2012 Early Look: Falmouth Commodores

Falmouth Commodores
Manager: Jeff Trundy
2011 Record: 19-25

The Commodores had a losing record last season but were a beneficiary of the league’s new playoff system. Like the year before, when Cotuit was under .500 but caught fire in the playoffs, Falmouth was the last team in from the West then caught lightning in a bottle and made the Cape League finals. Unlike Cotuit, Falmouth didn’t win the title, but it was still a season to remember.

I’m sure Jeff Trundy and company wouldn’t mind catching fire in the playoffs again, but they’d probably rather stay hot all the way along. They may end up with the kind of team that can do that.

Falmouth’s roster strikes me as very similar to the group Hyannis brought to the Cape last year — lots of sophomores, not a super amount of prospect hype, but good track records all around. The Harbor Hawks were one of the best teams of the last few years, finishing with a 29-15 record. Whether the blueprint matches up exactly or not, that would be a pretty good result for the Commodores.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 2
Sophomores: 18
Freshmen: 5

Notable

Gonzaga’s Marco Gonzales is certainly the top player to watch, but I’ll be interested to see what we’re watching him do. He’s a two-way standout, with an average above .300 and an ERA under two. In the past, most two-way players have focused on one thing while on the Cape. Whatever Gonzales, does, he’ll probably be doing it well.

For the second time in three years, Falmouth will welcome the Big 12 batting champion to town. Two years ago, it was Kansas State’s Nick Martini. This year, it’s another Jared King, who also plays for K-State. King played in Falmouth last year. He hit .379 this spring.

Falmouth has had an Oregon State connection for a number of years, and four Beavers will be making the long trek to Falmouth this year. Jake Rodriguez returns after an all-star campaign in Falmouth last year, while three newcomers will also be in the fold. Two of them — JAce Fry and Ben Wetzler — were among the top prospects in the West Coast League last summer.

Wichita State has also been a Falmouth favorite, and this year, the Shockers send Cale Elam, a standout reliever. He has 43 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched this year after putting up similar numbers last season.

There are just five freshmen on the Falmouth roster at this point, but they look like a pretty good group. Fry leads Oregon State in ERa and was a ninth-round pick out of high school. Pitchers John Curtiss, Johnny Magliozzi and Daniel Gossett have all had strong debuts, while Casey Turgeon has been a regular in Florida’s lineup.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Marco Gonzales
2. Jace Fry
3. Jared King
4. Jake Rodriguez
5. Cale Elam

Pitchers

Matthew Campbell – RHP – 5’11 185 – Clemson – Sophomore
John Curtiss – RHP – 6’4 200 – Texas – Freshman
Cale Elam – RHP – 6’2 197 – Wichita State – Sophomore
Jace Fry – LHP – 6’1 195 – Oregon State – Freshman
Marco Gonzales – LHP/1B – 6’1 185 – Gonzaga – Sophomore
Daniel Gossett – RHP – 6’0 160 – Clemson – Freshman
Johnny Magliozzi – RHP – 5’10 195 – Florida – Freshman
Trey Masek – RHP – 6’0 185 – Texas Tech – Sophomore
Kevin Pohle – RHP – 6’3 180 – Clemson – Sophomore
Nathan Thornhill – RHP – 6’1 178 – Texas – Sophomore
Ben Wetzler – LHP – 6’1 200 – Oregon State – Sophomore

Matthew Campbell – RHP – 5’11 185
Clemson
Sophomore

Campbell has had two very similar seasons as a reliever for the Tigers, and that’s a good thing because both have been good. Campbell posted a 3.09 ERA in 2011. This year, he has a 2.49 ERA, two saves and 29 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched. Campbell has allowed one home run in his Clemson career.

John Curtiss – RHP – 6’4 200
Texas
Freshman

Curtiss was a 30th round pick out of high school and has been a key contributor for the Longhorns. Curtiss is second on the team with 27 appearances — 24 out of the bullpen — and he’s 2-2 with a 3.28 ERA.

Cale Elam – RHP – 6’2 197
Wichita State
Sophomore

Elam was a standout reliever for the Shockers last year, making 28 appearances and posting an ERA under two. He then pitched in the Jayhawk League last summer and was tabbed as the third-best prospect by Baseball America. This spring, Elam has done more of what he does best, shining as Wichita State’s closer. He has nine saves, a 2.09 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Jace Fry – LHP – 6’1 195
Oregon State
Freshman

Fry was a ninth-round pick out of high school and less than a year later, he’s already got quite a track record. Fry pitched in the West Coast League last year and was named the league’s top prospect by both Baseball America and Perfect Game. This spring, Fry has been a regular starter for the Beavers and leads the team with a 2.47 ERA.

Marco Gonzales – LHP/1B – 6’1 185
Gonzaga
Sophomore

Gonzales was the West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year and Co-Freshman of the Year last season. For an encore, he’s become one of the premier two-way players in the country this season. On the mound, Gonzales is 7-2 with a stellar 1.72 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 84.2 innings. At the plate, he’s hitting .321 with two home runs in 23 RBI.

Daniel Gossett – RHP – 6’0 160
Clemson
Freshman

Gossett was among the best high-school players in the south last year and was drafted by the Red Sox in the 16th round. He stuck with his commitment to Clemson, came in with a good amount of hype and hasn’t really disappointed. Though his ERA is over four, Gossett has a 6-3 record with 73 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.

Johnny Magliozzi – RHP – 5’10 195
Florida
Freshman

A native of East Milton, Mass., Magliozzi was drafted in the 35th round last year but headed to Florida. Despite being a freshman on one of the more experienced and talented teams in the country, Magliozzi has made an impact. In 15 appearances, Magliozzi is 4-3 with a 4.86 ERA.

Trey Masek – RHP – 6’0 185
Texas Tech
Sophomore

Masek was a Big 12 All-Freshman team pick last year and then had a solid summer with Hyannis on the Cape. This year, Masek is 2-4 with a 3.40 ERA.

Kevin Pohle – RHP – 6’3 180
Clemson
Sophomore

Pohle was standout as a freshman in 2011, posting a 1.93 ERA in a swing role for the Tigers. He has pitched mostly as a starter this season and is 6-3 with a 3.25 ERA.

Nathan Thornhill – RHP – 6’1 178
Texas
Sophomore

Thornhill was outstanding as a reliever for the Longhorns last year, striking out a batter an inning and posting a 1.89 ERA. This year, Thornhill has taken on a different role, pitching as both a starter and a reliever. He’s 4-5 with a 4.10 ERA.

Ben Wetzler – LHP – 6’1 200
Oregon State
Sophomore

Like his teammate Fry, Wetzler had a strong summer in the West Coast League last year, finishing as Baseball America’s fourth-best prospect in the league. He, too, has been in the Beavers’ rotation this year and is 6-2 with a 3.30 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 87.1 innings.

Position Players

Austin Anderson – INF – 6’0 190 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Coty Blanchard – INF – 6’1 185 – Jacksonville State – Sophomore
Ka’iana Eldridge – INF – 6’0 180 – Kansas – Sophomore
Brad Fieger – 3B/1B – 6’1 193 – Miami – Sophomore
Michael Gerber – OF – 6’1 185 – Creighton – Sophomore
Aaron Jones – C – 6’1 195 – Oregon – Sophomore
Kavin Keyes – INF/RHP – 5’11 185 – Oregon State – Sophomore
*Jared King – OF – 5’11 200 – Kansas State – Sophomore
Jonathan McGibbon – 1B/OF – 6’1 210 – Clemson – Sophomore
Michael O’Neill – OF – 6’0 185 – Michigan – Sophomore
*Jake Rodriguez – C/3B/2B – 5’9 195 – Oregon State – Sophomore
Casey Turgeon – INF – 5’9 165 – Florida – Freshman

Austin Anderson – INF – 6’0 190
Ole Miss
Sophomore

Anderson hit .235 as a freshman, while getting a decent amount of playing time. He’s seen a similar amount of action this year and has upped his average to .261.

Coty Blanchard – INF – 6’1 185
Jacksonville State
Sophomore

Jacksonville State has sent a couple of standouts to the Cape in recent years, and Blanchard became the next in line after hitting .335 and earning Freshman All-American honors last year. This year hasn’t been as kind to Blanchard, though. He’s hitting .230 with a home run and 13 RBI.

Ka’iana Eldridge – INF – 6’0 180
Kansas
Sophomore

A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Eldridge came to Kansas and hit .268 as a freshman. Last summer, he returned home to play in the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League and batted .327. This spring has been more of a struggle for Eldridge. He’s hitting just .186.

Brad Fieger – 3B/1B – 6’1 193
Miami
Sophomore

Fieger flashed his potential as a freshman when he crashed the Miami starting lineup and hit .280. This year, he’s taken a leap and become one of the top hitters on the team. He’s batting .294 with three home runs and 32 RBI.

Michael Gerber – OF – 6’1 185
Creighton
Sophomore

Gerber was drafted in the 40th round out of thigh school and then played well as a freshman at Creighton, hitting .280 in 50 games. This year, Gerber has hit .232 but has shown some pop with four homers and 10 doubles.

Aaron Jones – C – 6’1 195
Oregon
Sophomore

Jones was a 38th-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2010 draft. At Oregon, he hit .270 as a freshman and has taken a step forward this year. He’s hitting .287 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 37 RBI.

Kavin Keyes – INF/RHP – 5’11 185
Oregon State
Sophomore

After graduating high school early, Keyes hit .302 as a freshman last year on his way to earning all-Pac 10 honors. After hitting .288 in Alaska last summer, Keyes has hit a few more rough patches this year. He’s hitting .239.

Jared King – OF – 5’11 200
Kansas State
Sophomore

King hit .307 as a freshman last year and earned a host of accolades. He came back to earth a little bit in Falmouth, finishing with a .202 average, but he was back on track in a big way this spring. King won the Big 12 batting title with a .379 average. He also hit seven home runs and 15 doubles while driving in 45 runs.

Jonathan McGibbon – 1B/OF – 6’1 210
Clemson
Sophomore

As a freshman last year, McGibbon wasn’t a regular starter but he made an impact whenever he got a chance, hitting .339 with a home run. This year, McGibbon has become a regular. He’s hitting .227 with three home runs.

Michael O’Neill – OF – 6’0 185
Michigan
Sophomore

The nephew of former Major Leaguer Paul O’Neill, Michael is making his own name for himself in Ann Arbor. After hitting .307 as a freshman, O’Neill is batting .327 this year with six home runs and 31 RBI.

Jake Rodriguez – C/3B/2B – 5’9 195
Oregon State
Sophomore

An 11th round pick out of high school, Rodriguez had a good freshman season in Corvallis and followed it up with an all-star campaign for Falmouth last summer. He’s been good again this spring, hitting .293 with two homers and 28 RBI.

Casey Turgeon – INF – 5’9 165
Florida
Freshman

Turgeon was a Florida high school star, and he got drafted in the 22nd round last year. He has jumped immediately into Florida’s vaunted lineup, starting all but two of the team’s games and hitting .260 with three home runs and 22 RBI.