RIGHT FIELD FOG

A few weeks ago, when Cotuit was putting up huge run totals and starting fast, I said I was tired of talking about them. I haven’t talked about them in a while now because they’re sitting at .500 and are no longer the best hitting team in the league.

These days, Orleans is in the same boat as the pre-slump Kettleers. While gets old talking about the Cardinals every day, they could just as quickly fall off the radar screen.

But it just doesn’t look like they will, does it?

The Cardinals used a dramatic ninth inning to beat Brewster 4-3 last night for their third straight win and their 10th in 12 games. At 17-9-1, they have the best record in the league and they are ahead of second-place Harwich by seven points. That’s the largest standings lead any team has had this season.

From what Russ Charpentier wrote in the Cape League Insider blog, it sounds like last night had that special feel that’s reserved for streaking teams, the feel that a win is always right there. Cole Figueroa (Florida) went out and grabbed it with a walkoff two-run single that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory.

Figueroa has had his share of struggles this season. A Cape League all-star last year, the Florida shortstop was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. To this point, he has hit only .194.

But when a team gets on a roll, everyone seems to get scooped up along the way. Remember, this was a team that was hitting .178 with three home runs at the end of June. They’re hitting .219 now with 15 home runs. You don’t get that kind of dramatic shift without contributions from everybody.

Elsewhere

• The pitching was solid again for Orleans last night. Rob Rasmussen (UCLA) allowed three runs in 4.2 innings, but Brad Gemberling (Princeton) and Brad Stillings (Kent State) combined for 4.1 shutout innings. For Brewster, Evan Bronson (Trinity) made his second start and allowed two runs in eight strong innings.

• Harwich jumped over Brewster into second place with a 5-4 victory over Falmouth. It didn’t come easy as the Mariners blew a lead in the top of the ninth and let the Commodores tie it on an RBI double by Michael Thomas (Southern). But D.J. LeMahieu (LSU), who’s been hot this week, continued that trend with a bases-loaded walkoff single. He’s now hitting .327.

• Chatham got the best combination of offense and pitching they’ve had all year in an 8-0 win over Bourne. Victor Sanchez (San Diego) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the offense while Jake Thompson (Long Beach State) turned in his best start of the summer, tossing six shutout innings. Jeff Lorick (Virginia) and David Hale (Princeton) kept the shutout intact.

• Eddie Burns (Georgia Tech) got the start last night for Y-D and pitched more like he did last year, when he was an all-star. Burns, who struggled out of the gate, allowed one run in six innings as the Red Sox beat Cotuit 7-0. Tyler Marmion (Cypress) went 3-for-3 for the Red Sox.

• Max Perlman (Harvard) and Josh Slaats (Hawaii) combined on a shutout to lead Wareham past Hyannis 2-0. Perlman struck out seven and allowed three hits in seven innings. Slaats struck out the side in both the eighth and ninth innings to seal the win.

What to Watch For Tonight

• Thanks to his near no-hitter, it’s news every time Brandon Workman (Texas) makes a start. Bigger news tonight as he will match up with Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina) when Wareham visits Bourne. McCully has a 1.57 ERA and a five-inning perfect game to his credit.

The Orleans Cardinals really just haven’t been stopped the last two weeks. They’ve won close games and blowouts, pitchers’ duels and slugfests. It doesn’t matter which. In their last 11 games, they’re 9-1-1, with the only loss coming by a 1-0 score.

The last two nights, they’ve won a pair of one-run games, beating Bourne 3-2 on Sunday and Chatham 2-1 last night. They’ve done that despite being without their closer, Kyle Kamppi. According to the team’s website, Kamppi (Georgia Southern) was released for violating team rules.

But even though Kamppi had eight saves and a .64 ERA, the Cardinals haven’t missed a beat. Duke outfielder and part-time pitcher Alex Hassan has stepped into the closer’s role and converted both of his save opportunities without allowing a run.

That’s pretty remarkable. Obviously, it’s a luxury to have an extra pitcher like Hassan, who had five saves for Duke this year, but the fact that he has stepped in seamlessly is also a sign of how well things are going. The Cardinals are in first place by six points now and nobody wants to let that slip. That means different players have to step up at different times, and that’s exactly what’s happeneing.

Elsewhere

• Nate Freiman (Duke) had two hits and an RBI to lead the way for the Cardinals last night. He’s now hitting .253. For Chatham, highly-touted freshman Matt Harvey (North Carolina) made his first start. He struck out eight and allowed two runs on six hits in six innings of work.

• In the only other game on the schedule, Harwich stopped Hyannis’ five-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory. Michael Morrison (Cal State Fullerton) allowed two runs on two hits in six innings for the Mariners, and D.J. LeMahieu (LSU) went 4-for-5. Mark Fleury (North Carolina) hit a two-run home run in a four-run eighth inning.

What to Watch For Tonight

• Andrew Carraway (Virginia) will try to get Hyannis back to its winning ways when he leads the Mets into Wareham, who sends Max Perlman (Harvard) to the hill.

Chris Dominguez may have gone 0-for-4 the day after he hit three home runs in one game, but he has caught fire again.

So have the Mets.

With Dominguez hitting a home run for the second consecutive day — his fifth in the last five days — Hyannis powered past Cotuit 6-1 last night. It was the Mets’ fifth consecutive win and at 16-9, they now have the best record in the league. They lead the Western Division by four points over second-place Bourne.

It’s no surprise that the Mets’ surge has coincided with Dominguez’s surge. He has six hits in the winning streak, so you can do the math — all but one of his hits was a home run. That kind of production is rare on the Cape, and it can certainly carry a team.

But the Mets’ streak hasn’t been all Dominguez. At the plate, leadoff man Trent Ashcraft (East Carolina) had nine hits during the streak, while Ben Paulsen (Clemson) and Marcus Jones (NC State) combined for eight RBI. On the mound, Andrew Carraway (Virginia), Graham Stoneburner (Clemson), Colin Bates (North Carolina) and Austin Hudson (Central Florida) all turned in quality starts, while the bullpen also shined.

That was enough for the Mets to get in gear. The key now will be to keep it going. So far, a lot of teams have gone on winning streaks but not one of them has sustained anything. As a result, the standings have stayed close.

The way things are going for the Mets, they’ve got a golden opportunity to pull away.

Elsewhere

• Orleans picked up its eighth win in 10 games with a 3-2 victory over Bourne. Nate Freiman (Duke) hit a home run to power the offense, and four relievers held off a late rally by the Braves to seal the win.
• Chris Manno (Duke) tossed six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and Dustin Ackley (North Carolina) hit a three-run home run to lead Harwich past Brewster 5-0. Ackley now has two home runs and he’s hitting .415.
• Chatham got three hits from Grant Green (USC) and Kyle Seager (North Carolina) to beat Falmouth 7-2. The A’s now have 12 wins, which matches Harwich and Brewster. Brewster still sits in second place thanks to three ties.
• Y-D snapped a three-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory over Wareham. Nick Liles (Western Carolina) went 4-for-5 to put his batting average back at .400. Jeff Inman (Stanford) gave Y-D a quality start, allowing one earned run in six innings.

A lot of strange things happened in the Orleans-Cotuit game last night, but what’s really notable is the one thing that didn’t happen.

Cotuit’s Mike Bianucci did not take the field.

Bianucci, who was all over the league leaderboard in home runs and RBI, signed a pro contract with the Texas Rangers, who selected him last month in the eighth round of the draft. A junior at Auburn, Bianucci opted to come to the Cape for the third time in his career, hoping to gain some leverage. And he must have gained enough.

It’s a rite of a Cape League summer that a handful of players will sign in the middle of the season, and it’s always a little bit disappointing. But, really, it shouldn’t be. When a player signs in the middle of the Cape League summer, it’s tangible proof of what works in the Cape League. A player can come here, have success and say to the team that drafted him, “This is what I can do.” And when you can do it in the Cape, it’s unequivocal.

Ultimately, one of the league’s chief purposes is to give opportunities in the present and to create opportunities for the future. When the opportunity is right there and a player grabs it, that’s always good to see.

So congratulations to Mike and best of luck.

Elsewhere

• That Orleans-Cotuit game ended in a 4-4 tie after a wild ninth inning. After Orleans took the lead on a strange sequence, Cotuit’s Brett Jackson answered with a home run. Darkness meant no extra innings.
• Hyannis won its fourth consecutive game with a 7-6 victory over Harwich. Chris Dominguez (Louisville) hit a home run and Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) picked up his 11th save, which breaks a Hyannis record. Brewer needs only five more to tie the Cape League record of 16.
• Falmouth scored the most runs of any team this summer in an 18-4 victory over Y-D. Michael Thomas (Southern) went 4-for-5 and Kevin Nolan (Winthrop) went 4-for-6. A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) went 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBI.
• Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas) tossed a complete game to lead Wareham past Chatham 8-2. Keuchel struck out eight and didn’t walk anybody. He also got plenty of support. Kipp Schutz (Indiana), Raynor Campbell (Baylor) and Buddy Munroe (Florida) all hit home runs.
• Brewster beat Bourne 10-6 behind a home run and four RBI from Brent Milleville (Stanford) and a 4-for-6 night from leadoff hitter Ty Kelly (UC Davis).

What to Watch For Tonight

• Chris Manno (Duke) will take his 2.08 ERA into Brewster as Harwich faces Nick Christiani (Vanderbilt) and the Whitecaps.
• Matt Bashore (Indiana) will make his first start of the year for Wareham as the Gatemen host Y-D. Bashore was one of the top starters in the Big 10 this year but has only pitched out of the bullpen so far this summer.

Bryce Stowell pitched for Hyannis last summer, and man did he have some bad luck. Despite a solid 3.72 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 38.2 innings, Stowell went 1-5.

This summer, he’s making his own luck.

Stowell turned in his third consecutive dominant start last night to lead Bourne past Wareham 2-0 in the second New Bedford game of the year. The redshirt sophomore from UC Irvine struck out eight, didn’t walk anybody and scattered seven hits in 8.1 shutout innings. His UC Irvine teammate Eric Pettis closed out the game to give Stowell his second win of the season.

Stowell has made now made five appearances, with the last three coming as starts. In those three starts (22.1 IP), he has allowed one run on seven hits. He has struck out 27 and walked only three.

That’s about as good a stretch as any starting pitcher has had this summer, and it’s not a huge surprise that Stowell is doing it. This spring at UC Irvine, he went 8-3 with a 3.26 ERA. He struck out 101 and walked 36 in 88.1 ininngs. Since he used a redshirt year earlier in his career, he was eligible for the draft this June and was picked in the 22nd round by the Indians.

This is what the scouting report from MLB says:

With a strong, athletic frame, Stowell looks the part of a pro pitcher. Stuff wise, he shows glimpses of pitching the part, too, with an average fastball, a slider that could improve with a better arm slot and a changeup that appears to be improving. A terrific competitor, the one thing Stowell lacks is the mechanics and arm action to repeat his pitches. That, plus the fact he’s sophomore-eligible with some leverage make it a little difficult to place where he might go.

So it sounds like Stowell could have gone higher, and that’s probably why he wasn’t on any Cape League rosters to begin with. But with the summer he’s having, he will really help himself.

Since he wasn’t on a roster at the start, he was a little under the radar from me, but he’s not anymore. Based on the last three starts, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he emerges as the league’s top pitcher. He now leads the league with a .36 ERA and he’s fourth in strikeouts.

Elsewhere

• After a one-day detour, the Orleans express kept on rolling. The Cardinals, who lost 1-0 Thursday to end a five-game winning streak, bounced right back Friday with a 10-5 victory over Harwich. Nate Freiman (Duke) went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI to lead the Cardinals. Once upon a time, I predicted Freiman would win the MVP this year. He got off to a slow start but last night’s performance is a good sign. He’s now hitting .253 and is heating up with the rest of his teammates.

• It was an all-around good night in Chatham as the A’s beat Brewster 7-2. Adam Warren (North Carolina) was dynamite in his second start, allowing one run on two hits in six innings. The A’s offense roughed up Brewster star Tim Clubb (Missouri State) for three home runs, one each by Evan Ocheltree (Wake Forest), Grant Green (USC) and Victor Sanchez (San Diego). Cory Olson (UC Irvine) had two hits and finally reached the minimum number of plate appearances to qualify for the league lead in batting average, which he now holds. He’s hitting .434, and he dropped teammate Green to second place at .407.

• Hyannis kept pace with Bourne thanks to a 5-1 victory over Y-D. Marcus Jones (NC State) hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Colin Bates (North Carolina) struck out eight and allowed two hits in seven shutout innings for the Mets. Craig Fritsch (Baylor) was nearly as good for Y-D, allowing a run on two hits in seven innings.

• Falmouth, which uses more pitchers than any team in the league, sent five to the hill last night and they emerged with a 3-2 victory over Cotuit. Nate Striz (North Carolina) picked up the win.

What to Watch For Tonight

• A lot of guys who have been used mostly out of the bullpen are getting starts tonight. The list includes Matt Thomson for Orleans, Chris Gloor for Falmouth, Kevin Landry for Bourne and Kevin Couture for Chatham.

When I was writing today’s daily fog, I noticed an unfamiliar name in the Bourne box score. David Erickson had pitched two shutout innings of relief. I remember most names. Since I didn’t remember his, I started to write, “Newcomer David Erickson . . . ” but decided that I should check to make sure.

It was David Erickson’s 11th appearance.

So . . . not really a newcomer. Second-most appearances in the league, as a matter of fact.

I was surprised, but really, I shouldn’t have been. I can remember the starting lineup from my J&J Transportation 10-year-old Little League team (undefeated, whoo!), but damn if I can remember the names of Cape League relievers. Starters, I’m all over. Closers, no worries. But those long-relief men, those middle-relievers, those set-up guys — they slip through the cracks like you wouldn’t believe. It’s sad. I look at boxscores, and it’s like they’re not even there. I am blind to them.

But no more. David Erickson, you will be forgotten no longer. I just got done staring at the team stats page. I paid attention only to you and your bullpen friends. And I found out: some of you guys are pretty good.

So let’s take a look. These are the names that you — and I — should remember.

Bourne’s Kevin Landry is the workhorse of the bunch. The sophomore from William & Mary has worked 26.1 innings over eight appearances, with one start mixed in, and for the most part, he’s been lights out. He has a 2.05 ERA, and he has struck out 25 while walking only three. At 6’7 210, Landry is one to watch.

While Landry has logged the most innings, Falmouth’s Ben Tootle has put up some of the best numbers. He has a .60 ERA in 15 innings and he has allowed only three hits all summer. The sophomore from Jacksonville State has a WHIP of .80. Falmouth teammate Chris Gloor is right there, too. His last appearance was a start but everything else has been out of the bullpen. Gloor, a junior from Quinnipiac has a 1.35 ERA.

Harwich’s Willie Kempf is also in the top group of relievers. The Baylor sophomore has a 1.10 ERA in 11 appearances. He has struck out 21 in 16 innings.

Brewster’s Rory McKean (Ole Miss) has made the most appearances, with 12. He has 18 stirkeouts in 18 innings to go with a 2.00 ERA.

Some of the other standouts:

David Erickson, Bourne – 21 K’s in 16 IP
Danny Meszaros, Cotuit – 1.59 ERA in 17 IP
Daniel Wolford, Cotuit – K/9 sits at 13.3
Preston Claiborne, Falmouth – 1.80 ERA
Shaeffer Hall, Falmouth – 1.08 ERA
Brian Dupra, Harwich – 1.96 ERA
Ashur Tolliver, Hyannis – 2.93 ERA
Will Weidig, Hyannis – 2.25 ERA
Adam Wilk, Orleans – 2.60 ERA, K:BB sits at 18:2
Mike Belfiore, Y-D – K/9 of 16 is best among relievers

So there you have it. There are more standouts, but honestly, how many names can I be expected to remember?

Seriously, though, these guys are good. From now on, I’ll be keeping tabs on them.

For a brief moment earlier this week, I thought we might be seeing an end to the parity that has defined the 2008 Cape League season. Two teams were putting big winning streaks together, on the verge of separating themselves. Two more were mired in long losing streak, in danger of falling well off the pace.

But it was a false alarm. Last night’s games prove that parity is alive and well. Three games were decided by a single run. With victories by Hyannis, Cotuit and Bourne, four teams now sit at 13 wins. And those streaks? They’re over now. They were nice, but they didn’t create much separation.

Orleans saw its six-game winning streak come to an end against Hyannis. The Mets got a combined shutout from Graham Stoneburner (Clemson) and Matt Ridings (Western Kentucky) to edge the Cardinals 1-0. Marcus Jones (NC State) knocked in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the eighth.

In Harwich, the Mariners got two runs in the bottom of the ninth to squeeze past Chatham 4-3 for their second straight win. Before that, the Mariners had lost five in a row. Their comeback last night came against lights-out Chatham closer Brad Boxberger (USC), with pinch-running pitcher Chris Manno (Duke) scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.

Harwich’s victory and Orleans’ loss means things are still tightly-packed in the East, despite the streaks from those two teams. Orleans has 26 points, second-place Brewster has 25 and Harwich has 22. Even fourth-place Chatham has 20, and fifth-place Y-D has 17.

Things are even closer in the West, where Hyannis, Cotuit and Bourne find themselves, for the second day in a row, locked in a three-way tie for first. Falmouth is five points back. Wareham is a ways back with 15 points, but that’s not even insurmountable.

Elsewhere

• A note from the Hyannis-Orleans game: A day after tying a Cape League record with three home runs, Chris Dominguez went 0-for-4. Yes, Cape League baseball can be a little humbling.

• Bourne kept pace in the West with a 3-2 victory over Y-D. Dusty Coleman (Wichita State) continued a hot streak with a 2-for-4 and two RBI. He’s now fourth in the league with a .371 average. Ross Wilson (Alabama) also had two RBI for the Braves, who got six strong innings from Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina). David Erickson (UConn) worked two scoreless innings of relief and Eric Pettis (UC Irvine) picked up his fourth save.

• Jimmy Cesario (Houston) went 3-for-4 and Brian Fletcher (Auburn) had two RBI to lead Falmouth past Brewster 7-2. The Commodores did most of their damage against Brewster starter Buddy Baumann (Missouri State), who had a 1.52 ERA before last night. Fletcher had his best game since arriving from Team USA. The freshman went 2-for-4 and is now hitting .250.

• Cotuit, who was reeling at the beginning of the week, won its third straight with a 2-0 victory over Wareham. Four pitchers combined on the shutout for the Kettleers, with Zach Von Tersch (Georgia Tech) going four innings and picking up the win. For Wareham, Brandon Workman (Texas), who almost tossed a no-hitter in his last start, allowed one run on five hits in six efficient innings. He only struck out three, which slows down his league-leading pace. He now has 41.

What to Watch For Tonight

• Brewster’s Tim Clubb (Missouri State) will try to stay perfect as the Whitecaps host Chatham. Clubb is 4-0 with a .35 ERA. For Chatham, UNC’s Adam Warren will make his second start. He allowed three runs in five innings last time.

• Bryce Stowell (UC Irvine) will try to build on two outstanding starts when he goes for Bourne tonight against Wareham. Stowell has allowed one run on three hits in his first two starts.

For the most part, Cape League catchers had a rough go of it in the early going. Many of the starters had batting averages hovering in the low .200’s.

Things looked similar to last year. There was serious catching talent — Buster Posey and Jason Castro were top 10 picks — but the depth wasn’t quite there. At least, not at the level of the year before, when five Cape League catchers went in the first round and compensation round.

But with the late arrival of several top players and the emergence of several who have been on the Cape from the beginning, the catching crop suddenly looks a lot deeper.

The depth is most pronounced on the Y-D roster. The Red Sox have three sophomore catchers who have all made big headlines at various points in their careers. LSU’s Sean Ochinko, in his second year on the Cape, has caught off and on, and he’s been behind the plate only twice this summer. After hitting over .300 with eight home runs last summer, Ochinko is stuck at .179. The other two guys are off to better starts. Tony Sanchez, a Boston College sophomore, is hitting .292 with two home runs and 13 RBI. Ryan Ortiz, who had a breakout year at Oregon State, was a Team USA invitee but came to the Cape instead. He’s hitting .370 with eight RBI.

Another Team USA invitee, Tommy Medica, found his way to Harwich. The Santa Clara sophomore has hit .304 in his first 10 games and he may leave the Cape as the league’s top catching prospect.

Robert Stock will be in that conversation as well. The USC sophomore, who skipped his senior year of high school to enroll at USC, was a Cape League all-star last season. His numbers haven’t been quite as good this year — he’s hitting .227 — but he’s still a player to watch.

One of the more steady catchers iin the league is Falmouth’s Trevor Coleman. The Missouri sophomore played for Team USA last summer, so he’s highly-thought of. This summer, he’s hitting .278 with 10 RBI.

The final standout is Central Michigan’s Dale Cornstubble. In his second year with Hyannis, Cornstubble has taken his reputation as a defensive star and added offense to the mix. He missed some time with injury but is hitting .275.

Then there are a few guys who haven’t had much of a chance yet, but who could make a splash. Stanford’s Brent Milleville will be at DH most of the time this summer in Brewster, but he may project as a catcher. In nine games since arriving from the College World Series, Milleville has 13 hits.

Milleville’s Brewster teammate Yasmani Grandal, another CWS participant, may have the most upside of any catcher in the league. A freshman from Miami, Grandal was a mainstay in the Hurricanes’ lineup by the end of the season. He has only played in three games so far, but he has three hits.

Random Notes

• Russell Brewer finally allowed a run . . . but he still got a save. The Hyannis closer came on in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game with the Mets leading 4-2. He worked out of a jam in the eighth before his offense gave him some insurance heading to the ninth. Brewer then allowed the first two runs he’s allowed all year but, thanks to that insurance, he held on to pick up the save. He now has 10 of them and a 1.50 ERA.

• Wareham’s Blake Dean broke out of a slump with a 3-for-3 performance last night. Dean, who was one of the top players in the country for LSU this year, is a guy who could carry the Gatemen. He arrived late, though, and is still trying to find his way. His average currently sits at .222.

Chris Dominguez might have the most raw power on the Cape. The redshirt sophomore from Louisville was the Big East co-Player of the Year this season. He hit 21 home runs and was tabbed as a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.

Rather than sign, Dominguez opted to head for Hyannis, where he’s had his ups and downs.

Wednesday night was most definitely an up.

Dominguez hit three home runs and had five RBI as the Mets defeated Falmouth 6-4. The big night raised Dominguez’ average to .297, and it gives him a league-best six home runs.

This question was posed by Jarred in the comments section of the previous post: is three in one game a record? I don’t have an answer, unfortunately. The league doesn’t have single-game records on its web site. But I’m going to guess that it probably ties a record. Getting four in one game is exceedingly difficult at the Major League level, so by extension, it should be nearly impossible on the Cape. Three would obviously be tough, too, but I’m sure it has happened a few times.

Record or not, though, it was a huge night for Dominguez. The slugging third baseman played last summer for Harwich and had a pretty rough go of it, hitting .216 with three home runs. He’s already on his way to a better summer this time around, and thanks to the one big night, he probably made himself an all-star.

Think the home run derby might be a good place for him, too?

Elsewhere

• Harwich’s Dustin Ackley (North Carolina) put on a show in the late innings as he hit a two-run homer in the eighth and a two-run triple in the ninth to spark a major comeback in Wareham. The Mariners rallied from a 6-1 deficit to win 7-6.

• Y-D snapped a five-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over Chatham. Jerry Sullivan (Oral Roberts) gave the Red Sox the kind of start they’ve been waiting for from him, striking out seven and allowing two runs in seven innings. Ryan Ortiz (Oregon State) went 3-for-4 and the Red Sox scored three unearned runs against Chatham starter Sammy Solis (San Diego).

• Orleans is now in the best stretch any team has had this summer. The Cardinals beat Brewster 13-2 last night for their sixth consecutive win. They also leapfrogged the Whitecaps into first place and now have the best record in the league. It’s been a simple formula for Orleans — good pitching that’s been there since the beginning combined with a resurgent offense. Last night, Rob Rasmussen (UCLA) allowed two runs in 5.2 innings, and the bats put up an eight-spot in the sixth. Tim Wheeler (Sacramento State) upped his average to .311 with a two-hit night while Angelo Songco (Loyola Marymount) jumped to .300 with two hits. Shaun Kort (Nevada), Gary Brown (Cal State Fullerton) and Nate Freiman (Duke) also had two hits apiece.

• This is also worth noting about Orleans’ offense: at the end of the second week, their team batting average was sitting at .178. It’s now at .212.

• Cotuit beat Bourne 10-5 behind a 3-for-5 day from Mike Bianucci (Auburn) and a 3-for-4 day from Brett Jackson (Cal). With the win and Hyannis’ win, the Kettleers, Mets and Braves are now locked in a three-way tie for first place.

• A few more X’s popped up on the team stats page, so some notable names are leaving: Harwich’s J.T. Wise, who was hitting .350, Falmouth’s Diego Seastrunk, a big-time player from Rice and Hyannis’ Luke Murton.

What to Watch For Tonight

• Wareham’s Brandon Workman (Texas) will make his first start since his near no-hitter. Interestingly enough, he’ll be doing it against Cotuit, the same team he nearly no-hit.

• Justin Marks (Louisville) heads to the mound for Chatham against Harwich’s J.J. Hoover (Calhoun CC). Marks will try to bounce back from a rough first start. Hoover has made tow starts and has 15 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.

I often find myself — and this blog — getting lost in the day-to-day action of the Cape League, with no time taken to look at the bigger picture. I think it’s a natural thing that happens across the board in Cape League coverage, be it at the Cape Cod Times or in team broadcast booths. It’s hard to get a feel for the broader scope of the league.

So, in an effort to change things up a little bit, I’m going to try to post a weekly “Big Picture” feature, focused mostly on players. Who’s shining, who’s struggling, that kind of thing. We’ll call this the inaugural installment. Enjoy.

Believe it or not, we’re almost halfway through the 2008 season. Yes, that was fast. But at this point, it’s safe to start really looking at which players are having standout summers. Guys who are hitting well and pitching well — these aren’t just great starts anymore. They’re foundations on which to build a great summer.

Hitters

On the offensive side, there’s a definite lack of average-power combos. But the high averages are making up for it. Three players are still hitting over .400, and this is pretty late in the season for numbers to be that high.

In general, I think the hitters aren’t quite on par with last year’s group, which produced a ton of first-round picks. But they’re not too far behind.

Right now, I’d say Chatham’s Grant Green is leading the way. The USC sophomore shortstop turned down Team USA, wanting to spend a full summer on the Cape. So far, that looks like a pretty wise decision. He’s leading the league with a .429 batting average. He also has two home runs, six doubles and a league-best .521 on-base percentage. Already projected as a high pick for the 2009 draft, Green has only helped himself thus far.

At a close second, I’ll go with Nick Liles. The Y-D third baseman, who plays at Western Carolina, has made the most of a big opportunity. He’s hitting .411, and though he doesn’t have a home run, he has 15 RBI, good for second on the team. But Liles really shines on the basepaths, where he leads the league with nine stolen bases. Liles is also versatile — he’s played second, third and outfield.

We’ll jump off the batting average leaderboard for the next two — Mike Bianucci and Conner Powers. Bianucci, in his second go-round with Cotuit, is a junior at Auburn who was an eighth-round pick this year. He’s trying to improve his stock and he’s doing a pretty good job. He’s hitting .268 and he leads the league in home runs (5) and RBI (19). Powers, a sophomore third baseman from Mississippi State, has put up similar numbers. He has a .291 average with four home runs and 18 RBI.

Since this has apparently turned into an impromptu top five, we’ll round it out with Bourne shortstop Dusty Coleman. Another guy who spurned Team USA, the Wichita State sophomore was draft-eligible this year but slipped to the late rounds. Since coming to the Cape, he’s made a huge impact. He’s hitting .340 with two home runs and 12 RBI.

There are plenty more guys who are in the conversation:

Kyle Roller, Bourne – East Carolina slugger is hitting .329 with 15 RBI
Marc Krauss, Bourne – Ohio first baseman has switched teams but still hitting .319
Brent Milleville, Brewster – Late-arriving Stanford big man has 13 hits in 8 games
Ryan Wheeler, Brewster – Loyola-Marymount star hitting .321 with 3 HR
Cory Olson, Chatham – Torrid start has UC Irvine outfielder hitting at .488
Kevin Patterson, Cotuit – Auburn frosh hitting .306 with 2 HR
Jimmy Cesario, Falmouth – Houston star has best AVG-RBI combo (.313, 18 RBI)
A.J. Pollock, Falmouth – Cooling a bit, but Notre Dame’s best still at .400
Dustin Ackley, Harwich – Best pure hitter? UNC star is at .391 through 7 gms
Joseph Sanders, Harwich – Auburn infielder is hitting .312 with 3 HR
J.T. Wise, Harwich – Oklahoma DH/C is hitting .350 after late arrival
Trent Ashcraft, Hyannis – ECU outfielder still scorching (.375 AVG)
Matt Bowman, Orleans – Nevada star is Cardinals’ most consistent hitter
Angelo Songco, Orleans – Loyola Marymount outfielder leads team with 3 HR
Tim Wheeler, Orleans – Sacramento State standout is hitting .304 with 2 HR
Raynor Campbell, Wareham – Baylor sophomore is hitting .328
Brett Eibner, Wareham – Nine extra-base hits for Arkansas frosh
DeAngelo Mack, Y-D – A temp no more, South Carolina OF hitting .333
Ryan Ortiz, Y-D – Back from Team USA, Oregon State catcher is at .33
Tony Sanchez, Y-D – Another Y-D catcher, BC star has 12 RBI

PITCHERS

With hitters adjusting to wood, it always seems like the pitchers get a head start, and this season has been no different. For quite awhile, the league leaders in ERA were sitting at 0.00. There are no starters in that category anymore, but a handful are still under 1.00.

Compared to last year, the pitching may be a little bit better, particularly in the strikeout column. Last year’s league leader finished with an unusually low number. Several guys are on pace to finish ahead of that this year.

The closers — Russell Brewer, Brad Boxberger and Kyle Kamppi — have also been a major story. They’ve now combined for 25 saves.

We’ll focus on starters here, and it’s tough right now to pick the top guy. At this point, I think it’s neck and neck between Andrew Carraway and Brandon Workman. Carraway, a junior at Virginia, continues to make teams look silly for letting him go undrafted. Pitching for Hyannis, Carraway is 2-1 with a .40 ERA. He has struck out 26 in 22.1 innings with just five walks. His WHIP is .77. As for Workman, the highly-touted Texas freshman has turned in the single best pitching performance of the summer — a near no-hitter last week — but he’s also been solid in his other starts. He”s currently 2-1 with a 1.98 ERA. He leads the league in strikeouts with 38 in 27.1 innings and he has walked only eight.

Brewster’s Tim Clubb, a redshirt sophomore from Missouri State, is behind those two only because of lower strikeout numbers. Clubb leads the league in wins (4) and ERA (.35). And his strikeout numbers aren’t bad, just a little off the pace. He has struck out 22 in 26 innings.

Rounding out the top five: Chatham’s Sammy Solis and Cotuit’s Nick Hernandez. Solis, a freshman lefty from San Diego, has allowed two earned runs all summer for a 1.00 ERA. He has struck out 22 and walked only two in 18 innings. Hernandez, from Tennessee, made an immediate splash as a temporary player and has continued to be solid. He’s 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA. He has 25 strikeouts and only four walks in 30.1 innings.

And the rest of the pack:

Ricky Bowen, Bourne – Miss. St. righty has a 5:1 K:BB ratio
Nick McCully, Bourne – Coastal Carolina sophomore tossed 5-inning perfect game
Bryce Stowell, Bourne – Two dominant starts in a row for UC Irvine sophomore
Buddy Baumann, Brewster – Missouri State lefty has 1.52 ERA in four starts
Caleb Cotham, Brewster – Vandy star has 26 K’s in 22 innings
Sean Black, Harwich – Seton Hall righty has 1.88 ERA in two starts
J.J. Hoover, Harwich – Tenth-round pick out of JUCO has 2.38 ERA
Chris Manno, Harwich – Duke strikeout artist has 24 in 21.2 IP
Matt Zielinski, Harwich – Richmond standout 0-3 but has a 2.57 ERA
Austin Hudson, Hyannis – Not a lot of K’s but a 1.93 ERA for Central Fla. righty
Eric Erickson, Orleans – Two good starts for late arrival from Miami
Rob Rasmussen, Orleans – ERA sits at 1.29 for UCLA southpaw
Martin Viramontes, Orleans – Tall Loyola Marymount righty has 1.80 ERA
Robby Broach, Wareham – Tulane frosh has turned in four solid starts
Dallas Keuchel, Wareham – Arkansas sophomore has 2.25 ERA
Max Perlman, Wareham – Righty from Harvard has 2.36 ERA
Craig Fritsch, Y-D – Baylor righty has been Y-D’s best starter

So that’s that. Look for something similar next Wednesday. Hopefully, this helps the big picture take shape a little bit.