular, though. He finished with decent peripheral numbers – 52 strikeouts in 50 innings – but his ERA was 6.12.

Charles Brewer – RHP – 6’5 195
UCLA
Sophomore
Brewer was one of two UCLA frosh pitching for the A’s last year, and he had a better showing than Gavin Brooks, who will also be back in Chatham. He finished the summer with a 1.94 ERA, the best mark on the team among starters. Like Boxberger, his spring was a little uneven. He went 8-4 but had a 5.09 ERA.

Gavin Brooks – LHP – 6’3 210
UCLA
Sophomore
In terms of potential, Brooks probably is a little bit ahead of his teammate Brewer. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much of a chance to show it last summer. He was impressive in two early starts but then left for the remainder of the season. He’ll be trying to leave a more lasting impression this summer after posting a 4.91 ERA this spring.

Kevin Couture – RHP – 6’0 185
USC
Sophomore
Couture was one of the most dominant relievers on the Cape last year, finishing with a .90 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 30 innings. He spent the spring in USC’s rotation, going 6-2 with a 4.27 ERA. Whatever role he plays for Chatham, he’s got the potential to be a major contributor.

Carmine Giardina – LHP – 6’3 210
Central Florida
Sophomore
Giardina was a 28th-round pick out of high school in 2006 and had a decent freshman season for the Knights. But he saw his ERA balloon to 8.92 this season. He still struck out 45 in 38.1 innings.

David Hale – RHP – 6’2 195
Princeton
Sophomore
Hale was a starter all season for the Tigers and was somewhat of a workhorse, finishing with three complete games. He had a 5.04 ERA but struck out 47 in 44.2 innings of work. Hale also played a lot in the field, finishing with a .339 batting average and five home runs.

Matt Harvey – RHP – 6’4 200
North Carolina
Freshman
Harvey was a first-round talent last year who dropped to the third round. He still ended up as one of the highest unsigned picks in the draft, and he has lived up to the hype with the Tar Heels. Through the regional, which UNC won, Harvey had a 7-2 record and a 2.52 ERA. He has struck out 74 in 60.2 innings. Based on hype and those numbers, Harvey could be the top freshman pitcher in the league.

Jeff Lorick – LHP – 6’1 185
Virginia
Sophomore
Lorick is kind of the forgotten man when you list who’s coming back from last year’s team, but he should be a valuable player. He had his ups and downs in relief for the A’s last summer, finishing with an ERA above 6, but he still has the potential to be a good left-handed specialist out of the bullpen. With as many starters as the A’s have, they’ll need Lorick to be a big part of the pen.

Justin Marks – LHP – 6’2 180
Louisville
Sophomore
Marks had a great freshman season with the Cardinals, and after struggling through the early part of this season, he really turned it on. He finished with a 9-1 record, a 2.21 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 85.2 innings. Marks looks like a guy who’s just coming into his own, so he could make a big splash this summer.

Tom Milone – LHP – 6’0 205
USC
Junior
Milone was last year’s Cape League Pitcher of the Year, but for whatever reason, scouts don’t love him. That’s probably why he’s on the A’s roster again, despite being eligible for the draft this year. He was taken in the 10th round, so we’ll see what happens with him. If he comes, he gives the A’s something no other team has – a veteran lefty who has already had major success on the Cape.

Joe Serafin – LHP – 5’11 190
Vermont
Junior
I actually saw Serafin in the NECBL last year, and though he doesn’t have the prototypical pitcher look, he’s very good. The typical crafty lefthander, Serafin went 6-5 this spring with a 2.51 ERA and earned America East Pitcher of the Year honors. Without the size or the hype or the big school, Serafin is a guy who will be easy to root for this summer.

Sammy Solis – LHP – 6’4 215
San Diego
Freshman
Solis was an 18th-round pick in last year’s draft and showed why in his freshman year with the Toreros. He made 17 appearances – seven starts – and went 3-1 with a 3.83 ERA. He struck out 42 and walked 12, an outstanding ratio, especially for a freshman.

Jake Thompson – RHP – 6’3 200
Long Beach State
Freshman
Like Robert Stock at USC a year ago, Thompson enrolled at Long Beach after skipping his senior year of high school. He’s not quite as young as Stock was when he did it, but this is still an interesting case. Thompson went 2-5 this spring with a 4.95 ERA.

Adam Warren – RHP – 6’2 205
North Carolina
Junior
Of the three UNC pitchers on the Chatham roster, Warren comes with the least amount of hype. But he’s been a very consistent starter for the Tar Heels, posting an 8-1 record with a 4.42 ERA. His 71.1 innings pitched rank second on the team. Last summer, Warren played for Brewster, finishing the season with a 7.71 ERA.

Alex White – RHP – 6’3 191
North Carolina
Sophomore
White was a 14th-round pick out of high school and lived up to the hype last year, both for the Tar Heels and the A’s. After finishing sixth in the ACC in strikeouts in the spring, he came to Chatham and was impressive despite a late arrival, finishing with a 2.10 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. He’s been great this spring, with a 9-3 record, a 2.66 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 81.1 innings.

Matt Zoltak – LHP – 5’11 200
Clemson
Sophomore
Zoltak has been used almost exclusively as a reliever in his two years at Clemson. He finished this season with a 6.30 ERA after posting a 5.66 ERA as a freshman.

Position Players
*Gregg Glime – C – 5’11 210 – Baylor – Sophomore
Joe Mercurio – C – 6’2 185 – Maine – Sophomore
Kyle Bellows – 3B – 6’3 205 – San Jose State – Sophomore
Grant Green – SS – 6’0 180 – USC – Sophomore
Casey Haerther – 1B – 6’2 210 – UCLA – Sophomore
Devin Lohman – INF – 6’1 185 – Long Beach State – Freshman
Victor Sanchez – INF – 6’2 180 – San Diego – Freshman
*Kyle Seager – 2B – 6’1 194 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Dylan Brown – OF – 6’2 201 – Oklahoma State – Sophomore
Aaron Miller – OF – 6’3 220 – Baylor – Sophomore
Corey Overholtzer – OF – 5’11 160 – UNC Greensboro – Sophomore
*Jeremy Synan – OF – 5’11 192 – NC State – Junior
* returning player

Gregg Glime – C – 5’11 210
Baylor
Sophomore
Glime saw part-time action his freshman year at Baylor then played for Chatham last summer. He struggled with the A’s, finishing with a .150 average, and he hit only .209 this spring for Baylor.

Joe Mercurio – C – 6’2 185
Maine
Sophomore
Chatham has had a Maine connection in the past and they’ve used it again to bring in Mercurio. The lanky sophomore played his freshman year at Illinois before transferring to Maine. He played in 36 games for the Black Bears, finishing with a .222 batting average.

Kyle Bellows – 3B – 6’3 205
San Jose State
Sophomore
Bellows earned Freshman All-America nods from several publications after hitting .343 last season. He continued his strong year by hitting .343 in the NECBL, which helped him earn the No. 2 spot on BA’s list of the league’s top prospects. His numbers weren’t quite as good this spring – .276 with four home runs.

Grant Green – SS – 6’0 180
USC
Sophomore
Based on what he did last year for Y-D and what he did this spring for USC, Green will enter the summer as the top returning player, in my book. He hit .291 with four home runs for the Red Sox last summer. This season for the Trojans, he hit .390 with nine home runs. He was rated 18th on BA’s list of top Cape League prospects last year, and he’s got a good shot to move way up this year.

Casey Haerther – 1B – 6’2 210
UCLA
Sophomore
Haerther was the top all-around hitter for the Bruins this spring, finishing the year with a .324 average and team-highs of 12 home runs and 52 RBI. Out of high school, Haerther was a 34th-round pick.

Devin Lohman – INF – 6’1 185
Long Beach State
Freshman
Lohman was a late addition to the Chatham roster, likely an insurance policy if Seager goes to Team USA, and a very good backup if he doesn’t. He should be a good player regardless of how big a role he plays. He was drafted in the 42nd round out of high school and played fairly well for Long Beach this spring.

Victor Sanchez – INF – 6’2 180
San Diego
Freshman
Sanchez was another piece in San Diego’s big recruiting class and he made a pretty big impact. Holding down the starting job at third, Sanchez didn’t hit that well in the average department (.268) but he made up for it with 12 home runs, best on the team.

Kyle Seager – 2B – 6’1 194
North Carolina
Sophomore
Seager was a valuable contributor for the Tar Heels as a freshman then had a strong showing for Chatham, hitting .274 after arriving late from the College World Series. He’s been a star for the Tar Heels this year, hitting .365 with eight home runs and 67 RBI. He has been invited to Team USA.

Dylan Brown – OF – 6’2 201
Oklahoma State
Sophomore
Brown has been very solid in his sophomore year for the Cowboys, hitting .294 with four home runs. This will be his first summer on the Cape, but he has a big connection to Chatham. His brother Corey, also from Oklahoma State, played for Chatham in 2006 and is now in the Oakland A’s organization.

Aaron Miller – OF – 6’3 220
Baylor
Sophomore
Miller was a big-time player out of high school. His senior year, he was rated No. 23 nationally by Baseball America. Once he arrived at Baylor, he started from day one, before a broken arm ended his season and kept him out all of last summer. He was very good this year though, finishing with a .295 average and 12 home runs.

Corey Overholtzer – OF – 5’11 160
UNC Greensboro
Sophomore
Overholtzer is another player coming from a smaller school who could have a big impact. He hit .350 this spring with five home runs.

Jeremy Synan – OF – 5’11 192
NC State
Junior
Synan came to Chatham for the second half of the season last summer and gave the A’s a pretty big boost. He ended up hitting .388 in 18 games. For NC State this spring, he’s hit .306. Synan is another junior who may be trying to raise his stock.

Ten more 2008 Cape Leaguers have been drafted so far on the second day.

8th round (Cleveland) – Tim Fedroff – OF – North Carolina – Falmouth
9th round (Florida) – Dan Jennings – LHP – Nebraska – Cotuit
10th round (Washington) – Tom Milone – LHP – USC – Chatham
10th round (Texas) – Kevin Castner – RHP – Cal-Poly – Cotuit
12th round (Milwaukee) – Garrett Sherrill – RHP – App. State – Hyannis
12th round (Florida) – Brandon Turner – 2B – Miss. State – Bourne
13th round (Cleveland) – Adam Abraham – 3B – Michigan – Hyannis
14th round (NYY) – David Phelps – RHP – Notre Dame – Hyannis
19th round (Arizona) – Joseph Gautier – LHP – B. Cookman – Harwich
29th round (Oakland) – Dusty Coleman – SS – Wichita State – Bourne
35th round (Cincinnati) – Matt Fairel – LHP – Florida State – Cotuit

I’ll try to do some digging tomorrow, but my first impression is that a lot of these guys will still be on the Cape. Obviously, the guys at the top would be more likely to sign.

Hyannis has three on this list and Ryan Lavarnway in the first group, so it’s possible they could have four draft picks on the team.

By the way, the Super Regionals between Florida State and Wichita State are on ESPN right now. Dusty Coleman is having a hell of a game, as is ’07 MVP Conor Gillaspie.

Plenty more former Cape Leaguers got drafted on the first day, but a handful of players who are on 2008 rosters also had their names called. Based on how these things usually go, some of them will sign immediately, some will head to the Cape to gain some leverage and some will head to the Cape with the intention of going back to school.

Braeden Schlehuber – C – Southern Nevada – Yarmouth-Dennis
Schlehuber, a JUCO player who’s an Arkansas signee, got picked in the third round by the Braves. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Schlehuber plans to sign.

Catcher Braeden Schlehuber of the College of Southern Nevada said he already has agreed to sign with the Atlanta Braves, who picked him the fourth round. “They’re going to pay for my schooling, and it’s a good opportunity I can’t pass up right now,” Schlehuber said. “When you’re a little kid you always want to be a professional baseball player, especially when you get the kind of opportunity I got today.”

Jason Kipnis – OF – Arizona State – Cotuit
Kipnis was draft-eligibile because he redshirted his first year at Kentucky before transferring to Arizona State. The Padres made him a third-round pick, even though this season was really the first where Kipnis shined.

Greg Miclat – INF – Virginia – Yarmouth-Dennis
Miclat, coming off his junior year, was a fourth-round pick of the Orioles. From The Charlottesville Daily Progress:

“They said they really like me and they know what it is going to take to sign me. They drafted me regardless of my [price tag], and they want to get something worked out as soon as possible.” Miclat has leverage and could report to the Cape Cod League later this month if a deal seems unlikely.

Cole Figueroa – SS – Florida – Orleans
Figueroa was picked in the sixth round by the Padres. He’s only a rising junior, but he’s draft-eligible because he turns 21 this summer. Originally, Figueroa, who played for Harwich last year, wasn’t on a Cape League roster. He was recently added in Orleans. I don’t have any inside info, but I could definitely see Figueroa heading back to school. He thought he might go in the first three rounds. The sixth round isn’t significantly better than the ninth round, which is where he was drafted out of high school.

Ryan Lavarnway – C/OF – Yale – Hyannis
Lavarnway was taken in the sixth round by the Red Sox. He’s a pure hitter who may not be able to stay at catcher. But it sounds like the Cape is in his plans. This, from Baseball America:

Yale catcher Lavarnway could have gone as high as the fourth round if he hadn’t broken his wrist on a play at home plate late in the spring. He’s a hitting machine with power and a big league approach who led the nation in batting as a sophomore (.467). He has a big, physical frame and should have enough mobility and power to man a corner outfield spot if he can’t stay behind the plate. That move is not a foregone conclusion, however; he didn’t start catching until college and shows decent hands and arm strength, but he needs to improve his mobility and transfer. It’s never easy to buy a junior out of an Ivy League school, and it will be even harder with Lavarnway, who could return for his senior year and boost his stock significantly with a healthy spring. But if Lavarnway has a strong, healthy summer in the Cape Cod League, the Red Sox could shell out for him prior to the Aug. 15 signing deadline.

HARWICH MARINERS
Manager: Steve Englert
Last Season: 14-28-2

The Harwich Mariners franchise has had its fair share of great players the last few years, from Shaun Marcum and Joe Saunders to Jeff Niemann and Tim Lincecum. But team success hasn’t been there. The Mariners haven’t had a wining season since they went 23-21 in 1998. Their best finish in that span was in 2005, when they took third in the East.

With a trio of perennial powerhouses in the same division, it’s tough for the Mariners to reverse the trend. If things go as planned this year, though, I think Harwich has a legitimate chance to compete.

The offense could be very solid, even if it takes a hit from Team USA. Players like D.J. LeMahieu, Shaver Hansen and Jason Stidham give the Mariners some of the best high-ceiling guys they’ve had in recent years. As for the pitching staff, it looks like there are several potential standouts in Sean Black, Joseph Gautier, Chris Manno and Matt Zielinski.

In all, I think this Harwich team has a lot more potential than last year’s. That squad didn’t have much in the way of pitching depth and it hurt them. They finished with a 14-28-2 record, the worst in the league and the franchise’s worst in the last 10 years.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 20
Freshmen : 5

Notable

• Harwich’s web site hadn’t been updated for awhile, but of course, right as I was about to post this, I noticed some roster changes. So this is current as of June 5.
• Two of the biggest changes were the losses of Virginia’s Phil Gosselin and Florida State’s John Gast, two pretty highly-touted freshmen. But two big pitchers in Joseph Gautier and Chris Manno were added.
• Only two Harwich players have been invited to Team USA, but they would be two pretty huge losses. Tommy Medica is currently the only catcher listed on the roster (which can’t be right), but even with other catchers in the fold, Medica is a big loss. The other player is Dustin Ackley, who would have a pretty good shot at being the best hitter on the Cape.
• The Mariners should still have a pretty nice little offense, even if Ackley and Medica go with Team USA. D.J. LeMahieu, Brandon Belt, Shaver Hansen, Joe Sanders and Brian Kemp all look like legitimate hitters.
• LeMahieu has the potential to become the top freshman hitter in the league.
• I think Sean Black could have a big summer. He was the highest unsigned pick in the 2006 draft and just finished a very good spring at Seton Hall. He’ll be looking to raise his stock.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Dustin Ackley
2. D.J. LeMahieu
3. Sean Black
4. Chris Manno
5. Brandon Belt

Pitchers
Billy Bullock – RHP – 6’6 220 – Florida – Sophomore
*Sean Black – RHP – 6’5 195 – Seton Hall – Sophomore
Chad Bell – LHP – 6’4 207 – Memphis – Freshman
Garret Davis – RHP – 6’4 200 – North Carolina – Freshman
Brian Dupra – RHP – 6’3 200 – Notre Dame – Freshman
Joseph Gautier – LHP – 5’10 175 – Bethune Cookman – Junior
Pat Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170 – North Carolina – Freshman
Stave Kalush – RHP – 6’0 180 – Santa Clara – Sophomore
Willie Kempf – RHP – 6’0 200 – Baylor – Sophomore
Chris Manno – LHP – 6’1 160 – Duke – Sophomore
Mike Morrison – RHP – 6’1 195 – Cal State Fullerton – Sophomore
Ryan Quigley – LHP – 6’4 215 – Northeastern – Sophomore
Matt Zielinski – LHP – 6’3 200 – Richmond – Sophomore
* returning player

Billy Bullock – RHP – 6’6 220
Florida
Sophomore
Bullock saw action mostly as a starter in his freshman season and continued in a similar role this season. After posting a 6.31 ERA last year, Bullock went 4-5 this year with a 5.01 ERA. He struck out 63 in 82.2 innings. Bullock was a 20th round pick in the 2006 draft.

Sean Black – RHP – 6’5 195
Seton Hall
Sophomore
Talk about hype. Black was a second-round pick in 2006, and when he opted to stick with Seton Hall, he became the highest unsigned player in the draft. His freshman year wasn’t spectacular, though, as he finished with a 5.66 ERA. He then made three appearances early in the summer for Harwich before heading home. This season, though, Black has shown why he was so highly-though of out of high school. He finished with a 3.44 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

Chad Bell – LHP – 6’4 207
Walters State
Freshman
Bell is listed as being from Memphis on Harwich’s roster, and I guess that’s where he was for a while. But he spent this spring at juco powerhouse Walters State Community College in Tennessee. He emerged there as one of the team’s best pitchers, posting a 3.50 ERA with 100 strikeouts and only 33 walks in 100.1 innings. Bell was a 25th-round pick out of high school.

Garret Davis – RHP – 6’4 200
North Carolina
Freshman
Davis was a highly thought-of high school player in North Carolina, but has seen very limited action for the Tar Heels this season because of injury. He didn’t allow an earned run in his two appearances, but he’s not on the Tar Heels’ postseason roster, so he’s clearly done for the season. We’ll see if he makes it to the Cape.

Brian Dupra – RHP – 6’3 200
Notre Dame
Freshman
Notre Dame has a lot of players whose draft stock slipped because of their college commitment, and Dupra is another one. He was ranked among the top 150 draft prospects last year, but fell to the 37th round and naturally stuck with Notre Dame. His ERA this season was 5.44 but his peripheral numbers were good. He struck out 30 and walked 10 in 46.1 innings.

Joseph Gautier – LHP – 5’10 175
Bethune Cookman
Junior
Gautier just got added to the Harwich roster. He was dominant this season for the Wildcats, posting a 6-3 record with a 2.48 ERA. He struck out 74 and walked only 13 in 72.2 innings. He is draft-eligible this year, so in the next day, we’ll have a better idea of whether or not he’ll be in Harwich. If he is, he looks like a major addition to the Mariners’ staff.

Pat Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170
North Carolina
Freshman
Rated ahead of his UNC teammate Davis out of high school, Johnson has been pretty solid in a swing role for the Tar Heels. In 14 appearances – half of them starts – he’s posted a 4.14 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 22 walks in 41.1 innings.

Stave Kalush – RHP – 6’0 180
Santa Clara
Sophomore
Kalush was both a starter and a reliever for the Broncos this spring and finished the year with a 5-3 record and a 5.80 ERA. He struck out 61 in 54 innings, though, which is a pretty nice ratio. Kalush was a West Coast Conference all-freshman pick last year.

Willie Kempf – RHP – 6’0 200
Baylor
Sophomore
After a very good freshman season, Kempf pitched well in the Northwoods League last summer and became one of the Bears’ most reliable pitchers this year. He made 16 appearances – 10 starts – and went 6-2 with a 3.69 ERA. He struck out 48 in 68.1 innings.

Chris Manno – LHP – 6’1 160
Duke
Sophomore
Manno is another late addition and another big addition. He went 6-2 this year with a 3.38 ERA, and he struck out 80 in just 58.2 innings. He also only walked 19. Looks like some serious potential here.

Mike Morrison – RHP – 6’1 195
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore
Morrison was one of the Titans’ most versatile pitchers last year, excelling in starts and relief appearances. He has focused mostly on relief this year with pretty solid results. He’s posted a 4.33 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched.

Ryan Quigley – LHP – 6’4 215
Northeastern
Sophomore
Quigley pitched mostly as a starter this spring and struggled to a 2-4 record and an 8.06 ERA. He did, however, strike out 62 in 51.1 innings. Quigley was a closer last season and excelled in that role.

Matt Zielinski – LHP – 6’3 200
Richmond
Sophomore
Zielinski was the best pitcher on a staff that had its struggles this year. The sophomore went 5-2 with a 4.71 ERA and flashed great control, striking out 45 and walking only 14. Zielinski had a 3.30 ERA as a freshman and was named the A-10’s Freshman of the Year.

Position Players
Mark Fleury – C – 6’1 200 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Tommy Medica – C – 6’1 190 – Santa Clara – Sophomore
Brandon Belt – INF – 6’5 205 – Texas – Sophomore
Jeff Cusick – INF – 6’2 205 – UC Irvine – Sophomore
Shaver Hansen – INF – 6’0 185 – Baylor – Sophomore
D.J. LeMahieu – INF – 6’4 196 – LSU – Freshman
Joe Sanders – INF – 6’1 195 – Auburn – Sophomore
Tim Smalling – INF – 6’3 207 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Jason Stidham – INF – 5’11 173 – Florida State – Sophomore
Dustin Ackley – OF – 6’1 182 – North Carolina – Sophomore
D.J. Belfonte – OF – 5’10 180 – Nebraska – Sophomore
Brian Kemp – OF – 5’10 180 – St. John’s – Sophomore
Ross Smith – OF – 6’2 192 – Auburn – Sophomore

Mark Fleury – C – 6’1 200
North Carolina
Sophomore
The heir apparent to Tim Federowicz, Fleury hasn’t exactly been buried on the depth chart. He’s played in 57 games, some as the DH and some at catcher, with a lot of pinch-hitting mixed in. He has hit .286 with three home runs. Fleury played in the NECBL last summer.

Tommy Medica – C – 6’1 190
Santa Clara
Sophomore
Medica was a standout freshman last year and played for Team USA last summer. He’s again a Team USA invite this year, so we’ll see what happens there. This season for Santa Clara, Medica hit .342 with six home runs and 44 RBI.

Brandon Belt – INF – 6’5 205
Texas
Sophomore
A power-hitting first baseman who occasionally pitches, Belt made a pretty big impact after transferring to Texas from San Jacinto junior college. He hit .319, good for fourth on the team, and hit six home runs. He led the team with 65 RBI. In 16 appearances on the mound, he had a 4.08 ERA with 16 strikeouts and five walks in 17.2 innings.

Jeff Cusick – INF – 6’2 205
UC Irvine
Sophomore
Cusick hasn’t hit for much power this season, but his average and on-base percentage make up for it. He’s hit a team-best .347 with a .446 on-base percentage. His UC-Irvine team is still alive in the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament.

Shaver Hansen – INF – 6’0 185
Baylor
Sophomore
Hansen was named Baylor’s co-MVP this year, sharing the award with former Wareham player Beamer Weems. Hansen led the team with a .326 average and hit six home runs with 47 RBI. He played mostly at third base.

D.J. LeMahieu – INF – 6’4 196
LSU
Freshman
LeMahieu was a two-time winner of Michigan’s Gatorade Player of the Year award and headed south as a highly-touted shortstop. He hasn’t disappointed in his freshman season with the Tigers. He has started 61 games and has put up a .336 average to go with five home runs and 38 RBI.

Joe Sanders – INF – 6’1 195
Auburn
Sophomore
Sanders hit .333 as a freshman and stayed ahead of that pace as a sophomore, finishing with a .348 average, good for second on the team. He also hit six home runs and drove in a team-best 52 runs. Sanders played second base for the Tigers.

Tim Smalling – INF – 6’3 207
Arkansas
Sophomore
Smalling hit .288 in his freshman year after grabbing the starting shortstop gig. His average dipped this year to .250 but he still hit nine home runs. Smalling can also play second base and third base.

Jason Stidham – INF – 5’11 173
Florida State
Sophomore
Stidham was a first-team all-conference pick as a freshman when he hit .366. As the Seminoles’ starting second baseman this season, his average has dipped to .308, but he had hit 10 home runs, the third-highest total on the team. Stidham was a 43rd-round pick out of high school.

Dustin Ackley – OF – 6’1 182
North Carolina
Sophomore
Ackley was the top freshman hitter in the country last year and was slated to play for Chatham last summer. He never made it, and as a Team USA invitee, he might not make it to Harwich this year. If he does, you can be sure he’ll hit. After batting .402 last year, he has hit .407 this year with seven home runs.

D.J. Belfonte – OF – 5’10 180
Nebraska
Sophomore
Belfonte was one of Nebraska’s offensive leaders as a freshman, hitting .307 and leading the team in several categories. But he hit the dreaded sophomore slump this year, batting just .241. He still brought speed to the table, stealing 14 bases in 17 attempts.

Brian Kemp – OF – 5’10 180
St. John’s
Sophomore
Kemp emerged this season as one of the best hitters for average in the Big East. He finished the year with a .359 batting average and also notched a .449 on-base percentage.

Ross Smith – OF – 6’2 192
Auburn
Sophomore
Smith had a very good freshman season after coming in as a highly-touted recruit, but from what I can gather, he redshirted this season due to injury. He isn’t actually on the Auburn roster right now, so I’m not sure what that means. You can get to his bio from a Google search.

The first round and supplemental round of the 2008 MLB draft just finished up, and 19 Cape Leaguers have had their names called. That’s 19 out of 46 picks.

First Round

5. San Francisco – Buster Posey – C – Florida State – Y-D ’06 & ’07
7. Cincinnati – Yonder Alonso – 1B – Miami – Brewster ’07
8. Chi White Sox – Gordon Beckham – SS – Georgia – Y-D ’07
9. Washington – Aaron Crow – RHP – Missouri – Falmouth ’07
10. Houston – Jason Castro – C – Stanford – Y-D ’07
11. Texas – Justin Smoak – 1B – South Carolina – Cotuit ’06
13. St. Louis – Brett Wallace 1B/3B – Arizona State – Falmouth ’06
17. Toronto – David Cooper – 1B – California – Brewster ’07
18. NY Mets – Ike Davis – 1B – Arizona State – Wareham ’07
20. Seattle – Josh Fields – RHP – Georgia – Y-D ’06
21. Detroit – Ryan Perry – RHP – Arizona – Orleans ’07
22. NY Mets – Reese Havens – SS – South Carolina – Cotuit ’07
23. San Diego – Allan Dykstra – 1B – Wake Forest – Chatham ’06 & ’07
25. Colorado – Christian Friedrich – LHP – E. Kentucky – Falmouth ’07

Supplemental First Round

31. Minnesota – Shooter Hunt – RHP – Tulane – Falmouth ’06 & ’07
37. San Francisco – Conor Gillaspie – 3B – Wichita St. – Falmouth ’07
41. Chi Cubs – Ryan Flaherty – SS -Vanderbilt – Hyannis ’06
43. Arizona – Wade Miley – LHP – SE Lousiana – Wareham ’07
44. NY Yankees – Jeremy Bleich – LHP – Stanford – Wareham ’06 & ’07

I watched most of the coverage on ESPN2, and the Cape League got dozens of mentions. Peter Gammons, of course, had a lot of insight and mentioned that Crow, Friedrich and Hunt were all on the same Falmouth pitching staff. He also said that the Cape League is essentially professional-caliber baseball.

The best mention of the Cape came from Christian Friedrich. Karl Ravech was interviewing him over the phone and asked him about the Cape League playoff game where he struck out Buster Posey, Gordon Beckham and Jason Castro in succession. Ravech asked if Friedrich thought about it much. Friedrich said, “About once a day.” He went on to say it was one of the best moments in baseball he’s ever had. Pretty cool to hear that.

The draft continues today and tomorrow. Hundreds more Cape Leaguers will get the call, so I’ll try to keep up with some of the notables.

BREWSTER WHITECAPS
Manager: Bob Macaluso
Last Season: 22-19-3

Two hitters from last year’s Brewster team will likely be first-round picks in this year’s draft, but only one of them was an all-star. That’s Miami’s Yonder Alonso, who hit .338 with four home runs and 25 RBI. The other is Cal’s David Cooper, whose .284 average was solid but not spectacular.

But both have put up huge numbers this spring. The fact that only one of them did last summer was fitting, considering how things went for the Whitecaps. On paper, they had one of the best offenses in the league with Alonso, Cooper, Charlie Cutler, Blake Tekotte and Jacob Priday leading the way. But none of those players had great summers, which left the Whitecaps on the outside of the playoff picture. In a way, they were the anti-Y-D Red Sox. Y-D had a group of talented players all perform at or above expectations. Brewster had the talent, but not the success.

As the Whitecaps head into the summer of ’08, they’ll be hoping another talented offensive team can deliver. They don’t have anybody returning, but several players in their lineup had huge springs, including James Meador and Connor Powers. At this point, they’ve also only had one player – closer A.J. Griffin – invited to Team USA.

All of that points to the Whitecaps emerging as contenders, but in what’s shaping up to be an extremely difficult Eastern division, they’ll need a big summer to do it.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 0
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 19
Freshmen : 4

Notable

• The Whitecaps don’t have as many juniors as Hyannis, probably the oldest team in the league, but they have a lot fewer freshmen. Of the four on the roster, two are redshirts, leaving Brewster with only two true freshmen. That’s probably not a bad thing, considering how few freshmen succeed on the Cape.
• On paper, the Whitecaps look like they might be a little short in the starting rotation. Most of their pitchers have come out of the bullpen this spring, with only two players – Vanderbilt’s Caleb Coltham and Missouri State’s Buddy Bauman – in weekend rotations. Several players will have to be stretched out for Brewster to have enough.
• California’s Blake Smith is one of the top two-way players in the country, and he’ll bring his game to Brewster this summer. A lot of times, two-way players focus on one thing when they’re on the Cape, but Smith has been so good at both, that he’ll probably get a chance to show what he can do.
• Brewster has three catchers and two are from powerhouse programs Arizona and Miami. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the third catcher, the one from the small school, makes the biggest impact. Southeast Missouri’s Jim Klocke was a legit Freshman All-American last year, and he hit .357 this year.
• The Whitecaps have the makings of a powerful lineup. Smith had nine home runs this year, Southeast Missouri’s Jim Klocke had six, Mississippi State’s Connor Powers had 11, Loyola Marymount’s Ryan Wheeler had six and Florida’s Matt den Dekker had nine.
• When you plug in projected starters, Brewster’s lineup looks about as good as anybody’s from top to bottom, with the above players joining San Diego’s James Meador and Clemson’s Mike Freeman as potential standouts.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Blake Smith
2. Caleb Coltham
3. Connor Powers
4. Jim Klocke
5. James Meador

Pitchers
Buddy Bauman – LHP – 5’10 175 – Missouri State – Sophomore
Wade Broyles – RHP – 6’2 200 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Garrett Claypool – RHP – 6’2 175 – UCLA – Sophomore
Caleb Coltham – RHP – 6’3 210 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Rob Gilliam – RHP – 6’1 195 – UNC Greensboro – Sophomore
A.J. Griffin – RHP – 6’5 215 – San Diego – Sophomore
Chris LaGrow – LHP – 6’3 185 – South Alabama – Sophomore
Mark Lamm – RHP – 6’4 215 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Rory McKean – RHP – 6’3 210 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Iden Nazario – LHP – 6’0 192 – Miami – Freshman
Matt Packer – LHP – 6’0 190 – Virginia – Sophomore
Blake Smith – RHP/OF – 6’2 220 – California – Sophomore
Ryan Woolley – RHP – 6’1 190 – Georgia – Sophomore

Buddy Bauman – LHP – 5’10 175
Missouri State
Sophomore
Bauman was solid as a freshman when he posted a 4.85 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 39 innings. After an all-star campaign in the Northwoods League, Bauman grabbed a spot in the weekend rotation this year and closed out the regular season with a 6-4 record and a 4.66 ERA. He struck out 71 in 75 innings.

Wade Broyles – RHP – 6’2 200
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Broyles red-shirted his first year at Ole Miss then saw limited action last season. He still hasn’t see much action this year, making just six appearances. He’s put up good numbers while he’s been in there, though, with a 2.70 ERA and nine strikeouts.

Garrett Claypool – RHP – 6’2 175
UCLA
Sophomore
Claypool pitched in a swing role as a freshman and finished with a 3.54 ERA, good enough to earn him Freshman All-American honors from several publications. He has been in a similar role this year, making a few starts and pitching out of the bullpen the rest of the time. He has posted a 4.13 ERA, though he has walked 30 batters and struck out only 24.

Caleb Coltham – RHP – 6’3 210
Vanderbilt
Freshman
Coltham redshirted last year but he has made a major splash this season. Pitching in Vandy’s weekend rotation, Coltham has put up similar numbers to those of teammate Mike Minor, one of the more highly-touted hurlers in the country. Coltham has gone 7-5 with a 4.26 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 80.1 innings.

Rob Gilliam – RHP – 6’1 195
UNC Greensboro
Sophomore
Gilliam had a high ERA as a freshman but then went to the Valley League and led the league in ERA. This spring, his ERA is back up around six but he has struck out 54 in 56.1 innings.

A.J. Griffin – RHP – 6’5 215
San Diego
Sophomore
Griffin was one of the initial invitees to Team USA, so he may not wear a Brewster uniform this summer. If he does, the Whitecaps will have themselves one of the premier closers in college baseball. Griffin has 13 saves this year, a 2.04 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.

Chris LaGrow – LHP – 6’3 185
South Alabama
Sophomore
LaGrow put up great numbers as a freshman, stepping into the closer’s role and notching eight saves with a 3.03 ERA. He has moved out of the closer’s role this season, and out of his 10 appearances, seven have been starts. His ERA has jumped up to 5.62.

Mark Lamm – RHP – 6’4 215
Vanderbilt
Freshman
Like Coltham, Lamm redshirted in his first season with the Commodores but has made a good impression this year. In 14 appearances, mostly out of the bullpen, Lamm has put up a 3.30 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 30 innings.

Rory McKean – RHP – 6’3 210
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Another former redshirt, McKean has gotten his feet under him this year after seeing limited action last season. In 22 appearances, McKean has a 2.40 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 16 walks in 45 innings of work.

Iden Nazario – LHP – 6’0 192
Miami
Freshman
One of several impact freshman playing for Miami this year, Nazario was expected to play big roles on offense and on the mound. He has seen action both ways, but he has had his biggest success with the ball in his hands. In 10 appearances out of the bullpen, he’s posted a .84 ERA with 15 strikeouts.

Matt Packer – LHP – 6’0 190
Virginia
Sophomore
Packer has been an absolute workhorse this season for the Cavaliers. He has made 22 appearances and all but four have been out of the bullpen. Still, he’s fourth on the team in innings pitched and leads the team with a 1.19 ERA. He has struck out 53 and walked only 15 in 60.2 innings.

Blake Smith – RHP/OF – 6’2 220
California
Sophomore
Smith has been a valuable two-way player for the Bears this spring. He has started 50 games in the outfield and has posted a .290 batting average with nine home runs. On the mound, he has a 2.70 ERA in 14 relief appearances. He has struck out 29 in just 16.2 innings.

Ryan Woolley – RHP – 6’1 190
Georgia
Sophomore
Woolley was tremendous out of the bullpen as a freshman, posting a 3.14 ERA in 19 appearances. This season, Woolley has only made three appearances, but I can’t find anything that explains why that is.

Position Players
Dwight Childs – C – 6’3 178 – Arizona – Sophomore
Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210 – Miami – Freshman
Jim Klocke – C – 6’0 195 – Southeast Missouri – Sophomore
Mike Freeman – INF – 5’11 185 – Clemson – Sophomore
Garrett Gore – INF – 5’10 176 – North Carolina – Junior
James Meador – INF/OF – 6’1 205 – San Diego – Sophomore
Derek Poppert – INF – 6’2 185 – San Francisco – Sophomore
Connor Powers – INF – 6’2 230 – Mississippi State – Sophomore
Ryan Wheeler – INF – 6’4 220 – Loyola Marymount – Sophomore
Matt den Dekker – OF – 6’1 205 – Florida – Sophomore

Dwight Childs – C – 6’3 178
Arizona
Sophomore
Childs saw a lot of time last year for the Wildcats and finished with a .232 batting average. He has struggled a bit more this year, with a .214 average in 47 games.

Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210
Miami
Freshman
Grandal was a 27th-round pick out of high school and has made an immediate impact for the Hurricanes. Splitting time at catcher with sophomore Jason Hagerty, Grandal has hit .244 with five home runs and 19 RBI to go with a .358 on-base percentage.

Jim Klocke – C – 6’0 195
Southeast Missouri
Sophomore
Klocke hit .324 last year as a freshman and didn’t miss a beat this season. He closed out the year with a team-best .357 batting average, to go with six home runs and 40 RBI. He also had a .469 on-base percentage and struck out just 21 times in 185 at-bats.

Mike Freeman – INF – 5’11 185
Clemson
Sophomore
Freeman played for Georgia last year then transferred to Clemson. He’s been a big addition for the Tigers this year, leading the team with a .332 batting average. Freeman played last summer in the NECBL and was solid, finishing with a .297 average.

Garrett Gore – INF – 5’10 176
North Carolina
Junior
Gore emerged as the Tar Heels’ starter at second base last year and finished the year with a .324 average. He has moved to shortstop this season and has hit .278. Last summer in the Coastal Plain League, Gore hit .400.

James Meador – INF/OF – 6’1 205
San Diego
Sophomore
Meador played in roughly half of San Diego’s games last year as a freshman and never really got his feet under him. But this year, he has been the team’s best hitter, posting a .385 batting average with six home runs and 51 RBI.

Derek Poppert – INF – 6’2 185
San Francisco
Sophomore
Poppert played in 47 games and got 30 starts as a freshman, finishing his first campaign with a .297 batting average. He’s had a rough go of it this year, though, with a .226 average.

Connor Powers – INF – 6’2 230
Mississippi State
Sophomore
Powers started hitting from day one in Starkville and hasn’t stopped. After batting .306 with eight home runs as a freshman, Powers has been one of the SEC’s most fearsome hitters this year, despite missing a third of the season with injury. He leads the team with a .348 batting average and has also belted 11 home runs.

Ryan Wheeler – INF – 6’4 220
Loyola Marymount
Sophomore
A powerful left-handed hitter, Wheeler was one of the top players in the West Coast Conference this season. He hit .345 with six home runs, 45 RBI and 27 extra-base hits, good enough to earn an all-conference nod.

Matt den Dekker – OF – 6’1 205
Florida
Sophomore
After being named to the SEC’s all-freshman team last season, den Dekker has taken big steps forward this year. Starting nearly every day, den Dekker has hit .332 with eight home runs and 47 RBI.

If you missed the first part of this project, scroll down to the next post. In this post, I’m going to run through the leaders.

We’ll start with offense. I’ll put up the top guys for each of the three categories (AVG, HR, OBP), with a little summary below. For the purposes of this, players who have been invited to Team USA are still included. I do have a star by their names.

OFFENSE
Batting Average

PLAYER	POSITION	CAPE TEAM	COLLEGE	AVG
Josh Phegley*	C	Wareham	Indiana	.438
Dustin Ackley*	OF	Harwich	North Carolina	.399
Ryan Lavarnway	C	Hyannis	Yale	.398
Grant Green	SS	Chatham	USC	.390
Tim Fedroff	OF	Falmouth	North Carolina	.383
Nate Freiman	1B	Orleans	Duke	.381
James Meador	OF	Brewster	San Diego	.380
Josh Rutledge	INF	Y-D	Alabama	.375
Diego Seastrunk	INF	Falmouth	Rice	.374
Jason Kipnis	OF	Cotuit	Arizona State	.367
Russ Moldenhauer	OF	Wareham	Texas	.366
Kyle Seager*	INF	Chatham	North Carolina	.365
Ryan Jackson*	SS	Hyannis	Miami	.365
Rich Poythress	3B/1B	Orleans	Georgia	.365
Brian Kemp	OF	Harwich	St. John’s	.359
Jim Klocke	C	Brewster	SE Missouri	.357
Angelo Songco	OF	Orleans	Loyola Marymount	.356
Chris McClendon	INF	Y-D	Kentucky	.356
Matt Bowman	INF	Orleans	Nevada	.355
Alex Hassan	OF	Orleans	Duke	.353
Gunner Glad	UTIL	Y-D	Eastern Oklahoma	.353
A.J. Pollock	3B/OF	Falmouth	Notre Dame	.352
Casey Frawley	2B	Hyannis	Stetson	.352
Hunter Morris*	INF	Falmouth	Auburn	.351
Ryan Ortiz*	C	Y-D	Oregon State	.351
Jamie Johnson	OF	Bourne	Oklahoma	.350
Corey Overholtzer	OF	Chatham	UNC Greensboro	.350
Cole Figueroa	SS	Orleans	Florida	.350
Connor Powers	INF	Brewster	Mississippi State	.348
Robbie Shields	SS	Cotuit	Florida Southern	.348
Joe Sanders	INF	Harwich	Auburn	.348

We may not get to see the top three on this list. Phegley and Ackley are Team USA invites, while Lavarnway is draft-eligible and may go fairly early. Also notable, nine players on this list played on the Cape last year.

Orleans leads the way on this list with six players, led by Duke junior Nate Freiman, who played for the Cardinals last summer. Y-D and Falmouth each have four, with Brewster, Chatham, Harwich and Hyannis pulling in three each.

Interestingly, a lot of these guys hit for power, as well. Ten of them had double-digit home runs.

Home Runs

PLAYER	POSITION	CAPE TEAM	COLLEGE	HR
Gunner Glad	UTIL	Y-D	Eastern Oklahoma	18
Blake Dean	OF	Wareham	LSU	16
Josh Phegley*	C	Wareham	Indiana	15
Angelo Songco	OF	Orleans	Loyola Marymount	15
Derek Dietrich*	SS	Wareham	Georgia Tech	14
Ryan Lavarnway	C	Hyannis	Yale	13
Jason Kipnis	OF	Cotuit	Arizona State	13
Ben Paulsen	1B	Hyannis	Clemson	13
Mike Murphy	3B	Orleans	Maryland	13
Tim Fedroff	OF	Falmouth	North Carolina	12
Rich Poythress	3B/1B	Orleans	Georgia	12
Aaron Miller	OF	Chatham	Baylor	12
Ross Wilson	INF	Bourne	Alabama	12
Nate Freiman	1B	Orleans	Duke	11
Hunter Morris*	INF	Falmouth	Auburn	11
Connor Powers	INF	Brewster	Mississippi State	11
Kyle Roller	INF	Bourne	East Carolina	11
Blake Smith	OF	Brewster	California	11
Richard Jones	C	Bourne	The Citadel	11
Victor Sanchez	INF	Chatham	San Diego	11
Casey Haerther	1B/DH	Chatham	UCLA	10
Brian Fletcher	INF	Falmouth	Auburn	10

Glad’s numbers might be a bit inflated because he’s a junior college player, but 18 home runs anywhere is still pretty good. Dean’s numbers are certainly not inflated, and he has the tools to be the league’s premier power hitter this summer.

On-Base Percentage

PLAYER	POSITION	CAPE TEAM	COLLEGE	OBP
Ryan Lavarnway	C	Hyannis	Yale	.541
Josh Phegley*	C	Wareham	Indiana	.507
Dustin Ackley*	OF	Harwich	North Carolina	.497
Jason Kipnis	OF	Cotuit	Arizona State	.487
Jim Klocke	C	Brewster	SE Missouri	.469
Curt Casali	C	Hyannis	Vanderbilt	.463
Michael Thomas	C	Falmouth	Southern	.461
Rich Poythress	3B/1B	Orleans	Georgia	.460
Matt Bowman	INF	Orleans	NEvada	.454
Tim Fedroff	OF	Falmouth	North Carolina	.448
Brian Kemp	OF	Harwich	St. John’s	.448
Nate Freiman	1B	Orleans	Duke	.447
Tyler Holt	OF	Cotuit	Florida State	.447
Ryan Ortiz*	C	Y-D	Oregon State	.442
Tyson Blaser	C	Bourne	Iowa	.442
Grant Green	SS	Chatham	USC	.438
Tommy Medica*	C	Harwich	Santa Clara	.438
Alex Hassan	OF	Orleans	Duke	.438
Jamie Johnson	OF	Bourne	Oklahoma	.435
Hunter Morris*	INF	Falmouth	Auburn	.433
Angelo Songco	OF	Orleans	Loyola Marymount	.432
Josh Rutledge	INF	Y-D	Alabama	.432
Gunner Glad	UTIL	Y-D	Eastern Oklahoma	.429
Ryan Jackson	SS	Hyannis	Miami	.429
Russ Moldenahuer	OF	Wareham	Texas	.429
Connor Rowe	OF	Wareham	Texas	.429
James Meador	OF	Brewster	San Diego	.427
Steve Daniels	OF	Hyannis	Brown	.427
Kyle Seager	INF	Chatham	North Carolina	.426
Blake Dean	OF	Wareham	LSU	.425
Aaron Miller	OF	Chatham	Baylor	.425
Connor Powers	INF	Brewster	Mississippi State	.425
Casey Frawley	2B	Hyannis	Stetson	.425

I’m struck by the number of catchers on this list. Eight to be exact. Somewhere, Billy Beane is smiling.

If you haven’t noticed yet, a lot of the same names keep popping up — Kipnis, Poythress, Fedorff, Freiman, Green, Songco, Glad, Meador, Dean, Miller. These are the guys poised to do the most damage this summer.

PITCHING
ERA (Starters)
I should mention that roles aren’t always clearly defined for some college pitchers. They’re being considered starters if more than half their appearances were starts. I’m also using 25 as the number for minimum innings pitched.

PLAYER	POSITION	CAPE TEAM	COLLEGE	ERA
Stephen Strasburg*	RHP	Y-D	San Diego State	1.57
Andy Oliver*	LHP	Wareham	Oklahoma State	2.20
Justin Marks	LHP	Chatham	Louisville	2.21
Isaac Morales	LHP	Orleans	Cal State L.A.	2.47
Matt Harvey	RHP	Chatham	North Carolina	2.50
Joe Serafin	LHP	Chatham	Vermont	2.51
Alex White	RHP	Chatham	North Carolina	2.86
Ryan Sharpley	RHP	Hyannis	Notre Dame	3.03
Ryan Berry*	RHP	Bourne	Rice	3.10
Jay Jackson	RHP	Hyannis	Furman	3.17
Mike Leake*	RHP	Cotuit	Arizona State	3.18
Nick McCully	RHP	Bourne	Coastal Carolina	3.29
Matt Fairel	LHP	Cotuit	Florida State	3.32
Dan Jennings	LHP	Cotuit	Nebraska	3.39
Kyle Gibson*	RHP	Falmouth	Missouri	3.40
Sean Black	RHP	Harwich	Seton Hall	3.44
Tom Milone	LHP	Chatham	USC	3.51
Matt Bashore	LHP	Wareham	Indiana	3.59
Brad Gemberling	RHP	Orleans	Princeton	3.60
Jerry Sullivan	RHP	Y-D	Oral Roberts	3.61
Matt Ridings	RHP	Hyannis	Western Kentucky	3.63
Nate Garcia	RHP	Cotuit	Santa Clara	3.65
Will Kempf	RHP	Harwich	Baylor	3.69
Ben Tootle	RHP	Falmouth	Jacksonville State	3.87
Bob Revesz	LHP	Bourne	Louisville	3.90
Tommy Toledo	RHP	Falmouth	Florida	3.99

Strasburg is at the top of just about every category, but he is a Team USA invite so we may not see him. Chatham’s pitching strength can be seen here, as the A’s have four of the top seven. The guy with the most innings pitched in this group is Mike Leake, also a Team USA invite. Jerry Sullivan and Jay Jackson are next on the list. I’ll be interested to see what Jackson and some other smaller-school guys like Isaac Morales and Joe Serafin can do.

ERA (Relievers)

PLAYER	POSITION	CAPE TEAM	COLLEGE	ERA
Matt Packer	LHP	Brewster	Virginia	1.16
Eric Pettis	RHP	Bourne	UC Irvine	1.76
Nate Striz	RHP	Falmouth	North Carolina	2.03
A.J. Griffin*	RHP	Brewster	San Diego	2.03
Colin Bates	RHP	Hyannis	North Carolina	2.17
Kevin Rhoderick*	RHP	Y-D	Oregon State	2.39
Michael Powers	RHP	Hyannis	Michigan	2.51
Drew Storen	RHP	Cotuit	Stanford	2.89
Dean Weaver	RHP	Y-D	Georgia	2.97
Rob Catapano	LHP	Orleans	North Carolina	3.19
Russell Brewer	RHP	Hyannis	Vanderbilt	3.22
Mark Lamm	RHP	Brewster	Vanderbilt	3.23
Rory McKean	RHP	Brewster	Ole Miss	3.28
Pat Johnson	RHP	Harwich	North Carolina	3.29
Matt Thompson	RHP	Orleans	San Diego	3.52
Ryan Allen	RHP	Bourne	Missouri	3.67
Alex McRee	LHP	Hyannis	Georgia	3.75
Sammy Solis	LHP	Chatham	San Diego	3.89

Some of the teams who weren’t well-represented on the starters’ list, namely Brewster, are well-represented here. The guy with the most saves on this list is Eric Pettis. Several freshmen on here, including Nate Striz, Colin Bates, Kevin Rhoderick, Drew Storen, Russell Brewer, Pat Johnson and Sammy Solis.

STRIKEOUTS

PLAYER	POSITION	CAPE TEAM	COLLEGE	K
Stephen Strasburg*	RHP	Y-D	San Diego State	133
Jerry Sullivan	RHP	Y-D	Oral Roberts	104
Tom Milone	LHP	Chatham	USC	98
Andy Oliver*	LHP	Wareham	Oklahoma State	96
Jay Jackson	RHP	Hyannis	Furman	94
Mike Leake*	RHP	Cotuit	Arizona State	94
Kyle Gibson*	RHP	Falmouth	Missouri	94
Mike Minor*	LHP	Wareham	Vanderbilt	94
Matt Ridings	RHP	Hyannis	Western Kentucky	93
Rex Brothers	LHP	Falmouth	Lipscomb	93
Alex White	RHP	Chatham	North Carolina	87
Caleb Coltham	RHP	Brewster	Vanderbilt	87
Matt Fairel	LHP	Cotuit	Florida State	86
Matt Bashore	LHP	Wareham	Indiana	86
Justin Marks	LHP	Chatham	Louisville	85
Kendal Volz*	RHP	Wareham	Baylor	85
Ryan Berry*	RHP	Bourne	Rice	80
Chris Masters	LHP	Y-D	Western Carolina	80
Ben Tootle	RHP	Falmouth	Jacksonville State	79
Andrew Carraway	RHP	Hyannis	Virginia	77
Dan Jennings	LHP	Cotuit	Nebraska	75
Nate Garcia	RHP	Cotuit	Santa Clara	75
David Phelps	RHP	Hyannis	Notre Dame	75
Drew Pomeranz*	LHP	Bourne	Mississippi	74
Matt Harvey	RHP	Chatham	North Carolina	71
Buddy Bauman	LHP	Brewster	Missouri State	71
Andrew Doyle	RHP	Hyannis	Oklahoma	70
Nate Reed	LHP	Bourne	Pittsburgh	70

Look at those top two. Jerry Sullivan should definitely be on the Cape this summer, but if Stephen Strasburg doesn’t go to Team USA and ends up in Y-D, you can go ahead and hand the Red Sox the championship. Also, think Team USA likes strikeouts. They’ve got invites out to eight pitchers on this list.

I didn’t make a separate category for K:BB, but the top guys in that category are: Stephen Strasburg (8.31), Andrew Carraway (7.00), Mike Leake (5.88), Tom Milone (4.90), Kyle Gibson (4.70) and Jerry Sullivan (4.52).

Here we go. I’m pretty excited about this. I went through and got college stats for every player who’s currently on a Cape League roster. I was finding that the early looks could provide a lot, but since they’ve been posted at such varying times, the stats aren’t current. This is a more comprehensive look, with stats through last week’s conference tournaments. Thich should be a representative sample, even for players whose teams are still going. Players with a star by their name saw very limited action this year. Players with stars in their stat categories saw no action.

Rather than cram everything in here, I’ve posted them on a geocities page. They’re much easier to read there. I may also use that page for stats-heavy things during the season.

Below are links to the college stats for each Cape League team, which also includes a brief summary on each page. There’s also one link that has all the teams, without the summaries, on one page.

In part two of this post, I’ve got the Cliff’s Notes version of all this, where I’m running through the leaders in each category. That should be up later today.

I think that explains everything. Enjoy.

All Teams
Bourne
Brewster
Chatham
Cotuit
Falmouth
Harwich
Hyannis
Orleans
Wareham
Yarmouth-Dennis

It seems like there’s been some big changes to Cape League rosters in the last week. I’m trying to keep up with them all, so I figured I would just run through them here. As a side note, I’m working on the last early looks and they will be up before June 7. I’m also working on a cool project where I’ll have 2008 college stats for every player on the Cape. That will be up soon as well.

As far as the changes, the one with the biggest wow factor is the one that will proobably have no impact. San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg, maybe the top player in the country, was added to Y-D’s roster. Strasburg was also added to Team USA’s invite list this week, so it’s very likely he’ll end up there. On the off chance he doesn’t go with Team USA, well, Y-D just got itself the best pitcher in the country.

Running through the rest of the changes:

• In all, the Red Sox were very busy. After this round of changes, they were left with only six position players who were on the original roster. Notable additions for Y-D include a pair of big-time juco players in Gunner Glad and Braedon Schlehuber, as well as Alabama infielder Josh Rutledge. Included in the players Y-D lost was Erik Goeddel, a highly-touted pitcher who missed all of the season at UCLA.

• Chatham was also busy. Six players were dropped from the A’s roster, including Clemson’s Addison Johnson and San Diego’s Kyle Blair. Johnson played great for the A’s last summer, but missed all of this season with an injury. Blair was one of the top high school pitchers in the country last year and has pitched well for the Toreros.

• Cotuit made perhaps the biggest splash, despite making just one change. They added Arizona State sophomore outfielder Jason Kipnis, who hit .367 with 13 home runs this year.

• Hyannis added a veteran in Appalachian State’s Garrett Sherrill, who had a 1.84 ERA last summer for the Mets out of the bullpen.

• Orleans picked up a big addition in Florida shortstop Cole Figueroa. The sophomore has hit .350 this year after earning an all-star game nod last year for Harwich.

• Wareham dropped Baylor sophomore Dustin Dickerson, who played on the Cape last year. The Gatemen also added several players to their non-roster invitee list, including Oklahoma’s Aaron Baker, who had been on Cotuit’s roster.