Early Look: Bourne

BOURNE BRAVES
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
2008 Record: 23-20-1

As I went to write this, prepared to use the typical “talk about last year, transition into this year” form, I realized something. I remember very little about the 2008 Bourne Braves. I’m not sure why this is. They had one of the best hitters, and best stories, in the league in Marc Krauss. They also had Nick McCully, the Pitcher of the Year.

The Braves may have been not-so-memorable last year, but they were also good, winning their last five games to force a tiebreaker with Falmouth. And this year, when I first looked at their roster, I wasn’t overly impressed.

Now, I am fairly impressed.

Bourne has put together a talented group. In fact, I’d call it the most talented roster they’ve had in the last three years. There’s a danger there, of course, and four players have already been invited to Team USA, with more rounds of invites left to come. But even if they take some hits in that department, the Braves are going to bring some talent over the bridge. After all, they have 31 players on the roster, so they’ve got some contingency plans.

It starts with some top-shelf sophomores. Alex Wimmers is one of the top pitchers in the country and Drew Pomeranz isn’t far behind, particularly in terms of prospect status. Cody Wheeler has turned into Coastal Carolina’s ace this season, ahead of the aforementioned McCully, and he’s slated to be in Bourne, too. Dan Mahoney, Seth Maness and Kevin Munson are also big-time arms.

But I think the real strength of this team could be its offense, which has a ton of depth, more than any Cape League team had at this time last year. Blake Forsythe is arguably the top offensive catcher in the country and Anthony Rendon might be the top freshman hitter in the country. Tyler Holt is an average and on-base machine who’s got great speed, as well. Ben Klafczynski is an all-american caliber player, as is Scott Woodward, who played for Team USA last year. Ryan Lockwood was the National Freshman of the Year last season, according to several sources. Dominic D’Anna, Paul Karmas, Josh Richmond Stefen Romero are legit college hitters, and middle infielders Pierre LePage, Michael Mooney and Zack McPhee look very good, as well.

If it seems like I just mentioned an entire roster, it’s because there’s just that many names worth mentioning. Not all of these players will be in Bourne, of course. Forsythe, Rendon, Pomeranz and Wheeler have already gotten the Team USA call, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Wimmers and Holt get an invite in the next round.

But there’s talent here, even without some of the top-line prospects. It could be an interesting summer in Bourne.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 24
Freshmen: 6

Notable

• To give you another example of how good this roster looks, I really would have preferred to make the “Five Players” feature below a “Ten Players” feature. For some teams, it’s tough to fill the list. For the Braves, it was tough to cut it down.
• With their one returning player — Pierre LePage — Bourne has one more returning player than it had last season. While some teams are heavy on returning players every year, Bourne never seems to be one of them. The fact that they don’t take many freshmen probably has a lot to do with it. They had six frosh last year, same as this year.
• I haven’t gone through every roster in detail, but numbers-wise, we probably won’t see a better pitcher on the Cape than Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers. He’s having one hell of a sophomore season, with 110 strikeouts and an ERA under three. To this point, he hasn’t been tabbed for Team USA, but like I said above, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets an invite. I actually would be surprised if he didn’t.
• If Wimmers does get an invite he would join Drew Pomeranz and Cody Wheeler as Braves starters with Team USA calling. If all three of those guys somehow make it to Bourne, we’re looking at a crazy 1-2-3 punch atop the starting rotation.
• Tanner Robles has not had a great career at Oregon State, but he was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago. He’ll be out to prove something this summer.
• The other thing that strikes me about Bourne’s pitching staff is the potential bullpen depth. Virginia’s Robert Morey and Connecticut’s Dan Mahoney have been bullpen guys through and through this season and should be there again this summer. To have two successful setup/middle reliever types like that is a good situation, I think. Better than having guys who pitched in swing roles all season trying to get used to bullpen work. UPDATE (5/29): Morey is actually now a starter for Virginia. My mistake.
• Bourne should also have a dynamite closer. James Madison’s Kevin Munson has nine saves this year with a ridiculous 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
• In terms of the offense, Anthony Rendon and Blake Forsythe have both been invited to Team USA, but there’s still a lot to like behind those two. Oh, and if they should make it to Bourne, they’d be two of my top 10 players coming into the season.
• Tyler Holt might not be a true five-tool talent, but I think he’s pretty close. With a great average, decent power numbers and great speed, he’ll be an exciting player to watch.
• Ben Klafczynski has already been entered into my spellcheck so it doesn’t come up with a red line every time I type it. The problem is, you still have to spell it right, which I did not do just now. By the way, he’s good.
• In case you can’t glean it from the bios below, there isn’t a single Bourne position player who’s having a bad season right now. In a league where rosters are sketched out six months before the college season begins, that’s pretty remarkable.
• Here’s a name to keep an eye on in early June: Ryan Lockwood. After taking a medical redshirt two years ago, he was one of the nation’s top hitters in 2008 and was tabbed by several publications as the country’s best freshman. Since he’s been in college three years, he’ll be draft-eligible this year. I said when the roster first came out that I would be surprised to see Lockwood in Bourne. However, in the midst of a season where his average is down over 100 points (it’s still good at .295), there might be a need to raise his stock with some time on the Cape. We’ll see.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Alex Wimmers
2. Anthony Rendon
3. Blake Forsythe
4. Drew Pomeranz
5. Tyler Holt

Pitchers

Eric Cantrell – RHP – 6’4 200 – George Washington – Sophomore
Michael Dimock – RHP – 6’2 177 – Wake Forest – Freshman
Kenny Ferrer – RHP – 6’2 225 – Elon – Sophomore
Stephen Harrold – RHP – 6’2 208 – UNC Wilmington – Sophomore
Dan Mahoney – RHP – 6’4 204 – UConn – Sophomore
Seth Maness – RHP – 6’0 180 – East Carolina – Sophomore
Robert Morey – RHP – 6’1 185 – Virginia – Sophomore
Kevin Munson – RHP – 6’2 180 – James Madison – Sophomore
Turner Phelps – RHP – 6’3 180 – James Madison – Sophomore
Drew Pomeranz – LHP – 6’5 231 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Justin Poovey – RHP – 6’0 195 – Florida – RS Freshman
Michael Rocha – RHP – 5’10 210 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
Tanner Robles – LHP – 6’4 200 – Oregon State – Sophomore
Cameron Roth – LHP – 6’2 185 – UNC Wilmington – Sophomore
Cody Wheeler – LHP – 5’11 150 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
Alex Wimmers – RHP – 6’2 195 – Ohio State – Sophomore

Eric Cantrell – RHP – 6’4 200
George Washington
Sophomore

Cantrell was a member of the A-10 all-rookie team last year after spending the season as a starter and leading the Colonials in ERA. Cantrell has reprised his starting role this year, with decent results. His ERA is a bit high at 4.66, but he’s got 56 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.

Michael Dimock – RHP – 6’2 177
Wake Forest
Freshman

Dimock is part of a big group of talented freshman hurlers who arrived in Winston-Salem this year. His first-year numbers haven’t been spectacular. Those he’s put up decent strikeout totals, he’s allowed 72 hits in 56.2 innings. His ERA is 6.83. He’s been used as both a starter and a reliever.

Kenny Ferrer – RHP – 6’2 225
Elon
Sophomore

A power arm with some potential, Ferrer has had an interesting sophomore season with the Phoenix. He’s got an ERA above five, and yet he’s toting an 8-1 record. I’m sure the Elon coaches would like a little more consistency from Ferrer, who has 47 strikeouts and 34 walks, but they’ll take the wins.

Stephen Harrold – RHP – 6’2 208
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore

Harrold inherited closer duties for the Seahawks last season and earned Freshman All-America honors from several publications after picking up six saves. Harrold hasn’t had quite as much success this year, with just one save in 18 appearances and an ERA over six. He’s also made a few starts.

Dan Mahoney – RHP – 6’4 204
UConn
Sophomore

Mahoney had a rough freshman season with the Huskies, going 0-5 with an ERA around eight. He’s been much better this year. Working exclusively out of the pen, Mahoney has posted a 4.68 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25 innings. Last summer, he was named the NECBL’s top pro prospect by PG Crosschecker.

Seth Maness – RHP – 6’0 180
East Carolina
Sophomore

Bourne has had a lot of recent success with ECU players, and Maness looks well-equipped to carry on the tradition. As a freshman, Maness went 9-2 with a 3.57 ERA, numbers that earned him a host of accolades, including Conference USA Freshman of the Year. This season Maness is 8-0 with a 4.22 ERA. In 81 innings, he has struck out 67 and walked just 14.

Robert Morey – RHP – 6’1 185
Virginia
Sophomore

Morey was a 29th-round pick out of high school in 2007 and he turned in a pretty solid freshman season before posting good numbers for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL. This season, pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Morey has been very good. He’s got a 2.74 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 42 innings.

Kevin Munson – RHP – 6’2 180
James Madison
Sophomore

Still listed as a pitcher and a catcher, Munson has focused solely on pitching this spring, with fantastic results. As JMU’s closer, Munson has saved nine games. He’s got a 3.10 ERA, and most impressively, 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. Munson also had great numbers last year, with 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.

Turner Phelps – RHP – 6’3 180
James Madison
Sophomore

Another player who’s ERA doesn’t quite match up with his record, Phelps is up over five, but he’s got an 8-1 record. Another number does match that record — Phelps has 82 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. With numbers like that, you can see why he was tabbed by Baseball America as the Colonial Athletic Association’s No. 4 prospect.

Drew Pomeranz – LHP – 6’5 231
Ole Miss
Sophomore

Pomeranz was ticketed for Bourne last year before Team USA came calling. The same could happen this year, as Pomeranz was one of the first invites. If he comes to Bourne, the Braves will be getting a star. After a great freshman season, Pomeranz has been better this year, posting a 3.58 ERA with 72 strikeouts against 26 walks in 60.1 innings. Pomeranz was a 12th-round pick out of high school and is likely to climb higher for the 2010 draft.

Justin Poovey – RHP – 6’0 195
Florida
RS Freshman

Poovey took a medical redshirt last season. This year, he’s made 11 appearances and has come in with a 6.84 ERA.

Michael Rocha – RHP – 5’10 210
Oklahoma
Sophomore

Pitching in a swing role this season, Rocha has posted a 4.06 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 51 innings of work. He played in Alaska last summer and finished the season with a 0.32 ERA.

Tanner Robles – LHP – 6’4 200
Oregon State
Sophomore

Robles was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago, but he’s had a bit of an up-and-down career with the Beavers. Last year, his ERA was up over six. This year, he’s got a 3.42 ERA but he’s also only made six appearances.

Cameron Roth – LHP – 6’2 185
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore

After a freshman all-american season last year, Roth has had a rough go of it this season. In 10 appearances, he has a 10.12 ERA, with nine strikeouts and nine walks.

Cody Wheeler – LHP – 5’11 150
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore

Wheeler has been the best member of a great Chanticleers pitching staff this season. In 12 starts, he’s gone 9-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 82 and walked only 22 in 77 innings of work. He also has a no-hitter to his credit this season. Wheeler is a Team USA invite, so we’ll see what happens with him.

Alex Wimmers – RHP – 6’2 195
Ohio State
Sophomore

Wimmers has been the Big 10’s best pitcher this season, and one of the best in the nation. In 13 starts, he’s gone 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA, but those aren’t even the numbers that stand out the most. He’s also got 110 strikeouts in 88.1 innings, which gives him a K/9 ratio over 11. That’s not quite Strasburg territory, but it’s still really, really good. He’s fifth in the nation in total strikeouts.

Position Players

Blake Forsythe – C – 6’2 220 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Taylor Hightower – C – 5’11 195 – Ole Miss – Freshman
Dominic D’Anna – 1B – 6’1 230 – Cal State Northridge – Sophomore
Paul Karmas – 1B/OF – 6’3 220 – St. John’s – Sophomore
*Pierre LePage – INF – 5’7 157 – UConn – Sophomore
Zack MacPhee – INF/OF – 5’9 180 – Arizona State – Freshman
Michael Mooney – INF – 5’8 160 – Florida – Junior
Anthony Rendon – INF – 5’11 170 – Rice – Freshman
Stefen Romero – INF – 6’3 225 – Oregon State – Sophomore
Austin Stadler – INF/OF/LHP – 6’2 195 – Wake Forest – Freshman
Tyler Holt – OF – 6’0 175 – Florida State – Sophomore
Ben Klafczynski – OF – 6’3 195 – Kent State – Sophomore
Ryan Lockwood – OF – 5’10 175 – South Florida – RS Sophomore
Josh Richmond – OF – 6’1 190 – Louisville – Sophomore
Scott Woodward – OF/INF – 6’1 185 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore

Blake Forsythe – C – 6’2 220
Tennessee
Sophomore

Based purely on the statistics from his freshman campaign, Forsythe didn’t look like a player who could become one of the top two or three catchers in the nation. But this season, that’s exactly what Forsythe has become. He’s hitting .348 for the Vols with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. He’s got a total of 29 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .490.

Taylor Hightower – C – 5’11 195
Ole Miss
Freshman

Hightower was ranked as one of the nation’s top 200 prospects and got picked in the 42nd round. At Ole Miss, he’s played in only 13 games, but has posted a .450 batting average.

Dominic D’Anna – 1B – 6’1 230
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore

After a solid freshman season in Northridge, D’Anna has been even better this year. He’s hit .326 with seven home runs and 32 RBI. He’s also made just four errors at first base.

Paul Karmas – 1B/OF – 6’3 220
St. John’s
Sophomore

Karmas had a real good freshman season with the Red Storm, and he’s duplicated it this year. He’s batting .302 with two home runs and 25 RBI.

Pierre LePage – INF – 5’7 157
UConn
Sophomore

The lone returning player for the Braves, LePage was a late-summer addition last year. He ended up holding his own and posting a .233 average while starting 15 games down the stretch. This spring, LePage has a solid season, hitting .319 with 14 doubles and 30 RBI. He’s also made just three errors.

Zack MacPhee – INF/OF – 5’9 180
Arizona State
Freshman

MacPhee was a 22nd-round pick out of high school, but opted for Arizona State, where he joined the nation’s top recruiting class. He’s been a starter at second base pretty much from day one and he has put up solid numbers. He’s currently hitting .272 with four home runs

Michael Mooney – INF – 5’8 160
Florida
Junior

A junior-college transfer, Mooney grabbed the starting shortstop job for the Gators this season and hasn’t let go. He’s hitting .333 with a .468 on-base percentage.

Anthony Rendon – INF – 5’11 170
Rice
Freshman

Rendon was highly-touted as a high school senior, and since arriving at Rice, he hasn’t disappointed even a little bit. Called a “rare talent” by legendary Rice coach Wayne Graham, Rendon has been one of the nation’s best freshmen. He’s leading the Owls with a .380 average, and he’s also got a team-high 16 home runs and 56 RBI. He has also struck out only 20 times in 192 at-bats. He’s a Team USA invitee.

Stefen Romero – INF – 6’3 225
Oregon State
Sophomore

After hitting over .400 in one junior-college season, Romero transferred to Oregon State, where he’s become one of the team’s best hitters. While starting all but one game, Romero has hit .309 with four home runs, a team-best 43 RBI and a total of 22 extra-base hits. Oddly enough for a player of his size, he’s also tied for the team lead in triples with three.

Austin Stadler – INF/OF/LHP – 6’2 195
Wake Forest
Freshman

In his first season in Winston-Salem, Stadler has done a little bit of everything and done all of it pretty well. In 40 games as a position player, Stadler has hit .267 with two home runs. In 13 appearances on the mound, he has posted a 4.13 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.

Tyler Holt – OF – 6’0 175
Florida State
Sophomore

After a good freshman campaign with the Seminoles, Holt was on Cotuit’s roster but played in only three games early in the season. Based on his sophomore year, Bourne would love to have him for a full summer. Holt is among the nation’s leaders in batting average and on-base percentage, with a .404 average and a ridiculous .533 OBP. He’s also got five home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 28 steals in 31 attempts.

Ben Klafczynski – OF – 6’3 195
Kent State
Sophomore

Klafczynski hit .339 with 11 home runs as a freshman and is having a sophomore season that’s right on par with that. He’s currently toting a .323 average with five home runs, 20 doubles and 39 RBI.

Ryan Lockwood – OF – 5’10 175
South Florida
RS Sophomore

As mentioned above, Lockwood is an interesting case. He’ll likely get drafted, but if he ends up in Bourne, he should be a big-time contributor. This season, Lockwood is hitting .295 with with 13 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .408.

Josh Richmond – OF – 6’1 190
Louisville
Sophomore

After a pretty solid freshman season, Richmond has been very good this year. He currently has a .321 average with five home runs and 19 extra-base hits.

Scott Woodward – OF/INF – 6’1 185
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore

Woodward played for Team USA last summer, but didn’t see a ton of game action. He got into just 11 of the team’s 24 games. His sophomore season has been a good one, but it’s also been abbreviated. Woodward missed nearly a month after suffering an injury in early April. He’s back now, currently sporting a .305 batting average.

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