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Six With a Flourish

Chatham's Joshua Eldridge leads off in a game earlier this year. The Anglers are a perfect 6-0 thus far.

 
It would have been impressive enough for the Chatham Anglers to run their record to 6-0. No Cape League team has started that hot since the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, and they were Cape League royalty.

But to do it like the Anglers did – just go ahead and tip your hat at this point.

Chatham went on the road Tuesday to take on the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, the league’s only other unbeaten team, and dispatched them with ease, winning 10-0. It’s the most lopsided victory of the season for any team in the league. Chatham smacked 15 hits, and Andrew McGee (Monmouth) delivered his second straight dominant start.

Chatham now leads the league in average, on-base percentage, slugging, runs, hits, doubles, total bases and walks. On the pitching side, they lead the league in ERA.

Add all that up, and this is what you get.

On Tuesday, they immediately went to work, scoring four runs in the first four innings. They blew it open with one in the eighth and four more in the ninth.

The first five hitters in the Chatham lineup all had two hits, while No. 8 hitter Kenny Koplove (Duke) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. The two-hit parade was manned by Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga), Connor Joe (San Diego) and Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State), who also had two RBI each. Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) and Erich Weiss (Texas) had two hits as well.

As good as the offense was, it was largely unnecessary. McGee, the reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year, made his second start of the summer and was just as good as he was the first time. He struck out three and allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. On the year, he has struck out 12 and hasn’t allowed a run.

The bullpen also did its part. Stephen Marino (Williams) worked out of a mini-jam in the seventh and Mitch Merten (UC Irvine) struck out three over the final two innings.

Chatham will try to stretch the streak to seven tonight when it visits Bourne. The Anglers are slated to face Ohio State standout Jaron Long, who’s just arrive back in town for a second summer with the Braves. It’ll be a challenge, but at this point, I wouldn’t bet against the Anglers.

 

Coutit 8, Y-D 3

The Kettleers also stayed hot, improving to 5-1 with a lopsided win over the Red Sox (2-4). Cotuit scored seven runs in the seventh inning to bust open what had been a one-run game. Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco), Mike Ford (Princeton) and Yale Rosen (Washington State) drove in two runs each to lead the Cotuit offense. Connor Castellano (Sante Fe CC) went 1-for-2 and remained the league’s leading hitter at .462. Kevin Bradley (Clemson) added two hits. On the mound, Jared Walsh (Georgia) turned in his second impressive start of the summer, allowing three hits in six shutout innings. For Y-D, Erick Fedde (UNLV), the best starter on opening night, struck out five and gave up one earned run in six innings before the Kettleers got to the Red Sox bullpen. Fedde leads the league in strikeouts with 13. Robert Pehl (Washington) had two hits for the third straight game for Y-D.

 

Falmouth 5, Wareham 3

After three straight losses, Falmouth got back into the win column with a victory over the Gatemen (1-4). Every player in the Commodore lineup had at least one hit, part of a 13-hit attack. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) extended his season-long hitting streak to six games, the longest in the league, with a 1-for-4 night. Sam Gillikin (Auburn) had three hits and three RBI, while Conner Hale (State College of Florida) and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had two hits apiece. Preston Morrison (TCU) got the win with 5.1 innings in relief of TCU teammate Brandon Finnegan. Nic Manuppelli (Youngstown State) picked up the save.

 

Orleans 8, Brewster 2

Orleans cruised past Brewster, becoming the only East team other than Chatham to own a winning record and keeping Brewster as the only winless team in the league. Colin Welmon (Loyola Marymount) tossed five shutout innings and the offense delivered 10 hits. Will Fulmer (Montevallo) and Riley Moore (Arizona) knocked in two runs each, while Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State) and Chris Marconcini (Duke) had two hits apiece.

 

Bourne 7, Harwich 1

After its first win on Monday, Bourne made it two in a row with a win over the Mariners (2-3). The Braves scored three runs in the sixth and three more in the ninth to take control. Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) had three hits and two RBI, while Vinny Siena (UConn) had three hits and drove in one. Eric Fisher (Arkansas Baptist) and Bobby Boyd (West Virginia) had two hits each. Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) scattered six hits in 5.1 scoreless innings. Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out the side in the ninth.

 

What to Watch

Chatham sends Aaron Garza (Houston) to the hill in the aforementioned match-up with Bourne, which is set for 6 p.m. at Doran Park. In Orleans, Cotuit will try to keep its streak going against Firebirds starter Kyle Twomey (USC), an unsigned third round pick from last year’s draft.
 

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Streaking Start

Connor Castellano is off to a great start for the 4-1 Cotuit Kettleers.

 
The beginnings of a Cape Cod Baseball League summer are often short on clear lines. Everybody’s shuffling – and a lot of times, everybody’s 3-2 or 2-3.

Not so in 2013.

Chatham is 5-0, the best start for any Cape League team since the 2007 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, a club that won the league title and featured Buster Posey and Gordon Beckham. Hyannis is 3-0, having made up for lost time after its first two games were postponed. And Cotuit has ridden a three-game winning streak to a 4-1 start.

All three are impressive. The most interesting streak belongs to Cotuit.

Chatham and Hyannis are succeeding in part because they have the teams they thought they’d have. For both, only six players who weren’t on initial rosters are playing now – which is among the lowest numbers in the league at this point.

On the flip side, 33 players have taken the field for Cotuit – and 17 of them were not on the team’s roster a few weeks ago. Whether they’re temporary contracts or late pickups, it’s a juggling act for the Kettleers.

They have made it work.

Cotuit’s only loss was by a run in a walk-off to undefeated Chatham. The Kettleers moved to 4-1 on Monday with a 6-1 victory over Brewster.

Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) led the charge in the latest win, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and an RBI. Hunter Cole (Georgia) continued his hot start with a 2-for-4 day, and he’s not hitting .400. Connor Castellano (Sante Fe CC), a TCU commit who’s in town on a temporary contract, had another big night, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and his fourth stolen base. He ranks second in the league in hitting, is tied for the league lead in RBI, and ranks second in stolen bases.

Another temp, Eric Karch (Pepperdine), got the start on the mound and the victory on Monday. He struck out four and allowed one run in five innings. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) followed with two scoreless innings. And for good measure, another temp, Trevor Seidenberger (TCU) finished the job with three strikeouts over the final two frames.

The roster juggling will continue over the next few weeks as Cotuit decides who’s staying and who’s going. But if five games are any indication, the winning will continue too.

 

Chatham 4, Falmouth 2

The Anglers ran their record to 5-0 with another steady performance. Andrew Chin (Boston College), who pitched out of the bullpen for a win on opening night, picked up another victory with five strong innings. He struck out two and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth. The Chatham offense – which has scored the most runs in the league and has the best batting average by more than 50 points – also kept it up and did its part. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) hit the team’s first home run and Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) also drove in a run. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) had one hit apiece. Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi), who saved 13 games this spring, made his second appearance of the summer and worked a scoreless frame for his first save. For Falmouth, Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) hit a home run and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had a double. Richard Martin, Jr. (Florida) stole his league-leading sixth base.

 

Hyannis 5, Wareham 4

The Harbor Hawks moved to 3-0 with a comeback win over the Gatemen (1-3). Wareham led 3-0 into the seventh, with Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisiana) cruising on the mound, but Hyannis scored a run there and four in the eighth to take a lead it never lost. Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) led the charge with two hits and an RBI, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas), Dominic Jose (Stanford) and Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) all drove in a run. Patrick Andrews (Clemson) got the win in relief and Eric Eck (Wofford) picked up the save, getting out of a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the ninth.

 

Bourne 6, Orleans

Bourne picked up its first victory of the season in dramatic fashion, walking off with a win in the bottom of the 10th inning. Michael Martin (Harvard) knocked in Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) with a base hit to give the Braves the victory. The alternative would have made for a frustrating night – the Braves pounded out 17 hits, a league-high this season. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) led the way with three hits apiece, while Clinton Freeman (East Tennessee State) had two hits and two RBI. On the mound, the Braves used seven pitchers. Cody Livingston (Southern Mississippi) picked up the win.

 

What to Watch

Several pitchers who were impressive on opening night will make their second starts tonight. Erick Fedde (UNLV) goes for Y-D at Cotuit after striking out eight in his debut, while Andrew McGee (Monmouth) tries to build on a nine-strikeout debut as Chatham visits Hyannis in a battle of the only unbeaten teams in the league. In Falmouth, standout lefty Brandon Finnegan (TCU) will make his second and final start before departing for Team USA.

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Hoosier Hysteria

Joey DeNato delivers a pitch for Y-D in last year's Cape League championship series.
Predicting college baseball success based on Cape Cod Baseball League success is generally not a worthwhile enterprise. I once did a Top 25 based on Cape results and picked USC No. 1. I don’t think the Trojans even sniffed the real Top 25 that spring.

But what you can do is pinpoint up-and-coming teams. Not the North Carolinas and Vanderbilts of the world, but the Stony Brooks. Anyone who watched the 2011 Cape Cod Baseball League season knew Stony Brook had to have a good year in 2012. The Seawolves then made a Cinderella run to Omaha.

Last year, Right Field Fog commenter Orville from Orleans suggested Indiana as a breakout candidate for 2013.

The man knows what he’s talking about.

The Hoosiers are in the College World Series and haven’t yet lost an NCAA Tournament game. They shut out Louisville in their CWS opener on Saturday night.

While the Hoosiers aren’t quite as Cape League heavy as that Stony Brook team from a year ago, some of their stars are Cape League bred. Kyle Schwarber was the CCBL playoff MVP and is now one of the top hitters in the country. Sam Travis starred for Y-D.

And Joey DeNato, a true Cape League veteran, was the star of Saturday’s win.

DeNato pitched for Y-D in 2011 and 2012, and was one of those steady performers that Cape League teams need. He started five games in 2011 and came out of the bullpen for seven more. He pitched exclusively out of the bullpen last summer. He didn’t make any top prospects lists and wasn’t drafted this year. But I’m sure if you ask Y-D manager Scott Pickler, he loved having DeNato on his staff. DeNato owns a career Cape League ERA of 2.28.

Saturday was his day in the sun. The lefty struck out eight in a complete-game, four-hit shutout of a Louisville team that had beaten Vandy superstars Kevin Ziomek and Tyler Beede a week earlier.

The Hoosiers are now 1-0 in their first-ever trip to Omaha, something a lot of people on the national stage didn’t see coming.

Some of us did.

  • The University of San Diego had a banner day when slugger Kris Bryant was selected with the second overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft. His teammates are doing what they can on the Cape. Y-D’s Andrew Daniel ranks sixth in the league in hitting at this early stage, and fellow Torero Connor Joe of Chatham is right behind him in seventh at .417. Both of them own three-game hitting streaks.

  • Chatham’s Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) has been on base more than anybody so far this season, with three hits and five walks in 10 plate appearances, good for an .800 OBP. Summer success should be no surprise – Gonsulus was the MVP of the West Coast Collegiate League last summer

  • Sometimes, late additions come to the Cape with some of the best credentials in the league. Chatham’s Erich Weiss and Cotuit’s Alex Haines fit the bill. Weiss starred as a sophomore for Texas in 2012, hitting .350 with five homers. Heading into his junior season, he was labeled as a potential early-round pick but he didn’t repeat as much of his success and fell down draft boards. He was still selected in the 11th round by the Pirates this year but is in Chatham, where he has two hits in two games. Haines, who plays at D-II Seton Hill, was the top prospect in the NECBL last summer but didn’t get drafted until the 33rd round this year.

  • Harwich’s Ian Happ was not on the team’s original roster, but he looks like a great pickup. The Cincinnati freshman hit .322 this spring with six homers, 13 doubles and a .451 OBP. He also stole 25 bases, and is slotting into the leadoff spot in Harwich’s order. The Mariners have some more talent to come, but Happ may not be moving from that spot.

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    Worth the Wait

    Steve Wilkerson, pictured last year, drove in two runs as Hyannis won its long-awaited season opener in walk-off fashion Saturday night.
    One team had played three games. Most had played two. Everybody else had played at least one.

    The Hyannis Harbor Hawks waited.

    Their first three games were postponed due to rain and soggy field conditions at McKeon Park. When the Harbor Hawks got the all clear Saturday night, they got their money’s worth.

    Hyannis rallied from a 4-2 deficit against unbeaten Falmouth and won 5-4 in 12 innings. Ryan Padilla’s pinch-hit, walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th clinched it.

    It was a welcome start for the Harbor Hawks, who missed the playoffs last year. With Falmouth coming to town, getting off on the right foot figured to be tough. The Commodores have scored the most runs in the league thus far and while most lineups are being shuffled around from one day to the next, Falmouth’s has been pretty steady.

    Hyannis countered with a strong outing from starter Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist), who allowed just a run on two hits in five innings, but Falmouth broke through against the bullpen with four runs in the sixth inning. A two-run double by Kevin Cron (TCU) was the big blow.

    But the Harbor Hawks responded an inning later, tying the score at 4-4 on a two-run double by Steve Wilkerson (Clemson). Wilkerson was a Harbor Hawk in 2012 and the rising senior is back on a temporary contract. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI in his 2013 debut.

    The next four innings were scoreless, with the bullpens doing solid work, but Hyannis broke through in the 12th. Will Maddox (Tennessee) was hit by a pitch to start it and stole second. Wilkerson singled and took second on defensive indifference. An intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. After Falmouth got the second out, Padilla (New Mexico) came off the bench and singled in the winning run.

    The Harbor Hawks could celebrate – finally.

     

    Chatham 5, Brewster 4

    Chatham (3-0) is your only undefeated team, and the Anglers owe their latest win to more late-inning heroics. After a walk-off victory over Cotuit on Friday, the Anglers delivered another walk-off on Saturday against Brewster (0-2). With the game tied 4-4 in the ninth, Dante Flores (USC) plated Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) with a base hit to give the Anglers their third victory in as many games. It was the first hit of the season for Flores, who had been 0-for-6. The rally made a winner out of Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi), who allowed an unearned run in two innings of relief. Connor Joe (San Diego), who’s had a hit in every game, went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jake Stinnett (Maryland) gave Brewster a quality start with six strikeouts in five scoreless innings.

     

    Cotuit 3, Wareham 2

    The Kettleers (2-1) didn’t win on a walk-off, but had some late-inning magic of their own. Wareham’s Fred Shepard (Amherst) mystified the Kettleers for six innings, allowing just two hits in that span, but they got to him for three in the seventh, and that was the difference. Trailing 1-0, Cotuit scored the tying run and chased Shepard. Cotuit greeted reliever Ryan Riga (Ohio State) with a two-rin single by Will Remillard (Coastal Carolina). Mike Ford (Princeton), who had come on in the fifth, sealed the victory for the Kettleers by working out of james in the eighth and ninth innings. Remillard had two hits to lead the offense, as did Hunter Cole (Georgia). Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) homered for Wareham (0-2).

     

    Orleans 3, Y-D 0

    Orleans trotted out a whopping six pitchers, and they combined on a shutout as the Firebirds (1-1) picked up their first win of the season over Y-D (2-2). Lucas Long (San Diego) was credited with the victory, while Matt Troupe (Arizona) struck out the side in a perfect ninth to pick up the save. Troupe was the third straight pitcher to strike out the side for Orleans. Brian Clark (Kent State) did it in the seventh and Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) did it in the eighth. Orleans got all the offense it needed in the third thanks to a bases-loaded double by Austin Davidson (Pepperdine).

     

    Harwich 4, Bourne 1

    The Mariners (2-1) took a lead in the top of the first and never trailed en route to the victory over Bourne, who remained winless at 0-3. Ian Happ (Cincinnati), Ben Moore (Alabama) and Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) drove in runs for the Mariners, while A.J. Reed (Kentucky) delivered a strong start in his 2013 pitching debut. Reed, one of the top two-way players in the country, struck out five and allowed one run on four hits in six innings. Chris Oliver (Arkansas) got the save.

     

    What to Watch

    A pair of 2-1 teams meet in a West showdown as Falmouth hosts Cotuit. Craig Schlitter (Bryant) a stand-out last year, is back on a temporary contract and is slated to start for Falmouth. Alex Haines, who is from Seton Hill (not Seton Hall) starts for Cotuit. Haines struck out 91 in 76.2 innings this season for the D-II Griffins. He was Baseball America’s top prospect in the NECBL last summer and was a 33rd round pick of the Rockies a few weeks ago.

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    Baseball’s Back

    The sign pictured above greets drivers on Marion Road in Wareham. It’s a fitting image for day one of the Cape Cod Baseball League season, I think.

    Baseball’s back.

    The 2013 season got underway with four games (Brewster-Hyannis was postponed due to field conditions at McKeon Park).

    In Wareham, it was certainly a new year. The last time the Gatemen were on a baseball field, they were dog-piling in Yarmouth, celebrating the Cape League championship. On Wednesday, a patched-together roster needed some late-innings magic but couldn’t find it. Chatham scored four in the eighth and three pitchers combined on a shutout in a 4-0 victory.

    Starter Andrew McGee (Monmouth), the reigning Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Year, was tremendous for Chatham. He struck out seven in the first three innings and finished with nine in five innings. He allowed three hits. Ryan Leach (Franklin Pierce) pitched one inning and Andrew Chin (Boston College), a former fifth-round pick out of high school, finished the job with three perfect frames.

    Wareham’s Sean Newcomb (Hartford) was almost as good, striking out six in six scoreless innings, but Chatham got it done against the Gatemen bullpen. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) had back-to-back doubles in the eighth to start a rally. After a bases-loaded walk Wareham nearly got out of the jam with a double play, but Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry) knocked a two-out single up the middle to plate two more runs.

    Joe and Pickens each had two hits for Chatham, whose 11 hits were more than any other team on opening night.

    Y-D 2, Bourne 0

    Erick Fedde (UNLV) delivered the best pitching performance of opening night as Y-D shut out Bourne. Fedde, a solid weekend starter for the Rebels, tossed 6.2 scoreless innings in his Cape debut, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) finished off the shutout with four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Salvatore Anunziata (Seton Hall) and Fedde’s UNLV teammate Taylor White drove in one run apiece. Bourne starter Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) also pitched well, allowing just an earned run. Returning all-star Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) had a hit for the Braves.

    Cotuit 4, Orleans 2

    In posting the best record in the league last year, Cotuit flashed a tremendous bullpen. On opening night, the Kettleers picked up where they left off. Five pitchers held down Orleans in the 4-2 win, with four relievers allowing just a run on two hits over the final 4.1 innings. Eric Karch (Pepperdine) got the win in relief, while Derrick Caypiak (Mt. Aloysius) picked up the save. Hunter Cole (Georgia) led the offense with two hits and two RBI.

    Falmouth 6, Harwich 2

    Also a strong pitching performance in Falmouth, where Brandon Finnegan (TCU) struck out eight in five innings on his way to the win. Finnegan, who’s also on the Team USA roster, allowed a run on three hits. Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton, the pitcher who’s also a basketball player for the Irish, got the start for Harwich and allowed just three unearned runs. Kevin Newman (Arizona) had a league-high three hits to lead the Commodores and also drove in a run. Conner Hale (State College of Florida) knocked in two.

    What to Watch

    If day two isn’t a wash-out, there should be a good match-up in the East, where perennial contenders Y-D and Harwich get together at Whitehouse Field. Two pitchers coming off solid springs will square off – Seton Hall’s Jose Lopez for Y-D and Nebraska’s Aaron Bummer for Harwich. Both of these teams still have some holes in the lineup, but they both also have returning stand-outs – A.J. Reed for Harwich and Robert Pehl for Y-D.