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The Countdown is On

As I write this, we are about 72 hours away from the first game of the 2010 Cape League season. Cotuit visits Wareham on Sunday night at 5 p.m.

The forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms. After last year, weather gods, can we just not let that happen? Please? I’m planning on making the drive over to Wareham. It should be a good night.

In terms of the blog, all the early looks are done. There’s a link on the right sidebar to all of them, if you want to do some light (or heavy) reading. Before the opener, I’ll post college stats for every 2010 Cape Leaguer. I’m also planning on writing a general season preview.

After that, play ball. Summer’s here.

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Early Look: Cotuit

cotlogo.jpgCotuit Kettleers
Manager: Mike Roberts
2009 Record: 20-18-6

I was planning on writing about Cotuit a few weeks ago, but I shuffled the schedule around in the hopes that the roster might take shape a little more. From the time their roster was posted, the Kettleers have seen more changes than any Cape League team. Already, they’ve released the contracts of 11 players. Five more players have been invited to Team USA trials. Eight are playing on Super Regional teams.

So the roster right now is an interesting one, and it hasn’t taken shape like I thought it would. At this point, only 20 players are listed. With just a few days until the start of the season, though, I wasn’t going to hold off on writing it any longer. I figured, hey, at least it won’t take very long.

But here’s where it gets interesting: it took a lot longer than I expected.

The players listed below may just be a nucleus, the beginnings of a team. But it’s one heck of a beginning.

That’s why it took longer. I spent a lot of time writing the bios on these players, because almost all of them demanded a little extra attention. Nick Tropeano and Sonny Gray have had tremendous sophomore seasons on the mound. Brady Rodgers has been just as good as a freshman. At the plate, Paul Hoilman was one of the best players in the country this year and C.J. Cron was right there with him. Zach Cone has a shot to be the league’s top prospect, and Deven Marrero could be the league’s best freshmen.

And it doesn’t stop there. This small nucleus is packed with stars. There isn’t a player on the roster whose numbers make you wonder; these numbers just leave you impressed. I thought that with 20 players, I might have trouble picking out potential stars. I ended up having the opposite problem.

Of course, the uncertainty remains. With a 20-player roster and eight playing in Super Regionals, you’re looking at starting the season with 12 rostered players. I imagine the Kettleers will fill with temporary players, and they’ll probably have to make more adjustments as the summer goes on.

But that nucleus just can’t be ignored. The Kettleers have been very good the last few years, and if they can build a solid team around this group, they should be very good again.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 3
Sophomores: 14
Freshmen: 3

Notable

  • East Tennessee State’s Paul Hoilman could be this year’s Kyle Roller. The junior was named a first-team All-American this year after hitting .421 with 25 home runs. He also happens to be a great student with medical school aspirations, and he was said to be asking a lot as the draft approached. Projected as high as the fourth round, he lasted all the way until the 49th. He’s on the Cape already, gearing up for a summer that could make a lot of people regret not drafting him. Last year, Roller was a 47th-round pick. Two months later, he was the Cape League MVP.

  • Zach Cone is the lone returning Kettleer and he’s a good one to have back in the fold, though he has been invited to Team USA trials. Cone hit .243 last summer but showed off some of the best tools in the league. He’s coming off a big sophomore season at Georgia, and is likely to be a high pick next year.

  • The Kettleers stole a ton of bases last season, and with Cone and Georgia teammate Johnathan Taylor in the fold, they’ll probably do it again this year.

  • When you subtract the players in Super Regionals, the Cotuit pitching staff currently has four players. Expect some new names to take the mound right off the bat.

  • Stony Brook’s Nick Tropeano was the top prospect in the Atlantic League last year and he enters the summer with some of the best numbers around. He struck out 106 this season.

  • Vadnerbilt’s Sonny Gray is a name you’ll hear again and again in discussions about the deep 2011 college pitching crop. Gerrit Cole, Taylor Jungmann and Trevor Bauer are probably a step ahead, but none of those guys are slated for the Cape this year. Gray has been invited to Team USA and Vandy is in a Super Regional, but here’s hoping Gray finds his way to Cotuit.

  • C.J. Cron joins Hoilman as a conference player of the year. He hit .431 this year for Utah with 20 home runs. If he and Hoilman stay hot this summer, the Kettleers would have a really powerful middle of the order.

  • Mike Frongello has made 97 appearances in three years at Davidson. Is he tired yet?

  • I don’t remember many East Tennessee State players on the Cape in past years, but the Kettleers have two: Hoilman and Derek Trent. Wherever the connection came from, I imagine the Kettleers are pretty happy with it. You know about Hoilman and Trent was a first-team all-conference pick.

  • Before the college season began, Baseball America rated Deven Marerro the 11th-best freshman in the country, and that looks about right. Even though there’s no spot for him on the field, Marrero has forced his way into the Arizona State lineup as a DH and is hitting .397. Once he gets more of an opportunity, look out.

    • Five Players I’m Excited to See
    1. Zach Cone
    2. Paul Hoilman
    3. Sonny Gray
    4. Nick Tropeano
    5. C.J. Cron

    Pitchers

    Matt Andriese – RHP – 6’2 195 – UC Riverside – Sophomore
    Mike Frongello – RHP – 6’2 190 – Davidson – Junior
    Sonny Gray – RHP – 5’11 180 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    Matt Murray – RHP – 6’3 245 – Georgia Southern – Sophomore
    Brady Rodgers – RHP – 6’2 175 – Arizona State – Freshman
    Nick Tropeano – RHP – 6’4 195 – Stony Brook – Sophomore
    Austin Dicharry – RHP – 6’4 195 – Texas – Sophomore

    Matt Andriese – RHP – 6’2 195
    UC Riverside
    Sophomore

    Andriese had a solid freshman season then took a big step forward last summer in the West Coast Collegiate League. He went 5-0 with a league-best 0.78 ERA. He was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the second-best prospect. This spring, Andriese didn’t have fantastic numbers but he was an absolute workhorse, pitching 103.2 innings. He ended up going 5-5 with a 4.95 ERA.

    Mike Frongello – RHP – 6’2 190
    Davidson
    Junior

    Frongello has been on the mound for Davidson a lot the last three seasons. After appearing 32 times as a freshman, he set a single-season appearance record with 34 last year and made 31 appearances this year, all out of the bullpen. He finished with a 4.50 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 52 innings.

    Sonny Gray – RHP – 5’11 180
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    Gray came to Vanderbilt with a ton of hype last year and steadily started living up to it as his freshman year went on. After continuing his progression with Team USA last summer, Gray has blossomed this season into one of the top pitchers in the country. He’s 9-5 with a 3.51 ERA as the Commodores head to a Super Regional. In 102.2 innings, he has struck out 110 and walked just 45.

    Matt Murray – RHP – 6’3 245
    Georgia Southern
    Sophomore

    Murray was a Southern Conference All-Freshman pick last year when he posted a 4.76 ERA in a lot of action. This year, he went 6-3 with a 6.00 ERA. He struck out 70 and walked 24 in 75 innings.

    Brady Rodgers – RHP – 6’2 175
    Arizona State
    Freshman

    Rodgers was not the most highly-touted member of Arizona State’s recruiting class; Jake Barrett probably gets that honor. But Rodgers has made as big an impact as anybody. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen, he leads the Sun Devils with a 1.96 ERA. In 69 innings, he has struck out 66 and walked just 11. Opponents are hitting .190 against him. Rodgers was a 39th-round pick out of high school.

    Nick Tropeano – RHP – 6’4 195
    Stony Brook
    Sophomore

    Tropeano wasn’t drafted out of high school, but he turned heads immediately at Stony Brook and was named to the America East All-Rookie Team last year. That was just the beginning. Tropeano dominated the Atlantic League last summer and was rated by Baseball America as the league’s top prospect. This year, he was a bona fide ace for the Seawolves. He went 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA. In 99.2 innings, he struck out 106 and walked only 29. He was named America East Co-Pitcher of the Year.

    Austin Dicharry – RHP – 6’4 195
    Texas
    Sophomore

    It’s tough to get innings on the Texas pitching staff, but Dicharry has made the most of his. Though he’s 0-3 in seven appearances, he has a 3.62 ERA. He has struck out 20 in 27.1 innings.

    Position Players

    James McCann – C – 6’3 215 – Arkansas – Sophomore
    Derek Trent – C/OF – 6’1 210 – East Tennessee State – Junior
    Caleb Bushyhead – INF – 5’10 170 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
    C.J. Cron – 1B – 6’4 230 – Utah – Sophomore
    Joey Hainsfurther – INF – 5’11 185 – Baylor – Sophomore
    Paul Hoilman – INF – 6’5 240 – East Tennessee State – Junior
    Levi Hyams – INF – 6’2 201 – Georgia – Sophomore
    Deven Marrero – INF – 6’1 185 – Arizona State – Freshman
    Brad Miller – INF – 6’0 200 – Clemson – Sophomore
    Johnathan Taylor – OF – 5’8 180 – Georgia – Sophomore
    Chad Wright – OF – 5’10 180 – Kentucky – Sophomore
    Michael Yastrzemski – OF – 5’10 168 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
    *Zach Cone – OF – 6’2 205 – Georgia – Sophomore

    James McCann – C – 6’3 215
    Arkansas
    Sophomore

    A 31st-round pick out of high school, McCann was a key part of Arkansas’ run to Omaha last season. This year, he’s hitting fairly well again and showing some pop. McCann is checking in at .283 with nine home runs and six doubles.

    Derek Trent – C/OF – 6’1 210
    East Tennessee State
    Junior

    Trent is one of two East Tennessee State juniors on Cotuit’s roster, and both had fantastic seasons. Trent hit .348 with 13 home runs, 17 doubles and 66 RBI. It looks like he played mostly catcher, which makes the offensive numbers a little more impressive. He was named first-team all-conference in the Atlantic Sun.

    Caleb Bushyhead – INF – 5’10 170
    Oklahoma
    Sophomore

    Bushyhead didn’t play a lot as a freshman but had a solid summer in the Alaska League last year. With an increased role this year, he’s put up impressive all-around numbers for the Sooners. He’s played in more games than any of his teammates and is hitting .329 with five home runs, 16 doubles and 35 RBI. He has also stolen 12 bases in 19 attempts.

    C.J. Cron – 1B – 6’4 230
    Utah
    Sophomore

    Cron is a recent addition to the Cotuit roster, and he’s well-deserving of a spot. After earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors last year, he vaulted into the national consciousness with an enormous sophomore season. He ranked 14th in the nation with a .431 batting average, and he added 20 home runs, 16 doubles and 81 RBI. He was named Mountain West Player of the Year. Cron was a 44th-round pick out of high school. Though he’s listed as a first baseman on the Cotuit roster, he spent a fair amount of time playing catcher this spring, too.

    Joey Hainsfurther – INF – 5’11 185
    Baylor
    Sophomore

    After a solid freshman season, Hainsfurther emerged this season as one of the top hitters on the Baylor squad. He finished with a .339 average, two homers, 12 doubles and 48 RBI. Hainsfurther was a 46th-round pick out of high school.

    Paul Hoilman – INF – 6’5 240
    East Tennessee State
    Junior

    Hoilman had as good an offensive season as any player on a 2010 Cape League roster. On his way to Atlantic Sun Player of the Year honors, Hoilman hit .421 with 25 home runs, 24 doubles and 84 RBI. He tied for fifth in the nation in home runs, ranked eighth in RBI and checked in at 24th in batting average. It’s the second straight outstanding season for Hoilman, who hit .380 last year with 17 home runs. He was named a first-team All-American this season.

    Levi Hyams – INF – 6’2 201
    Georgia
    Sophomore

    Hyams hit .263 as a freshman last year but broke out this season for a big sophomore campaign. He hit .333 with four home runs, 13 doubles and 32 RBI.

    Deven Marrero – INF – 6’1 185
    Arizona State
    Freshman

    Marrero hasn’t had a full slate of opportunities to shine this season, but he’s done it anyway — and he’s getting more opportunities. Considered one of the top freshmen in the country, Marrero has seen action in 38 games and has been a regular in the post-season lineup, and with good reason. A 17th-round pick out of high school, Marrero is hitting .397 with six homers, 11 doubles, three triples and 37 RBI. More than a third of his hits have gone for extra-bases and he’s also stolen 10 bases.

    Brad Miller – INF – 6’0 200
    Clemson
    Sophomore

    Miller started every game of his freshman season and was as steady as his playing time indicated. He finished with a .273 batting average. After playing with Team USA last summer, Miller has emerged this season as one of the top players in the ACC. He leads the Super Regional host Tigers in hitting with a .365 average. He’s added seven home runs and 18 doubles, and he’s driven in 41 runs.

    Johnathan Taylor – OF – 5’8 180
    Georgia
    Sophomore

    Taylor got his freshman season off to a huge start last year. He eventually cooled down and finished with a .309 average and 23 stolen bases. He was on Cotuit’s roster last year but didn’t make it. If he arrives this year, he’ll be coming off a pretty solid sophomore season. He hit .335 with six doubles, three triples and 12 stolen bases.

    Chad Wright – OF – 5’10 180
    Kentucky
    Sophomore

    Wright was a revelation last year. He wasn’t the most highly-touted member of Kentucky’s standout freshman class, but he delivered perhaps the best season, hitting .343. This year, Wright hit .316 with two homers, 12 doubles and 12 stolen bases.

    Michael Yastrzemski – OF – 5’10 168
    Vanderbilt
    Freshman

    Yastrzemski is the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, and he’s following in the footsteps of his late father, Mike, who also played on the Cape. Yastrzemski was a 36th-round pick out of high school last year. At Vanderbilt, he has seen action in 55 games and is hitting .233 with six doubles.

    Zach Cone – OF – 6’2 205
    Georgia
    Sophomore

    A third-round pick out of high school, Cone came to the Cape after a solid freshman season and wowed scouts with his potential. Baseball America rated him the league’s 12th-best prospect. This spring, Cone turned the potential into production for Georgia, hitting .363 with 10 home runs, 12 doubles, seven triples and 53 RBI. He was also a perfect 13-for-13 on stolen base attempts. He has been invited to Team USA trials.

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    Wrapping up the Draft: 2010 Players

    By my rough count, 24 players who are on Cape League rosters for 2010 were drafted earlier this week. I would expect a lot of the late-round picks and probably a few of the early picks to come to the Cape anyway. I didn’t include him on this list because he’s not officially on a roster, but supplemental first-rounder Anthony Ranaudo is reportedly heading to the Cape too.

    The list (the number is the round):

    2 – Ryan LaMarre – Wareham*
    2 – Jordan Swagerty – Wareham
    3 – Rob Brantly – Brewster
    3 – Dan Klein – Chatham
    5 – Tommy Kahnle – Orleans
    8 – Matt Price – Harwich
    8 – Lance Ray – Y-D
    12 – Josh Richmond – Wareham
    12 – Daniel Burawa – Harwich
    13 – Pierre LePage – Bourne
    15 – Drew Maggi – Orleans
    16 – Rob Kral – Wareham
    18 – Garrett Buechele – Hyannis
    22 – Matt Koch – Orleans
    22 – Aaron Westlake – Chatham
    24 – Erik Goeddel – Chatham
    29 – Stewart Ijames – Harwich
    32 – Mike Palazzone – Brewster
    32 – Tommy Toledo – Y-D
    34 – Steve Selsky – Orleans
    35 – Tyler Wilson – Hyannis
    36 – Dean Kiekhefer – Wareham*
    43 – Tom Belza – Chatham
    49 – Paul Hoilman – Cotuit

    * – non-roster invitee

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    Wrapping up the Draft: CCBL Alumni

    mlb-logo.gifThe Major League Baseball draft came to an end on Wednesday. It lasted three days this year, longer than normal, but it still felt like a blur.

    Six former Cape Leaguers went in the first round, the fewest number in the last nine years, which is as far back as the league’s web site draft info goes. I think that reflects two things: (1) the college crop for 2010 wasn’t that strong and (2) a lot of the top players never made it to the Cape, for one reason or another. Only 14 of the 32 first-round picks were four-year college players, and only seven of them played on the Cape. The top two college picks, Christian Colon and Drew Pomeranz, were both Team USA guys.

    I’m still sorting everything else out. Later today, I’ll get a post up about drafted players who are on 2010 rosters. For now, some notable alumni draft tidbits:

  • A total of 12 Cape Leaguers went in the second round.

  • San Diego’s Sammy Solis (Chatham ’08) was the first pick in the second round. He’s a guy who would have been one of the top prospects in the Cape League last year had he not missed the spring and summer with an injury. Solis was fun to watch as a freshman.

  • Todd Cunningham (Falmouth ’09) went one pick after Solis in the second round. Cunningham was the batting champ and the league’s top prospect last year. Most Cape League top prospect award-winners go in the first round. Had Chris Sale won the award, which was what a lot of people expected, the trend would have continued. Still, Cunningham was way up there as one of the top college bats in the draft.

  • Daniel Tillman (Cotuit ’09) was dominant out of the bullpen last summer and it wasn’t a fluke. The Angels took him with the 81st overall pick, late in the second round.

  • Austin Wates (Y-D ’09) was really solid last year for the Red Sox and he went in the third round to the Astros. He’s listed as a second baseman. He spent most of his time in the outfield for Y-D.

  • Like Tillman, Kevin Munson (Bourne ’09) was a small-school guy who made a big impression as a reliever last year. Arizona took him in the fourth round.

  • Hunter Morris (Falmouth ’09) was probably the best power hitter on the Cape last summer. After a huge college season, he was drafted in the fourth round by Milwaukee.

  • Tennessee lefty Bryan Morgado (Bourne ’09) was picked in the third round last year, didn’t sign and delivered a big summer on the Cape. After a so-so college season, Morgado was drafted in the fourth round this year.

  • Virginia Tech’s Jesse Hahn (Chatham ’09) had the best velocity on the Cape last year and he shot up draft boards early in the spring. An injury sent him tumbling back down, though, and he ended up in the sixth round.

  • 2009 League MVP Kyle Roller (Bourne ’08 & ’09) went in the eighth round to the Yankees. I’m sure he was hoping to go a little higher, but the eighth round is a lot better than the 47th, which is where he went last year, before his enormous summer.

  • Whit Merrifield (Chatham ’09), the guy in the banner at the top of the site, went in the ninth round to Kansas City. If any Royals blogger needs a new banner for his or her site, I can provide a recommendation.

  • Fan favorite Pierre LePage (Bourne ’08 & ’09) was drafted in the 13th round by the Cubs. LePage is on the Bourne roster again this summer.
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    Early Look: Yarmouth-Dennis

    TeamLogo_YD2003.jpgYarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
    Manager: Scott Pickler
    2009 Record: 28-15-1

    The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox were the most successful franchise of the last decade, with three Cape League titles to their name.

    This year, they’ll try to start down the same path in the new decade.

    The Red Sox have been consistent contenders for quite a while now. They bring in talented players year in and year out, and manager Scott Pickler always seems to get the best out of them. Last season, the Red Sox didn’t make the championship, but they had the best regular-season record in the league.

    That was despite the fact that the team didn’t shape up like you would have expected in the preseason. Looking back on last year’s preview, four of the five players I was excited to see never made it to the Cape. But the Red Sox found a way behind a solid offense and a steady pitching staff.

    Right now, the team has a similar make-up this year. This isn’t a squad loaded with prospects or guys who had huge college seasons, but the potential is there for these Red Sox to turn into another solid club.

    The pitching staff took a hit when UCLA star Trevor Bauer was dropped from the roster. The Red Sox don’t appear to have an ace like Chris Sale last year. They’ll need some big summers.

    Offensively, they return only two players, so there may be some growing pains. But guys like Joe Panik, Dusty Robinson and Beau Taylor are sophomores with proven track records.

    All in all, I wouldn’t rank the Red Sox among the top two or three teams, on paper.

    But if we’ve learned anything in the last decade about Y-D’s ability to put things together, I also wouldn’t count them out.

    Roster Rundown
    Returning Players: 2
    Juniors: 2
    Sophomores: 18
    Freshmen: 7

    Notable

  • I think the Y-D pitching staff would make a pretty formidable basketball team. At 6’9, Kentucky’s Alex Meyer is the tallest of a really tall bunch. Six more pitchers stand 6’5 or taller. The average height of the staff is around 6’5.

  • Alex Meyer and Brett Mooneyham should be really interesting to watch. Both were major prospects coming out of high school and both have had their struggles at the college level. The strikeout numbers have been consistently high for both, so it stands to reason that against wooden bats, they’ve got a good shot at putting up better all-around numbers.

  • Kyle Hansen is the brother of former St. John’s and Harwich star Craig Hansen. While Craig was a fantastic closer, Kyle is making his name as a starter. He had a really impressive freshman year, and could easily become the top freshman pitcher on the Cape.

  • Hansen’s teammate Joe Panik had the top offensive numbers of any Red Sox player this season. A talented shortstop, Panik hit .380 with nine home runs.

  • Central Florida’s Beau Taylor heads a solid group of catchers. Ben McMahan has been good at Florida and Matt Watson had a decent freshman season at Boston College. From what I’ve read, Taylor is a bit undersized but he’s put up great numbers all the way along.

  • Tyler Hanover is not the most heralded member of the LSU contingent that’s headed for the Cape, but he brings the most experience to the table. The sophomore hit .300 and was an all-star for Y-D last year.

  • Matt Jensen had a great freshman season and big things were expected this year — he was one of the first players invited to Team USA. Injuries hampered him though, and he ended up hitting .270.

  • LSU star pitcher and Red Sox draftee Anthony Ranaudo is reportedly coming to Cape Cod, but I haven’t heard which team he’ll be playing for. I note this here because Ranaudo pitched for Y-D in 2008, so there’s an established relationship.

    • Five Players I’m Excited to See
    1. Kyle Hansen
    2. Joe Panik
    3. Dusty Robinson
    4. Alex Meyer
    5. Brett Mooneyham

    Pitchers

    D.J. Baxendale – RHP – 6’2 190 – Arkansas – Freshman
    Derek Benny – RHP – 6’5 210 – Fresno State – Sophomore
    Anthony Desclafani – RHP – 6’2 190 – Florida – Sophomore
    Ryan Gibson – LHP – 6’2 227 – Oklahoma – Freshman
    Kyle Hansen – RHP – 6’7 195 – St. John’s – Freshman
    D.J. Hicks – RHP – 6’5 230 – Central Florida – Sophomore
    Cory Mazzoni – RHP – 6’1 189 – NC State – Sophomore
    Alex Meyer – RHP – 6’9 220 – Kentucky – Sophomore
    Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 235 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Tanner Poppe – RHP – 6’6 220 – Kansas – Freshman
    Jordan Pries – RHP – 6’1 195 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Ali Simpson – LHP – 6’3 170 – Bethune Cookman – Sophomore
    Scott Snodgress – LHP – 6’5 215 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 190 – Florida – RS Sophomore

    D.J. Baxendale – RHP – 6’2 190
    Arkansas
    Freshman

    Baxendale was Arkansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year as a high-school senior and he stayed home to play for the Razorbacks. They’re glad he did, and they’ve had no qualms giving him a lot of work. Baxendale leads the team in appearances with 28, all but three out of the bullpen. He has pretty good numbers, too, with a 4.00 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 54 innings.

    Derek Benny – RHP – 6’5 210
    Fresno State
    Sophomore

    A 45th-round pick out of high school, Benny made his way into the weekend rotation last season and finished second on the team in strikeouts. It was a struggle this year for Benny, who walked almost as many as he struck out. He finished with an 8.18 ERA.

    Anthony Desclafani – RHP – 6’2 190
    Florida
    Sophomore

    DeSclafani was a 22nd round pick out of high school, but he hasn’t quite put it all together yet in Gainesville. After going 6-3 with a 4.98 ERA as a freshman, he’s 2-3 this season with a 6.97 ERA. He has struck out 39 and walked only seven but he’s allowed 58 hits in 40 innings.

    Ryan Gibson – LHP – 6’2 227
    Oklahoma
    Freshman

    Gibson was selected in the 48th round of last year’s draft. At Oklahoma, he’s had a really solid freshman season. He’s made 10 starts and two relief appearances and is 5-2 with a 3.76 ERA. He has struck out 40 and walked 23 in 40.2 innings.

    Kyle Hansen – RHP – 6’7 195
    St. John’s
    Freshman

    Hansen is the brother of former St. John’s and Cape League star Craig Hansen, who’s now in the Pittsburgh system. Kyle, a 40th-round pick last year with a lot of upside, is making his own name this spring. As the team’s best starter, he went 8-2 with a 3.55 ERA. He struck out 84 and walked 36 in 91.1 innings. His scouting report for the draft last year had his fastball touching 94.

    D.J. Hicks – RHP – 6’5 230
    Central Florida
    Sophomore

    Hicks hit .301 as a freshman and also saved three games on the mound on his way to C-USA All-Freshman honors. This spring, he was limited by injury. He played in six games and didn’t make a pitching appearance.

    Cory Mazzoni – RHP – 6’1 189
    NC State
    Sophomore

    Mazzoni had an up-and-down freshman year but finished strong and pitched well in the Prospect League, where he struck out 63 in 52 innings. This year, Mazzoni went 7-3 with a 5.20 ERA. He struck out 89 and walked 40 in 91.2 innings.

    Alex Meyer – RHP – 6’9 220
    Kentucky
    Sophomore

    Meyer burst onto the prospect scene before his senior year of high school and was mentioned as a first-round pick. With Scott Boras advising him and a strong commitment to Kentucky, he lasted until the 20th round and stuck with the Wildcats. He’s considered perhaps the best recruit in Kentucky history, but the statistics haven’t caught up with the hype at this point. After going 1-4 with a 5.73 ERA last year, he went 5-3 this year with a 7.06 ERA. He did strike out 63 in 51 innings.

    Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 235
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    Like Meyer, Mooneyham was a big-time prospect in high school, with some clubs ranking him as the top prep left-hander in the country. He was considered unsignable because of his commitment to Stanford but he still went in the 15th round. For the Cardinal, he hasn’t dominated but he’s shown flashes. He had a 4.14 ERA as a freshman, and teams hit just .204 off him. This year he went 3-7 with a 5.07 ERA, but he also struck out 99 in 87 innings.

    Tanner Poppe – RHP – 6’6 220
    Kansas
    Freshman

    Poppe was a three-sport standout and was getting D-I football looks until his fastball and pitching potential pushed him toward baseball. Poppe didn’t put up great numbers for the Jayhawks this year, going 3-4 with a 5.25 ERA and walking more than he struck out, but he has a lot of potential.

    Jordan Pries – RHP – 6’1 195
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    Pries became Stanford’s Friday starter as his freshman season unfolded last year. He ended up going 4-4 with a 4.62 ERA. This year, Pries made 15 starts and went 4-4 again with a 4.07 ERA. He struck out 65 in 97.1 innings.

    Ali Simpson – LHP – 6’3 170
    Bethune Cookman
    Sophomore

    Simpson made the long trek from his native British Columbia to Bethune Cookman in Florida. He’s had a solid career. His freshman year was outstanding, as Simpson went 9-2 with a 3.23 ERA and 79 strikeouts. This year, Simpson saw his ERA rise to 4.93, but he still struck out almost a batter an inning.

    Scott Snodgress – LHP – 6’5 215
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    Snodgress had a decent freshman season but really made waves in the Alaska League last summer when he posted a 2.93 ERA. Baseball America rated him the league’s fourth-best prospect. This year, Snodgress had a 5.59 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 29 walks in 37 innings.

    Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 190
    Florida
    RS Sophomore

    Toledo was one of the highest unsigned picks in the 2007 draft and he had a solid freshman season for the Gators. But after that, he missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He returned this year and has made nine appearances. He’s 3-2 with a 4.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.

    Position Players

    *Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 205 – Florida – Sophomore
    Beau Taylor – C – 5’11 195 – Central Florida – Sophomore
    Matt Watson – C – 6’0 200 – Boston College – Freshman
    Matt Hamlet – INF – 6’0 167 – Boston College – Junior
    *Tyler Hanover – INF – 5’6 165 – LSU – Sophomore
    Matt Jensen – INF – 5’10 195 – Cal Poly – Sophomore
    Joe Panik – INF – 6’2 190 – St. John’s – Sophomore
    Tyler Sibley – INF – 5’10 160 – Texas State – Sophomore
    Lance Ray – OF/1B – 6’2 200 – Kentucky – Junior
    Dusty Robinson – OF – 6’0 205 – Fresno State – Sophomore
    Matt Vinson – OF – 6’2 195 – Arkansas – Freshman
    Bobby Crocker – OF – 6’3 225 – Cal Poly – Sophomore
    Cody Keefer – OF – 6’1 190 – UCLA – Freshman

    Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 205
    Florida
    Sophomore

    The Gators have as much catching talent as any team in the country, which makes playing time tough to come by. McMahan has done well in his chances, though. In 34 games, he’s hitting .324 with two home runs and three doubles. McMahan was a 30th-round pick out of high school. He played for Y-D last summer and hit .241 with three homers.

    Beau Taylor – C – 5’11 195
    Central Florida
    Sophomore

    Taylor has put up impressive numbers and turned heads at every stop. As a freshman, he hit .335 with four homers and earned C-USA All-Freshman honors. Last summer, he played in the Cal Ripken Sr. League, hit .271 and was named the league’s fourth-best prospect by Baseball America. This year, he hit .354 with seven homers, 16 doubles and 35 RBI and was on the watch list for the Johnny Bench Award, which is presented to the nation’s best catcher.

    Matt Watson – C – 6’0 200
    Boston College
    Freshman

    Watson was a 26th-round pick out of high school and he flashed plenty of his potential this spring with the Eagles. He hit only .259 but more than a third of his hits went for extra bases. He finished with seven home runs, eight doubles and two triples.

    Matt Hamlet – INF – 6’0 167
    Boston College
    Junior

    Hamlet hit over .300 in his first two years at BC. That average dipped just below .300 to .292 this year, but Hamlet showed some pop with 13 doubles and three homers. He also stole nine bases.

    Tyler Hanover – INF – 5’6 165
    LSU
    Sophomore

    Hanover hit .321 as a freshman and helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series championship. When the celebrations were done, Hanover came to the Cape and delivered a solid summer. He hit .300 with two homers and four doubles and he made the all-star team. This year, Hanover hit .332 with two homers and 16 doubles.

    Matt Jensen – INF – 5’10 195
    Cal Poly
    Sophomore

    Jensen earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors last season after hitting .375 with nine home runs and 15 doubles. This season, Jensen battled an injury and hit .270 with two home runs, seven doubles and six triples. He has been invited to Team USA.

    Joe Panik – INF – 6’2 190
    St. John’s
    Sophomore

    The Red Storm shortstop hit .322 as a freshman and was even better this year. He hit .380 with nine home runs, 17 doubles and four triples. He earned third-team all-conference honors. In Perfect Game’s February preview of the New England/New York college landscape, he was tabbed as the best defender.

    Tyler Sibley – INF – 5’10 160
    Texas State
    Sophomore

    Sibley had an outstanding freshman season at Texas State last year, hitting .359 with 10 home runs and earning Freshman All-American honors. His numbers weren’t quite as good this year, but he was still solid. Sibley hit .304 with a homer and 14 doubles.

    Bobby Crocker – OF – 6’3 225
    Cal Poly
    Sophomore

    Crocker got 34 starts as a freshman last year and hit .323. He headed to the West Coast League for the summer and hit .292. Baseball America tabbed him as the league’s fourth-best prospect. This season, Crocker was even better. He led the team with a .351 batting average and added three home runs, 15 doubles and 5 triples. He also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts.

    Cody Keefer – OF – 6’1 190
    UCLA
    Freshman

    Keefer got a jump on his collegiate career when he hit .292 in the West Coast Collegiate League last year. In his first season in Pasadena, he’s been a big part of UCLA’s success. With the Bruins heading for a Super Regional, Keefer is batting .318 with two home runs and nine doubles.

    Lance Ray – OF/1B – 6’2 200
    Kentucky
    Junior

    Ray was a junior-college standout for two years before joining the Wildcats this season and making an immediate impact. He led the team with a .356 batting average and he added 10 home runs, 11 doubles and 34 RBI.

    Dusty Robinson – OF – 6’0 205
    Fresno State
    Sophomore

    In his freshman year, Robinson made an immediate splash with the Bulldogs, hitting .319 with 12 doubles. This year, he emerged as a major run producer and power threat. Robinson finished with a .308 average, 16 home runs, 11 doubles and 60 RBI. He ranked fifth in the WAC in home runs.

    Matt Vinson – OF – 6’2 195
    Arkansas
    Freshman

    Vinson started the year in competition to grab a starting job. He’s played in 44 games for the Razorbacks, with 21 starts. He’s hitting .209, but almost half his hits have gone for extra bases.

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    Ranaudo Back to the Cape?

    According to Jim Kleinpeter of the New Orleans Times Picayune, Red Sox supplemental first-round pick Anthony Ranaudo is planning to come to the Cape this summer.

    Ranaudo said he plans to pitch “a few” innings in the Cape Cod wooden bat league since the injury set him back this season.
    “I feel like I’m just hitting my stride, ” said Ranaudo, who pitched effectively in his last five outings. “I reassured everybody that I’m feeling 100 percent healthy and I think I proved that the last four or five or six times out that I pitched.
    “That’s another reason I’m going to Cape Cod this summer from the development and arm standpoint, get in shape, prove I’m healthy and that I’m still the same pitcher that I was.”

    Ranaudo played for Y-D in 2008 and took last summer off because of a heavy workload. He came into the college season as a potential top-five pick but an injury and some shaky outings sent his stock slipping.

    No word on which team Ranaudo will play for, or how long he’ll be there. But it’ll be interesting to see him back on the Cape.

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    Three More in Supplemental Round

    The first night of the MLB draft is over, with the first round and supplemental first round complete. Six Cape Leaguers went in the first round, and three more were picked in the supplemental round:

    39 – Anthony Ranaudo (Y-D ’08) – Boston Red Sox
    46 – Seth Blair (Cotuit ’08 & ’09) – St. Louis Cardinals
    49 – Mike Olt (Orleans ’09) – Texas Rangers

    So that’s a total of nine in the first 50 picks. Last year, the total was 20. The year before it, it was 18. That’s a reflection of a draft class that was a bit light on top-shelf college talent.

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    Cape Leaguers in the First Round

    The first round of the Major League Baseball draft just came to an end. Six Cape Leaguers went in the first round, which is down pretty significantly from last year, when 11 went in the first round. The supplemental first round is getting underway now.

    The first rounders:

    7 – Matt Harvey (Chatham ’08 & ’09) – New York Mets
    12 – Yasmani Grandal (Brewster ’08) – Cincinnati Reds
    13 – Chris Sale (Y-D ’09) – Chicago White Sox
    21 – Alex Wimmers (Bourne ’09) – Minnesota Twins
    24 – Gary Brown (Orleans ’08 & ’09) – San Francisco Giants
    25 – Zack Cox (Cotuit ’09) – St. Louis Cardinals

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    Sale Goes to White Sox at 13

    Every year, it seems a prospect becomes a big-time prospect thanks to a strong summer on the Cape. In 2009, it was Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale, who dominated for Y-D. He was named the league’s top prospect by Baseball America, and his profile only grew with an outstanding junior season. Sale was picked tonight by the White Sox with the 13th overall pick in the draft.

    In discussing Sale on MLB Network’s coverage of the draft, Peter Gammons referenced his Cape summer right away. Later, Sale joined the broadcast on the phone, and Gammons asked him what his summer on the Cape meant. Sale’s response: “I did well that summer and had a really good time up there. I think that’s what really put me on the map and put me where I am.”

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    Harvey Goes Seventh in MLB Draft

    North Carolina and former Chatham pitcher Matt Harvey was drafted by the Mets with the seventh overall pick in tonight’s Major League draft. Harvey is the first Cape League alum taken in the 2010 draft.

    It’s an interesting choice, because by the end of last summer, Harvey was not at the top of draft boards. He had a shaky sophomore season, and his summer wasn’t particularly good, either. But Harvey bounced back in a big way this season and worked his way back into first-round discussion.

    Harvey follows in the footsteps of former North Carolina and Chatham pitchers Andrew Miller and Alex White, who both went in the first round in recent years.