2012 Early Look: Bourne Braves

Bourne Braves
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
2011 Record: 22-20-2

With its run of championships, the Yarmouth Dennis Red Sox were the team of the last decade, but if you’re looking at just the past few years, I don’t know if anybody’s been as successful as the Bourne Braves. The Braves won just nine games in 2006, but since then, they’ve posted winning records every year, and they won a championship in 2009.

Last year, though they weren’t at the very top of the division, they were two games over .500 and were a playoff threat. They also had the MVP — Travis Jankowski — for the second time in three years.

With Doran Park looking better and better every year, the Braves are turning into one of the league’s top franchises, and with the roster they’re fielding this year, there’s no reason to think they won’t take another step forward.

In a cursory evaluation of all the rosters when they came out, I thought Bourne had the most talent. When you bring back the pitcher of the year and probably the top freshman on the Cape last year, you’ve got a pretty good head start. We’ll see how it all shakes out. Things could change, but with Harvey Shapiro at the helm, the Braves have proven they can win in a variety of ways. I wouldn’t bet against them.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 4
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 20
Freshmen: 6

Notable

Last year was kind of a weird year for pitchers on the Cape, a year in which nobody seemed to be the total package. But regardless of the landscape, Ryan Eades stood out. He allowed three earned runs in seven starts for an ERA of 0.84. If he does make it back to the Cape as expected, he’ll be the first returning Pitcher of the Year since Terry Doyle in 2007.

Eades and North Carolina’s Colin Moran would make a heck of a returning nucleus. Moran was the ACC Freshman of the Year and had a solid summer with Bourne. There’s been no sophomore slump either. He’s hitting .389 this year.

Moran’s teammate Tommy Coyle, another returnee, hasn’t put up the best numbers this spring, but he has also started every game, a hint at what he brings to the table. He was great for Bourne last summer, and I could see him coming up big again this year.

Ryne Stanek had just a cameo with Bourne last year, pitching in three games and then spending some time with Team USA. Stanek was a third-round pick out of high school and has been great for Arkansas this spring. The Braves would love to see more of him this summer.

Louisville’s Jeffrey Thompson will be back in New England after earning New England Collegiate Baseball League Top Prospect honors last summer. That’s five years in a row that the NECBL top prospect has been on a Cape roster the next year. They haven’t always made it to the Cape, but they’ve always been on a roster. Thompson struck out 68 in 50 innings last summer, so Bourne is certainly hoping he makes it.

The Bourne pitching staff might make a pretty good basketball team if the whole baseball thing doesn’t work out. The Braves have three pitchers who are 6’4, three who are 6’6, one who’s 6’7 and one who’s 6’8.

Sometimes, Cape pitching staffs are populated by guys who did a lot of relief work in the spring. Bourne has its share of those guys, but also has five starters who have put together very good seasons. That could be another leg up for the Braves.

If you haven’t heard the story of future Bourne outfielder Kevin Jordan and his Wake Forest coach, Tom Walter, go ahead and read this. Jordan needed a kidney transplant last year, and his coach was the donor.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Colin Moran
2. Ryan Eades
3. Ryne Stanek
4. Jeffrey Thompson
5. Chris Harvey

Pitchers

Hawtin Buchanan – RHP – 6’8 245 – Ole Miss – Freshman
Dan Child – RHP – 6’4 225 – Oregon State – Sophomore
*Ryan Eades – RHP – 6’2 189 – LSU – Sophomore
Chad Green – RHP – 6’4 210 – Louisville – Sophomore
Jon Keller – RHP – 6’6 225 – Nebraska – Sophomore
Tyler King – LHP – 6’0 190 – Nebraska – Sophomore
Jaron Long – RHP – 6’0 180 – Ohio State – Sophomore
Brandon Moore – RHP – 6’3 228 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Javier Reynoso – LHP – 5’11 190 – Coastal Carolina – Freshman
Tyler Skulina – RHP – 6’6 225 – Kent State – Sophomore
*Ryne Stanek – RHP – 6’4 180 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Shane Taylor – RHP – 6’1 185 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Jeffrey Thompson – RHP – 6’6 240 – Louisville – Sophomore
Brian Ward – LHP – 6’3 185 – Connecticut – Sophomore
Patrick Young – RHP – 6’7 208 – Villanova – Sophomore

Hawtin Buchanan – RHP – 6’8 245
Ole Miss
Freshman

A towering presence on the mound, Buchanan was a 19th-round draft pick out of high school. At Ole Miss, he’s pitched very well out of the bullpen as a freshman, posting a 3.06 ERA and 29 strikeouts against only eight walks in 17.2 innings.

Dan Child – RHP – 6’4 225
Oregon State
Sophomore

Child was a late-round pick out of high school and saw only limited action with the Beavers in 2011. But after earning all-star honors as a reliever in the Northwoods League last summer, Child has become an ace in Corvallis this spring. Pitching as a starter, he’s 5-3 with a 2.55 ERA. He has struck out 75 in 91.2 innings.

Ryan Eades – RHP – 6’2 189
LSU
Sophomore

A 19th-round pick out of high school in 2010, Eades didn’t have great overall numbers as a freshman with the Tigers, but he pitched well near the end of last season. Then came the summer, when Eades carried that momentum into a huge season with the Braves. Eades went 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA and earned Cape Cod League pitcher of the year honors. This spring, Eades has been solid again. He’s 5-2 with a 3.75 ERA.

Chad Green – RHP – 6’4 210
Louisville
Sophomore

Green has been a standout reliever for two seasons running with the Cardinals. He had a 1.93 ERA in 21 appearances last year, and he has a 2.41 ERA in 20 games this year. He has struck out 37 in 37.1 innings.

Jon Keller – RHP – 6’6 225
Nebraska
Sophomore

Keller was an 11th round pick out of high school and jumped into Nebraska’s weekend rotation immediately last year. He ended up going 3-6 with a 3.62 ERA. This year has been more of a struggle. Keller is 4-1 but had an ERA of 5.37.

Tyler King – LHP – 6’0 190
Nebraska
Sophomore

Kind was a standout reliever for the Huskers last season, but like his teammate Keller, he’s had his struggles this season. He currently has a 5.40 ERA. Still, King had been a key part of the bullpen and leads the team in appearances.

Jaron Long – RHP – 6’0 180
Ohio State
Sophomore

The son of New York Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, Jaron Long is making his mark on the mound rather than at the plate. Long is 6-2 and he leads the Buckeyes with a 2.29 ERA. Though he has struck out only 61 in 98.1 innings, he’s also walked just 12.

Brandon Moore – RHP – 6’3 228
Arkansas
Sophomore

Moore pitched as both a starter and a reliever last season, and had success regardless of what he was doing. He finished the year with a 3.45 ERA. This year, with the focus almost solely on the bullpen, Moore has been even better. He’s got a 2.61 ERA to go with 29 strikeouts and just four walks in 58.2 innings.

Javier Reynoso – LHP – 5’11 190
Coastal Carolina
Freshman

A 39th-round pick out of high school last year, Reynoso has put together a solid freshman season for the Chanticleers. He’s 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA.

Tyler Skulina – RHP – 6’6 225
Kent State
Sophomore

An Ohio high-school star, Skulina started his career at Virginia before transferring back to his home state. After sitting out last year, Skulina is 8-2 this season with a 4.14 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched. Out of high school, Skulina was drafted in the 46th round.

Ryne Stanek – RHP – 6’4 180
Arkansas
Sophomore

Stanek was a third-round pick in the 2010 draft so he came to Arkansas with considerable hype. He was solid as a freshman, then spent time with Bourne and with Team USA last summer. This spring, Stanek has become the ace the Razorbacks hoped they were getting. He’s 6-3 with a 2.99 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 69.1 innings.

Shane Taylor – RHP – 6’1 185
North Carolina
Sophomore

Taylor pitched well out of the bullpen as a freshman and has been even better with a year under his belt. Taylor ranks third on the team in appearances with 24 and is 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA. He has struck out 31 in 35 innings.

Jeffrey Thompson – RHP – 6’6 240
Louisville
Sophomore

Thompson pitched mostly out of the bullpen as a freshman last year but then turned a lot of heads in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, where he took home the top pro prospect award after striking out 68 in 50 innings pitched. Thompson has been impressive again this spring, going 9-2 for UofL with a 3.64 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 71.2 innings.

Brian Ward – LHP – 6’3 185
Connecticut
Sophomore

Ward saw a ton of action as a freshman last year and put up good numbers, finishing with an ERA just over three. This year has been a bit of struggle, with Ward sitting at 3-4 with a 5.96 ERA.

Patrick Young – RHP – 6’7 208
Villanova
Sophomore

Another towering presence for the Braves, Young has been the leader of Nova’s rotation this season. He’s 6-4 right now with a 4.25 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 78 innings.

Position Players

Will Allen – C – 6’3 218 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
*Tommy Coyle – INF – 5’9 170 – North Carolina – Junior
Josh Dezse – 1B/RHP – 6’5 220 – Ohio State – Sophomore
Trent Gilbert – INF – 6’1 175 – Arizona – Freshman
Chris Harvey – C – 6’5 215 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Kevin Jordan – OF – 6’1 191 – Wake Forest – Freshman
Chase McDonald – 1B – 6’4 255 – East Carolina – Sophomore
*Colin Moran – 3B – 6’3 180 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Aaron Payne – INF – 5’11 175 – Oregon – Sophomore
Jordan Patterson – OF/LHP – 6’4 206 – South Alabama – Sophomore
Dario Pizzano – OF – 5’11 200 – Columbia – Junior
Jack Reinheimer – SS – 6’0 170 – East Carolina – Sophomore
Mason Robbins – OF/LHP – 6’1 200 – Southern Mississippi – Freshman

Will Allen – C – 6’3 218
Ole Miss
Sophomore

After getting some time as a freshman and hitting .227, Allen has become one of the top players for the Rebels this spring. He ranks fourth on the team with a .329 batting average, and he’s also totaled 13 extra-base hits.

Tommy Coyle – INF – 5’9 170
North Carolina
Junior

Coyle is a veteran presence for the Tar Heels, and he has a strong track record, which includes a stop on Cape Cod. Coyle played for Bourne last year and was one of the team’s top hitters, finishing with a .315 average and eight extra-base hits. This spring, Coyle has slumped a bit and is hitting .245, but he has still started every game for the Heels and has shown some pop with 14 extra-base hits.

Josh Dezse – 1B/RHP – 6’5 220
Ohio State
Sophomore

Desze burst onto the scene in Columbus last year, leading the team in hitting and saving six games on the mound. He has continued to shine this spring. He’s hitting .319 with five home runs and 31 RBI. On the mound, Dezse has saved seven games and has put up a 3.16 ERA.

Trent Gilbert – INF – 6’1 175
Arizona
Freshman

Gilbert was drafted in the 40th round out of high school but stuck with his commitment to Arizona and has made an immediate impact for the Wildcats. Gilbert has started 48 of the team’s 49 games and is hitting .271.

Chris Harvey – C – 6’5 215
Vanderbilt
Freshman

Harvey followed in the footsteps of a handful of top prospects in recent years when he graduated high school early and started his college career. It’s been a bit of a struggle so far, with Harvey hitting only .229. Seven of his 16 hits have gone for extra-bases.

Kevin Jordan – OF – 6’1 191
Wake Forest
Freshman

Jordan was a 19th-round pick out of high school but missed all of last season after a kidney transplant. Back in action this year, Jordan is hitting .233 with a homer and 14 RBI.

Chase McDonald – 1B – 6’4 255
East Carolina
Sophomore

McDonald was one of the top freshman in Conference USA last year when he hit .314 with four home runs. McDonald is hitting .236 this year with three home runs.

Colin Moran – 3B – 6’3 180
North Carolina
Sophomore

Moran was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2011 and followed up his big debut with a good summer in Bourne. He hit .289 with a home run. This spring, it’s been more of the same for Moran, who continues to cement his status as one of the nation’s top sophomores. Moran is currently hitting .389 with three home runs and 34 RBI.

Jordan Patterson – OF/LHP – 6’4 206
South Alabama
Sophomore

Patterson is a two-way player for the Jaguars but does most of his damage at the plate, where he’s one of the top hitters in the Sun Belt Conference. Patterson is batting .313 with seven home runs, 14 doubles and a team-best 39 RBI. On the mound, Patterson has made six appearances, with an ERA of 3.60.

Aaron Payne – INF – 5’11 175
Oregon
Sophomore

Payne struggled in limited action last year, but he’s gotten a chance this year and has seized it. While starting every game for the Ducks, Payne has hit .289 with 10 extra-base hits.

Dario Pizzano – OF – 5’11 200
Columbia
Junior

Pizzano burst onto the scene for Columbia as a freshman, earning Ivy League Co-Freshman of the Year honors. He hasn’t slipped at all since then. Pizzano batted .359 with nine home runs as a sophomore. This year, he’s hitting .360 with four home runs and 36 RBI.

Jack Reinheimer – SS – 6’0 170
East Carolina
Sophomore

Like his teammate McDonald, Reinheimer had a strong freshman season with the Pirates and he’s been a key contributor again this year. Reinheimer is hitting .287 with two homers and 21 RBI.

Mason Robbins – OF/LHP – 6’1 200
Southern Mississippi
Freshman

Robbins was drafted in the 20th round out of high school this year, and has so far been the most successful member of Southern Mississippi’s vaunted recruiting class. Robbins ranks third on the team with a .328 average, and he ranks second on the team in RBI with 36. He has hit three home runs to go with 10 doubles.