early look: bourne

BOURNE BRAVES
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
Last Season: 25-17-2

Last year, I printed out every team’s roster right as the season began. Things always change, of course, so if a team updated its roster online, I would print it out. If a team didn’t, I would write in the new names on the original print-out.

And there was a lot of ink on the Bourne roster. Of the 23 players on the original roster, only 15 of them became regular contributors. Some never made it at all and some came but left quickly. Either way, the Braves were scrambling, more so than any other team.

But they did alright.

The Braves finished the regular season with the best record in the Western division thanks largely to contributions from temporary players-turned-regulars like Ben Guez and T.J. Hose and a strong pitching staff headed by Rick Zagone and D.J. Mitchell. Bourne ended up losing in the Western division playoffs, but just being there made it a pretty special season.

The Braves will try to build on last summer with a team that will be, at once, the least experienced and most experienced on the Cape. Least because not a single player returns from last year. Most because 20 of 26 on the current roster will be coming off their sophomore season.

It should make for an interesting dynamic, and judging from the looks of this roster, it should work out just fine. The Braves have a lot of talent, headed by Rice pitcher Ryan Berry, who was supposed to be a Brave before heading for Team USA. Berry may end up being one of the top pitchers in the nation this season.

A big SEC connection should also held the Braves. Ole Miss’ Jordan Henry was the SEC freshman of the year last season, and he’ll be joined by teammate Nathan Baker, one of the conference’s top freshmen. Mississippi State’s Brandon Turner also brings big credentials.

And though there aren’t many freshmen, pitchers Zach Kenyon, Drew Pomeranz and Bob Revesz and outfielder Rafael Thomas look like good ones.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 0
Sophomores: 20
Freshmen : 6

Notable

• Rafael Thomas may end up being the fastest player on the Cape this summer. At a high school All-American game last year, the Oklahoma State frosh won the fastest-to-first competition in 3.67 seconds. For a reference-point, a “fast” runner gets to first in four seconds or less.
• If you’re not familiar with Ryan Berry, check out his profile. He doesn’t look like a baseball player, but neither does Greg Maddux.
• Nearly a third of the players on the roster hail from SEC schools
• Coastal Carolina’s Nick McCully looks like he could become the Braves’ closer
• The pitching staff is pretty right-hand heavy, and the only four lefties all have the makeup of starters, not relievers
• The Citadel’s Richard Jones looks like the early favorite to be Bourne’s starting catcher, and if he hits like he did his freshman year, he’ll open some eyes
• Zack Kenyon, Drew Pomeranz and Bob Revesz look like quite a trio of freshmen pitchers – all three have projectable size and were drafted out of high school
• Thirteen players will have college teammates with them in Bourne
• The Braves don’t have many freshman, but five of the six were drafted out of high school

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Ryan Berry
2. Jordan Henry
3. Brandon Turner
4. Nathan Baker
5. Richard Jones

Pitchers
Ryan Allen – RHP – 6’2 195 – Missouri – Sophomore
Nathan Baker – LHP – 6’3 205 – Mississippi – Sophomore
Ryan Berry – RHP – 6’1 195 – Rice – Sophomore
Victor Black – RHP – 6’4 190 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
Tyler Blandford – RHP – 6’2 199 – Oklahoma St. – Sophomore
Mike Bolsinger – RHP – 6’2 200 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Ricky Bowen – RHP – 6’3 178 – Mississippi St. – Sophomore
Justin Grimm – RHP – 6’4 170 – Georgia – Freshman
Zach Kenyon – RHP – 6’6 190 – Iowa – Freshman
Nick McCully – RHP – 5’11 180 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
Eric Pettis – RHP – 6’2 195 – UC-Irvine – Sophomore
Drew Pomeranz – LHP – 6’5 220 – Mississippi – Freshman
Nate Reed – LHP – 6’3 180 – Pittsburgh – Sophomore
Bob Revesz – LHP – 6’4 190 – Louisville – Freshman

(Note: The player’s name is linked to his school bio. If there’s no link, that means I couldn’t find a bio)

Ryan Allen – RHP – 6’2 195
Missouri
Sophomore
Three Missouri pitchers had tremendous summers on the Cape last year, and Allen will try to follow in their footsteps. Allen pitched in 11 games his freshman year at Missouri, mostly out of the bullpen. He struck out 15 in 14.1 innings.

Nathan Baker – LHP – 6’3 205
Mississippi
Sophomore
Baker was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American after posting a 6-2 record and a 3.94 ERA as a starter for the Rebels. In high school, Baker was rated as one of the top 150 players in the country by Baseball America.

Ryan Berry – RHP – 6’1 195
Rice
Sophomore
Berry wasn’t heavily recruited but he burst onto the scene in his freshman year for Rice, eventually becoming the team’s ace and turning in numbers that put him into All-American categories, not just Freshman All-American categories. He finished the year with an 11-3 record, a 3.01 ERA and 125 strikeouts against just 34 walks. He originally signed on to play for Bourne last summer, but went on to pitch for Team USA.

Victor Black – RHP – 6’4 190
Dallas Baptist
Sophomore
Black was among the top high school pitchers in Texas and was a 41st-round pick in the 2006 draft. Last year at Dallas Baptist, he had a 5-5 record with 4.86 ERA and 91 strikeouts.

Tyler Blandford – RHP – 6’2 199
Oklahoma St.
Sophomore
Blandford was a 34th-round pick out of Daviess County high school in Owensboro, Ky., before enrolling at Oklahoma State. Last year for the Cowboys, he pitched in 11 games and posted a 3.52 ERA. He should step into a bigger role this season.

Mike Bolsinger – RHP – 6’2 200
Arkansas
Sophomore
Bolsinger heads to Arkansas this year after spending his freshman season at Grayson Community College. After high school in Alabama, Bolsinger was a 34th-round draft pick.

Ricky Bowen – RHP – 6’3 178
Mississippi St.
Sophomore
Bowen is expected to be the Bulldogs’ third starter this season. In his freshman year, Bowen pitched in 27 games, all out of the bullpen, and finished the season with a 3.00 ERA in 36 innings pitched. He was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.

Justin Grimm – RHP – 6’4 170
Georgia
Freshman
Grimm hails from Bristol, Va., where he bounced back from an injury his junior season to post a big campaign in his senior year of high school. He went 9-1 with a 1.48 ERA and was drafted in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox.

Zach Kenyon – RHP – 6’6 190
Iowa
Freshman
Kenyon was a ninth-round pick last year but opted to attend Iowa, making himself one of the most highly-touted recruits in Hawkeyes history. The righty from Davenport, Iowa, went 10-2 his senior year of high school. His size alone makes him someone to watch.

Nick McCully – RHP – 5’11 180
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
McCully emerged as Coastal’s closer last year in his freshman season, and he excelled in that role. He finished with a 3.48 ERA. As a two-way player in high school, McCully was a first-team all-state pick in Florida.

Eric Pettis – RHP – 6’2 195
UC-Irvine
Sophomore
In his freshman season, Pettis started seven games but also came out of the bullpen and finished second on the team in total appearances. For the year, he went 4-0 with a 4.53 ERA in helping the Anteaters to the College World Seris.

Drew Pomeranz – LHP – 6’5 220
Mississippi
Freshman
Pomeranz was a preseason All-American heading into his senior year of high school in Collierville, Tenn. The tall lefty was also drafted in the 12th round by the Texas Rangers, so he brings some lofty credentials into his freshman year with the Rebels.

Nate Reed – LHP – 6’3 180
Pittsburgh
Sophomore
Reed was a weekend starter in his first season with the Panthers and he delivered solid numbers. He finished the year with a 4.17 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 82 innings. Reed also gave up a team-low 19 extra-base hits.

Bob Revesz – LHP – 6’4 190
Louisville
Freshman
Revesz is one of two freshman lefties from Louisville set to play on the Cape, joining teammate Dean Kiekhefer, who’s slated to play in Wareham. Revesz is a projectable lefty who should make an immediate impact with the Cardinals and on the Cape.

Position Players
Tyson Blaser – C – 6’2 205 – Iowa – Sophomore
Richard Jones – C – 6’0 210 – The Citadel – Sophomore
Tyler Cannon – INF/C – 6’0 180 – Virginia – Sophomore
Dusty Coleman – INF – 6’2 185 – Wichita St. – Sophomore
Austin Knight – INF – 5’10 170 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
Kyle Roller – INF – 6’1 249 – East Carolina – Sophomore
Brandon Turner – INF – 6’0 188 – Mississippi St. – Sophomore
Ross Wilson – INF – 6’1 190 – Alabama – Freshman
Jordan Henry – OF – 6’0 160 – Mississippi – Sophomore
Jamie Johnson – OF – 5’8 185 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
Sean Madigan – OF – 5’11 185 – UC Irvine – Sophomore
Rafael Thomas – OF/INF – 5’8 171 – Oklahoma St. – Freshman

Tyson Blaser – C – 6’2 205
Iowa
Sophomore
Blaser filled a backup role for the Hawkeyes as a freshman, seeing action in 10 games. In high school, Blaser was a two-time all-state pick in Illinois.

Richard Jones – C – 6’0 210
The Citadel
Sophomore
Jones was named a Freshman All-American last year after hitting .335 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI. Those are outstanding offensive numbers for a catcher, so it appears Jones has the potential for big things.

Tyler Cannon – INF/C – 6’0 180
Virginia
Sophomore
Cannon played mostly at shortstop for the Cavaliers in his freshman season and bounced back from a slow start to hit .279 for the year and .294 in conference play.

Dusty Coleman – INF – 6’2 185
Wichita St.
Sophomore
Coleman spent most of his freshman season as the Shockers’ starting shortstop. For the year, he hit .264 with two home runs and 19 RBI. He also had 15 multi-hit games. In high school, Coleman was a two-time all-state selection in South Dakota.

Austin Knight – INF – 5’10 170
Dallas Baptist
Sophomore
Knight started at shortstop from day one for the Patriots and put up a big freshman season. He hit .338, with 12 doubles and 43 RBI. Those numbers were good enough to earn him Freshman All-American honors.

Kyle Roller – INF – 6’1 249
East Carolina
Sophomore
Roller follows in the footsteps of ECU pitcher T.J. Hose, who came to Bourne last year without much hype and ended up being an all-star. Roller, a DH/1B type, hit .306 last year and tied for the team lead in home runs with 11.

Brandon Turner – INF – 6’0 188
Mississippi St.
Sophomore
Turner battled his future Bourne teammate Jordan Henry for SEC Freshman of the Year honors, and though he ended up losing out, he still enters his sophomore season as one of the nation’s top second basemen. Last year, Turner hit .399 with three home runs, 13 doubles and 48 RBI.

Ross Wilson – INF – 6’1 190
Alabama
Freshman
Wilson is perhaps best known for his starring role in the MTV show Two-A-Days, which chronicled a football season at Hoover high school in Alabama, where Wilson was the starting quarterback. Wilson was a two-sport start all the while, though, and ended up signing on to play baseball for the Tide. Wilson’s brother, John Parker, stuck with football and is Alabama’s starting quarterback.

Jordan Henry – OF – 6’0 160
Mississippi
Sophomore
Henry was a Freshman All-American and the SEC Freshman of the Year last season. He hit .376 and was an on-base machine, reaching safely in 62 of 65 games. He’s been named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List for 2008.

Jamie Johnson – OF – 5’8 185
Oklahoma
Sophomore
Johnson played last season at Texarkana Junior College, where he hit .471 with 21 stolen bases. He was a third-team JUCO All-American. Out of high school, Johnson was a 50th-round pick.

Sean Madigan – OF – 5’11 185
UC Irvine
Sophomore
A Ping Freshman All American, Madigan was one of the driving forces behind Irvine’s run to Omaha. He hit .333 for the year, fifth on the team.

Rafael Thomas – OF/INF – 5’8 171
Oklahoma St.
Freshman
Thomas made a strong first impression in the fall for the Cowboys, leading the team in hits and making a case to become an immediate contributor. The speedy outfielder was highly-recruited out of high school in Lufkin, Texas, choosing the Cowboys over Miami, Arizona State and Texas. He was a member of the 2006 USA Baseball Junior National Team and was a 31st-round pick out of high school.

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