Young talent leads Commodores

Falmouth missed the playoffs last season but has a talented team ready for a return trip.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Luken Baker
2. Brady Puckett
3. J.J. Matijevic
4. Bryce Montes de Oca
5. Brady Singer

NOTABLE

The Falmouth roster no longer includes the guy who stole all the headlines in the preseason. Missouri State All-American Jake Burger is on the Team USA roster. But there’s plenty of talent left . . .

A late addition who stands as a good replacement for Burger is TCU freshman Luken Baker. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year came in highly touted and has been a force at the plate and on the mound. He’s also at his best right now, coming off four home runs in the Big 12 Tournament.

Baker is one of 12 freshmen on the roster – a high number – but there’s quite a pedigree for a lot of them. Florida’s Brady Singer was the highest unsigned high school pick in the draft last year, Tyler Holton and Cole Sands grabbed spots in the Florida State rotation right off the bat, and Josh Watson leads a powerful TCU team in home runs.

The Commodores will have some veterans to lean on around the youth. J.J. Matijevic was a breakout star for the Commodores last summer and is one of the few returning Cape League all-stars. Stephen Villines and Evan Skoug are also slated to be back after a good summer.

Brady Puckett, who’s penciled in as the opening night starter for the Commodores, had a fantastic sophomore season en route to Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year honors. He’s also 6-foot-8.

Cadyn Grenier didn’t have a great first season at Oregon State but has the credentials. He was a 21st-round pick who was mentioned as a possible first-round pick last year.

Dallas Baptist continued its emergence as a baseball power this year and will send three players to Falmouth.

In addition to Baker’s success at TCU, Falmouth has Skoug and Watson hitting in the middle of the Frogs’ order.

Missouri’s Bryce Montes de Oca, another 6-foot-8 pitcher, lit up the radar gun last summer as he continued a comeback after Tommy John surgery in high school. Unfortunately, he was shut down after .1 inning this year and had surgery, but this indicates he starts rehab in June, so he may still pitch for Falmouth.

PITCHERS

Jake Bird – SO – UCLA – Had solid freshman season before struggling to ERA over six this season
Seth Elledge – FR – Dallas Baptist – One of the nation’s leaders in saves, racked up 14 with 1.61 ERA, 31 Ks in 28 innings
Glenn Otto – SO – Rice – Busy reliever for Owls tallied eight saves and struck out 76 in 71.2 innings
Brett Gilchrist – FR – Dallas Baptist – Two-sport standout struggled in first year with DBU, finishing with 14.54 ERA in 10 appearances
Tyler Holton – FR – Florida State – Two-way player having more luck on mound in first year, with 2.92 ERA, team-best 78 Ks
Cole Sands – FR – Florida State – Went 6-6 with 4.21 ERA in weekend rotation for Seminoles, striking out 46 in 66.1 innings
Tyler Jones – SO – Wichita State – Pitched out of the bullpen for Shockers, finishing with 6.18 ERa, 35 Ks in 39.1 innings
Turner Larkins – SO – Texas A&M – Working as a starter and reliever for Aggies, has 2.82 ERA, 35 Ks in in 38.1 innings
Brady Singer – FR – Florida – Highest unsigned high school pick in the 2015 draft, has 4.95 ERA in relief for Gators
Corbin Martin – SO – Texas A&M – Has struck out 33 in in 26.1 innings pitched out of bullpen for Super Regional-bound Aggies
Stephen Villines – SO – Kansas – Standout closer for Jayhawks and Falmouth last summer had 5 SV, 2.13 ERA this year
Bryce Montes de Oca – SO – Missouri – Flamethrower who flashed potential with ‘Dores last year pitched just .1 inning this year
Kyle Nelson – SO – UC Santa Barbara – Standout reliever on Gauchos’ first-ever Super Regional squad has 2.08 ERA, 84 Ks in 69.1 IP
Thomas Ponticelli – FR – San Francisco – Grabbed Saturday starter role as a freshman and finished with 5.94 ERA with 44 Ks
Brady Puckett – SO – Lipscomb – Six-foot-eight righty earned A-Sun Pitcher of the Year after going 9-2, 2.93 ERA, 101 Ks in 107.2 IP
Bo Tucker – SO – Georgia – Posted 3.71 ERA and three saves while striking out a batter an inning out of Georgia bullpen

CATCHERS

Matt Duce – FR – Dallas Baptist – Delivered strong debut for regional club, batting .321 with 4 HR, 30 RBI
J.J. Matijevic – SO – Arizona – Finished third in Cape League in AVG last year and batted .289 with 4 HR in sophomore season
Evan Skoug – SO – TCU – Major run producer for Frogs batting .290 with 9 HR, 50 RBI, team-best 30 XBH

INFIELDERS

Luken Baker – FR – TCU – Projected as one of the top frosh in the nation and hasn’t disappointed — .382 with 8 HR, 54 RBI plus 1.70 ERA
Tristan Gray – SO – Rice – Returning Commodore hit .295 with five homers for Owls this spring
Dane Myers – SO – Rice – Also a pitcher, hit .264 with two home runs and saved seven games out of Owls bullpen
Cadyn Grenier – FR – Oregon State – Highly touted freshman struggled a bit in debut, hitting .240
Deacon Liput – FR – Florida – 39th round pick out of high school has started all but one game for Gators and is hitting .277 with 13 SBs
Matt McLaughlin – SO – Kansas – Started every game for Jayhawks and hit .256 with two homers

OUTFIELDERS

Ryan Chandler – SO – Rice – Reigning CUSA Freshman of the Year followed with .270 sophomore season, adding 2 HRs, 20 RBI
Michael Gigliotti – SO – Lipscomb – Hit .302 and stole 15 bases a year after strong debut season with Lipscomb
Trevor Larnach – FR – Oregon State – Scuffled with the bat in first season in Corvallis, finishing with average under .200
Josh Watson – FR – TCU – Hitting .282 and leading the Horned Frogs in home runs with 11 in first season

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Mariners back at it

Harwich will aim for a return to the playoffs after a rare down year.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Nick Feight
2. Zach Schellenger
3. Tyler Wilson
4. Evan White
5. Cal Raleigh

NOTABLE

Nick Feight had an enormous sophomore season, perhaps the best performance among sophomores around the country. The UNC-Wilmington catcher hit .349, blasted 21 home runs and racked up an eye-popping 91 RBI in only 60 games.

Zach Schellenger fanned 30 in 33 innings pitched with Harwich last summer, and it’s safe to say he upped that K-rate this spring. Schellenger struck out 70 in 45.1 innings out of the Seton Hall bullpen.

Pitchers in the Atlantic 10 are apparently playing for second place in the race for the conference’s top pitching honor with Tyler Wilson. The Rhode Island sophomore has won the award in each of his first two years in Kingston and was dominant this year. He also led URI’s upset of South Carolina in the opening round of an NCAA regional, battling back for a strong showing after giving up four early runs. It was URI’s first NCAA tournament win in school history.

Kentucky had a down year, but Evan White didn’t. His .376 average was good for third in the SEC.

If the Mariners didn’t have enough pop behind the plate in Feight, they’ll welcome in Florida State’s Cal Raleigh, who has 10 homers in his first season with the Seminoles.

Antoine Duplantis of LSU stepped right into a starting job and hasn’t disappointed. His athleticism will likely stand out this summer, as you’d expect with his genes. His mother was a heptathlete and volleyball player at LSU and his father was an All-American pole vaulter for the Tigers.

Florida has so much pitching depth that a reliever who’s not even the close went on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft. Once the depth thins out a bit next year, Harwich-bound Jackson Kowar could be next in line as a Gator star. He has fanned 44 in 34 innings as a freshman.

Another Gator freshman, Jonathan India, is ticketed for Harwich, as well. Jonathan India has been one of the team’s top hitters.

If you’re looking for the old small school underdog type to root for, your search is over. Austin Filiere of MIT is slated to play for the Mariners off a huge sophomore season in which he hit over .400 with double-digit home runs. Not many MIT baseball players have been on the Cape or been drafted, for that matter. Filiere is aiming for both.

PITCHERS

Maddux Conger – FR – Vanderbilt – Limited action but strong performer in Vandy bullpen, with .79 ERA in nine appearances
Austin Bain – SO – LSU – Started two games but pitching mostly in relief for Tigers and has struck out 31 in 28 innings
Brad Bass – JR – Notre Dame – Saved two games and posted 1.91 ERA in 19 relief appearances for Fighting Irish
Jackson Kowar – FR – Florida – Successful as starter and reliever with 3.37 ERA, 44 Ks in 34.2 innings in debut with Gators
Shane McCarthy – SO – Seton Hall – Top starter for Pirates went 6-4 with 2.38 ERA and 84 Ks in 102 innings
B.J. Myers – SO – West Virginia – Worked as a starter and reliever, finishing with 4.05 ERA, 53 strikeouts in 66.2 innings
Packy Naughton – SO – Virginia Tech – Native of West Roxbury, Mass., had ERA over six but struck out 74 in 76 IP this spring
Teddy Rodliff – SO – Stony Brook – Notched seven saves with 3.20 ERa, 26 Ks and just three walks in 39.1 innings
Zach Schellenger – SO – Seton Hall – Returning Mariner saved six games and struck out a whopping 70 batters in just 45.2 innings
Peter Solomon – SO – Notre Dame – Struck out a batter an inning with 1.40 ERA in nine bullpen outings
Hunter Williams – SO – North Carolina – Started seven games with solid numbers for Harwich last year and had 3.10 ERA in swing role at UNC
Tyler Wilson – SO – Rhode Island – Two-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year went 13-1 with 2.29 ERA, 122 Ks in 102.1 IP this year
Tommy DeJuneas – SO – NC State – Finished with six saves and 6.37 ERA while striking out 27 in 29.2 innings pitched this spring
Brian Brown – SO – NC State – Weekend starter for Wolfpack went 7-3 with 3.70 ERA, 79 Ks in 87.2 innings
Nick Brown – JR – William & Mary – Led team in strikeouts by wide margin with 85 in 96 innings, while posting 5.53 ERA
Ethan Landon – RS SO – Michigan State – Pitched well in Spartans’ rotation, tallying 2.75 ERA, 59 Ks in 85 IP
Matt Minnick – SO – Mercyhurst – Went 7-1 and struck out 61 in 54.1 innings for D-II power Mercyhurst
Spencer Stockton – SO – Jacksonville – Finished with 3.21 ERA as a starter for Dolphins
Speros Varinos – JR – Tufts – Fanned 79 in 67 innings and went 7-1 with 2.15 ERA for D-III Jumbos
Ryan McAuliffe – JR – St. John’s – Went 5-2 with 4.32 ERA in weekend rotation for Red Storm
David McKay – SO – Florida Atlantic – Led team in strikeouts with 66 and had 3.74 ERA in weekend rotation
Brett Daniels – SO – North Carolina – Finished third on the team in appearances and posted 2.17 ERA with 34 Ks in 37.1 IP
Liam Conboy – JR – Susquehanna – Racked up nine saves with 33 Ks in 27 IP for D-III squad

CATCHERS

J.D. Andreessen – SO – Campbell – Hit .294 with two homers for emerging Big South squad
Cal Raleigh – FR – Florida State – Standout freshman making quick impact in Tallahassee, hitting .308 with 10 HR and 50 RBI
Nick Feight – SO – UNC Wilmington – All-American led one of nation’s best offenses with .349 AVG, 21 HR, 91 RBI

INFIELDERS

Ernie Clement – SO – Virginia – Second-best hitter for Cavs finished at .351 with a homer and 18 XBH
Jonathan India – FR – Florida – As Gators head to Super Regionals, ranks second on the team with .310 AVG and has 4 HR, 13 SB
Jack Flansburg – JR – Oklahoma – Batted .278 and hit four homers for Sooners, while finishing third on team in RBI
Pavin Smith – SO – Virginia – Hit .329 and finished second to first-round pick Matt Thaiss for team lead in home runs with eight
Joe Dunand – SO – NC State – Hit .297 with four home runs and finished third on the team with 47 RBI this season
Evan White – SO – Kentucky – Ranked third in SEC with .376 average, and added five home runs, 40 RBI and 10 stolen bases
Kyle Davis – SO – West Virginia – Batted .280 with .394 OBP and led Mountaineers with 10 home runs
Kyle Fiala – JR – Notre Dame – Leading hitter for Fighting Irish finished at .301 with 4 HR, 28 RBI, 10 SBs
Austin Filiere – SO – MIT – Starred for D-III MIT with .428 AVG, .546 OBP, 13 HR, 55 RBI and 14 stolen bases
Ryan Tufts – JR – Virginia Tech – Batted .284 with 18 extra-base hits and finished third on Hokies with RBI
Anthony Critelli – JR – Holy Cross – Batted .267 and led team in home runs with nine and RBI with 41
Max Burt – SO – Northeastern – Started every game for Huskies and hit .238

OUTFIELDERS

Ryan Brown – SO – College of Charleston – Freshman All-American last year met sophomore slump this year, finishing with .223 AVG
Antoine Duplantis – FR – LSU – Burst onto scene with .323 AVG, 14 XBH, 36 RBI and 13 stolen bases while starting every game
Steven Foster – SO – Hofstra – Hit .278 while getting on base at .407 clip and stole nine bases
Trey Harris – SO – Missouri – SEC All-Freshman pick struggled with the bat this year, hitting .216 though he drove in 36
Brock Deatherage – SO – NC State – Returning Mariner hit .317 this spring with six homers and stole 14 bases
Logan Farrar – JR – VCU – Hit .295 with three home runs and stole team-best 15 bases
Tyler Kirkpatrick – JR – Marist – Batted .263 with two homers for Red Foxes this spring

June 9, 2016June 12, 2016

Kettleers eager to get going

It was a hard off-season in Cotuit with the passing of Arnold Mycock and coach Mike Roberts’ wife, Nancy. It’s a good bet everyone is eager for some Kettleers baseball.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Jeren Kendall
2. Jake Bivens
3. Alonzo Jones
4. Matt Ruppenthal
5. Colton Hock

NOTABLE

Jeren Kendall was poised to be one of the top returning players in the league but he has been invited to Team USA, so it remains to be seen whether he spends any time at Lowell Park. If he does, he’s certainly the guy to watch after his huge sophomore season.

Kendall’s Vandy teammate Alonzo Jones might be able to do a pretty fair impersonation. A year younger, he has pop and speed.

Cotuit’s online roster doesn’t include players on temporary contracts, but we’ll mention one here — East Tennessee State catcher Hagen Owenby hit .374 with 17 homers this spring and seems a safe bet to stick around all summer.

The Kettleers have three freshmen who were hearing a lot of draft buzz this time last year. They had varying results in their first years of college, though. Jason Bilous was solid for Coastal Carolina, but UCLA’s Justin Hooper and Mississippi State’s Jared Padgett saw limited action.

Stanford’s Colton Hock and Quinn Brodey were standouts for the NECBL’s Newport Gulls last year and are slated to be together again in Cotuit. Hock had a great spring in the Cardinal bullpen. Brodey – a two-way player in the past – honed in on the bat this spring.

Are any Mississippi State players not coming to the Cape? Cotuit has two, and I think every Cape team I’ve previewed so far has at least one, or sometimes four.

A pair of Mountain West Conference standouts in 2015 will be in Cotuit before starting a new chapter next year. Cory Voss and Cal Stevenson are both transferring to Arizona. Voss went the junior college route this year while Stevenson sat out the season at Arizona. Both are in Cotuit while their future Wildcat teammates head to a Super Regional.

PITCHERS

Jason Bilous – FR – Coastal Carolina – 29th round pick last year had 4.04 ERA, struck out 45 in 42 innings in first season at Coastal
Colton Hock – SO – Stanford – Had big 2015 with NECBL’s Newport Gulls and put up 2.03 ERA, 6 saves, 61 Ks in 57.2 IP this spring
Bobby Holmes – SO – Coastal Carolina – Started six games and saved three, with lots of relief work in between and fanned 66 in 69.2 IP
Justin Hooper – FR – UCLA – Six-foot-five lefty was highly-touted recruit, but pitched only eight innings of the bullpen this spring
Tyler Johnson – SO – South Carolina – One of three Gamecocks with saves, he owns 9 to go with 55 Ks and just 8 walks in 50 IP
Matt Ladrech – SO – California – Solid numbers in two years as a starter and had 4.30 ERA this season
Taylor Lehman – SO – Penn State – Six-foot-eight left-hander finished with 4.79 ERA in Nittany Lions weekend rotation
Jared Padgett – FR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted left-hander limited to 2.1 innings this spring
Ryan Rigby – SO – Mississippi State – Strong reliever for Super Regional club has 1.75 ERA, 41 Ks in 19 appearances
Josh Roberson – FR – UNC-Wilmington – Started three games and made 10 relief appearances with 6.04 ERA and 22 K in 22.1 IP
Keith Rogalla – SO – Creighton – Former 37th-round pick struck out 59 in 73 innings as weekend starter for Blue Jays
Matt Ruppenthal – SO – Vanderbilt – Shined in Vandy bullpen with 2.33 ERA, 59 Ks in 46.1 innings

CATCHERS

Tim Susnara – SO – Oregon – Struggled with the bat in Cotuit last summer but bounced back with .268 AVG, 2 HR for Ducks
Cory Voss – SO – McLennan CC – MWC Freshman of the Year in 2015 at New Mexico starred in JUCO this year and is bound for Arizona
Albee Weiss – SO – Cal State Northridge – Hit .219 and ranked second on the team with six home runs this season

INFIELDERS

A.J. Balta – RS SO – Oregon – In return from redshirt season, hit .219 with team-leading nine home runs and 47 RBI
Jake Bivens – SO – Michigan – Big 10 Freshman of the Year in 2015 hit .356 as a sophomore with .441 OBP and 13 SB
Clay Fisher – SO – UC Santa Barbara – Gauchos’ starting shortstop since day one last year, hitting .286 this season with only five errors
Greyson Jenista – FR – Wichita State – Emerged as Shockers’ top hitter in big freshman year, hitting .326 with five home runs, 32 RBI
Alonzo Jones – FR – Vanderbilt – Speedy infielder made impact immediately, hitting .285 with 18 XBH, 10 stolen bases
Jordan Pearce – SO – Nevada – Built on strong freshman season by hitting .332 with 4 HR, 17 2B, team-high 47 RBI
Josh Shaw – FR – St. John’s – Hit .292 with two home runs and stole seven bases while playing in all 55 games in freshman season

OUTFIELDERS

Quinn Brodey – SO – Stanford – Two-way standout focused on the plate this spring and hit .280 with 7 HR, team-best 41 RBI
Dayton Dugas – FR – Wichita State – Hit .304 with four homers, 16 XBH in debut with Shockers
Jeren Kendall – SO – Vanderbilt – Also a Team USA invite, followed summer in Cotuit with big sophomore year – .332, 9 HR, 28 SB
Cal Stevenson – SO – Arizona – Hit .356 as a freshman at Nevada and sat out this year after transferring to Arizona

June 9, 2016June 11, 2016

Brewster has CCBL experience, talented influx

Brewster made the playoffs and had Cape League MVP Nick Senzel starring last summer. Several returning players are back to lead the way.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Brett Cumberland
2. Brent Rooker
3. Kade McClure
4. Alex Schick
5. Mike Kaelin

NOTABLE

Brewster has five players set to return, and two more who played elsewhere on the Cape.

It wasn’t the best baseball year for the Pac 12 conference, but that doesn’t take anything away from the season Brett Cumberland had. Cal’s sophomore catcher earned Player of the Year honors after leading the league in home runs and RBI.

Mississippi State’s Brent Rooker made a late cameo with Brewster last year after his MVP campaign in the NECBL season ended. The sophomore has continued to shine this spring.

Brewster is slated to have three pitchers who check in at 6-foot-7, and they should at some point take a pitcher with 5-foot-9 reliever Mike Kaelin, who can probably throw a fastball harder than them.

Kaelin has been a standout closer at Buffalo and struck out 50 in 32 innings in the Northwoods League this year. He’s draft-eligible and it will be interesting to see where he ends up this summer.

Louisville’s Kade McClure, one of the 6-foot-7 guys, is perhaps the best mid-week starter in the nation, with numbers that would look fantastic in any team’s weekend rotation. He likely would have been a weekend guy for the Cardinals, too, but Kyle Funkhouser opted to return to school after last year’s draft, giving Louisville a logjam that it certainly didn’t mind having.

When Xavier shocked Vanderbilt in the Nashville regional, Zac Lowther was front and center, going seven strong innings and allowing just a run.

Washington was an upset-minded squad in the same regional and will send three players to Brewster.

PITCHERS

Vince Arobio – JR – Pacific – Second in school history in saves after tallying six this year, to go with 27 Ks in 17.1 innings
Hansen Butler – SO – North Carolina – Made 11 relief appearances for Brewster last summer, posted 2.00 ERA in UNC bullpen this year
Joe Demers – FR – Washington – Had up-and-down year in weekend rotation for regional club, finishing with 6.91 ERA
Chris Falwell – JR – Texas A&M Corpus Christi – Shined in pen and moved to weekend rotation, posting 2.91 ERA, 88Ks in 86.2 IP
Ryan Feltner – FR – Ohio State – Pitched as a starter and reliever, finishing with 4.06 ERA, 61 Ks in 68.2 innings
Mike Kaelin – RS JR – Buffalo – Saved five games, fanned 44 in 35 innings with only six walks out of Buffalo bullpen
Zacary Lowther – SO – Xavier – Friday starter tallied 3.09 ERA, 84 Ks in 102 IP en route to second-team all conference honors
Erik Martinez – SO – California – Struck out 45 in 37.1 innings and saved eight games with opponents hitting just .211 against him
Kade McClure – SO – Louisville – Excelled in mid-week starting role, going 12-0 with 2.54 ERA, 77 Ks in 78 innings
Joe Mockbee – SO – Michigan State – Versatile arm started six games and saved five, while posting 3.54 ERA, 59 Ks in 56 innings
Ryan Nutof – SO – Michigan – Made 11 starts, 10 relief appearances and was solid throughout with 3.67 ERA
Konnor Pilkington – FR – Mississippi State – Filling a void in weekend rotation and carries 2.01 ERA into Super Regionals
Rickey Ramirez – SO – Fresno State – Tallied four saves while striking out 42 in 39.2 innings to go with 4.54 ERA
Alexander Schick – JR – California – Posted 3.76 ERA for Brewster last summer and 2.03 ERA in injury-shortened spring for Cal
Aaron Soto – SO – Tennessee – Pitched in rotation and out of the bullpen, finishing at 6-2 with 3.63 ERA, 40 K in 62 innings
Jesse Stallings – SO – LSU – Has 3.64 ERA as valuable bullpen arm for Super Regional-bound Tigers
Alex Troop – JR – Michigan State – Posted 1.64 ERA in four relief appearances for Spartans
Jacob Westphal – SO – Tennessee – Pitched well in 12 relief appearances last year then missed all of 2016 season after Tommy John surgery
Tyler Zuber – JR – Arkansas State – Finished with ERA over six in swing role but lead team in strikeouts with 73 in 69.2 innings

CATCHERS

Jared Barnes – SO – South Alabama – Listed as catcher & outfielder, hit .292 and tied for team lead in home runs with six
Brandon Chapman – SO – George Washington – Batted .247 and led team in doubles with 16, while knocking in 25
Gavin Collins – JR – Mississippi State – Former Bourne Brave hitting .301 with team-best 10 HR for Bulldogs
Brett Cumberland – SO – California – Emerged as a star this year, hitting .344 with 16 HR, 51 RBI en route to Pac 12 Player of the Year award
Colby Fitch – SO – Louisville – Has forced his way into playing time by hitting .339 with five homers for No. 2 national seed Cardinals
Kekai Rios – FR – Hawaii – Finished second on the team with .331 batting average and drove in 18 in debut season

INFIELDERS

Matt Davis – SO – VCU – Led Atlantic 10 contending Rams with .321 average, 6 HR, 35 RBI
Nick Dunn – FR – Maryland – Burst onto the scene in College Park, hitting team-best .304 in freshman season
Zack Gahagan – SO – North Carolina – Had solid second season in Chapel Hill, finishing at .297 with five home runs
A.J. Graffanino – FR – Washington – Played in 54 games in debut season and hit .250
Ryan Gridley – SO – Mississippi State – Has started all but one game for Bulldogs and is contributing with .284 AVG, 9 XBH
Julian Infante – FR – Vanderbilt – Hit .259, belted six home runs in part-time role for Commodores
Bryce Jordan – SO – LSU – Hitting .299 and leading team with .426 on-base percentage, to go with five home runs
Ryan Noda – SO – Cincinnati – Played for Y-D last summer then hit .250 with six homers, 18 XBH in second season with Bearcats
Logan Warmoth – SO – North Carolina – Second-best hitter and top run producer for Heels hit .337 with 4 HR, 53 RBI
Dustin Williams – JR – Oklahoma State – Batting only .219 but has team-high 14 home runs and .323 OBP

OUTFIELDERS

Kel Johnson – SO – Georgia Tech – Struggled in 14 games with Brewster last summer but rebounded with .319 AVG, 11 HR this spring
Beau Jordan – SO – LSU – Batting .296 for Tigers and has chipped in five stolen bases
Jon Littell – SO – Oklahoma State – Hitting .264 with two homers for Cowboys
Colby Maiola – SO – Northern Essex CC – UMass-Lowell commit hit at a .453 clip with 10 HR, 43 RBI in second JUCO season
Jack Meggs – JR – Washington – Followed solid summer with Brewster by hitting .272 with two home runs for Huskies
Brent Rooker – SO – Mississippi State – NECBL MVP last year hitting .320 with 9 HR, team-high 52 RBI for Bulldogs

June 7, 2016June 7, 2016

Wareham ready to go

Wareham has a talented team on deck that has a chance to be close to a finished product early on.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Colton Shaver
2. Alex Destino
3. Jake Walters
4. Gunner Leger
5. K.J. Harrison

NOTABLE

The Gatemen have a new head coach, as Jerry Weinstein takes over for Cooper Farris. Weinstein has an extensive resume in the college and professional ranks, most recently serving as the Rockies’ developmental supervisor.

Wareham didn’t have a fantastic season last year, but it did include Andrew Calica hitting over .400. As individual accomplishments go, that will be tough to top.

Lots of players — hitters and pitchers — coming off big springs and ticketed for Wareham. The best news for the Gatemen? There may not be many detours. The Gatemen have six players in Super Regionals, less than a lot of Cape League teams. There’s also only one current Team USA invite on the roster.

Robert Garcia, Gunner Leger and Jake Walters could make a pretty strong top of the rotation for the Gatemen. All three were the top starters for their teams and put up terrific numbers.

Pepperdine’s Ryan Wilson saved six games this spring and struck out well over a batter an inning. Definitely a potential closer for the Gatemen.

Alex Destino is listed as a pitcher/first baseman on the Wareham roster, but has only pitched one inning for South Carolina this year. It wil be interesting to see if he gets any time on the mound. Given his offensive success, he wouldn’t have to be a two-way guy to contribute. Destino has 10 home runs as the Gamecocks head to Super Regionals.

Seven of the 14 hitters on the Wareham roster hit at least eight home runs this spring. That’s no small feat in the world of college baseball.

The highest total belongs to D-II Azusa Pacific’s Adrian Tovalin, who blasted 22 of them. He was one of the national leaders in D-II.

Wareham has quite a trio of catchers, all of whom hit around .300. And Colton Shaver and Harrison Wenson could be the best offensive catchers on the Cape. Shaver has 23 home runs in two years at BYU and Wenson hit eight for Michigan this spring.

K.J. Harrison won the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year honor for Oregon State last year and followed it with a pretty strong sophomore season. His teammate, Nick Madrigal, is the one Team USA invite.

Wake Forest was a powerful offensive team in the ACC this spring, and Gavin Sheets did much of the damage with nine home runs.

Luke Bonfield is off to Wareham after playing for Y-D last summer. He’s coming off a good spring for Arkansas.

PITCHERS

Jeff Bain – SO – California – Has pitched well in swing role for two seasons, finishing with 3.43 ERA, 32 Ks in 42 innings this year
Brett Conine – FR – Cal State Fullerton – Pitched mostly in relief and had 5.10 ERA in 15 appearances with 24 strikeouts in 30 IP
Robert Garcia – SO – UC Davis – Made 11 relief appearances before shining in starting role, finishing with 2.73 ERA, 78 Ks, .208 OBA
Ty Harpenau – FR – Texas Tech – Mid-week starter and reliever has 6.85 ERA, 32 Ks for Super Regional bound Texas Tech
Anthony Herron – JR – Jefferson College – Missouri State commit had 1.76 ERA, 89 Ks in 66.2 IP in junior college ranks
Gunner Leger – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year starred as Friday starter this year, with 2.26 ERA, 81 Ks
Casey Mize – FR – Auburn – Had solid season in bullpen and mid-week rotation, finishing at 3.52 with 59 Ks in 69 IP
Zachary Pop – SO – Kentucky – One of Northwoods top prospects last year had 5.21 ERA this spring in relief and mid-week starts
Ryan Selmer – RS SO – Maryland – Led team in appearances and saved four games with 4.50 ERA
Ethan Small – FR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 20 Ks in 10.1 IP, though ERA is high thanks to two rough outings
Nick Sprengel – FR – San Diego – Went 5-7 with 5.92 ERA as starter and reliever but fanned 70 in 65.1 innings
Jake Walters – SO – Alabama – Top starter for Tide finished with 2.67 ERA, 84 Ks in 84.1 innings
Ryan Wilson – SO – Pepperdine – Started three games before taking on closer’s role and finished with six saves, 0.63 ERA

CATCHERS

Joey Bart – FR – Georgia Tech – 27th-round pick out of high school started 41 games as a freshman and hit .296
Colton Shaver – SO – BYU – Hit 13 homers as a frosh and didn’t slow down much this year, batting .335 with 10 long balls, 57 RBI
Harrison Wenson – JR – Michigan – Johnny Bench Award semifinalist hit .289 with team-high 8 HR and 56 RBI

INFIELDERS

Alex Destino – SO – South Carolina – One of top prospects in Coastal Plain League last year hitting .325 with 10 HR, 59 RBI
Cole Freeman – SO – LSU – JUCO transfer hitting .324 while starting every game in first season with Tigers
Preston Grand Pre – SO – California – Batted .290 with five steals and .349 OBP while manning second base for Golden Bears
K.J. Harrison – SO – Oregon State – PAC 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 saw average dip a bit to .265 but still hit 10 HR, 28 XBH
Nick Madrigal – FR – Oregon State – 17th-round pick, highly-touted recruit hit .333, made only five errors at second base in debut
Gavin Sheets – SO – Wake Forest – Finished second on the team behind All-American Will Craid with .326 average, nine homers, 45 RBI
Adrian Tovalin – SO – Azusa Pacific – Had huge year for D-II Cougars, hitting .365 with 22 home runs

OUTFIELDERS

Luke Bonfield – SO – Arkansas – Hit .211 in 27 games for Y-D last summer and batted .304 with eight home runs this spring
Carl Chester – SO – Miami – Grabbed full-time spot this year and is hitting .338 with 2 HR and team-high 16 steals
Jonathan Engelmann – SO – Michigan – Hit .257 as a sophomore in 39 games
Austen Wade – SO – TCU – Saw limited action last year before emergence this season has led to .307 AVG, 25 RBI, 13 SB

June 7, 2016June 11, 2016

Anglers have depth, experience

After a solid summer, Chatham is poised for a repeat as it welcomes in a team that’s older than most in the Cape League.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. J.B. Bukauskas
2. James Karinchak
3. Tanner Gardner
4. Chase Pinder
5. Nick Meservey

NOTABLE

The Anglers’ web roster includes everybody right now – temps and full contracts – so be prepared for a lot of names, some of which might not be around all summer.

I wrote last summer about the North Carolina aces that Chatham has had over the years. They have another one lined up in J.B. Bukauskas, though it remains to be seen if he’ll pitch on the Cape at all after accepting a Team USA invite.

Several teams on the Cape this summer will play with two or three rising seniors on the roster. Chatham has 20 of them listed on the roster right now. Some of them are on temporary contracts, but even in terms of full contract guys, the Anglers are very old by Cape League standards. They’ll risk losing some to the draft, but could be a veteran team if all pans out.

Chatham lost a couple of big names from its initial roster. Seattle’s Tarik Skubal was dominating the WAC before a season-ending injury. UC Irvine’s Keston Hiura, a Perfect Game Summer All-American last year in the West Coast League, hit .358 with seven homers but is no longer on the Anglers roster.

Tanner Gardner hit over .400 for much of the year at Texas Tech. He’s now at .376 as the Red Raiders head to the Super Regionals, having earned all-Big 12 honors.

Bryant and Boston College are part of a banner year for New England college baseball, with the Bulldogs earning Top 25 love and a No. 2 seed in a regional and the Eagles still alive in Super Regionals. The Anglers will give several of those teams standouts a chance to build on the success, with four Eagles and a Bulldog ticketed for Chatham. The best of the bunch are Bryant ace James Karinchak and BC standout freshman Jacob Stevens.

The Anglers have two returning catchers in BC’s Nick Sciortino and Richmond’s Kyle Adams. Neither had a lot of success with the bat last year but can provide a pretty good foundation behind the plate.

Chatham was set to have to players from Seattle. With Skubal’s injury, they’re down to one – but he’s a good one. Nick Meservey earned WAC Pitcher of the Year honors and could be a potential ace for the Anglers.

The ACC batting champ wasn’t freshman star Seth Beer or former Angler Will Craig or likely top-five pick Corey Ray. It was Pittsburgh’s Charles LeBlanc, who hit .405 and is bound for Chatham.

Chatham has made a concerted effort to find some small-school guys hungry to success on the Cape in recent years. Several fit the mold this year, including Joe Tietjen of UNC Asheville, Matt Vernon of Appalachian State and D.J. Artis of Liberty. All had big springs and will be eager to prove themselves this summer.

PITCHERS

Reagan Bazar – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Towering righty (6-7, 250) had 1.93 ERA in nine relief appearances for Ragin’ Cajuns
Kale Breaux – JR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances out of bullpen, with 19 Ks
J.B. Bukauskas – SO – North Carolina – Turned in breakout sophomore season with 3.10 ERA, team-best 111 Ks in 78.1 innings
Moises Ceja – JR – UCLA – Led Bruins in ERA with 2.60 mark in 25 relief appearances and fanned 23 in 27.2 innings
Tanner Chock – JR – Presbyterian – Struck out 72 in 86 IP, 4.60 ERA for Blue Hose, who had program’s best-ever showing in Big South
Tom Cosgrove – SO – Manhattan – Turned in breakout sophomore season for Jaspers with 3.70 ERA, 80 Ks in 90 IP
Tony Dibrell – SO – Kennesaw State – After solid NECBL showing last year, tallied 4.64 ERA while striking out 66 in 54.1 IP this spring
Christopher Farish – RS SO – Wake Forest – After redshirt and injury-limited year, made 35 appearances and struck out 35 in 28 innings
Michael Fitzgerald – RS JR – Northeastern – Saved 11 games and struck out 32 in 38.2 innings, while leading team in appearances
Jason Foley – JR – Sacred Heart – Went 4-4 with 5.68 ERA and fanned 47 in 58.2 innings
Trevor Gay – SO – North Carolina – Led Charlotte in appearances last season before transferring to North Carolina, where he sat out this year
Caleb Gilbert – FR – LSU – Has 5.04 ERA in 25 appearances, mostly out of the pen, to go with 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings
Lincoln Henzman – JR – Louisville – Standout reliever for Super Regional-bound Cards has 4.50 ERA, 27 Ks in 24 innings
Reed Howell – SO – Appalachian State – Led team in appearances by wide margin and posted 3.83 ERA with 37 Ks in 49.1 innings
James Karinchak – JR – Bryant – NEC Pitcher of the Year for breakout Bryant team went 12-3 with 2.00 ERA, 112 Ks in 94.2 innings pitched
Andrew Karp – SO – Florida State – Has 7.43 ERA in eight relief appearances for Seminoles
Erikson Lanning – FR – Texas Tech – In midst of Up-and-down freshman season with 2-3 record, 5.91 ERA, 27 Ks
Simon Matthews – JR – Georgetown – Moved into weekend rotation and went 5-4 with 2.45 ERA and 59 Ks in 95.1 IP
Isaac Mattson – SO – Pittsburgh – Followed strong debut in Panthers bullpen with more of the same this year – 3.71 ERA, 31 Ks
Nick Meservey – JR – Seattle – WAC Pitcher of the Year posted 2.32 ERA, 79 Ks in 81.1 innings
Matt Pidich – RS SO – Pittsburgh – New Jersey native had good numbers in limited action last year, did not pitch this season
Parker Rigler – JR – Kansas State – JUCO transfer served as weekend starter, went 4-9, with 4.89 ERA and 73 Ks in 77.1 IP
Jacob Stevens – FR – Boston College – Has burst onto the scene for upstart Eagles, going 4-3, 2.14 ERA, team-best 68 Ks

CATCHERS

Kyle Adams – SO – Richmond – Back for second year in Chatham off breakout sophomore season – .321, three homers, 33 RBI
Joseph Freiday – SO – Virginia Tech – Former Massachusetts Gatorade POY hit .226 with three homers while splitting time behind plate this year
Alex LeFevre – RS JR – Connecticut – Transfer from junior college ranks hit .283 in part-time role for Huskies
Jordan Romero – JR – LSU – JUCO transfer is tied for the team lead in home runs with nine and hitting an even .300
Nick Sciortino – JR – Boston College – Returning Angler hit .169 last summer but has been solid this spring with .277 AVG
Gunnar Troutwine – SO – Wichita State – Hit .278 and led Shockers with seven home runs in sophomore campaign

INFIELDERS

John Aiello – SO – Wake Forest – Hit only .226, but nearly half of 44 hits went for extra bases
Sean Bouchard – JR – UCLA – Finished second on team with .295 AVG and chipped in two homers and 36 RBI
Orlando Garcia – SO – Texas Tech – Batting .261 with seven home runs for Super Regional-bound Red Raiders
Cam Hanley – JR – Northeastern – Hit .247 while starting 24 games for Huskies
Charles LeBlanc – SO – Pittsburgh – Native of Canada won ACC batting title at .405, drove in 46 and stole seven bases
Hunter Lee – SO – High Point – Started every game and hit .295 with 30 RBI
David MacKinnon – JR – Hartford – Earned spot with Wareham last summer and hit .292 then batted .392 with 4 HR for Hawks
Jake Palomaki – JR – Boston College – Infield and leadoff stalwart hitting .265 with team-high 19 stolen bases
Jeremy Vasquez – SO – Florida – Following good summer in Northwoods by hitting .289 for Gators
Matt Vernon – JR – Appalachian State – Hit .317 with 8 HR, 42 RBI, all team-bests for Mountaineers en route to all-conference nod

OUTFIELDERS

D.J. Artis – FR – Liberty – Red Sox 40th-round pick last year had big debut, finishing at .369 with two home runs and 23 stolen bases
Donovan Casey – SO – Boston College – Hitting .266 with big contributions in postseason and has also pitched some for Eagles
Matt Cook – SO – Wheaton – Harwich native hit .268 for D-III powerhouse Wheaton
Stuart Fairchild – SO – Wake Forest – Started every game and hit .293 while ranking second on team in RBI with 47
Tanner Gardner – SO – Texas Tech – One of nation’s top batting average guys all year, now at .376 with 3 HR, 18 2B, 43 RBI
Brock Lundquist – SO – Long Beach State – Followed up all-conference freshman year by hitting .315 with three home runs
Patrick Mathis – SO – Texas – Hit .297 with six home runs for Longhorns
Chase Pinder – JR – Clemson – Brother of former Angler Chad, hitting .294 with 11 home runs for Super Regional club
Joe Tietjen – JR – UNC Asheville – Earned second-team all-Big South honors by hitting .344 with 10 homers, 55 RBI

June 7, 2016June 7, 2016

Braves looking to stay in contention

Bourne is riding a nine-year playoff streak and has the makings of a club that can make it 10 – and contend from there.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Brendan McKay
2. Joe Davis
3. Corey Julks
4. Jake Mangum
5. Drew Carlton

NOTABLE

Louisville’s Brendan McKay made a good impression in his time with Bourne last summer. He’s on the roster for this year, but has a Team USA spot and could be headed to Omaha with the Cardinals in the meantime. Whatever happens, he’s perhaps the best two-way player in the country.

If McKay doesn’t make it to Bourne, fellow Card Devin Hairston will be a pretty good representative of the national No. 2 seed. Hairston is hitting .360 with three homers. He’s been a key to Louisville’s offense, along with 2015 Brave Nick Solak.

Patrick Raby had a strong debut for Vanderbilt and can lean on a couple of high school teammates for some Cape League advice. He played with Tennessee’s Nick Senzel and Kyle Serrano, who starred on the Cape last summer.

Connor Wong was a contributor for Y-D last summer. He’ll make the move to Bourne this year, where he’ll join Houston teammates Corey Julks and Joe Davis. Wong is listed as a catcher by the Braves, but didn’t play there much this spring.

The Cougars lost in the AAC conference championship, just missing out on the NCAA Tournament. That means the trio of Wong, Julks and Davis should be good to go from day one for the Braves, and they’ll provide a big boost. Julks, set for his second year with the Braves, had a great sophomore season. Davis was one of the top freshman sluggers in the nation, finishing with 14 home runs and AAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Drew Carlton hasn’t put up fantastic numbers, but when you’re the Friday starter for Florida State, you’re doing something right.

Washington made some noise in the Nashville regional and Noah Bremer had a hand in it. In the opener – which ended up as a 14-inning loss to eventual regional champ UC Santa Barbara, Bremer allowed just one run on four hits in nine innings of work.

Mississippi State catcher Elih Marrero is the son of former Major Leaguer Eli, who played with the Cardinals and several other clubs in a 10-year career. The younger Marrero was mentioned as a potential early-round pick last year but had a strong commitment to the Bulldogs.

Marrero’s teammate Jake Mangum wasn’t a regular starter for Mississippi State until April. Given a full-time spot, he never stopped hitting and finished ranked third in the nation with a .429 batting average.

East Carolina closer Joe Ingle struck out 69 in 47.2 innings. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings as the Pirates upset Virginia on their way to the Super Regionals.

PITCHERS

Noah Bremer – SO – Washington – Standout weekend starter for Huskies has 2.98 ERA, team-best 66 strikeouts
Drew Carlton – SO – Florida State – Friday starter for powerhouse Noles is 7-3, 4.36 ERA with 71 strikeouts
Chris Holba – FR – East Carolina – ERA over five but a busy reliever for Pirates with 23 appearances
Joe Ingle – SO – East Carolina – Star reliever for Super Regional-bound club has 12 saves, 69 Ks in 47.2 innings
Sean Leland – SO – Louisville – Has 3.24 ERA in limited relief innings for Cards’ deep pitching staff
Brendon Little – FR – North Carolina – Top 100 player nationally out of high school made only four appearances this spring
Brendan McKay – SO – Louisville – Two-way star avoided sophomore slump, hitting .336 with 5HR and 12-3, 2.12 ERA, 119 Ks
Chris Morris – SO – Seton Hall – Posted 3.76 ERA in Pirates’ bullpen, notched two saves and struck out better than a batter per inning
Doug Norman – SO – LSU – Solid reliever for Tigers has 3.26 ERA in 21 appearances
Patrick Raby – FR – Vanderbilt – Started third-most games on team and went 7-1 with 2.61 ERA, 63 Ks in 58.2 innings
Ronnie Rosoomando – FR – Connecticut – A 28th-round pick last year, saw action as a starter and reliever and finished with 3.93 ERA
Zach Spangler – SO – Kent State – Picked up one save in 17 appearances out of pen, with 3.18 ERA
Keith Weisenberg – SO – Stanford – Posted 3.45 ERA in nine appearances for Cardinal

CATCHERS

Elih Marrero – FR – Mississippi State – Son of former Major League catcher Eli hit .238 in debut season with Bulldogs
Garrett Wolforth – FR – Dallas Baptist – Hitting .259 in part-time duty behind the plate for DBU
Connor Wong – SO – Houston – Hit .232 and won title with Y-D last summer then batted .304 with 5 HR as a sophomore

INFIELDERS

Joe Davis – FR – Houston – 16th-round pick last year burst onto scene and won AAC Rookie of the Year with .331 AVG, 14 HR, 58 RBI
Devin Hairston – SO – Louisville – Hit .212 as frosh but now having breakout sophomore season – .360, 3 HR, 19 XBH
Isaiah Pasteur – SO – Indiana – Big 10 all-freshman last year but struggled this year, finishing with average below .200
L.T. Tolbert – FR – South Carolina – South Carolina high school star hitting .229 with three homers, 27 RBI in debut season
Willy Yahn – SO – Connecticut – Followed big freshman year with continued success, hitting .319 with 27 extra-base hits
Justin Yurchak – SO – Binghamton – Wake Forest transfer sat out this season per NCAA rules after hitting .312 with Deacons

OUTFIELDERS

Luis Alvarado – SO – Nebraska – Batted .251 with seven extra-base hits for Huskers
Brennan Breaux – FR – LSU – Hitting .152 in limited action as a Tiger freshman
Corey Julks – SO – Houston – Returning Brave had breakout sophomore year, hitting .333 with 3 HR, 10 SBs
Jake Mangum – SO – Mississippi State – True freshman forced his way into lineup and is scorching with .424 batting average, third in nation
Danny Reyes – FR – Florida – Making most of limited opportunities with .282 average and a home run in 20 games

June 5, 2016June 7, 2016

Firebirds building on big year

The 2015 Firebirds were one of those once-in-a-few-years Cape League teams that more closely resembles an all-star squad, and the result was 31 wins. With nobody back from that team, the 2016 Firebirds have a tough act to follow.

Five to Watch

1. Riley Adams
2. Michael Mediavilla
3. Zach Warren
4. Chandler Day
5. Zach Kirtley

Notable

Vanderbilt’s Donny Everett, who died in a drowning accident last week, was slated to play for Orleans this summer. The Firebirds Twitter account joined the college baseball community in offering condolences.

Two other Commodores, Chandler Day and Ethan Paul, will head for Orleans. Day is a highly-touted freshman pitcher, while Paul had a solid season in the Vanderbilt infield.

Zach Willeman followed Eric Lauer to the mound a few times this season for Kent State and will follow his footsteps to Orleans this summer. Lauer was terrific for the Firebirds last year and even better for the Golden Flashes this spring. Willeman was the Kent State closer.

The Kent State connection isn’t the only one from last year’s Orleans’ rotation. Kyle Serrano’s Tennessee teammate Zach Warren is bound for Orleans after a pretty good sophomore season

Gonzaga’s Eli Morgan had the best starting pitching numbers among incoming Firebirds, going 10-2 with 99 strikeouts.

Will Stokes isn’t even the official closer at Ole Miss. That job belongs to former Falmouth Commodore Wyatt Short, but Stokes still managed to save seven games. He and Short combined for 18.

Miami has been one of the best teams in the nation and Michael Mediavilla has certainly pulled his weight. He’s 10-1 on the year and went seven strong innings in a regional win Saturday.

San Diego catcher Riley Adams is one of just five sophomores among the 15 Johnny Bench Award semifinalists. He had a strong sophomore campaign, improving across the board from a freshman season that was also pretty good.

Virginia’s Adam Haseley was a key part of last year’s College World Series championship, but he and the 2016 Cavaliers were bounced out of their own regional Sunday by East Carolina.

Brian Miller, North Carolina infielder, is not to be confused with Brian Miller, Vanderbilt reliever who starred for Cotuit in 2013. This Miller looks like he could be a fixture at the top of the Orleans order after hitting .345 and stealing 21 bases.

PITCHERS

Brandon Bielak – SO – Notre Dame – Struck out almost a batter an inning with 2.10 ERA pitching mostly out in relief
Chandler Day – FR – Vanderbilt – Highly-touted, projectable freshman held his own in debut, with 4.26 ERA in 10 appearances
Sean Guenther – SO – Notre Dame – Saved five games as a freshman before pitching mostly as a starter with 4.62 ERA this year
Calvin LeBrun – SO – Gonzaga – Went 5-4 with 4.97 ERA while pitching mostly out of the bullpen for Zags
Zach Logue – SO – Kentucky – Split time as reliever and starter and posted 2.68 ERA, 38 Ks
Kirk McCarty – SO – Southern Miss – Ace of Golden Eagle’s staff is 8-1 with 3.15 ERA and 89 strikeouts
Michael Mediavilla – SO – Miami – Saturday starter leads ‘Canes in strikeouts with 69 and holds 10-1 record with 3.23 ERA
Eli Morgan – SO – Gonzaga – Second-best starter for Bulldogs went 10-2, 3.66 ERA, 99 Ks in 103.1 innings
Jason Morgan – SO – North Carolina – Weekend starter went 3-3 with 4.10 ERA and 47 Ks
Joe Ryan – SO – Cal State Northridge – Pitched as both starter and reliever and finished with 3.35 ERA
Kevin Smith – FR – Georgia – Went 5-1 in swing role with 3.91 ERA, 40 Ks for Bulldogs
John Sparks – SO – Austin Peay – Struggled out of the pen for Governors, finishing with ERA over 10
Will Stokes – SO – Ole Miss – Has saved seven games with 2.93 ERA in team-high 30 appearances
Zach Warren – SO – Tennessee – Had solid season in weekend rotation with 4.04 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 58 Ks
Zach Willeman – SO – Kent State – Finished top 10 in the nation in saves with 14 while posting 2.70 ERA

CATCHERS

Riley Adams – SO – San Diego – Had terrific season for Toreros, batting .327 with 6 HR, team-best 25 extra-base hits
Drew Lugbauer – SO – Michigan – Standout in NECBL last summer hit .294 with 7 home runs as a sophomore

INFIELDERS

Joe Baker – SO – Texas – Followed strong freshman year with bit of a sophomore slump, finishing at .245 with 1 HR
Garrett Benge – SO – Oklahoma State – Solid performer for Cowboys hitting .298 with four homers
Will Golsan – SO – Ole Miss – Has started every game but one for Rebels and is batting .273 with three homers, 31 RBI
Zach Kirtley – SO – St. Mary’s – Starred as a freshman and was top player for tourney team this year – .326, 7 HR, 43 RBI
Riley Mahan – SO – Kentucky – Followed all-star campaign in Perfect Game League with .316, 5 HR sophomore season
Ethan Paul – SO – Vanderbilt – Fourth-leading hitter for Commodores with .283 AVG, 4 HR, 9 SB

OUTFIELDERS

Adam Haseley – SO – Virginia – Omaha standout in championship run last year still hot, with .304 AVG and 1.73 ERA as a pitcher
Scott Hurst – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Hitting .214 in 50 games for Titans
Garrett McCain – SO – Oklahoma State – Batting .203 in part-time duty for Cowboys
Keegan McGovern – SO – Georgia – Hit .263 with 6 HR, team-best 35 RBI in sophomore campaign
Brian Miller – SO – North Carolina – Led Tar Heels with .345 AVG and stole 21 bases in 26 tries
Sean Watkins – SO – Loyola Marymount – Hit .256 at the plate, saved seven games with 2.86 ERA out of bullpen

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016

Harbor Hawks look for an encore

Hyannis lost a heartbreaker to Y-D in the Cape League championship series last year, but it was still one of the best summers McKeon Park has ever seen. Replicating that kind of success is never easy, but the Harbor Hawks again have a lot of offensive potential.

Five to Watch

1. Carl Stajduhar
2. Trey Truitt
3. Devin Smeltzer
4. Taylor Walls
5. Dylan Busby

Notable

New Mexico won the Mountain West Conference title and is in regionals now. Whenever it ends, the Lobos will send a trio of players to Hyannis. Carl Stajduhard has had the best season of the three. He earned conference player of the year honors with great overall numbers – .348, 18 HR – and was unstoppable in conference play with a .421 batting average, nine homers and 39 RBI.

Tristan Hildebrandt ended up as a key late addition for Hyannis last summer but couldn’t build on his success with Cal State Fullerton this spring, finishing the regular season hitting under .200. A return to McKeon Park will offer a chance for a jumpstart.

The other returning Harbor Hawk is Devin Smeltzer, who wasn’t on the team’s initial roster but is there now. Smeltzer had an up-and-down summer last year, but the ups included a no-hitter of Harwich. Smeltzer transferred from Florida Gulf Coast to junior college power San Jacinto and had a terrific sophomore season. As a juco player, he will be eligible for the draft.

Minnesota has sent some pretty good pitchers to Hyannis over the years and Lucas Gilbreath is next in line. He’s been terrific out of the bullpen this year, striking out better than a batter per inning.

Florida State is hitting .295 as a team this season and two guys who had a big hand in the success are bound for Hyannis. Dylan Busby and Taylor Walls are both hitting over .300, with Busby leading the team in home runs.

Rice seems to churn out infielders and Ford Proctor is next in line. The freshman is starting at shortstop and batting third for the Owls as they head to regionals.

Outfielder has a breakout sophomore season then stars on the Cape. Sound familiar? Kyle Lewis’ outfield mate, Trey Truitt, is halfway to a similar path. He hit .354 with 17 home runs and might have been Southern Conference Player of the Year if not for Lewis’ presence.

PITCHERS

Trysten Barlow – FR – Mississippi State – Part of a big class of pitching newcomers in Starkville has not seen any action this year
Charlie Barnes – SO – Clemson – Busy reliever moved into rotation this year and has 4.49 ERA, team-best 78 Ks
Garrett Cave – SO – Florida International – Pitched as starter and reliever and posted 4.67 ERA with 42 Ks
John Gavin – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Not a huge strikeout guy but has 2.16 ERA in Titans’ weekend rotation
Lucas Gilbreath – SO – Minnesota – Following up good summer in Northwoods with dominant year in pen – 1.35 ERA, 41 Ks
Andrew Gonzalez – SO – Michigan State – Put up solid numbers in swing role, with 2.84 ERA in nine starts, eight relief apps
James Harrington – SO – New Mexico – ERA over six while pitching mostly as a mid-week starter for Lobos
Daniel Johnson – SO – Charleston Southern – Weekend starter had 5.82 ERA, 41 Ks
Justin Lewis – SO – Kentucky – Notched four saves with 2.08 ERA as Wildcats reliever
Al Pesto – FR – Duke – Freshman has been valuable part of Blue Devil bullpen with 1.83 ERA in 15 appearances
Ricky Salinas – SO – Rice – Solid weekend starter with 3.62 ERA, 60 Ks
Mac Sceroler – SO – SE Louisiana – Top starter for regional-bound Lions with 2.18 ERA, 92 Ks
Devin Smeltzer – SO – San Jacinto – After no-hitter in CCBL last summer, dominant for JUCO powerhouse – 1.20 ERA, 108 Ks
Tyler Stevens – SO – New Mexico – Solid starter in weekend rotation with 4.34 ERA, 71 Ks

CATCHERS

Chris Cullen – FR – South Carolina – 38th-round pick last year hitting .252, 11 2Bs in part-time gig for Gamecocks
Chris Hudgins – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Splitting time behind plate and hitting .231 with three home runs for Titans

INFIELDERS

Dylan Busby – SO – Florida State – Leading Seminoles with 12 HRs, 47 RBI in breakout sophomore season
Cody Henry – SO – Alabama – Batted .223 with team-best 16 doubles for Crimson Tide
Tristan Hildebrandt – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Returning Hawk has had tough sophomore year with .168 average
Ford Proctor – FR – Rice – Texas high school star having big debut – .343, 3 HRs, team-best in extra-base hits and RBI
Zach Rutherford – SO – Old Dominion – Freshman All-American picked up where he left off this year with team-best .311 AVG, 12 SB
Carl Stajduhar – SO – New Mexico – MWC Player of the Year in midst of huge season for champ Lobos – .348, 18 HR, 66 RBI
Taylor Walls – SO – Florida State – Started every game as a frosh last year and has starred this year with .357 AVG, 6 HR, 14 SB
Peter Zyla – SO – Duke – Batting .253 for regional participant Blue Devils

OUTFIELDERS

Treg Haberkorn – SO – Cincinnati – Solid sophomore year included .264 AVG, 3 home runs, 13 stolen bases
Jack Schaaf – SO – Florida International – Batted .275 with three home runs as a sophomore after similar freshman season
Trey Truitt – SO – Mercer – Starred alongside CCBL ’15 standout Kyle Lewis with .335 AVG, 17 HR, 54 RBI
Drew Wharton – SO – Clemson – Hitting .154 in limited action for Tigers

May 27, 2016May 27, 2016

Red Sox defending title again

The Y-D Red Sox celebrate in last year's championship series. — The Y-D Red Sox celebrate in last year’s championship series.

If they make the playoffs, look out. The Y-D Red Sox haven’t been the best team in the regular season in either of the past two years, but won the Cape League championship both times. Pitching looks like the strength on paper for the incoming Sox.

Five to Watch

1. Ricky Thomas
2. Alex Faedo
3. Jayson Rose
4. J.J. Schwarz
5. Deon Stafford

Notable

Ricky Thomas didn’t have a fantastic freshman season for Fresno State but became one of the Cape’s best pitchers last summer, going 7-0 with a 1.01 ERA. And that was just the beginning for Thomas. Back with the Bulldogs, he’s emerging as one of the top sophomore arms in the nation.

Alex Faedo would be a Friday starter just about everywhere, but at Florida, he’s a Sunday starter behind junior stars A.J. Puk and Logan Shore. Despite that, it’s Faedo who leads the team in strikeouts.

Mikey Diekroeger is following in the footsteps of brothers Kenny and Danny at Stanford and will follow Danny to the Cape. While Kenny was on a Y-D roster, he never actually played on the Cape. Danny played briefly for Y-D in 2012 and for Cotuit in 2013.

Barnstable native Will Toffey will be back for his second summer with Y-D. After a late arrival last year, the Vanderbilt infielder hit .136 in 15 games for the Red Sox.

Quite a collection of catchers on the Y-D roster — Florida star J.J. Schwarz, A-10 Player of the Year Deon Stafford of St. Joseph’s and Oral Roberts standout Matt Whatley. While Schwarz has the best credentials, Stafford had the best season with a .400 batting average and 17 homers.

Florida was the No. 1 team in the nation for much of the season and is still top five. If the Gators make Omaha, the Red Sox will have a few holes, with Faedo, Schwarz and shortstop Dalton Guthrie all on the roster.

The Red Sox could end up with an all-TCU outfield. Three of the four listed on the roster call Fort Worth home.

Y-D has welcomed in big-time arms from Cal State Fullerton the last two years — Phil Bickford in 2014 and Chad Hockin last year. Connor Seabold may fit the bill this year, with his 90 strikeouts in just 76.2 innings pitched.

PITCHERS

Michael Baumann – SO – Jacksonville – 2015 Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year had 4.31 ERA this year, fanned 67
Sam Delaplane – JR – Eastern Michigan – Saved three games and struck out a batter an inning out of Eagles’ bullpen
Alex Faedo – SO – Florida – Sidekick to stars A.J. Puk & Logan Shore great in his own right with 102 Ks, 3.58 ERA
Cre Finfrock – SO – Central Florida – Notched a team-high 70 strikeouts as weekend starter
Mitch Hart – SO – USC – Freshman All-American struggled in sophomore campaign, with ERA over seven
Jake Higginbotham – FR – Clemson – 27th-round pick out of high school has 4.59 ERA as starter for Tigers
Oliver Jaskie – SO – Michigan – Moved into weekend rotation and went 7-3 with 3.36 ERA, 55 Ks
William Montgomerie – SO – Connecticut – Emerged as reliable weekend arm with 2.86 ERA, 78 Ks
Bryan Pall – SO – Michigan – Three saves, 26 strikeouts in 26 innings as Wolverine reliever
Jayson Rose – SO – Utah – One of the top starters in Pac-12 is 8-5 with 2.46 ERA, 96 Ks in 95 IP
Connor Seabold – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Mostly a starter, has racked up 90 Ks and only seven walks in 76.2 IP
Collin Snider – SO – Vanderbilt – Standout reliever for Commodores has 2.57 ERA, 30 Ks
Ricky Thomas – SO – Fresno State – Breakout star in CCBL last year dominant for Bulldogs with 2.16 ERA, 108 Ks
Erich Uelmen – SO – Cal Poly – Solid weekend starter posted 3.76 ERA, 66Ks

CATCHERS

JJ Schwarz – SO – Florida – Frosh star has had a bit of a sophomore slump but still hitting .290 with six homers
Deon Stafford – SO – Saint Joseph’s – A-10 Player of the Year batted .400 with 17 homers this spring
Matt Whatley – SO – Oral Roberts – Reigning Summit League Newcomer of Year stayed hot at .354, 7 HRs

INFIELDERS

Wade Bailey – SO – Georgia Tech – After solid debut last year, hitting .314 with four HRs this season
Mikey Diekroeger – SO – Stanford – Hitting only .216 but second on team in extra-base hits
Dalton Guthrie – SO – Florida – Leadoff man and SS for preseason favorite Gators, hitting .323
Coco Montes – FR – South Florida – Full-time starter as frosh, hitting .221 with two home runs
Kevin Smith – SO – Maryland – Starting SS since day one hitting .267 with eight homers this season
Will Toffey – SO – Vanderbilt – Barnstable native hitting .234 with 19 RBI in sophomore season

OUTFIELDERS

Nolan Brown – SR – TCU – Poised to be Frogs’ leadoff hitter but injury sent him to redshirt year
Ryan Johnson – FR – TCU – Hitting .214 in limited action off Horned Frogs’ bench
Luke Miller – FR – Indiana – Indiana HS star off to strong start with Hoosiers, hitting .283 with 13 XBH
Connor Wanhanen – SO – TCU – Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 hitting .247 this season