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Second Place Shutouts

Chatham players celebrate during a game earlier this season.
Chatham players celebrate during a game earlier this season.

 
Second place has been a distant second for much of the Cape League season, but with shutouts last night – and losses by first-place Orleans and Hyannis – second place teams Chatham and Bourne made up a bit of ground.

The Anglers cruised past Wareham 8-0 and are now four games back of Orleans, while the Braves tipped Y-D 4-0 to get within two games of Hyannis.

Chatham got five strong innings from Daniel Castano (Baylor), who struck out three and gave up just two hits. Carl Burdick (San Diego), James Mulry (Northeastern) and Andre Scrubb (High Point) finished off the shutout.

Every Chatham pitcher was on the hill with a big lead as the Anglers scored all eight of their runs in the first four innings. It was a good breakout for a team that had scored only five runs in its last five games.

Nine different Anglers had hits. Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) led the way with two RBI apiece. Will Craig (Wake Forest) and Jake Fraley (LSU) each scored two runs. Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) had two hits and an RBI.

Chatham has won two in a row and is now 18-13.

Over at Doran Park, the Braves didn’t have quite as much offense, but the pitching was just as good. Alex Robles (Austin Peay) who had taken a loss in three straight starts, went a long way in securing a victory with six shutout innings. He scattered five hits and struck out two. Cooper Hammond (Miami) and Gavin Pittore (Wesleyan) did the rest.

Pete Alonso (Florida) and Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) drove in runs to lead the offense. National Freshman of the Year Brendan McKay (Louisville) made his Bourne debut after a Team USA stint and went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

The Braves have won two in a row and are 14-15-2.

 

Brewster 10, Orleans 6

The Whitecaps scored more runs than anybody has tallied against Orleans all year in a 10-6 victory at Eldredge Park. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was touched up for three earned runs and the Orleans bullpen didn’t have much better luck, as Brewster racked up 13 hits. Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs to bring his league-best RBI total to 22. Cassidy Brown (Loyla Marymount) hit his third home run. Jack Meggs (Washington) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Robbie Tenerowicz (California) and Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) added two hits each. For Orleans, Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit his league-best sixth home run and Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) smacked his fourth, but the Whitecaps kept the Firebirds off the board over the final three innings. Starter Jordan Sheffield (Vanderbilt) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win.
 

Harwich 6, Hyannis 1

West-leading Hyannis also went down, as Harwich raced to an early lead against Harbor Hawks ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) and cruised to a 6-1 win. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) and Preston Palmeiro (NC State) hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning, with Neuse’s going for three runs. Mike Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) hit a solo home run in the second. The Mariners had only four other hits on the day, but the early burst was enough. Cam Vieaux (Michigan State) struck out seven and gave up just one run in seven innings, his second straight very strong start. Joe Ravert (La Salle) pitched the final two innings.
 

Falmouth 5, Cotuit 2

The Commodores moved into third place in the West with a 5-2 victory over Cotuit and Wareham’s loss. Tate Blackman (Ole Miss) homered in drove in three runs while Heath Quinn (Samford) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Boomer White (Texas A&M) added two hits. Alex Phillips (San Jacinto) allowed one run in six innings for the win and Stephen Villines (Kansas) tallied his sixth save. Falmouth improved to 13-18 while Cotuit dropped to 11-20.
 

What to Watch

Orleans’ Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) takes his 5-0 record and 0.00 ERA to Veterans Field for his first meeting of the year with Chatham. The Anglers are slated to give the ball to Ty Damron (Texas Tech), who went six innings without allowing an earned run in his last start.
 

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The Next Wave

Former Harwich Mariner D.J. Lemahieu is one of eight Cape League alumni set for their first MLB All-Star Game.
Former Harwich Mariner D.J. Lemahieu is one of eight Cape League alumni set for their first MLB All-Star Game.

 
The Cape Cod Baseball League has 15 alumni in the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, six more than it had last year. As top prospects continue to take the bigs by storm, that all-star number is a sign that there’s a new wave of Cape Cod talent in the majors, too.

Eight of the Cape’s All-Stars are first-time participants, bolstering the league’s ranks in MLB stardom. Chris Sale and Buster Posey had taken the torch in recent years from the Evan Longorias and Chase Utleys of the world. Now, players like Dallas Keuchel, Kris Bryant, D.J. LeMahieu and Brandon Crawford are joining them. It’s also the first All-Star Game for Yasmani Grandal, Brad Boxberger, Joe Panik and former Cape League MVP A.J. Pollock.

Keuchel, who had a 3.20 ERA for Wareham in 2007 and a 2.63 ERA in 2008, will start on the mound for the American League. The Houston Astro is 11-4 with a 2.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts on the year.

Todd Frazier is making his second All-Star appearance, but you could put the former Chatham A in the same up-and-coming category. Frazier won the Home Run Derby in style Monday and will represent the hometown Reds in the starting lineup.

Jason Kipnis and Josh Donaldson are also making their second appearances.
 

  • While the MLB season is at its halfway point, the Cape League season is about two-third of the way over. As has been the case for a while now, the most lasting team impression continues to belong to the Orleans Firebirds. At 20-8, they have the best record in the league by four games and are playing .714 baseball. If they continue at that pace, they’ll go 31-13, which would be the best mark in the league since a dominant Y-D team went 31-12-1 and won its second consecutive Cape League title.

  • While the return of Bobby Dalbec and Bryson Brigman from Team USA makes Orleans even stronger, it’s pitching that may really carry the day for the Firebirds. They lead the league in team ERA at 2.08 and starting pitchers Mitchell Jordan, Eric Lauer, Kyle Serrano and Corbin Burnes sure look like the league’s best starting rotation.

  • Orleans’ Dalbec and Kyle Lewis are tied for the league lead in home runs with five each. Interestingly, that’s not all that rare of a feat at the end of a season. In 2014, Chatham’s Chris Shaw ranked first and teammate A.J. Murray was tied for second. In 2013, Falmouth’s Casey Gillaspie led the way and Rhys Hoskins was tied for second.

  • Cape leaderboards are often populated by guys who get off to quick starts, even when they slow down a little. It’s always easy to miss those who have heated up more recently, like Y-D’s Tommy Edman and Falmouth’s Heath Quinn. Edman, a star in the NECBL last year, was hitting .208 a week into the Cape season but has seen his average rise steadily upward. He’s now batting .325, good for fifth in the league. And the bat is just a bonus – he has made only one error while playing mostly second base for the Red Sox. Quinn, who was at .23 after a week, is now hitting .317 with seven extra-base hits.

  • Wareham’s Andrew Calica is approaching the minimum number of plate appearances per team game to qualify for the league batting average leaderboard. If he stays anywhere near his current pace, he’ll take that list by storm. Since making his debut June 23 — two weeks into the season — Calica is hitting .469 in 15 games and has delivered nine multi-hit games.

  • Stat-line that I haven’t had a chance to focus on anywhere else: Harwich’s Cavan Biggio has reached base in 20 of the 22 games he’s played. He has a .420 on-base percentage.

  • Also very good at getting on base? Chatham’s Will Craig, who has a .390 on-base percentage despite a .208 average. He has drawn a league-best 20 walks.

  • Virginia Tech must have had one heck of a bullpen this spring. Hokies Luke Scherzer and Aaron McGarity rank first and third in the league in saves, while teammate Kit Scheetz leads the league in appearances and has a 2.46 ERA for Orleans.

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    Nick of Time

    Nick Senzel is hitting .463 in his last 10 games and has taken over the league lead in hitting.
    Nick Senzel is hitting .463 in his last 10 games and has taken over the league lead in hitting.

     
    Nick Senzel has had two very good spring seasons at Tennessee, but his first taste of summer baseball last year wasn’t quite so good. Senzel hit three home runs but only batted .210 for the Matsu Miners in the Alaska Baseball League.

    This year, Senzel is having the kind of summer that matches his springs. With a 4-for-5 night in Brewster’s 2-0 win over Cotuit Sunday, Senzel is now leading the Cape League in hitting, RBI, extra-base hits and slugging percentage.

    The 6’1, 205-pound infielder got off to a strong start for the Whitecaps and really turned it on when the calendar flipped to July. Senzel has a hit in eight of his last 10 games and is batting .463 in that span, raising his average from .306 up to the current league leading mark of .369. He has six multi-hit games, two home runs and six extra-base hits in the month of July.

    Senzel has set the pace for a Brewster team that has the best batting average in the league. Sunday, his 4-for-5 day included a double and an RBI as the Whitecaps topped Cotuit. For good measure, Senzel stole a pair of bases, giving him 11 on the summer, which is tied for the league lead.

    The two runs didn’t represent a typical performance for the Whitecaps, who don’t often win pitchers duels. But with the offense providing just enough, Tyson Miller (California Baptist) went five scoreless innings and the bullpen gave up just one hit over the final four innings to seal the win.

    Tyler Ramirez (North Carolina) added an RBI.

    The Whitecaps improved to 14-14 good for a third-place tie with Y-D in the East. With Senzel leading the charge, July may get even better.
     

    Orleans 5, Hyannis 4 (10 innings)

    Kyle Lewis (Mercer) has had some big moments this summer, but few could match Sunday, when Lewis hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to give the Firebirds a 5-4 victory over Hyannis in a match-up of division leaders. Hyannis had scored two in the ninth to force extra innings, but three walks loaded the bases for Lewis in the 10th. With two outs, he smacked a base hit to plate the winning run. The victory moved Orleans to 20-8, and the Firebirds are now four games better than any team in the league. Jared Carkuff (Austin Peay) picked up the win in relief. Nick Zammarelli (Elon), Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) all had two hits for the Firebirds, with Dalbec hitting his fifth home run in just 13 games and his first since returning from a Team USA stint. For Hyannis, Jake Rogers (Tulane) hit a two-run homer that tied the game in the ninth.
     

    Y-D 3, Wareham 2 (10 innings)

    There was also free baseball at Red Wilson Field, where Y-D rallied from a late 2-0 deficit and won it in the 10th on a walk-off single by Mike Donadio (St. John’s). The Red Sox scored a run in the seventh and one in the ninth to force extras. A single by Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and a double by Gio Brusa (Washington) set the table for Donadio, who came through with the two-out base hit to score Walton. The rally made a winner out of Cory Malcolm (Arkansas Little Rock). Tommy Edman (Stanford) had three hits for the Red Sox while Connor Wong (Houston) homered. For Wareham, Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) came through with his fourth consecutive two-hit game.
     

    Chatham 2, Harwich 0

    Four pitchers combined to surrender just four hits as the Anglers shut out Harwich at Whitehouse Field. Garrett Williams (Oklahoma State), a lefty with big potential, made his first start after four relief appearances and tossed five scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Brandon Miller (Millersville), Cameron Stone (Stony Brook) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) followed suit, going the final four innings to finish off the shutout. Harwich pitching was also strong, but Chatham broke up the shutout with two runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) – who’s back from Team USA – and Kyle Brooks (North Florida).
     

    Falmouth 8, Bourne 6

    Because they began the run at the bottom of the West standings, it’s been a little quiet, but Falmouth has won four in a row and is the hottest team in the league. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI to lead a 12-hit attack in the win over Bourne. Logan Ice (Oregon State) added two hits and two RBI, while Heath Quinn (Samford) chipped in two hits and two runs scored. Falmouth used six pitchers, with Jack Finnegan (McLennan CC) getting the win. Wyatt Short (Ole Miss) struck out four of the five batters he faced for the save. Falmouth is now just two points out of second place in the West.
     

    What to Watch

    League-wide off-day today. When action resumes Tuesday, Hyannis will try to slow down red-hot Falmouth when it visits Guv Fuller Field.
     

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    Still Hot

    orleans
     
    It could have been a rough day for the Orleans Firebirds. Friday’s game was their first without a trio of early standouts who departed for Team USA. The club also released three pitchers with ace potential who are currently in Omaha and who have also earned Team USA invites.

    But on the field, the Firebirds just kept rolling. Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) struck out eight in five innings and six different players had hits as Orleans beat Harwich 5-1 at Whitehouse Field. It was the fifth straight victory for the Firebirds, who moved to 8-2 and overtook Hyannis for the best record in the league.

    It was an impressive first act as a new-look squad, considering what Orleans lost. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) was hitting .310 and leading the league with four home runs and nine RBI. Bryson Brigman (San Diego) was leading the league in hitting at .385, and Colby Woodmansee (Arizona State) was batting .348 while manning shortstop. In Wednesday’s game, their last in Orleans, that trio combined for four hits, three RBI and two runs scored. They may return to Orleans, since Team USA has a short tour this summer, but their departures are still a big blow for now. And that’s not even counting the trio of pitchers who showed up on the transactions list yesterday. Logan Shore and A.J. Puk of Florida and Connor Jones of Virginia all had the potential of being the best arms on the Cape.

    Clearly, though, Orleans – like any CCBL team this time of year – will focus on what it still has. And it was pretty good Friday night.

    Serrano turned in his second solid start of the summer, allowing one run on three hits in five innings and striking out eight. Chandler Blanchard (Pepperdine) followed with two scoreless frames and Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) chipped in one inning each.

    At the plate, the Firebirds had only one more hit than the Mariners but took advantage of them with a four-run fourth inning and another run in the sixth. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Adam Pate (North Carolina) had an RBI. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) went 1-for-4 with a double.

    It was enough for the Firebirds to stay hot, even on a rough day.
     

    Brewster 4, Y-D 3

    The Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, tying the game in the ninth and walking off with a 4-3 win over the Red Sox in the 10th. Tyler Ramirez (North Carolina) drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the winning run, after the Whitecaps had loaded the bases with two walks and a single. Brewster also trailed 3-2 in the ninth when a sacrifice fly by Eli White (Clemson) from the No. 9 spot in the order tied the game at 3-3. Colin Lyman (Louisville) and Brandon Gold (Georgia Tech) also knocked in runs for the Whitecaps. Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) kept the Whitecaps in reach as they rallied, tossing two scoreless innings of relief for the win. The win bumped Brewster ahead of Y-D in the standings at 4-6. The Red Sox fell to 3-7 with their third straight loss. Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) was again a bright spot for Y-D, going 3-for-5 for the third consecutive game.
     

    Chatham 4, Cotuit 1

    Every run was scored in the seventh inning, and Chatham tallied a few more on its way to a second straight victory and a spot in second place in the East. With the Anglers trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Zack Short (Sacred Heart) and Aaron Knapp (California) had RBI singles, and Will Craig (Wake Forest) came off the bench for a pinch-hit, two-run single. The rally made a winner out of reliever C.J. Burdick (San Diego) who allowed one run in 1.2 innings. Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) picked up the save. Though he did not factor in the decision, starter Jesse Adams (Boston College) pitched six scoreless innings for the Anglers. Cotuit’s Austin Sexton (Mississippi State) allowed two runs in 6.1 innings, both of which scored after he departed in the seventh. Jackson Klein (Stanford) homered for the Kettleers, who fell to 4-6.
     

    Bourne 4, Hyannis 2

    The Braves only picked up their first win Tuesday – seven games into the season – but haven’t lost since. Friday, they knocked off first-place Hyannis, handing the Harbor Hawks their second straight defeat. Bourne starter Alex Robles (Austin Peay) gave up two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning but settled in and allowed just three more hits and no runs over the final five innings. Nick Solak (Louisville) – who arrived for the first win and now hasn’t lost in a Braves uniform – broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run triple in the seventh. Corey Julks (Houston) also knocked in a run. Cody Sedlock (Illinois) got the win in relief and Austin Conway (Indiana State) picked up his first save.
     

    Falmouth 6, Wareham 4

    Falmouth smacked 13 hits and broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth on its way to a victory over Wareham. Caleb Hamilton (Oregon State) and Tristan Gray (Rice) knocked in the runs in the eighth. Mitch Longo (Ohio) paced the offense with three hits and an RBI. Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri) made his first start after two dominant relief stints and gave up one run on one hit in five innings of work. He struck out one. Morgan Earman (Arizona) earned the win out of the pen and Stephen Villines (Kansas) got the save.
     

    What to Watch

    Hyannis will try to get back on track as it visits Harwich. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast), who struck out nine in his first start, gets the ball for the Harbor Hawks. Cory Wilder, who had a 3.50 ERA in NC State’s weekend rotation this spring, will start for the Mariners.
     

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    Lending a hand

    Corey Julks and his Bourne teammates got a little help Tuesday night.
    Corey Julks and his Bourne teammates got a little help Tuesday night.

     
    The Bourne Braves would have broken the spell at some point, but I’m sure they didn’t mind welcoming a few reinforcements to help the cause Tuesday night. Two players making their season debut knocked in both runs and a pitcher making his first appearance slammed the door in relief as the Braves picked up their first win of the season 4-2 over Brewster.

    Bourne had played the first week of the season with only about half of the position players on its initial roster, and with four pitchers in Omaha plus a handful of others who were late arriving from Super Regional play. Combine all that with some slow starts by the hitters who were in town – the Braves are last in the league in team batting average – and it adds up to an 0-6-1 start.

    Tuesday, the Braves got a lift. Nick Solak (Louisville) and Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) were just activated Monday and jumped right into the starting lineup.

    Solak was the second-leading hitter for a Louisville team that nearly made Omaha while Fernandez hit .316 with seven homers for Riverside. Tuesday, they picked up where they left off. Solak went 2-for-3 and drove in a run with a single and another on a double. Fernandez went 2-for-5 and drove in the other two runs with an eighth inning base hit.

    Corey Julks (Houston), who was a bright spot in the rough opening week, went 2-for-3 and scored a run.

    Bourne trailed 2-1 after five but scored one in the seventh and two in the eighth.

    And another newcomer made the comeback count. Nick Jensen-Clagg (Kent State), a solid starter for the Golden Flashes who was activated Sunday, made his debut out of the bullpen in the fifth inning. Brewster had just scored its two runs, but Jensen-Clagg got out of the inning with a groundout then proceeded to dominate. He didn’t allow a run or a hit over the final 4.1 innings and struck out eight of the 13 batters he faced, without issuing a walk.

    With the Braves in front, he struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth then induced a fly-out to end it.

    Bourne is in the win column.
     

    Hyannis 7, Cotuit 3

    The beat goes on for the red-hot Harbor Hawks, who won their fifth straight and pushed their league-best record to 7-1. They scored two in the first Tuesday at Lowell Park then pulled away late for their second win over the Kettleers this summer. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) went 3-for-5 with three RBI, giving him eight RBI in just four games. JaVon Shelby (Kentucky), Colby Bortles (Ole Miss) and Ben DeLuzio (Florida State) knocked in one run apiece. On the mound, Mike King (Boston College) tossed five scoreless innings and struck out five for the win.
     

    Orleans 5, Y-D 1

    East-leading Orleans also stayed hot, topping the Red Sox for its third straight win and moving to 6-2. Bobby Dalbec – who told the league’s official site that he’ll return after his Team USA stint – continued his torrid start with his league-best fourth home run. He also leads the league in RBI with nine. Bryson Brigman (San Diego), who is also heading to Team USA, added a hit and an RBI. Joe Ravert (La Salle) started and gave up one run in four innings. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) claimed the win in relief with two scoreless innings. For Y-D, Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) went 3-for-5.
     

    Falmouth 1, Wareham 0

    Three pitchers combined on a shutout and Falmouth scored a run in the seventh to get to .500 with a 1-0 victory over the Gatemen. Alex Phillips (San Jacinto) gave up two hits in five innings, Seth Gustin (Holy Cross) worked two hitless frames and Wyatt Short (Ole Miss) pitched the eighth and ninth for the save. The lone run came in the seventh, when J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss) doubled and raced home on an RBI single by Heath Quinn (Samford). Those were the only two hits of the day for Falmouth. Zac Houston (Mississippi State) tossed five innings of no-hit ball for the Gatemen with nine strikeouts.
     

    Harwich 4, Chatham 3

    The Mariners trailed 3-0 but scored four in a row for a victory over the Anglers. Harwich moved to 4-3-1 while Chatham dropped to 4-3. Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Preston Palmeiro (NC State) and Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) also drove in one run apiece. Starter Scott Tully (Notre Dame) and four relievers combined to shut-out Chatham for the final five innings. Joe DiBenedetto (Seton Hall) was credited with the win and Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) the save. Scherzer came on with a runner on first in the ninth, walked two, but then escaped the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout.
     

    What to Watch

    Harwich takes on Chatham for a second straight night, this time at Veterans Field. Geoff Bramblett (Alabama) and Dan Castano (Baylor) will be on the hill after solid first starts last week.
     

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    Fast starts after big finish

    Trenton Brooks is hitting an even .500 in the early going.
    Trenton Brooks is hitting an even .500 in the early going.

     
    Four sophomores were among the national top 50 in batting average this spring. One of them – Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi – was draft-eligible and went as Boston’s first-round pick earlier this month. The other three have headed to New England for a different reason. Will Craig, Kyle Lewis and Trenton Brooks are all in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer. And in one of 2015’s early storylines, those three are picking up exactly where they left off.

    Through six games, Brooks leads the league with a .500 batting average. The Chatham outfielder has had a hit in every game but one (in which he was hit by a pitch in his first time up and departed). The lefty-swinging rising junior has done nothing but hit in two seasons at Nevada, with a .330 average as a freshman and a .365 mark this season.

    Craig is right alongside Brooks in the Chatham lineup. after hitting .382 – tops among sophomore – and earning ACC Player of the Year honors, Craig is off to a fast start with the Anglers. He has seven hits in six games, good for a .350 average, eighth in the league. The 6’3, 220-pound third baseman should be one of the league’s best all summer.

    Lewis was not on the initial roster that Orleans released, but the Mercer star was a no-brainer of an addition. The 6’4, 205-pound outfielder hit .281 as a freshman but morphed into the Southern Conference Player of the Year with a huge sophomore season. He batted .367 with a .423 OBP, and blasted 17 home runs, plus 19 doubles. Lewis homered in his second Cape League game and is now tied for the league lead with three in just six games. He’s also hitting .409, good for fourth in the league.

    Plenty more big-time hitters will emerge as the summer goes on. But few will have been big-time in the spring and the summer quite like Brooks, Craig and Lewis.
     

  • With Lewis and Bobby Dalbec, Orleans has a fearsome middle of the order. They each have three home runs. Unfortunately for the Firebirds, Dalbec, a standout at Arizona, has accepted an invitation to play for Team USA.

  • Team USA’s roster is taking shape, and Dalbec won’t be the only loss for the Cape League. Two of the top sophomore pitchers in the nation – Maryland’s Mike Shawaryn and Virginia’s Connor Jones – are on there. Shawaryn was slated for Y-D and Jones for Orleans. News came out Sunday that four Florida players will head to Team USA after the Gators finish in Omaha, and all were originally ticketed for the Cape. Pitchers A.J. Puk and Logan Shore were on the Orleans roster, power-hitting freshman J.J Schwarz was on the Y-D roster, and outfielder Buddy Reed was on the Harwich roster.

  • In better news, Wareham has activated Oregon’s Matt Krook. The lefty was on his way to becoming one of the best pitchers in the 2016 draft class but got hurt during his freshman year and needed Tommy John surgery. He missed this college season but will apparently begin his comeback in Wareham. Krook was mentioned on Jonathan Mayo’s very early look at the 2016 draft.

  • One of the few pitchers in the league to make two starts already is Orleans’ Mitchell Jordan, and he has been up to the task. The Stetson rising junior, a solid performer in the weekend rotation this year, has turned in two carbon-copy starts: five scoreless innings, one hit, five strikeouts. He’s the early league leader in strikeouts with 10.

  • Andrew Frankenreider saved nine games for Northern Illinois this spring and already has two for Falmouth this summer. He has allowed just one hit in 6.2 innings. Frankenreider is just the third player in Northern Illinois history to play on the Cape.

  • The teams with the best records so far have been the total package. Orleans, at 5-2, leads the league in team batting average and ERA. Hyannis, now 6-1, is second in both categories.

  • Hyannis had the makings of a pretty good offense even before late additions Bobby Melley, Justin Arrington and Jacob Noll arrived on the scene. Melley, a Cape League vet at this point, is hitting .429 with six RBI in just four games. Arrington has a hit in all but one game and is batting .438. Noll, who hit .348 for Florida Gulf Coast this year, is 4-for-8 in three games.

  • In addition to its Team USA guys, the initial Orleans roster also had a pair of six-round picks in Ohio State’s Travis Lakins and Loyola Marymount’s David Fletcher. Neither is on the active roster right now. We’ll see if they make an appearance at some point this summer.

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    Streaking Sweep

    Brady Conlan catches a high throw at first during game one of Sunday's doubleheader.
    Brady Conlan catches a high throw at first during game one of Sunday’s doubleheader.

     
    Hyannis had the most impressive doubleheader Sunday in the league, beating Brewster by 8-0 and 9-2 scores to run its league-best record to 6-1. But in terms of necessity, the bigger Sunday sweep belonged to the defending champion Y-D Red Sox.

    After an 0-4 start, fresh off their first win, the Red Sox rolled past Cotuit 4-1 and 4-0 to get to 3-4 and leave their shaky first few games firmly in the past. Y-D used a four-run fifth inning to turn things around in Sunday’s first game. In the nightcap, a four-run third inning and a combined shutout from three hurlers sealed the victory.

    The Red Sox had stumbled out of the gates, scoring only six runs and giving up 28 in their first four games.

    Y-D broke out Saturday with 12 hits and a strong showing on the mound in a 5-0 win over Bourne, and it was more of the same Sunday.

    Jacob DeVries (Air Force) pitched into the final frame of the first seven-inning affair, scattering seven hits and allowing just one run. After Will Haynie (Alabama) touched DeVries up for a one-out double, Brett Adcock (Michigan) relieved him, got an out, then made things interesting with two walks to load the bases. But with the go-ahead run at the plate, Adcock induced a pop-up to end the game.

    Nick Ruppert (Dartmouth) had two RBI in the big fifth inning, while Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) and Nathan Rodriguez (Arkansas) knocked in one run each. The Red Sox had four hits – their only four hits of the game – in that inning, and also took advantage of two Cotuit errors.

    In game two, Y-D pitching was even a little better as a trio combined for the team’s second shutout in three games. Christian Morris (Indiana) gave up three hits in five innings, before Dalton Lehnen (Cincinnati) and Gabriel Cramer (Stanford) finished the job with a scoreless inning each.

    Billingsley, Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) had two hits apiece to lead the offense.

     

    Hyannis 8, Brewster 0; Hyannis 9, Brewster 2

    The aforementioned Harbor Hawks were indeed impressive in their sweep of Brewster, who had come in at 3-1. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State), who’s been mostly a reliever in two seasons in Starkville, made the start in game one and struck out seven while giving up only two hits in six shutout innings. Marc Skinner (Troy) pitched the seventh to finish out the victory. Bobby Melley (Connecticut) continued his hot start with three hits and three RBI, pacing a nine-hit attack. Hyannis led 3-0 after one, then scored five in the final inning. In the second game, four pitchers chipped in on a solid effort, with Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) picking up the win on one perfect inning. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) led the offense this time, going 2-for-4 and driving in four of the nine runs. After going hitless for the first time all season in the doubleheader opener, Justin Arrington (Baylor) went 2-for-3. Hyannis, at 6-1, is not only in first place in the West, but also has the only winning record in the division.
     

    Orleans 6, Wareham 2; Orleans 1, Wareham 0

    It was also a sweep at Eldredge Park, where the Firebirds mashed three home runs in the opener then eked out a pitchers duel in the second game. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) hit his third home run of the young season to power the game-one win, while Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) knocked his second as part of a 3-for-3 day. Sean Murphy (Wright State) went 2-for-3 and hit his first homer. Kyle Cedotal (SE Louisiana) tossed five scoreless innings for the win, and Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) delivered his third scoreless relief outing of the summer. In the second game, Orleans was limited to three hits by Wareham starter Anthony Kay, a standout at UConn this spring, and reliever Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona), but the Firebirds scratched one run across and held down the Wareham offense completely. Dalbec’s second home run of the doubleheader provided the only offense. Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) gave up one hit in five innings. Stephen Nogosek (Oregon) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) closed the shutout. Orleans, now 5-2, moved into first place in the East with the sweep.
     

    Harwich 1, Bourne 1; Harwich 6, Bourne 2

    Bourne picked up a tie in the opener (there’s an innings limit in doubleheader games) but remained winless as Harwich took a 6-2 victory in the nightcap at Whitehouse Field. Cameron Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) homered in the third inning of the first game but Harwich answered in the fourth on an RBI double by Drew Ellis (The Citadel). Neither team would score again through nine full innings. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) and Austin Conway (Indiana State) were lights-out in the Bourne bullpen – with Conway striking out five of seven batters he faced – while Spencer Trayner (North Carolina) and Williams Durruthy (Florida International) did the job for Harwich. In game two, Preston Palmeiro (NC State) and Michael Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) drove in two runs apiece to power the six-run burst. Bourne was within a run in the sixth before Harwich pulled away. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) picked up the win with 5.2 solid innings. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) – the rare two-way player on the Cape – picked up the save in his first outing on the mound.
     

    Chatham 6, Falmouth 4; Falmouth 3, Chatham 2

    The only split of the busy Sunday came at Veterans Field, where Chatham took the opener but watched Falmouth score the go-ahead run in the ninth to win the second game. Trenton Brooks (Nevada) went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the first game. Kyle Adams (Richmond) added two RBI, while Will Craig (Wake Forest) had two hits and scored a run. James Mulry (Northeastern) pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the win and Andre Scrubb (High Point) got the save. Brooks was hot again in the second game, notching his third straight two-hit game and upping his league-best average to .500. But Falmouth had the last laugh, breaking a 2-2 tie on a Boomer White (Texas A&M) RBI single. The hit scored Mitch Longo (Ohio), who had reached on an error, taken second on a sac bunt and stolen third. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) grabbed his second save in as many days with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
     

    What to Watch

    It’s a league-wide off-day Monday. Getting back to action Tuesday, Hyannis and Cotuit will renew their rivalry with a 5 p.m. game at Lowell Park.
     

    Posted on

    Heating up

    Bobby Dalbec, pictured last summer, hit a grand slam in Friday's win.
    Bobby Dalbec, pictured last summer, hit a grand slam in Friday’s win.

     
    The defending Cape League champion Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox have struggled with the bats early on in 2015, hitting .156 through four games and scoring just six runs. The Red Sox offense had a young offense anyway, and five hitters are currently in Omaha.

    Friday, Y-D played a team that’s had no such trouble.

    Orleans has 11 players at the College World Series, but most of them are pitchers – and the offensive standouts who are already in town have more than made up for any gaps. The Firebirds, hitting .310 as a team on they year, pounded 15 hits and three home runs in a 12-3 victory over Y-D last night at Red Wilson Field.

    A quick glance at the Firebirds lineup and accompanying college statistics reveals a big-time lineup, and it hasn’t disappointed.

    Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) led the Pac 12 with 15 home runs this spring and is slated to join Team USA shortly, but in the meantime, the returning Firebird blasted a grand slam as part of a 2-for-5 night Friday.

    Kyle Lewis (Mercer), the Southern Conference Player of the Year, hit his second home run in four games, and is one of only two players in the league with two. He’s also tied for the league lead in hits and is hitting .412.

    Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State), who had a big year for the Buckeyes, also homered Friday and is batting .333.

    Throw in Adam Pate (North Carolina), who’s hitting .400 at the top of the lineup, Colby Woodmansee (Arizona State) and Bryson Brigman (San Diego), and it’s easy to see why the Firebirds are producing. The team is now 3-1 on the year and is averaging six runs per game.

    The pitching staff – even with a potential ace in Connor Jones starting for Virginia in Omaha today – has also been very good. The Firebirds have allowed only six earned runs. Friday, starter Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) gave up two in five innings of work for the win.

    It has all added up to a hot start. And the way this lineup looks, it may continue.
     

    Cotuit 3, Falmouth 0

    The Kettleers had some success in many games last year using four of five relievers for a few innings each, a kind of bullpen day almost every day. Friday, they were at it again, with four pitchers combining on a shutout of Falmouth. Austin Solecitto (ASA College) started and went 2.1 innings, Mitch Stallings (Duke) was credited with the win in 2.2 innings of relief, Cal Becker (Riverside) chipped in an inning and Matthew Kinney (Florida State) pitched the final three innings for the save, as Cotuit moved to 3-1. Will Haynie (Alabama) hit his second home run of the summer to lead the offense, while Matt Albanese (Bryant) had two hits. Falmouth, which dropped to 1-3, had eight hits but stranded 10 runners.
     

    Wareham 4, Bourne 2

    The Gatemen won their third straight since an opening night loss while Bourne remained winless. Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) stretched his hitting streak to four games with a 2-for-3 night and an RBI. Darryn Shepard (Baylor) added two hits. David MacKinnon (Hartford) had two hits for the second straight game. Ian Hamilton (Washington State) started on the hill and went five shutout innings. A pair of players on temporary contracts finished it off, with Stephen Woods Jr. (Albany) tossing three quiet innings of relief and Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy College) picking up the save. For Bourne, Cameron Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) had three hits.
     

    Hyannis 3, Harwich 1

    It’s a three-way tie atop the West with Hyannis joining Wareham and Cotuit at 3-1. The Harbor Hawks got three hits from Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) the early league batting leader, plus RBI from JaVon Shelby (Kentucky) and a familiar name in Bobby Melley (Connecticut). Melley is a Centerville native who’s now back with Hyannis. On the mound, Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) allowed one run in five innings. Marc Skinner (Troy) picked up the win in relief and Thomas Burrows (Alabama) had the save. Sheldon Nuese (Oklahoma) homered for Harwich, who fell to 1-3.
     

    Brewster at Chatham, PPD

    Chatham and Brewster played just over two innings Friday before the fog made its first appearance of the season and forced a postponement.
     

    What to Watch

    It’s a battle of 3-1 teams at McKeon Park as Orleans visits Hyannis. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) who has already made his Cape debut in relief, is slated to start for the Firebirds. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) goes for Hyannis.
     

    Posted on

    Firebirds have big talent on the way

    Screen shot 2015-06-08 at 3.58.12 PM

     

    Orleans finished with the fourth-best record in the league last summer. With 11 incoming players heading to Omaha this week, rather than the Cape, it may be an uneven start to 2015, but on paper, the Firebirds once again have one of the league’s more talented teams.
     

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Bobby Dalbec
    2. David Fletcher
    3. A.J. Puk
    4. Connor Jones
    5. Zack Collins

     

    NOTABLE

  • Orleans will be hard-hit by the College World Series, with 11 players on teams that are bound for Omaha. So the team on the field in Tuesday’s opener will look different than this one.

  • That said, there’s a lot of talent with or without the Omaha crew. The Firebirds have two returning standouts in Bobby Dalbec and David Fletcher and three players who were their conference’s freshmen of the year last year.

  • Dalbec has received a Team USA invite, as well, after he played for Orleans last summer. The two-way standout smacked 15 home runs for Arizona this spring.

  • Fletcher was great for Orleans last summer, with a .299 average and the same kind of presence at shortstop that made him the Alaska League’s top prospect in the summer of 2013 before he even got to college. He’s as good a building block as any team in the league can claim this year.

  • Virginia star Nathan Kirby, who was drafted last night, was ticketed for Orleans last year but never made it. His teammate, Connor Jones, who emerged as an ace when Kirby was hurt for part of this season, is now slated to be a Firebird.

  • Hayden Stone pitched 11 innings for Orleans last summer and allowed just one earned run. He’s slated to be back, although he has missed a lot of time for Vanderbilt this spring. Teammate John Kilichowski has bided his time for the Commodores behind first-round picks Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler.

  • Ohio State had some standout freshmen in 2014 and three of them are headed to Orleans. Pitcher Tanner Tully was the Big 10 Freshman of the Year, Travis Lakins has joined him in the weekend rotation and outfielder Ronnie Dawson was one of the Buckeyes’ best hitters.

  • Kent State seems to churn out pitching prospects more than any other non-power conference program, and Eric Lauer may be next in line. A 17th-round pick out of high school, he struck out 103 this year.

  • Lauer, Lakins, Tully and Cameron Neff make up a pretty good foundation for a starting rotation, even before you factor in late arrivals. Logan Shore and A.J. Puk are stars for Florida and the aforementioned Jones has been terrific for Virginia.

  • Two of the best hitters for an Omaha-bound Miami team have Orleans as their next stop. Zack Collins hit 15 homers this year while Willie Abreu is a former 14th-round pick.

    •  

    PITCHERS

    Parker Bean – FR – Liberty – Big right-hander had ERA over seven in debut season
    Alec Bettinger – SO – Virginia – Mid-week starter last year slid into full-time bullpen role and has 4.80 ERA
    Chandler Blanchard – SO – Pepperdine – Strong reliever as freshman had 4.99 ERA, saved four games as a sophomore
    Adam Haseley – FR – Virginia – Two-way player hit .252, put up 2.66 ERA in 10 appearances on the mound
    Connor Jones – SO – Virginia – With UVA ace Nathan Kirby ailing, emerged as Cavs’ workhorse, going 7-2, 2.96 ERA, 105 Ks in 103.1 IP
    John Kilichowski – SO – Vanderbilt – Lefty has started and relieved for Omaha-bound Commodores and has 2.97 ERA
    Travis Lakins – SO – Ohio State – Tossed perfect game in Prospect League last summer, posted 3.75 ERA in weekend rotation this year
    Eric Lauer – SO – Kent State – 17th-round pick in 2013 broke out as one of best in MAC this year with 1.98 ERA, 103 Ks
    Cameron Neff – SO – St. Mary’s – Workhorse had 5 complete games as a freshman, delivered 2.32 ERA as a sophomore
    Stephen Nogosek – SO – Oregon – Led team in appearances this year with 39 and had 2.02 ERA with 60 Ks
    A.J. Puk – SO – Florida – Towering righty, Perfect Game’s top Northwoods prospect last summer, has team-best 99 Ks this season
    Kit Scheetz – SO – Virginia Tech – Lefty made nine starts this year, had 4.34 ERA in those games
    Logan Shore – SO – Florida – SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014 continues to shine with 2.50 ERA this year as Friday starter
    Hayden Stone – SO – Vanderbilt – Struck out 80 in 58 relief innings last year but was limited to three appearances this season
    Tanner Tully – SO – Ohio State – Reigning Big 10 Freshman of the Year had 4-4 record, 4.32 ERA in sophomore season
     

    CATCHERS

    Jeremy Martinez – SO – USC – Steady in first two years with Trojans, hit .296 this season
    Sean Murphy – SO – Wright State – Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2014 hit .329 with 4 HR this year
     

    INFIELDERS

    Zack Collins – SO – Miami – ACC’s top freshman in 2014 hitting .303 with 15 HR, 70 RBI as Miami heads to Omaha
    Bobby Dalbec – SO – Arizona – Two-way player had huge sophomore season at the dish, hitting .319 with 15 HR
    David Fletcher – SO – Loyola Marymount – Started 41 games at SS for Orleans last year, hit .308 and stole 14 bases this spring
    T.J. Nichting – SO – UNC Charlotte – All-Star in Great Lakes League last summer scuffled to .198 average in sophomore year
    Daniel Pinero – SO – Virginia – 20th-round pick in 2013 has been starting SS for two years, hit .300 with 6 HR this season
    Colby Woodmansee – SO – Arizona State – Shortstop had solid sophomore year, hitting .308 with 5 HR, team-best 44 RBI
    Nick Zammarelli – FR – Elon – Lincoln, R.I., native hit .288 with 7 HR in first season with Phoenix
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Willie Abreu – SO – Miami – 14th-round pick in 2013, batting an even .300 and ranks fourth on team with six home runs
    Ronnie Dawson – SO – Ohio State – Picked up where he left off after big freshman year, hitting .279 with 7 HR, 16 SB
    Austin Miller – SO – Loyola Marymount – A Freshman All-American last year like teammate Fletcher, hit .314 with three homers this spring
    Bryan Reynolds – SO – Vanderbilt – Consensus Freshman All-American last year hitting .311 with 5 HR, 17 SB this year
     

    Posted on

    Complete Dominance

    Ryan Kellogg nearly tossed the Cape's first nine-inning, solo no-hitter since 2010.
    Ryan Kellogg nearly tossed the Cape’s first nine-inning, solo no-hitter since 2010.

     

    Before last night, there had not been a single nine-inning complete game pitching performance in the 2014 Cape Cod Baseball League season.

    And now there have been two, including the best performance of the summer.

    Bourne’s Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) came within one out of a no-hitter in a 5-0 win at Chatham, settling for the aforementioned best performance of the summer – a one-hit shutout, with 11 strikeouts. In Wareham, Sean Adler (USC), who had started only one other game this summer, tossed a complete-game shutout with eight strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Cotuit.

    Sometimes, teams start running out of pitching and cobbling things together as the season winds down. Clearly, not these two.

    Kellogg has been a terrific Cape League pitcher, posting a 1.36 ERA last year and a 2.63 mark this season, but last night – fittingly, his final start as a Brave – was his master work. The lefty was perfect through five innings, with seven strikeouts. He issued a leadoff walk in the sixth but the runner was erased on a double play, and Kellogg kept cruising. He struck out two in the seventh and worked a one-two-three ninth. After a fly-out and a swinging strikeout, he was one out away, but Landon Cray (Seattle) reached on a slow roller to third base to break up the no-hit bid at the last possible moment.

    Kellogg was bidding to become the first solo pitcher to toss a nine-inning no-hitter since Y-D’s Jordan Pries in 2010 (three of his Bourne teammates combined on one last summer and Bourne’s Jeff Thompson tossed a six-inning no-no in 2012).

    Though he didn’t get it, it was still an incredible performance and Kellogg finished it – of course – with a strikeout.

    Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt) hit a grand slam to lead the offense, while Brett Sullivan (Pacific) had three hits. Kellogg’s gem and the solid offensive day allowed the Braves to set a franchise record for regular-season victories with 26. With the win and a Falmouth loss, Bourne has a two-game cushion in first place, with two games to play.

    Adler gives Wareham a gem

    Sean Adler gave up a hit to the third batter he faced, so there was no talk of no-hitters in Wareham. But his performance was almost as good. He scattered six hits and went the distance in an efficient 104 pitches.

    Adler only made his debut for Wareham in mid-July and has made just four appearances. His longest previous outing was six innings.

    But as the scoreless frames piled up, Adler got better and better. He gave up two hits in an inning just once. After giving up a two-out double to Kyle Holder (San Diego) in the sixth, he struck out the next batter and didn’t allow another hit. He retired nine of 10, with the only exception coming on an error. That runner was erased on a double play.

    Adler’s performance gave the Gatemen something to celebrate a night after they were eliminated from playoff contention. Kyri Washington (Longwood) and Adler’s USC teammate Blake Lacey each had a hit and two RBI to lead the Gatemen offense.

     

    Harwich 3, Y-D 1

    How good were the pitching performances? A division title plays second fiddle. Harwich clinched the regular season Eastern Division crown with a 3-1 victory over the Red Sox, coupled with an Orleans loss. The Mariners have been at the top since the very beginning of the season, when they won their first three games. Y-D and Orleans have made charges, but Harwich never faltered and is in the midst of a surge to the finish, thanks to three straight victories. Last night, James Mulry (Northeastern) – who put Harwich in first place way back on opening night – tossed 6.2 innings for the win, giving up one run and striking out five. Seth McGarry (Florida Atlantic) pitched 1.1 scoreless frames and Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth outing of zero earned runs in 10 games this season. The offense got an RBI each from Anthony Hermelyn (Virginia Tech), C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Angelo Amendolare (Jacksonville). Y-D, who is tied with Orleans for second place, has lost three in a row.

     

    Brewster 7, Orleans 2

    Don’t look now, but Brewster is making a push to the playoffs that would go down as one of the most improbable in recent memory. The Whitecaps have won four of five games – and tied the other – and with Chatham’s loss last night, they’re just one point back of the Anglers for the fourth and final playoff spot, with two games to play. Tyger Talley (Arizona), making just his third start, allowed two runs in five innings and Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) pitched four hitless innings to seal the win. Andrew Lee (Tennessee), who has eight hits in the five-game stretch, homered and drove in two to lead the offense. Scott Kingery (Arizona) had two hits and three RBI. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) homered for the Firebirds, who have lost four in a row. Brewster will finish the season with two games against Harwich. Chatham, as it tries to hold off the Whitecaps, has two against Orleans.

     

    Hyannis 10, Falmouth 0

    Hyannis leap-frogged Cotuit back into third place, while putting Falmouth into an uphill battle on its quest for first. Four Harbor Hawks combined on the shutout. Shaefer Shepard (Catawba) went five innings, Matt LaRocca (Akron) struck out four in two innings while Chris Mourelle (Florida International) and Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) pitched one inning each. Carl Wise (College of Charleston) hit his sixth home run to pace the offense, while Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) also homered. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) had two hits and two RBI. For Falmouth, Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 0-for-4, putting him into a tie with Bourne’s Billy Fleming for the batting title. Newman is trying to become the first-ever two time Cape League batting champ.

     

    What to Watch

    Bourne will try to clinch the West title outright when it hosts Wareham at 6 p.m. In the suddenly interesting race for the last East playoff spot, Brewster visits Harwich at 5:30 p.m. and Chatham heads to Orleans at 7.