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Catching a Wave

The Brewster dugout makes some noise during a game last season. With a 3-0 start to 2015, the Whitecaps have had even more to cheer about this year.
The Brewster dugout makes some noise during a game last season. With a 3-0 start to 2015, the Whitecaps have had even more to cheer about this year.

 
Brewster had one three-game winning streak all of last summer. With only three games in the books in 2015, the Whitecaps already have one this summer.

After a 6-0 shutout of Chatham Thursday night, Brewster is 3-0 and the only undefeated team in the league. The Whitecaps won their opener by a single run and their next game by two before pulling away from Chatham. The Anglers also came in with a 2-0 record but couldn’t keep up on this night.

It’s just a start, of course, but a lot has gone right. Thursday, it was both pitching and hitting that did the trick. Brewster had 12 hits – four that went for extra bases – and saw five pitchers combine on a three-hitter.

Eli White, a late roster addition who had a solid spring with Clemson, led the way with a 3-for-4, two RBI night. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) also went 3-for-4 and knocked in a run. Catcher Cassidy Brown (Loyola Marymount) homered and Nick Senzel (Tennessee) hit a pair of doubles. Senzel has five hits this season for a .417 average, and four of the hits have gone for extra bases. Ryan Peurifoy (Georgia Tech) went 1-for-2 and has had a hit in each game this year.

On the mound, Georgia Tech’s Brandon Gold picked up where he left off after a strong spring and tossed four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Hansen Butler (North Carolina) followed with two innings, before Nick Highberger (Creighton), Gage Griffin (Franklin Pierce) and Alex Schick (California) went the final three innings without surrendering a hit. That continued an early trend – the Brewster bullpen has allowed one run in 12.2 innings of work so far this season.

Brewster takes on Chatham again tonight, this time at Veterans Field. The Whitecaps didn’t have a single four-game winning streak last year, but they’re in position to break that spell quickly in 2015.
 

Orleans 7, Y-D 0

The Firebirds (2-1) won by shutout for the second time this season in a 7-0 victory over Y-D. Eric Lauer (Kent State), a former 17th-round pick of the Blue Jays who was terrific this spring (1.98 ERA, 103 Ks), delivered more of the same in his first Cape start, striking out seven and giving up two hits in five scoreless innings. Three relievers combined on four hitless innings to finish off the win. Colby Woodmansee (Arizona State) and Alex Call (Ball State) each knocked in two runs to pace the Orleans offense. The Red Sox, who fell to 0-3, got hits from Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) and Connor Wong (Houston).
 

Falmouth 4, Harwich 1

Falmouth got hits from eight different players and broke through for its first win, 4-1 over Harwich. Both teams are now 1-2. Boomer White (Texas A&M), in his second summer with the Commodores, had two hits, as did Michael Tinsley (Kansas), the second-team All-Big 12 catcher this past season. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) picked up the win with 3.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Stephen Villines (Kansas) notched the save.
 

Wareham 6, Hyannis 2

The Gatemen are 2-1 and have now scored the most runs in the league after Thursday’s 6-2 victory over previously unbeaten Hyannis. Logan Sowers (Indiana), next in a long line of Hoosiers in Wareham, had the best day of his young Cape career, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. David MacKinnon (Hartford) added two hits and five other Gatemen chipped in one apiece. Daulton Jefferies (California) got the start on the mound and made the offense count with five strong innings. Zac Houston (Mississippi State) was dominant in relief, with five strikeouts in three innings. David Martinelli (Dallas Baptist) homered for Hyannis.
 

Cotuit 7, Bourne 2

Cotuit had only nine hits in its first two games but broke out with 12 in a victory over the Braves. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) doubled and knocked in two runs from the leadoff spot. Matthew Dacey (Richmond) added two hits and two RBI, while Spencer Gaa (Bradley) and Matt Albanese (Bryant) chipped in doubles. Jonathan King (Georgia Tech) gave up two runs in 4.1 innings before giving way to Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech), who was lights out in 4.2 innings of relief. He struck out six and didn’t allow a run. Bourne got three hits each from Corey Julks (Houston) and Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) but remained winless at 0-3.
 

What to Watch

The second Brewster-Chatham match-up in as many days features an interesting probable starter for the Whitecaps. Missouri’s Alec Rash is a former second-round pick who has seen very limited action in his time with the Tigers. The junior was recently drafted in the 23rd round by the Nationals.
 

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Falmouth rebuilds after title trip

Falmouth 15

 
A veteran Falmouth team led by two-time batting champ Kevin Newman made a run at its first Cape League title since 1980 last summer but fell short against a red-hot Y-D team in the title series. The veterans are gone – with just one player set to return – but the Commodores will be looking for another run in 2015.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Andrew Benintendi
2. Mitch Longo
3. Heath Quinn
4. Jon Duplantier
5. Keaton McKinney
 

NOTABLE

  • Rice’s Jon Duplantier was highly-touted as a freshman but missed all of this season with an injury. If he’s healthy, the summer could be a springboard for him.

  • The Commodores have three pitchers who saved at least eight games this spring. Zach Jackson had the most impressive numbers to go with the saves total, striking out 80 batters in only 52 innings pitched.

  • Jackson’s Arkansas teammate, Keaton McKinney, was projected to be a top-five round pick out of high school, but signing demands and a strong commitment to Arkansas kept him out of the early rounds. He jumped right into the weekend rotation this year and posted a 3.21 ERA.

  • Both catchers on the Falmouth roster will make the trip bring Big 12 award credentials with them. Michael Tinsley was a second-team all-conference pick and Evan Skoug made the all-freshman team.

  • Maryland has been one of the stories of the NCAA Tournament so far, and Brandon Lowe has led the offense. The redshirt sophomore is batting .333 with nine homers and 53 RBI.

  • Mitch Longo earned MAC Player of the Year honors at Ohio University and will likely anchor Falmouth’s outfield this summer.

  • Boomer White was a key part of Falmouth’s run to the championship series last year and will be back in the fold this year. He’ll also be chomping at the bit, after sitting out this spring due to NCAA transfer rules.

  • Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi will be perhaps the best hitter coming to the Cape, but don’t count on him making it. A breakout year has pushed the draft-eligible sophomore into the first round of a lot of mock drafts.

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    PITCHERS

    Jon Duplantier – SO – Rice – Big right-hander had promising freshman year but was sidelined in 2015
    Morgan Earman – SO – Arizona – 21st-round pick in 2013 pitched in 10 games as a freshman but was limited to 2 IP this year
    Zach Jackson – SO – Arkansas – Dominant reliever for two years saved 8 games this spring with 80 K in just 52 IP
    Cobi Johnson – FR – Florida State – Late-round pick out of high school has high ERA but has struck out a batter an inning
    Turner Larkins – FR – Texas A&M – Solid starter in debut season had 3.96 ERA, 43 Ks
    Keaton McKinney – FR – Arkansas – Ranked in nation’s top 100 high school players last year, McKinney went 6-1 with 3.21 ERA in debut
    Sean McLaughlin – JR – Georgia – Injured last year, returned to weekend rotation this year and had 4.67 ERA with 57 Ks
    Alex Phillips – SO – San Jacinto – Baylor commit struck out 72 in 68 innings this season
    Wyatt Short – SO – Ole Miss – Lefty closer saved 10 games this year with 1.38 ERA
    Bo Tucker – FR – Georgia – Finished busy freshman year with 2.03 ERA out of the bullpen
    Stephen Villines – SO – Kansas – Ranked second in Big 12 in saves with 13, to go with 3.40 ERA
     

    CATCHERS

    Evan Skoug – FR – TCU – Late-round pick in 2014 was Big 12 all-freshman honoree after hitting .282 with team-best 43 RBI
    Michael Tinsley – SO – Kansas – Second-team all-Big 12 pick hit .337 with three homers, 39 RBI
     

    INFIELDERS

    Tate Blackman – FR – Ole Miss – 20th-round pick out of high school struggled as a freshman, finishing at .197
    Tristan Gray – FR – Rice – Standout Texas high schooler had solid debut with Rice, hitting .247 with 10 extra-base hits
    Brandon Lowe – SO – Maryland – Freshman All-American in 2014 has been terrific in 2015: .333, 9 HR, 53 RBI
    J.J. Matijevic – FR – Arizona – Boston’s 22nd-round pick in 2014 hit .238 in first year as a Wildcat
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Andrew Benintendi – SO – Arkansas – National player of the year candidate hit .390 with 18 HR, but is draft-eligible
    Mitch Longo – SO – Ohio – MAC Player of the Year hit .357 with 7 homers, 49 RBI
    Heath Quinn – SO – Samford – Freshman All-American stayed hot in sophomore year, with .340 average, 14 home runs
    Boomer White – SO – Texas A&M – Returning Commodore sat out this spring after transferring from TCU
    J.B. Woodman – SO – Ole Miss – Built on good freshman year with .274 average, 7 home runs