early look: orleans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roster Rundown

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

Notable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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