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Midseason Awards

The halfway point of the season always sneaks up on me. We’re roughly there now, with a couple of teams just past it and a few more right on the number.

It’s been an interesting year – not quite as eye-popping as last summer, but with some good storylines. Stars are starting to emerge, and these guys are the best of the best with 22 games in the books.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Kevin Cron, Falmouth

Cron’s teammate Rhys Hoskins has been the front-runner all season in my book, but in a 22-game sample size, one hot streak can mean a lot.

And Cron is on one.

He’s been steady all summer, with a nine-game hitting streak at one point, and in the last week, he’s been on fire.

At the halfway mark, Cron ranked fourth in the league in hitting at .367. He sat second in home runs with four. He led in RBI with 20. Cron’s triple-slash line was .367/.444/.620.

A former third-round pick, Cron had a great freshman season at TCU in 2012 but followed with a shaky sophomore year. It’s safe to say he’s back on track.

IN THE RUNNING

Rhys Hoskins, Falmouth
Dante Flores, Chatham
Mike Ford, Cotuit
Ian Happ, Harwich
Jose Brizuela, Brewster
Skyler Ewing, Hyannis
Jimmy Pickens, Chatham
Chris Marconcini, Orleans
D.J. Stewart, Y-D
Max Pentecost, Bourne

 

OUTSTANDING PITCHER

Erick Fedde, Y-D

This was the toughest of the three awards to pick. Nobody has run through the league with dominant outing after dominant outing. Fedde gets the nod with a blend of dominance, steadiness and durability.

The rising junior at UNLV delivered the best start of opening night and has kept doing it pretty much every step of the way.

In five starts, he leads the league in innings pitched with 30.2. He owns a 2.35 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, a league-high 26 strikeouts and just eight walks. Opponents are hitting just .204 against him.

IN THE RUNNING

Aaron Bummer, Harwich
Jaron Long, Bourne
Andrew McGee, Chatham
Bobby Poyner, Orleans
Ryan Kellogg, Bourne
Justin Kamplain, Brewster
Andrew Thome, Hyannis
Chandler Shepherd, Harwich
Lukas Schiraldi, Chatham

 

OUTSTANDING RELIEF PITCHER

Matt Troupe, Orleans

Troupe is one off the league-leading saves pace of Hyannis’ Eric Eck, but Troupe has been as dominant as any pitcher in the league.

The Arizona junior has five saves to go with a 0.00 ERA. He has struck out 16 and walked four in just 8.1 innings, giving him an eye-popping K/9 ratio of 17.3.

It’s still early, so that K/9 number will probably go down. But in the last four years, among pitchers with a good amount of innings, the highest number was around 15.

However it shakes out, it’s a safe bet Troupe will continue to dominate.

IN THE RUNNING

Eric Eck, Hyannis
Trace Dempsey, Bourne
Jacob Dorris, Chatham
Darrell Hunter, Y-D
Brian Miller, Cotuit
Sarkis Ohanian, Hyannis
Joel Seddon, Cotuit
Bradley Roney, Wareham
Patrick Corbett, Cotuit
Chad Sobotka, Chatham
Ryan Riga, Wareham
 

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Holding Steady

Chatham is heating up again after a brief hiccup.

 
It could have been deja vu. The Chatham Anglers have started hot before. In 2010, they won seven of their first 10 games – and just 13 more the rest of the season. They missed the playoffs.

When the 2013 Anglers raced to a 6-0 start and then lost five of six, it was hard not to think back and wonder if it was going to happen all over again.

It’s certainly not happening right now.

Chatham beat Harwich 10-6 for its third straight win and its sixth in seven games. While Cotuit has been steady, and Hyannis has been winning and Harwich and Falmouth have been hot, it’s the Anglers who own the most wins in the league. They’re 13-6-1 and leading the East by five points over Harwich.

Last night, Chatham pounded 13 hits in out-slugging a Harwich team that had just out-slugged Falmouth the night before. Dante Flores (USC) put together his third consecutive multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. He’s now hitting .365, good for second in the league.

Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) added two hits, as did Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry), Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) and Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion). The Anglers got a hit from eight of nine spots in the order and an RBI from six.

Matthew Gage (Siena) turned in his second straight strong start, striking out two and giving up just two runs in six innings. Harwich did a little damage against the Chatham bullpen, but the Anglers held them off. Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) picked up his second save in as many chances since arriving on the Cape.

Just like that, the Anglers were back at the top. It looks like they plan to stay.

 

Falmouth 9, Y-D 8

The Commodores (12-8) bounced back from a slugfest loss to Harwich with a slugfest win over the Red Sox (9-10-1). Y-D led 8-6 going into the ninth, but Falmouth scored three runs to win it. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) beat the throw to first on a double-play attempt, which scored the winning run. Falmouth got a huge night from Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State), who hit his fourth home run as part of a 3-for-5, 4 RBI day. He also leads the league in RBI with 18. Kevin Newman (Arizona) and Sam Gillikin (Auburn) also had three hits for the Commodores. Davis, who had hit a home run in three straight games, finally did not go yard, but did hit a double and drove in two runs.

 

Cotuit 2, Hyannis 1

The Kettleers (12-8) snapped a three-game skid and posted their second win of the season over the Harbor Hawks (12-6). Cotuit, Hyannis and Falmouth are all tied atop the West standings with 24 points each. The Kettleers manufactured a run in the top of the ninth to break a 1-1 tie, with Jake Fincher (NC State) reaching on an error, stealing second and coming around on two wild pitches. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the victory. Steven Duggar (Clemson) had three hits to lead the Kettleers while Logan Ratledge (NC State) and Mike Ford (Princeton) had two each. Evan Beal (South Carolina) tossed five shutout innings with six strikeouts. Andrew Thome (North Dakota) also struck out six for Hyannis.

 

Brewster 5, Bourne 4

The Whitecaps have 40 hits in their last three games, and not surprisingly, they’re on a three-game winning streak that has improved their record to 6-13. On this night, they had 13 hits, bided their time against standout Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) and scored five runs over the last four innings to net the victory. Jose Brizuela (Florida State) went 3-for-5 while Scott Heineman (Oregon) stretched his hit streak to eight games with a 2-for-5 night in the leadoff spot. Trevor Mitsui (Washington State) and Aaron Brown (Pepperdine) added two hits each. Frankie Vanderka (Stony Brook) turned in a solid start, allowing three runs in seven innings. Trey Cochran-Gill (Auburn) got the win in relief.

 

Wareham 2, Orleans 1

The struggling Wareham offense scored the first two runs Orleans standout Bobby Poyner (Florida) has given up all year and made the lead stand up for the victory. Wareham is 4-16, while Orleans dropped to 9-10. Both Wareham runs came in the fifth. Chris Chinea (LSU) knocked in a run on a ground-out before Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville) hit an RBI single. Three Gatemen pitchers made the slim lead hold up. Tucker Simpson (Florida) struck out four and gave up one run in 5.2 innings to out-duel his college teammate Poyner for the win. Ryan Riga (Ohio State) worked 2.1 scoreless innings and Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisana) picked up the save.

 

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit will meet again at 5 p.m. at Lowell Park. Adam Ravenelle (Vanderbilt), who has only pitched out of the bullpen so far, will make his first start for Cotuit. Patrick Andrews (Clemson), who was solid in his first start, goes for Hyannis.

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Walk This Way

Brandon Sedell and the Chatham Anglers have been the league's most patient team - and it's working for them.

 
The Chatham Anglers have been a good hitting team this summer, but not the Cape’s best. What they do have going for them is the opportunity to hit with more men on base than any team in the league.

Because the Anglers can work a walk.

Chatham drew a season-high 10 walks on Sunday in a 7-3 victory over Brewster. That gives them a league-high 86 for the season, 23 more than second-place Cotuit. Not surprisingly, the Anglers also lead the league in on-base percentage with a .361 mark.

In some cases, you can chalk walks up to the luck of the draw and the fact that you might just be facing pitchers who are wild. But when the numbers are this high, it’s clearly part of an approach. Chatham also led the league in walks last year.

This year, the patient approach has been a key cog in the team’s successful start. The Anglers had a brief hiccup after their hot start but have won two in a row since.

The walks piled up against Brewster, with Richard Prigatano (Long Beach State) drawing three and league-leader Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) working two. Four of Chatham’s seven runs were scored by batters who got on base with a walk.

Dante Flores (USC) had two hits and an RBI while Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) went 1-for-4 with two runs driven in. Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry) also drove in a run.

Tommy Lawrence (Maine) got the win in relief, striking out four in 3.1 hitless innings.

The Anglers improved to 9-5-1, which puts them back atop the East Division standings.

 

Y-D 4, Harwich 0

The Red Sox (7-7-1) are suddenly the hottest team in the league. They beat Harwich (9-6) by a 4-0 score yesterday for their third straight win. Clay Smith (St. Louis), whose last appearance came in a 17-12 loss to Orleans, was dominant this time, striking out three and scattering five hits in seven shutout innings for the win. Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) and Sam Coonrod (Southern Illinois) pitched an inning each to finish the shutout. Auston Bousfield (Ole Miss) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while D.J. Stewart (Florida State) and Taylor Gushue (Florida) also knocked in a run each. Andrew Daniel (San Diego) went 1-for-4 to stretch his hitting streak to 11 games. He now leads the league with a .421 batting average. The Red Sox did most of their damage off Harwich starter Aaron Bummer (Nebraska), who hadn’t given up a run in his first two starts.

 

Cotuit 6, Bourne 1

A night after falling in a walk-off to Bourne, the Kettleers (10-5) won the rematch and became the first team in the league to 10 wins. Bourne fell to 7-8. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco), who had given up seven runs in a loss to Bourne on June 22, got the start and allowed just an unearned run in 7.1 innings. He only struck out two but induced an amazing 15 ground-ball outs. The Cotuit offense also stepped up, scoring two runs off Bourne starter Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic), who was part of a combined no-hitter the last time he faced the Kettleers. Newcomer Logan Ratledge (NC State) hit a solo home run while Kevin Bradley (Clemson) went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Jake Fincher (NC State) and Nolan Clark (Concordia) drove in one run apiece.

 

Hyannis 6, Falmouth 3

The Harbor Hawks (9-4) were the only team to beat Falmouth (9-6) in a stretch of seven games, and they did it again Sunday, ending a three-game winning streak for the Commodores. Andrew Thome (North Dakota) picked up his league-leading third win with five strong innings. Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Skyler Ewing (Rice) both hit home runs to lead the Hyannis offense. Austin Slater (Stanford) added two hits. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) hit his second home run of the year for the Commodores.

 

Orleans 2, Wareham 0

The Firebirds (7-7) handed the Gatemen (2-13) their fifth straight loss with the shutout. Bobby Poyner (Florida) struck out five in five innings to get the ball rolling. Four relievers went one inning each to keep it going, with Matt Troupe (Arizona) working the ninth for his third save, which ties him for the league lead. The Orleans offense got two hits and an RBI from Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State), plus an RBI from Jordan Luplow (Fresno State). Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) had two hits to lead Wareham.

 

What to Watch

It’s a league-wide off-day as the teams head to Fenway Park for a work-out in front of scouts.

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The Stars are Out

Cotuit's Mike Ford is the Cape League's leading hitter through 10 games.

 
Ten games is not a lot in a baseball season, but in one as short as the Cape League’s, it’s not an insignificant amount. We’re almost a quarter of the way through the season.

Ten games in, hot starts can begin turning into trends. Stars can begin to cement their spots.

Two stars were on full display last night.

Cotuit’s Mike Ford (Princeton) hit a home run and went 2-for-4 to maintain his place as the league’s leading hitter with a .429 average. Falmouth’s Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) also homered and now leads the league in home runs with three and RBI with 11.

For both, it’s a welcomed start.

Ford hit .252 for Cotuit last year. He pitches too and had an ERA over six. This spring, though, he made history at Princeton, where he was named Ivy League Player and Pitcher of the Year, the first person ever to hit that double. He came back to Cotuit on a temporary contract, but I’m guessing he’ll stick around. He owns a 1.92 ERA in 4.2 innings on the mound to go with his work at the plate.

Hoskins was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2012 when he hit .353 with 10 home runs, but he didn’t have a great summer in the West Coast League. He hit just .237. This spring, his numbers dipped to .283 and three home runs.

But this summer, Hoskins has been fantastic. He has played in every one of Falmouth’s games and has gotten at least one hit in all but one of them. In his last three games – which came after his one hitless performance – he’s gone 6-for-12 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Ford and Hoskins are also helping their teams pile up the victories. Cotuit beat Hyannis 7-2 last night to take over first-place in the West. Steven Duggar (Clemson) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) had three hits each in addition to Ford’s good night. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) got the win with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Falmouth hit the road to take on a red-hot Bourne team and shut the Braves down completely, winning 8-0 for their third straight victory. Joseph Maggi (Arizona), Kevin Cron (TCU), Conner Hale (State College of Florida) and Troy Stein (Texas A&M) joined Hoskins with two hits apiece. John Means (West Virginia) went 5.2 innings for his first win.

 

Harwich 8, Y-D 0

Harwich (6-3) won its fourth straight game as Y-D found itself on the wrong end of a rough night again. The Red Sox (3-7) have given up 40 runs in their last three games. Harwich, meanwhile, has allowed a total of four runs in its winning streak. Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky) continued the string of quality starts with six shutout innings. He struck out one and allowed three hits. Jake Drossner (Maryland) and Michael Costello (Radford) finished it off. The offense was led by Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleson), who hit a third-inning grand slam on his way to a five-RBI night. Tanner English (South Carolina) and Derek Fisher (Virginia) also drove in runs.

 

Orleans 6, Chatham 5

After blowing a 5-0 lead in the seventh inning, the Firebirds (5-4) scored a run in the ninth to beat Chatham (6-4) by a run. Chris Marconcini (Duke) was the hero as his solo home run in the ninth got the Firebirds back in front. It was his second home run in three games and was part of a 3-for-5 night. Matt Troupe (Arizona), who had come on in the eighth, sealed the win with a scoreless ninth. Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) also went 3-for-5 for the Firebirds. On the mound, Bobby Poyner (Florida) delivered a strong start with five scoreless innings. Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) had three hits and two RBI to lead Chatham.

 

Wareham 3, Brewster 1

The Gatemen (2-8) snapped a six-game losing streak by shutting down the Whitecaps, who were coming off a 14-run explosion the night before. Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisiana) turned in his second strong start for Wareham, striking out six in five shutout innings. Dillon Ortman (Auburn) and Dalton Brown (Texas Tech) finished the job. The Wareham offense still didn’t smash the ball but did rack up nine hits. Cole Stancil (St. Leo) went 2-for-3 while Will Schwanke (Arkansas) and Brock Stewart (Illinois State) drove in runs.

 

What to Watch

Chatham and Cotuit – who were the league’s hottest teams in week one – get together for their second meeting at 5 p.m. in Cotuit. The last time they met, Chatham won in a walk-off. This time, the Anglers send ace Andrew McGee (Monmouth) to the hill. He ranks third in the league in strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a run in his two starts. Cotuit counters with Jared Walsh (Georgia), who’s given up just one run in his two starts.

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Five Wins and No Hits

Austin Gomber tossed five no-hit innings, part of a combined no-hitter for the Braves.

 
With an 8-0 victory over Cotuit yesterday, Bourne became the third team already this season to put together a five-game winning streak.

The Braves’ No. 5 was best of all.

Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic), Josh Laxer (Ole Miss) and Ryan Harris (Florida) combined on a no-hitter as the Braves cruised past Cotuit, who came in as one of the league’s best offensive teams. The Braves’ Jeff Thompson threw a no-hitter last year in a game that went only six innings. Last night’s effort was the league’s first nine-inning no-hitter since June 30, 2010, when Jordan Pries did it for Y-D.

This one wasn’t celebrated right away. When Mike Ford (Princeton) reached base on a mis-played ground ball in the seventh, it was ruled a double. After the game, the official scorer changed it to an error, giving the Braves the no-no.

Gomber, who had as good a spring as any pitcher on the Cape, was terrific in his first start. He struck out five in five innings and walked two. Laxer picked up where he left off, striking out one in three innings. Harris finished it off, working around a walk to pitch a hitless ninth.

Not only was it a no-hitter, Bourne pitchers have now turned in three consecutive shutouts. And in the game prior, they gave up one run. The scoreless streak is at 33 innings. Not surprisingly, the Braves now lead the league in team ERA.

The Braves’ offense also got it done last night, which was no small feat. Alex Haines (Seton Hill) turned in his second dominant start in as many outings, striking out seven in five scoreless innings. But the Braves bided their time and broke out against the Kettleer bullpen, scoring two runs in the eighth and six in the ninth.

Eric Fisher (Arkansas) went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Tim Caputo (Rhode Island), Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) and Bobby Boyd (West Virginia) drove in one run apiece, while Pat Kelly (Nebraska), Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) and Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) all had two hits.

 

Hyannis 3, Orleans 2

The Harbor Hawks (6-2) took over first place in the West with Cotuit’s loss and their win over the Firebirds (4-4). Andrew Thome (North Dakota) worked six strong innings, giving up one run and striking out three in six innings. Andrew Istler (Duke) picked up his first save. The offense was led by Jake Hernandez (USC), a former Firebird, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Skyler Ewing (Rice) also knocked in a run. In eight games, the Harbor Hawks have now won three in a row, lost two in a row and won three in a row. The wins are coming despite a league-worst .188 team batting average.

 

Falmouth 6, Chatham 1

Chatham has hit the skids since its 6-0 start, with Falmouth (5-4) as the latest conqueror. The Commodores handed the Anglers (6-3) their third straight loss. Craig Schlitter (Bryant) got the win with five strong innings and three relievers allowed just one hit over the final four innings. Oregon standout Garrett Cleavinger had an adventure in his first outing, walking three but striking out three in the ninth. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) led the offensive charge with two RBI and he is now tied for the league lead with eight RBI. Kevin Cron (TCU) added two hits, including his fourth double. Chatham has scored one total run in its last three games.

 

Harwich 2, Wareham 1

The Mariners (5-3) are the hottest team in the East thanks to their third straight win, a 2-1 triumph over the Gatemen, who dropped to 1-8. Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) pitched seven shutout innings and now hasn’t allowed a run in 13 innings this season. Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) picked up the save. Josh Anderson (Florida International) drove in both Harwich runs. The Gatemen got a quality start from Tucker Simpson (Florida) but the offense continued to struggle. The Gatemen are hitting just .216.

 

Brewster 14, Y-D 8

The Red Sox (3-6) found themselves in a slugfest for the second straight day and lost this one too, as Brewster improved to 3-6 with its best offensive day of the season. Trent Woodward (Fresno State) went 3-for-4 with four RBI and Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) went 3-for-5 with three RBI. Jose Brizuela (Florida State) knocked two triples and drove in three. Ford Stainback (Rice) added three hits and Keaton Aldridge (Memphis) drove in two runs. Corey Taylor (Texas Tech) picked up the win in relief. Y-D got a home run from Taylor Smart (Tennessee) and two RBI from Auston Bousfield (Ole Miss).

 

What to Watch

A couple of rivalry games on tap tonight as Cotuit visits Hyannis and Orleans heads to Chatham. Eric Karch (Pepperdine), who’s 2-0, goes for Cotuit against Hyannis’ Jordan Foley (Central Michigan), who had a great spring. Chatham sends Andrew Chin (Boston College) after he went five shutout innings in his last start. Orleans counters with Bobby Poyner (Florida), who has pitched just two innings thus far.