Early Look: Wareham

(Note: I wrote most of the bios awhile ago before finishing the whole thing today, so the stats are not current. This will be the only one of these previews where that’s a problem.)

WAREHAM GATEMEN
Manager: Cooper Farris
2008 Record: 17-26

On paper, in April, there wasn’t a more talented roster in the league last summer than Wareham’s.

But in the Cape league, those are important caveats. Come June, the Gatemen team that took the field looked much different than the one that was expected to take the field.

Every year, teams get hit by roster changes. Sometimes it’s injuries, sometimes it’s the pro draft, sometimes it’s Team USA. Wareham in 2008 got hit harder than most. By my count, 10 players who were on the original roster never made it to Wareham. And they weren’t just any 10. The list included stud pitchers Mike Minor, Andy Oliver and Kendal Volz, talented returnee Josh Phegley and highly-touted freshmen Derek Dietrich and Rick Hague.

A team with those guys as key cogs might have competed for a Cape League championship.

Without them, it was a struggle.

The Gatemen had some great individual performances in 2008. Brandon Workman emerged as the league’s most overpowering starter, and he was joined in a strong rotation by Max Perlman, Dallas Keuchel and Robby Broach, who were among the most consistent starters around. Ryan Pineda was great at the plate, emerging as one of the league’s best freshmen. Raynor Campbell also had a fantastic season.

But those performances never added up to sustained success. The Gatemen had some good stretches but ended up finishing last in the West, with the worst record in the league.

It was the second year in a row that saw the Gatemen fight through an uneven season.

As they try to change things this summer, it looks like they’ve opted for a little more in the way of stability. The Gatemen have nine players slated to return, which is among the most in the league. From that group, I’d guess that only Workman is a Team USA risk, and he wasn’t included in the first two rounds of invites.

Some of the others could get a nod, but the majority of them seem to be just below that highest level of prospect. For the Gatemen, that’s not a bad thing. If you can field a lineup full of good players with Cape League experience, you’ll be in good shape.

If you can sprinkle in a few more talented players, you might in for something special, and that’s the kind of team the Gatemen could have. In players like Alex Dickerson, Ryan LaMarre, Taylor Jungmann, and George Springer, the Gatemen have exactly the right ingredients for the sprinkling. Add in Derek Dietrich, who has been invited to Team USA for a second straight year but could opt out, and you’ve got even more potential.

And the best news of all? So far, Dietrich is the only player on the roster who’s been invited to Team USA.

Stability, indeed.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 9
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen: 12

Notable

• Assuming he makes it to Wareham, Brandon Workman will be one of the must-watch players this summer. The way things have been going, he’ll have something to prove, too. After a strong start to the spring season that included a no-hitter, Workman has hit some rough patches, with his ERA rising from the 1.50 range up over 3.00. He’s still having a great season, but he’ll be looking for more consistency when the summer rolls around.
• Last year, I had heard that Georgia Tech star Derek Dietrich was seriously considering declining Team USA’s offer and heading to Wareham. In the end, he stuck with USA, but if the seed was planted last year, it’s not a stretch to think it would blossom this year. Several top players opted for the Cape over Team USA last year, and it wouldn’t shock me to see it happen again, especially with a guy like Dietrich who’s already had the national team experience.
• In Ryan LaMarre and Alex Dickerson, the Gatemen are getting what’s likely to be two-thirds of the All-Big 10 outfield. Through May 12, La Marre, a sophomore from Michigan, was hitting .347 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI. Dickerson, a freshman from Indiana, was hitting .373 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI. That’s serious production.
• Dickerson should be a shoo-in for Big 10 Freshman of the Year, and I think he’ll be in the running for the national prize, too.
• Dickerson is another in a line of Indiana players who have found their way to Wareham, and the Gatemen are happy to keep the line going. Phegley had a fantastic summer two years ago before injury cut it short. If Dickerson can follow the same path, look out.
• The Gatemen have four catchers on their roster, which is an unusually high number. It might have something to do with ASU’s Jordan Swagerty being one of them. A highly-touted two-way freshman, Swagerty has played sparingly in the field this spring, focusing more on pitching.
• Texas pitchers Cole Green and Taylor Jungmann have both been fantastic this spring, with Jungmann currently leading the team in ERA.
• Ryan Pineda is a player who flew under my radar last season, but he really shouldn’t have. He was among the league leaders in extra-base hits as one of the best freshman hitters on the Cape.
• UConn outfielder George Springer currently has 16 home runs, a Husky freshman record. He’s also got a .352 average, which is a lot better than it was when I wrote his bio below. I think we can say that Springer is right on par with Dickerson and LaMarre. You’re not going to see many Cape league teams bringing in that many productive outfielders. In fact, I’m going to say you won’t see any.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Brandon Workman
2. Derek Dietrich
3. Alex Dickerson
4. Ryan LaMarre
5. George Springer

Pitchers

Jack Armstrong – RHP – 6’7 215 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Matt Barnes – RHP – 6’4 185 – Connecticut – Freshman
*Zach Brewster – LHP – 6’1 195 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
David Fischer – RHP – 6’5 175 – Connecticut – Freshman
Cole Green – RHP – 6’1 210 – Texas – Sophomore
Taylor Jungmann – RHP – 6’6 197 – Texas – Freshman
Dean Kiekhefer – LHP – 6’0 165 – Louisville – Sophomore
Blake Monar – LHP – 6’2 198 – Indiana – Freshman
Scott Rembisz – RHP – 6’1 220 – Florida International – Junior
Gabriel Shaw – RHP – 6’1 195 – Louisville – Sophomore
*Josh Slaats – RHP – 6’5 230 – Hawaii – Sophomore
*Brandon Workman – RHP – 6’5 225 – Texas – Sophomore

Jack Armstrong – RHP – 6’7 230
Vanderbilt
Freshman

The son of the former Major League pitcher of the same name, Armstrong hasn’t seen a lot of action for the Commodores this season. He’s thrown only 3.2 innings, all in relief. But it looks like the potential is definitely there. He was a 36th-round pick out of high school.

Matt Barnes – RHP – 6’3 180
Connecticut
Freshman

A freshman out of Bethel, Conn., Barnes is turning in a pretty solid first season in Storrs. In seven appearances (three starts), he’s got a 3.95 ERA, and he’s averaged about a strikeout per inning. He’s picked up three victories. Barnes is part of a trio of Huskies who are slated for Wareham this summer.

Zach Brewster – LHP – 6’1 195
Georgia Tech
Sophomore

Brewster was one of several freshman pitchers who turned in pretty good summers for the Gatemen last year. Brewster tied for the team-lead in appearances with 16, all out of the bullpen. He finished with a 4.68 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 innings. For the Yellow Jackets this spring, Brewster has continued in a relief role. So far, he’s made 17 appearances with a 4.15 ERA. Brewster was highly-touted out of high school, but missed most of his freshman year. Definitely a break-out candidate this summer.

David Fischer – RHP – 6’5 175
Connecticut
Freshman

Fischer appears to be the more highly-touted of the UConn freshman pitching duo that’s headed to Wareham. A 44th-round pick out of high school, the lanky right-hander has been great out of the bullpen for the Huskies. In 11 appearances, he’s got a 2.37 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 19 innings.

Cole Green – RHP – 6’1 210
Texas
Sophomore

Green is not the most over-powering member of the vaunted Texas pitching staff, but he’s having a fantastic season. Serving as a weekend starter, Green has posted a 3-0 record and a 2.42 ERA. Last summer, he pitched in the Northwoods League and ranked second in the league in ERA.

Taylor Jungmann – RHP – 6’6 197
Texas
Freshman

With the body type, the school, and the summer destination, you could make a comparison between Jungmann and Brandon Workman. If Jungmann can do this summer what Workman did last summer, the Gatemen will be happy. He already has a leg up in that he’s having a better freshman season. Pitching in a swing role, Jungmann has posted a 1.23 ERA, which leads the team. He has struck out 39 in 36.2 innings of work. Out of high school, Jungmann was a 24th-round pick. In the preseason, Baseball America rated him the nation’s ninth-best freshman.

Dean Kiekhefer – LHP – 6’0 165
Louisville
Sophomore

Kiekhefer is another player who was on the Wareham roster last year but didn’t make it. His absence was injury-related. This spring for the Cardinals, Kiekhefer has struggled a bit, posting a 6.27 ERA in eight appearances. He does have 31 strikeouts in 33 innings.

Blake Monar – LHP – 6’2 198
Indiana
Freshman

Monar brought some hype with him to Bloomington after getting picked in the 26th round of the draft by the Yankees. His ERA is up there (5.02) in his first season, but he is third on the team with 43 strikeouts. Some of what I’ve read indicates Monar expected to go higher in the draft, and would have signed if that happened. Sounds like the Hoosiers were thrilled to get him on campus.

Scott Rembisz – RHP – 6’1 220
Florida International
Junior

A junior-college All-American last year, Rembisz has been lights-out as the Friday starter for Florida International this spring. In eight starts, he’s got a 5-0 record with a 2.84 ERA. In 57 innings, he has struck out 50 and walked only nine. He’ll be draft-eligible this year.

Gabriel Shaw – RHP – 6’1 195
Louisville
Sophomore

Shaw will join his teammate Kiekhefer in Wareham this summer. So far this spring, Shaw has worked exclusively out of the bullpen and has been one of the Cards’ most reliable relievers. In a team-high 14 appearances, he’s got a 3.49 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.

Josh Slaats – RHP – 6’5 230
Hawaii
Sophomore

Slaats had an ERA over seven in his freshman season with the Warriors, and his ERA was high with Wareham, too. But he also struck out 26 in 17.1 innings and walked only nine for the Gatemen while pitching out of the bullpen. This year, Slaats has posted a 4.32 ERA for Hawaii with 17 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.

Brandon Workman – RHP – 6’5 225
Texas
Sophomore

In the end, his ERA ballooned a bit, but Workman was still the most over-powering pitcher on the Cape last summer. He ended up leading the league with 67 strikeouts in 55 innings of work. He finished with a 3.44 ERA, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the league’s fifth-best prospect. This spring, the former third-round pick has had some ups and downs. He delivered a no-hitter early in the season but has had some rough outings lately. He still has a 2.76 ERA.

Position Players

Tyler Albright – C – 6’2 210 – Harvard – Sophomore
Chris Hannick – C – 5’11 190 – Cal State Northridge – Sophomore
*Cole Leonida – C – 6’2 210 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
Jordan Swagerty – C – 6’1 170 – Arizona State – Freshman
Derek Dietrich – IF – 6’1 195 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
*Jake Lemmerman – IF – 6’2 185 – Duke – Sophomore
Eric Pfisterer – IF – 6’3 220 – Duke – Freshman
*Ryan Pineda – IF – 5’11 185 – Cal State Northridge – Sophomore
Zach Wilson – IF – 6’1 195 – Arizona State – Freshman
*Shea Vucinich – IF – 6’0 185 – Washington State – Sophomore
Alex Dickerson – OF – 6’3 210 – Indiana – Freshman
*Brett Eibner – OF/RHP – 6’3 205 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Ryan LaMarre – OF – 6’2 205 – Michigan – Sophomore
Jarrod McKinney – OF – 5’11 205 – Arkansas – Freshman
*Connor Rowe – OF – 5’11 180 – Texas – Sophomore
George Springer – OF – 6’2 200 – Connecticut – Freshman

Tyler Albright – C – 6’2 210
Harvard
Sophomore

Albright, a California native, grabbed the starting catcher job for the Crimson this spring and has turned in a .243 batting average to go with a home run and 10 RBI. Albright was a starter for part of his freshman season and surged at the end of the year.

Chris Hannick – C – 5’11 190
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore

Hannick has been Northridge’s starting catcher for most of the season and has posted some solid numbers. He’s got a .260 average with three home runs and 14 RBI.

Cole Leonida – C – 6’2 210
Georgia Tech
Sophomore

Leonida is stuck behind senior Jason Haniger on Tech’s depth chart, but he’s seen time in 16 games this year and has posted a .262 batting average. Leonida has a reputation as a strong defensive catcher. Last summer for the Gatemen, he hit .202.

Jordan Swagerty – C – 6’1 170
Arizona State
Freshman

Rated by Baseball America as the 22nd best freshman in the nation, Swagerty hasn’t made a huge splash with the Sun Devils — maybe because he’s trying to make two splashes. A hitter and a pitcher, Swagerty has made 15 appearances on the mound and has posted a 5.09 ERA. At the plate where it’s tough to crack the ASU lineup, he’s gotten 32 at-bats and has hit just .156. We’ll see if he gets his feet under him this summer.

Derek Dietrich – IF – 6’1 195
Georgia Tech
Sophomore

One of the top unsigned picks in the 2007 draft, Dietrich parlayed a great freshman campaign at Tech into a spot with Team USA last summer. Fullerton’s Christian Colon ended up pushing Dietrich out of the spot as the team’s regular shortstop. Dietrich still played in most of the games, but only hit .259. I don’t know if that’ll make him look for another path this summer, but if he makes it to Wareham, he’ll be an asset for the Gatemen. So far this year, he’s hitting .339 with four home runs.

Jake Lemmerman – IF – 6’2 185
Duke
Sophomore

Lemmerman played for the Gatemen and was a valuable part of the infield. Though he hit only .208, he saw time at three different spots, proving to be the utility man the Gatemen desperately needed. For Duke this spring, Lemmerman has hit .279 with eight extra-base hits.

Eric Pfisterer – IF – 6’3 220
Duke
Freshman

One of the more highly-touted recruits to make it to the Duke campus, Pfisterer was a 15th-round pick out of high school last year. An infielder and a pitcher, Pfisterer has pulled double-duty this year, with a little more success at the plate. He has hit .318 in 15 games. On the mound, he has made 10 appearances and has posted a 4.85 ERA.

Ryan Pineda – IF – 5’11 185
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore

Pineda wasn’t on Wareham’s initial roster last year, but he was as big a part of the team as anybody by the end of the season. A second baseman, Pineda finished the summer with a .273 average, three home runs, 18 RBI and 16 extra-base hits. Those numbers didn’t put him on any leaderboards, but they did put him firmly in the league’s best freshmen conversation. This spring, Pineda has hit .308 with a team-high eight home runs and 32 RBI.

Zach Wilson – IF – 6’1 195
Arizona State
Freshman

Another highly-touted ASU freshman (rated 18th by BA), Wilson has had a little better go of it than Swagerty so far. In 26 games, he has hit .298, though he doesn’t yet have a home run. A third-baseman, Wilson was a 26th round pick out of high school.

Shea Vucinich – IF – 6’0 185
Washington State
Sophomore

Vucinich was a non-roster invitee to Wareham last year, but when Team USA raided the Gatemen roster, Vucinich got an opportunity and ran with it. He ended up hitting .239 while seeing action in 33 games. For the Cougars this spring, Vucinich is hitting .259 with four home runs.

Alex Dickerson – OF – 6’3 210
Indiana
Freshman

Dickerson was initially listed as a non-roster invitee on the Wareham roster, but he has moved over to the actual roster now. Good move. Dickerson has been one of the top freshman hitters in the country this year. Through 34 games, he has a .388 average with 11 home runs, 10 doubles and 40 RBI. That’s the best production in the Big 10 and about as good as anyone in the country. Dickerson was a 48th-round pick out of high school.

Brett Eibner – OF/RHP – 6’3 205
Arkansas
Sophomore

Eibner was one of the highest unsigned picks in the 2007 draft, and he made some waves as a freshman at Arkansas last year, hitting .298 with 10 home runs. He’s a two-way player but last summer in Wareham, he spent nearly all of his time focusing on hitting, making just one appearance on the mound. This year, though, Eibner has had more success with Arkansas as a pitcher. He’s made eight starts and he has posted a 3.51 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. At the plate, he’s got a .241 average with six home runs.

Ryan LeMarre – OF – 6’2 205
Michigan
Sophomore

Of all the hitters on the Wareham roster, LeMarre has been the most impressive so far. He’s also been one of the best in the nation. The sophomore is hitting .385 with nine home runs and 43 RBI. He’s also got 19 extra-base hits and a .483 on-base percentage. LeMarre played in the Northwoods League last year, and thought he only hit .237, he flashed some power with four home runs and 13 extra-base hits.

Jarrod McKinney – OF – 5’11 205
Arkansas
Freshman

A speedy outfielder who’s seeing some time as a freshman, McKinney has yet to make his mark. In 15 games, he has hit .148.

Connor Rowe – OF – 5’11 180
Texas
Sophomore

Rowe didn’t see a ton of action as a freshman, but he’s taken on a bigger role this year. Playing in 31 games, he’s got a .241 average with four home runs. Rowe played in 40 games last summer for the Gatemen and though he only hit .220, he was all over the boxscores. He finished with two home runs, 12 extra-base hits and 10 steals.

George Springer – OF – 6’2 200
Connecticut
Freshman

Springer played at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut last year and was picked in the 48th round of the June draft. He’s made a huge splash with the Huskies this year, hitting .301 with a team-best 10 home runs 33 RBI. He’s got 20 extra-base hits, which also leads the team. Baseball America described him as a five-tool talent last year, so he’s definitely one to watch.

RELATED POSTS