Several summer collegiate leagues give college-bound players a shot between the end of high school and the beginning of their college careers.
The Cape League doesn’t do that, but this summer, one player who’s of that age is on the Cape.
And he’s a good one.
At just 17 years old, Cam Collier is one of the youngest players in modern Cape Cod League history. The third baseman is a potential first-round pick this year, with the draft slated for July.
The son of former Major Leaguer Lou Collier, Cam was a burgeoning star in high school and ticketed for the 2023 draft when he opted to take the same kind of route that got Bryce Harper to the big leagues early. Collier left high school early, got his GED and enrolled in the junior college ranks at Chipola. That move has also afforded him the opportunity to get a Cape League showcase.
The move of the draft into July is creating some interesting dynamics on the Cape. Some draft-eligible guys who might feel they have nothing to prove won’t be here. And some CCBL rosters are going to take a serious hit, right in the middle of the season.
But it makes sense for Collier, who gets a chance to show off against the best competition he’s faced. He went 1-for-4 in his season debut, took an 0-for-2 the next night and went 2-for-3 with a run scored on June 14.
MLB Pipeline ranks Collier 12th nationally among draft prospects.
Catch him while you can.
Kettleers red-hot
Collier’s Cape League team has been the hottest in the league thus far. With a 7-0 victory over Bourne on Thursday night, the Cotuit Kettleers are a perfect 4-0. They’ve outscored the opposition 22-4 in those games and are the only unbeaten team left on the Cape.
Three of the victories have been shutouts. Cotuit’s team ERA is 0.25 through 36 innings. Eleven different pitchers have 0.00 ERAs. Jackson Kelley of Mercer has been the most impressive. The side-arming righty struck out seven in four scoreless innings of a win over Falmouth.
On Thursday, four pitchers combined on the shutout of Bourne. Carter Trice (NC State) homered to lead the offense, and Brooks Baldwin (UNC Wimington) added three hits.
Included in the hot start was the 400th Cape League win for manager Mike Roberts.
Defending champs start strong
The 2021 Cape League champion Brewster Whitecaps are off to a 3-1 start. They dropped their season opener and have since won three in a row.
There’s some carryover on the roster from last year’s title-winning team. Tuesday’s win over Y-D featured six strong innings from Teddy McGraw – the guy who closed out the 2021 title clincher – and a save from Dale Stanavich, who closed many a game for the champs.
The Whitecaps beat Orleans 7-2 on Tuesday for their third straight win. Henry Leake (Boston College) was terrific on the mound, striking out eight in five scoreless innings. He’s the early league leader in strikeouts.
New place, same start
Nick Goodwin (Kansas State) played for the CCBL runner-up Bourne Braves last summer. He hit .221 for the year after getting off to a strong start, which included a 4-for-5 night in the second game of the season.
Goodwin is in Harwich now and is again off to a great start. The infielder has a hit in every game and is batting .467 on the year. He also has a home run and is tied for the league lead with five RBI.
Like Brewster, Harwich is out to a 3-1 start.
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