Anyone else in New England feel like that guy from the Kingsford commercial right now?
I don’t know if it was the brutal winter or the fact that I spent much of it covering college basketball for the first time, but I stumbled into baseball season – especially college baseball season – like that guy stumbles into the backyard.
Thankfully, there’s still some time to get our bearings. Shall we?
The Cape League announced earlier this month that its Hall of Fame will be moving out of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum after the 2015 baseball season. The Hall, which counts 137 members, has been in the museum since 2008, but is out-growing the space and will look for a new home.
The 2015 schedule is out and games are set to begin Tuesday, June 9. The season’s first pitch will come at Stony Brook Field at 5 p.m., as Brewster hosts Wareham. Falmouth, Harwich, Chatham and Orleans will also have home games on opening night. The All-Star Game will be played Saturday, July 25 in Wareham.
The Cape League was selected as the nation’s sixth-best baseball attraction in the book “101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out.” Author Josh Pahigian writes, ” “When it comes to combining quality of play with intimacy of setting,” Pahigian writes, “no league in the country – amateur or professional – comes close to matching the experience fans enjoy in the Cape League.”
About a month ago, you were probably watching Notre Dame nearly knock off Kentucky in the best game of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Playing a big role for the Irish was former Harwich Mariner Pat Connaughton, the rare baseball-basketball two-sport star. Connaughton was a fourth-round pick of the Orioles but has said that he would like to explore pro basketball options.
Former Chatham Angler Kris Bryant is a Major Leaguer, after the requisite 12 days of waiting so that the Cubs gain an extra year of control. The game’s top prospect hit .360 in his first seven games.
Kevin Newman won the Cape League batting title last year and the year before but it’s his Arizona teammate Scott Kingery – who played for Brewster last summer – who’s among the nation’s best this spring. At the season’s midway point, Kingery was hitting near .500. His average has dropped a bit since — to .433, still good for third in the nation. Another 2014 Cape Leaguer, Donnie Dewees of North Florida and Hyannis, ranks fourth at .423.
The MLB Draft is set for June 8-10. Three former Cape Leaguers rank in MLB.com’s current top 10 prospects: Walker Buehler (2), Kyle Funkhouser (4) and Michael Matuella (5). Buehler shined for Y-D last summer, helping lead the Red Sox to the league championship. Funkhouser played for Chatham in 2013. Matuella pitched briefly for Y-D in 2013. The top-ranked Cape League hitter is Ian Happ at 15.
Turning attention to 2015 Cape Leaguers, rosters are online and future stars are emerging as the college baseball season heats up. Among them: Wake Forest’s Will Craig (Chatham) has slugged 12 home runs, Texas A&M’s Nick Banks (Bourne) is hitting .403, tops in the nation among sophomores, Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi (Falmouth) leads the nation with 14 homers, and Corey Ray (Wareham) has led Louisville to a No. 3 national ranking with a .324 average, nine home runs and 23 stolen bases.
Anyone else in New England feel like that guy from the Kingsford commercial right now?
It’s great to have you back. I’ll get the grill going for you.
I can’t wait for the first pitch. It will be an exciting season.