Stepping In

Sal Annunziata homered twice for Harwich in a 10-0 win over Chatham.

It seems like every successful Cape League team has a player of a certain mold. He’s usually a late addition to the roster. He’s a little older, eligible for the draft, but he later than he hopes or didn’t hear his name called at all. He’s from a school that isn’t a baseball powerhouse.

All those characteristics become motivation, and he delivers a big summer.

Harwich has a guy like that.

Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) blasted two home runs last night, his fourth and fifth of the season, as the Mariners hammered Chatham 10-0 to move to the brink of an Eastern Division title.

Harwich has an MVP candidate in Ian Happ, all-stars in Kyle Barrett and Anthony Hermelyn, hyped-up guys like Skye Bolt and C.J. Hinojosa, and the son of a former Major Leaguer in Cavan Biggio.

Annunziata has been as important as all of them. He hit .330 this spring with five homers and led Seton Hall in RBI with 49. In June, he went undrafted but hooked on with Harwich and has been solid.

He’s hitting .265 and leads the Mariners with five home runs. He’s third on the team in RBI with 20. In a stretch in early-July, when Orleans and Y-D were charging hard at Harwich, Annunziata had a nine-game hitting streak as the Mariners kept a grip on first place at all times. Annunziata then went on and won the home run derby at the Cape League All-Star Game.

Last night, with Orleans and Y-D losing, Harwich took a four-point lead at the top of the division and Annunziata set the course. With the game against Chatham scoreless in the fifth, he smacked a solo home run. In the next inning, he hit a two-run shot and his Mariners never looked back, adding six runs in the seventh inning to pull away.

Robby Kalaf (Florida International) went five scoreless innings for the Mariners and three relievers combined to finish off the shutout. Harwich won all six games it played against Chatham this summer.

Annunziata finished with three RBI and four runs scored – and another big game in his big summer.

Bourne 6, Orleans 2

While Falmouth won again, Bourne did too and kept its tenuous two-point hold on first place in the West intact. Jimmy Herget (South Florida), who has had some rough outings recently, delivered in a big spot, striking out seven and giving up just one hit in six scoreless innings. Dylan Nelson (Radford) and Joey Strain (Winthrop) finished the job. The Bourne offense got a home run from Blake Davey (Connecticut), his fifth. Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt) added two RBI and Brian Serven (Arizona State) had two hits.

Falmouth 11, Wareham 2

Falmouth kept pace with Bourne and officially eliminated Wareham from playoff contention with a lopsided victory. The Gatemen are eight points out of fourth, with only three games to play, meaning Hyannis and Cotuit will be safely into the playoffs. For Falmouth, Alex Young (TCU), was dominant, striking out 10 and giving up one run in seven innings. A late arrival after the College World Series, Young has been a huge addition. He owns a 1.50 ERA, has struck out 28 and walked just three, and Falmouth has won every game he’s pitched in. Conner Hale (LSU) led the Falmouth offense with three hits and three RBI, keeping him atop the league RBI leaderboard with 35. Jake Madsen (Ohio) and Nicholas Ramos (Indiana) also had three hits each, while Boomer White (TCU) and Sam Gillikin (Auburn) had two RBI each.

Cotuit 8, Hyannis 0

Cotuit dropped the first three games in the Barnstable Patriot Cup season series with Hyannis, but won the last three, finishing it off with an 8-0 shutout last night. The win also moved Cotuit one point ahead of Hyannis in the West standings. Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) gave Cotuit one of its best starting pitching performances of the summer, going six scoreless with three strikeouts. Jackson McClelland (Pepperdine) and Adam Whitt (Nevada) finished off the shutout. The offense was led by Jackson Glines (Michigan), who had three hits and four RBI, giving him seven hits in the last three games. Jameson Fisher (SE Louisiana), Kyle Holder (San Diego) and Jeremy Taylor (East Tennessee State) had two hits each.

Brewster 14, Y-D 3

Brewster stayed alive in the East race with a lopsided victory over Y-D. The Red Sox started Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara), who had won his last four starts in impressive fashion, but his defense let him down this time as the Whitecaps scored seven runs off him, five of which were unearned. Credit to Brewster, too, though, as they took full advantage of the miscues in reaching their season-high in runs. Zach Gibbons (Arizona), who was hitting .233 entering the game, went 4-for-5 with a home run and seven RBI. Gio Brusa (Pacific) homered and drove in three, Kyle Overstreet (Alabama) went 5-for-6 and Braden Bishop (Washington) went 3-for-3. In its last three wins, Brewster has scored 39 runs. Yesterday, the Whitecaps also got strong pitching as Andrew Lee (Tennessee) went six scoreless innings. The Whitecaps are now three points out of the last playoff spot in the East. Hurting the cause is the fact that they have to play one game against second-place Orleans and two against first-place Harwich to finish the year.

What to Watch

Just a few days after a three-way tie in the East, Harwich could clinch the title outright with a win tonight and an Orleans loss. The Mariners host Y-D at 7 p.m., with James Mulry (Northeastern) on the mound. Mulry started against Y-D on opening night and got Harwich’s season off on the right foot with seven shutout innings.

July 30, 2014July 30, 2014

Still Alive

Gio Brusa and Brewster are four points out of a playoff spot.

With the All-Star Game in the books, the Cape League now very quickly hits its stretch run, with just six days of games before the playoffs begin next Tuesday. While much of the playoff picture is already secure, at least on who will be in it, the first day of the stretch run offered a sign that there may still be some drama for the final spots.

Brewster beat Chatham 12-8 last night to get within four points of the Anglers for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. And in the West, Wareham inched closer to fourth-place Cotuit with a 3-2 victory over Harwich. The Gatemen are now six points back.

Brewster has now won two straight going back to before the All-Star Game. It beat red-hot Y-D 13-3 and made it 25 runs in two games with the win over Chatham.

Luke Lowery (East Carolina) hit his fifth home run of the summer and knocked in two runs, while John Sansone (Florida State) homered for the second time in the last 10 days. Andrew Lee (Tennessee) added three RBI while Braden Bishop (Washington) went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Scott Kingery (Arizona), one of the hottest hitters in the league, had his ninth multi-hit game in his last 14 games. On the mound, Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) followed up his eye-catching All-Star Game performance with five solid innings. He struck out six and allowed four runs.

A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) hit his sixth home run for Chatham, but Brewster had too much with 10 runs in the first five innings.

Wareham hosted East-leading Harwich and got one of its best pitching performances of the summer in a 3-2 victory. Liam O’Sullivan (St. Leo), who was making just his second start after opening the season in the bullpen, went eight innings and allowed just the two runs. He struck out three and scattered five hits. Sean Adler (USC) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

O’Sullivan was almost the hard-luck loser, as Harwich took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on an Ian Happ (Cincinnati) two-run triple. But Wareham answered right back with two runs in the bottom half. Facing Harwich starter Zack Erwin (Clemson), who struck out eight in 5.2 innings, Nick Halamandaris (California), Kyri Washington (Longwood) and Danny Rosenbaum (Louisville) all singled. John Bormann (Texas-San Antonio) followed with a two-run single to give Wareham all the runs it would need.

Hyannis 7, Falmouth 4

Hyannis moved to the verge of clinching a playoff spot with a victory over Falmouth, and they can thank their new ace for setting them on the right path. Marc Brakeman (Stanford), who opened the season in the bullpen, has won two straight starts in dominant fashion. After striking out 11 in six scoreless in his last start, Brakeman struck out nine and went six shutout innings again. He scattered six hits and is now tied for the league lead in strikeouts with 47. He has also walked just seven batters all summer. After Falmouth made a late charge against the Hyannis bullpen, Ian Gibaut (Tulane) closed the door for his second save. Donnie Dewees (North Florida) had three hits to lead the Hyannis offense, while Sam Haggerty (New Mexico) drove in two runs. For Falmouth, Conner Hale (LSU) had three RBI and is tied for the league lead.

Y-D 5, Orleans 3

We’re back to a three-way tie atop the East standings after Harwich’s loss and another Y-D victory over Orleans. The Red Sox also beat Orleans last Friday. This time, Cody Poteet (UCLA) – making his final start of the summer – turned in one last gem with eight strong innings. He struck out eight, scattered seven hits and surrendered three runs. Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save and his fifth consecutive scoreless outing. The Y-D offense backed the strong pitching with two hits and two RBI each for Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) and Josh Lester (Missouri). A.J. Simcox (Tennessee) added three hits.

Bourne 7, Cotuit 1

Bourne snapped a three-game skid and increased its lead in the West to four points with a win over Cotuit. The game was scoreless until the fifth, when Bourne pushed a run across and never looked back. It scored two in the seventh and four in the eighth to pull away. Mark Laird (LSU) went 3-for-5 with an inside-the-park home run and four RBI. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) added three hits, while Brett Sullivan (Pacific), Blake Davey (Connecticut) and Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) had two hits each. Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga) went five scoreless innings for the win. Lucas Laster (Mississippi State) and John Kuzia (St. John’s) closed it out. For Cotuit, Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave up three runs in six innings.

What to Watch

It seems like the third or fourth one in the last week, but we have yet another first-place showdown in the East as Harwich visits Orleans. It should be a good pitching match-up, too, with Jon Harris (Missouri State) going for Harwich against Orleans ace Kolton Mahoney (BYU).

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014

The Other Arms

Adam Whitt leads the league in appearances and wins.

In an era of pitch counts and closely-watched elbows, sometimes the most valuable player on a Cape League pitching staff isn’t a dominant ace or a flame-throwing closer. It’s the guy who can take the ball every other day, pitch one inning or four and be counted on to come through, whatever the situation.

Two of those guys helped their teams pick up wins last night.

Adam Whitt (Nevada), the captain of this crew, pitched three scoreless innings of relief as Cotuit beat first-place Bourne 9-5. Marcus Brakeman (Stanford), typically a reliever, stepped in for a start and went five solid innings to help Hyannis snap a seven-game losing streak in an 11-8 victory over Falmouth.

Whitt has been tremendous this summer, an MVP if the award ever went to a middle reliever. After a spring in which he saved seven games for Nevada, Whitt has been a whatever-you-need arm for the Kettleers. He is tied for the league lead in appearances with 10 and – despite all of them coming in relief – he’s in the top 10 in innings pitched. It’s not just quantity either. Whitt leads the league in wins with four and ERA with a 0.77 mark. He has given up two earned runs all summer, in 23.1 innings pitched.

On Tuesday, Whitt came on in the seventh, with his team trailing 5-2. He tossed a scoreless inning, and his team scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), Jameson Fisher (SE Louisiana) and Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco). Cotuit added two more in the eighth on a home run by John Norwood (Vanderbilt). Whitt ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless eighth and finishing the job with a quiet ninth. The win was Cotuit’s second straight.

In Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks needed even more from their jack-of-all trades. Make your first Cape League start and give us a chance to stop a seven-game losing streak while you’re at it? Brakeman was up to the task. The righty from Stanford had pitched as little as a third of an inning in one appearance and four innings in another. He came in with a 1.50 ERA.

Brakeman got into immediate trouble when Falmouth loaded the bases in the first, but he escaped with minimal damage then settled in. He pitched two scoreless frames before Falmouth added two in the fourth. But Brakeman finished with a one-two-three fifth that included a pair of strikeouts.

The offense stayed close while Brakeman was in there then broke out late to take control. Brakeman’s Stanford teammate Austin Slater had three hits and four RBI, while Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) had three hits and three RBI.

Brakeman didn’t factor in the decision, as Joseph Shaw (Dallas Baptist) got the win and Matt Denny (Misssissippi) got the save.

But for the unsung jack-of-all-trades, that’s all in day’s work.

Harwich 13, Chatham 8

Harwich pounded 20 hits and was on its way to a 13-0 win before Chatham scored eight runs in the top of the ninth. But that was as close as the Anglers got, as Harwich held onto first place with the victory. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) both homered for the Mariners, while Joe McCarthy (Virginia) had four hits in his second Cape League game. Danny Zardon (LSU) added three hits and two RBI. McCarthy and Zardon each had two doubles. Making his first start after opening the year in the bullpen, Robby Kalaf (Florida International) struck out five and allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings. Ronnie Glenn (Penn) pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Ty Moore (UCLA) and Nick Collins (Georgetown) led Chatham’s late charge.

Orleans 3, Y-D 2

The Firebirds won their fourth in a row, scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth and finishing off Y-D in the ninth. Orleans scratched the key run across with two outs in the eighth, on two singles and an error. That made a winner out of reliever Bobby Dalbec (Arizona), and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) pitched a scoreless ninth for his league-best fifth save. David Fletcher (Loyoloa Marymount) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) each had two hits for the Firebirds. Hunter Cole (Georgia) had two hits for Y-D.

Brewster 2, Wareham 0

Three pitchers combined on a shutout and the Brewster offense scored a run in the fifth and another in the seventh to win a pitcher’s duel with Wareham. Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, the second time this summer that he’s gone six scoreless in a start. Joe McCarthy (Southern New Hampshire) pitched 1.2 innings before Pat Ruotolo (Connecticut) grabbed the save, striking out three of the five batters he faced. Drew Harrington (Louisville) allowed one run in five innings. Braden Bishop (Washington) and Luke Lowery (East Carolina) knocked in the decisive runs.

What to Watch

Players from national champion Vanderbilt have been trickling in and a good one will make his debut tonight as Walker Buehler starts for Y-D against Brewster.

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014

A Grand Night

Wade Wass hit two grand slams and had nine RBI last night.

On a July night last summer, Max Pentecost delivered the season’s most memorable performance when he went 5-for-5 with two home runs. The Bourne catcher had a great summer overall, but that was the night he put himself in the MVP running and the night he cemented his burgeoning prospect status.

It remains to be seen what the rest of the 2014 summer – and beyond – holds for Brewster catcher Wade Wass (Alabama). But on a July night, Wass had the same kind of night that Pentecost had.

In a 12-5 Brewster win over Wareham at Stony Brook Field, Wass hit two grand slams and drove in nine runs.

Cape Cod Baseball League single game records are not readily available online, but I’ve got to think Wass’s performance cracks the books somewhere. In Major League Baseball history, players have two hit grand slams in a single game just 13 times. The last was in 2009. Nine RBI is a little more common at the MLB level, but in seven years of writing about the Cape League, I can’t remember a player hitting that number.

Obviously, it was a heck of a night.

Wass, a junior-college transfer, hit .302 with five homers for Alabama this spring. He was a 13th-round draft pick in 2012 out of the junior college ranks but stayed put.

This summer, he had just five hits in his first nine games but broke out with a home run on a 3-for-4, four RBI night on Saturday. After an 0-4 on Sunday, he delivered his grand performance Wednesday.

With a television audience on Fox College Sports – the crew’s first Cape broadcast of the summer – Wass came up in the third inning with the bases loaded and delivered his first grand slam. In the fifth, he doubled home a run, giving him a pretty good performance even if he had stopped there.

He did not. In the eighth, he came up again with the bases loaded and again smashed a grand slam.

Brewster won 12-5, with big nights from Braden Bishop (Washington) and Gio Brusa (Pacific) as well. Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) and Andrew Naderer (Grand Canyon) combined on a solid pitching performance.

And they would all agree the night belonged to their teammate. Wass, not surprisingly, now leads the league in RBI with 18 and is tied for second in home runs with three.

Orleans 13, Hyannis 0

The Firebirds now own the longest win streak of the summer thanks to a 13-0 shutout of Hyannis last night. Trent Thornton (North Carolina) struck out seven in five innings and combined with Cody Moffett (Arizona) and Tyler Honahan (Stony Brook) on the shutout. Thornton, who gave up five runs in his last start, allowed just three hits, all singles. The Firebirds offense gave him plenty of support, racing to a 7-0 lead after three innings. R.J. Ybarra (Arizona State) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Brett Lang (North Carolina) drove in three runs. Edwin Rios (Florida International) also had two RBI, giving him 16 on the year. Orleans is now 11-8, just one game back of Harwich for first place in the East. The Firebirds have scored 39 runs in their last three games and 59 in the six-game streak.

Bourne 7, Harwich 6

Losers of three straight, Bourne came to Whitehouse Field and righted the ship with a narrow victory over East-leading Harwich. The Braves are now 12-6, matching Harwich for the best record in the league. The teams combined for 29 hits in their match-up, but Bourne had a little more offense. Blake Davey (Connecticut) had three hits and two RBI, while five of his teammates knocked in one run apiece. Davey and Harrison Bader (Florida) both homered. Harwich was balanced as well, getting at least one hit from every spot in the lineup, including two from recently arrived C.J. Hinojosa (Texas). Jacob Sparger (Louisville) got the win in relief for Bourne. Joey Strain (Winthrop) picked up a save.

Chatham 7, Cotuit 2

The big night by Wass will make headlines, but nobody in the league has been hotter of later than Chatham’s A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech). He went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI last night as the Anglers beat Cotuit 7-2. Murray is riding an eight-game hit streak that includes seven two-hit games and three home runs. He’s batting an even .500 – 18-for-36 – in the streak. He’s tied for the league lead in homers, ranks second in RBI and is sixth in batting average. Last night, Chris Shaw (Boston College) also homered for the Anglers and Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) added two hits. Jordan Hillyer (Kennesaw State) allowed one run in five innings, maintaining some remarkable consistency. He has gone exactly five innings and given up exactly one run in all three of his starts, and he has won them all.

Y-D 8, Falmouth 1

Kevin Duchene (Illinois) delivered the performance Y-D’s been waiting for, striking out nine in six shutout innings as the Red Sox beat Falmouth 8-1. Duchene, the former Big Ten Freshman of the Year, hadn’t yet hit his groove and sported a 6.08 ERA after three starts. But Wednesday, he didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and gave up just two overall. The nine strikeouts vaulted him to second in the league. With Duchene pitching like that and Falmouth starting Kevin McCanna (Rice) the game shaped up as a low-scoring affair, but Y-D scored five runs – four unearned – off McCanna, who had allowed four runs all season. Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) went 3-for-4 to raise his league-best average to .413. Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Vincent Jackson (Tennessee) had two RBI apiece.

What to Watch

Today will bring the first of two games in the annual Fourth of July holiday rivalry series. Orleans and Chatham will be interesting as always, especially with the Firebirds riding their win streak. In Brewster, we’ll see what Wade Wass can do for an encore against Harwich’s Michael Boyle (Radford), who hasn’t allowed an earned run all summer.

June 29, 2014June 29, 2014

Big Arms

Nick Halamandaris makes a play at first earlier this season.

Pitchers have certainly held their own in the Cape League this season, but there haven’t been a ton of dominant performances. Before Saturday’s games, the league’s strikeout leader was a relief pitcher.

But on opposite ends of the Cape Saturday, two pitchers added a little dominance to the equation.

In Falmouth, Wareham’s Kyle Cody (Kentucky) struck out six in seven shutout innings as the Gatemen beat Falmouth 4-0. In Orleans, Kolton Mahoney (BYU) struck out 11 in six innings as the Firebirds beat Y-D 6-3.

Scouts and people who have seen Cody in the past have been waiting for a performance like this. Despite the fact that he pitched only nine innings for Wareham last summer, Perfect Game still picked him as the Cape League’s 30th-best prospect.

The 6-foot-7 righty had pitched 4.1 innings this summer, but broke out with the big performance on Saturday. He allowed three singles, walked one and threw 67 of 91 pitches for strikes.

Scott Effross (Indiana) followed him to the hill and followed suit, striking out four in two scoreless innings to finish off the shutout. The Wareham offense got RBI from Jake Little (Memphis) and Nick Halamandaris (California).

In Orleans, Mahoney has been strong all summer, having gone six scoreless innings in his last start. The 23rd-round pick this year also tossed a no-hitter for BYU this spring.

Last night, he allowed one hit through five scoreless innings before Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) smacked a game-tying, three-run home run in the sixth. But after the home run, Mahoney struck out the final two batters he faced and his offense rallied immediately with a run in the bottom of the sixth to put him in line for the win. The 11 strikeouts put Mahoney in the league lead with 24 on the year.

Kyle Twomey (USC) and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) relieved Mahoney and finished off the victory. Edwin Rios (Florida International) and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) both homered to lead the Firebirds offense.

Cotuit 3, Harwich 1

Cotuit also got a pretty good pitching performance as Logan James (Stanford) allowed one run in five innings with six strikeouts. Adam Whitt (Nevada), who’s been one of the best relievers in the league, struck out seven batters in just 2.2 innings. Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) picked up a save with 1.1 scoreless innings. The Kettleers got an RBI each from Jake Fincher (NC State) and Jeremy Taylor (East Tennessee State). The Kettleers have won two in a row and are now at .500 with an 8-8 mark.

Hyannis 6, Bourne 2

The Harbor Hawks got solid pitching, steady offense and five stolen bases in a victory over West-leading Bourne. The Harbor Hawks are now 10-6, just one game back of the Braves. Blake Hickman (Iowa) allowed two runs and struck out four in five innings. He left with the lead, and reliever Marcus Brakeman (Stanford) kept it thanks to four scoreless frames. David Houser (Tennessee) led the offense with two hits and three RBI. Austin Slater (Stanford) also had two hits. For Bourne, Harrison Bader (Florida) homered.

Brewster 5, Chatham 4

Wade Wass (Alabama) hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to give Brewster its first lead of the game, and the Whitecaps held on from there to win 5-4. The homer was part of a three-hit, four RBI night for Wass, who was batting just .179 coming into the game. Braden Bishop (Washington) and Kevin Martir (Maryland) added two hits each for the Whitecaps. Andrew Naderer (Grand Canyon) struck out five in in three innings of relief and Evan Hill (Michigan) pitched a scoreless ninth.

What to Watch

Orleans, winners of three straight, is now in second place in the East and will visit first-place Harwich tonight at 5:30 p.m. Bobby Poyner (Florida) starts for Orleans, with Jared Poche’ (LSU) going for Harwich.

June 11, 2014June 17, 2014

Fresh Start for Whitecaps

It’s hard to be a perennial anything in the Cape Cod Baseball League – powerhouse, doormat or otherwise.

The way the last two seasons have gone for the Brewster Whitecaps, that’s good news. The Whitecaps have had some talented players and have had good summers from a development standpoint, but wins have been hard to come by. Brewster finished last in the East in 2012 and 2013, which has set them up with the longest playoff drought in the league.

With not a single player back from last year, it’s a good time for a fresh start. The Whitecaps have assembled a sophomore-dominated team, with a mix of big prospects like Gio Brusa and Mikey White to go with some steady players with a lot of college innings under their belt.

It’s a whole new year.

THE SKINNY

Manager: John Altobelli
Last Year: 14-29-1; Missed playoffs
Returning Players: 0
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 23
Freshmen: 4

NOTABLE

Blake Fox hasn’t lost a game in his Rice career, and he’s been a part of 18 decisions, so it’s not really a small sample size. The lefty had an ERA under two this season and has ace potential for the Whitecaps.

For a while, Brewster’s roster included highly-touted UCLA sophomore pitcher Hunter Virant. He’s no longer on the squad, which hurts Brewster’s star power, but a host of solid arms could help make up for it. The Whitecaps have five weekend starters on board.

Brewster will have Maryland pitcher Zach Morris on the roster. [Obligatory Saved by the Bell reference].

Arizona seems to always send the same type of player to the Cape – speedy, hard-nosed outfielders who can drive the top of a lineup. Zach Gibbons fits the mold and is headed to Brewster.

Gio Brusa, a guy the Boston Red Sox wanted in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, should be Brewster’s top prospect. He was the third-best prospect in the Alaska League last summer.

Alabama is sending a trio of sophomores Brewster’s way, all of whom are coming off good seasons. Mikey White, who clubbed seven homers this year, looks to be the best of them.

Brewster has become the summer home for players from the fledgling Oregon program. Scott Heineman had a huge impact last year. This year, it’s two talented freshmen – Trent Paddon and Austin Grebeck, the son of former Major Leaguer Craig Grebeck.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Gio Brusa
2. Mikey White
3. Blake Fox
4. Trent Paddon
5. Dalton DiNatale

PITCHERS

Blake Fox – LHP – 6’4 220 – Rice – Sophomore
Evan Hill – LHP – 6’5 190 – Michigan – Sophomore
Andrew Lee – RHP/1B – 6’5 220 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Dave Mahoney – LHP – 6’3 202 – Connecticut – RS Junior
Ryan Mason – RHP – 6’6 215 – California – Freshman
Levi MaVorhis – RHP – 6’1 195 – Kansas State – Sophomore
Joe McCarthy – RHP – 6’5 215 – Southern New Hampshire – Sophomore
Zach Morris – LHP – 6’5 225 – Maryland – RS Sophomore
Kenny Oakley – RHP – 6’3 180 – UNLV – Sophomore
Trent Paddon – RHP – 6’2 235 – Oregon – Freshman
Cody Ponce – RHP – 6’6 240 – Cal Poly Pomona – Sophomore
Pat Ruotolo – RHP – 5’11 240 – Connecticut – Freshman
Dylan Silva – LHP – 6’1 215 – Florida State – Sophomore

Blake Fox – LHP – 6’4 220
Rice
Sophomore

Fox pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman and in the weekend rotation as a sophomore. The common thread? He doesn’t lose. Fox is a perfect 18-0 in his collegiate career. This season, he went 12-0 in 15 starts with a 1.46 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 104.2 innings. He was named first-team all-Conference USA.

Evan Hill – LHP – 6’5 190
Michigan
Sophomore

Pitching as a weekend starter right out of the gate, Hill walked nearly as many as he struck out as a freshman but managed to post an ERA under four. This season, he improved his strikeout-to-walk numbers and had an ERA of 3.24. He’s pitched as a starter all but once in his two years with the Wolverines.

Andrew Lee – RHP/1B – 6’5 220
Tennessee
Sophomore

Lee didn’t pitch at all as a freshman, focusing all his energies on hitting. This year, he went the other way, seeing just six at-bats while emerging as a valuable arm on the mound. Making 7 starts and 16 relief appearances, Lee had a 3.90 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 56 innings.

Dave Mahoney – LHP – 6’3 202
Connecticut
RS Junior

Mahoney has been at UConn since 2011, when he redshirted. Since then, he’s been busy, making 71 appearances out of the bullpen in three seasons. This year, he finished with a 5.06 ERA.

Ryan Mason – RHP – 6’6 215
California
Freshman

Mason eased his way into a big role on the Bears’ pitching staff this spring. In nine starts and seven relief appearances, he went 7-1 with a 3.04 ERA.

Levi MaVorhis – RHP – 6’1 195
Kansas State
Sophomore

MaVorhis showed glimpses of big things in a Big 12 All-Freshman campaign last year. This spring he slid into K-State’s Friday starter role and delivered, posting a 3.95 ERA.

Joe McCarthy – RHP – 6’5 215
Southern New Hampshire
Sophomore

McCarthy earned All-Freshman honors in the Division II Northeast 10 Conference last year, after striking out a batter an inning while pitching mostly as a reliever. He went 5-1 this year with a 4.03 ERA.

Zach Morris – LHP – 6’5 225
Maryland
RS Sophomore

Morris led the Cincinnati Bearcats in ERA as a freshman in 2012 but transferred to Maryland, where he sat out the 2013 season. In his return to action this year, he made seven starts and three relief appearances while turning in a 2.77 ERA.

Kenny Oakley – RHP – 6’3 180
UNLV
Sophomore

Oakley pitched well in a swing role as a freshman in 2013 then saved five games in the Texas Collegiate League, where Perfect Game had him as the 16th-best prospect. This spring, he started 14 games and put up a 3.15 ERA. He struck out 79 in 97 innings.

Trent Paddon – RHP – 6’2 235
Oregon
Freshman

A California high school star, Paddon made a strong debut with Oregon this spring. In 21 appearances mostly out of the bullpen, he had a 3.38 ERA. He struck out 41 and walked only 11 in 50.2 innings. Paddon got a taste of summer ball last year when he played in the West Coast Collegiate League as a rising freshman.

Cody Ponce – RHP – 6’6 240
Cal Poly Pomona
Sophomore

Ponce has had two good seasons on the mound for Division II Cal Poly Pomona. This season, he had a 2.48 ERA as a starter, striking out 49 in 72.2 innings. He had four complete games.

Pat Ruotolo – RHP – 5’11 240
Connecticut
Freshman

A native of Peabody, Mass., Ruotolo emerged as a reliable bullpen arm for the Huskies this spring, making 25 appearances and sporting a 2.86 ERA. He struck out 49 in 44 innings.

Dylan Silva – LHP – 6’1 215
Florida State
Sophomore

Silva saw spot duty as a freshman in 2013 but made an impression when he allowed just one earned run in 11 innings of work. He played a bigger role this season and continued to pitch well, putting up a 1.98 ERA in 17 appearances. He struck out 28 in 23.2 innings.

POSITION PLAYERS

Braden Bishop – OF – 6’1 190 – Washington – Sophomore
Gio Brusa – OF/RHP – 6’3 190 – Pacific – Sophomore
Dalton DiNatale – INF/OF – 6’4 205 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Zach Gibbons – OF – 5’11 182 – Arizona – Sophomore
Austin Grebeck – OF – 5’8 152 – Oregon – Freshman
Luke Lowery – C/1B – 6’2 237 – East Carolina – Sophomore
Travis Maezes – INF – 6’0 188 – Michigan – Sophomore
Kevin Martir – C – 6’0 200 – Maryland – Sophomore
Justin Montemayor – INF/OF – 6’3 225 – Houston – Sophomore
Kyle Overstreet – INF – 6’1 210 – Alabama – Sophomore
Georgie Salem – OF – 5’11 210 – Alabama – Sophomore
John Sansone – INF – 5’11 200 – Florida State – Sophomore
Josh Vidales – INF – 5’8 160 – Houston – Sophomore
LaMonte Wade – INF/OF – 6’1 180 – Maryland – Sophomore
Mikey White – INF – 6’1 200 – Alabama – Sophomore

Braden Bishop – OF – 6’1 190
Washington
Sophomore

Bishop was a 36th-round pick out of high school and had a good debut for Washington last year. This season, he established himself as one of the best players in the Pac 12 when he hit .304 with a .394 OBP, 10 extra-base hits and a league-high 21 stolen bases.

Gio Brusa – OF/RHP – 6’3 190
Pacific
Sophomore

Brusa was drafted in the 37th round in 2012, but would have gone much higher if he hadn’t been set on attending Pacific. As a freshman, he hit .256 before emerging as one of the best prospects in the Alaska League last summer. Perfect Game had him rated third. This spring, the offensive potential started to shine through as Brusa had a similar batting average at .257 but cracked 22 extra-base hits and drove in 40.

Dalton DiNatale – INF/OF – 6’4 205
Arizona State
Sophomore

The brother of former Miami and Brewster standout Dave DiNatale, Dalton makes the trek to the Cape off a solid sophomore campaign. He batted .294 with three homer, 16 extra-base hits and 36 RBI, which ranked second on the team.

Zach Gibbons – OF – 5’11 182
Arizona
Sophomore

After seeing regular duty last year, Gibbons jumped to the leadoff spot in the Wildcats order this season and excelled there. He hit .338 with a .414 on-base percentage. He also stole seven bases.

Austin Grebeck – OF – 5’8 152
Oregon
Freshman

The son of former Big Leaguer Craig Grebeck, Austin made his presence felt in part-time duty for the Ducks this spring. He hit .254, smacked eight doubles and had an on-base percentage of .369. Like his teammate Paddon, he also played in the West Coast Collegiate League last summer and was named the circuit’s 18th-best prospect.

Luke Lowery – C/1B – 6’2 237
East Carolina
Sophomore

The brother of former Johnny Bench Award winner Jake Lowery – who attended James Madison – Luke is making his mark at East Carolina. He hit .284 this season and smacked four home runs. He was the 11th-best prospect in the Coastal Plain League last year.

Travis Maezes – INF – 6’0 188
Michigan
Sophomore

A native of Ann Arbor, Maezes has had two very good seasons for his hometown Wolverines. As a freshman, he hit .313 with 16 extra-base hits. This season, he batted .302 with a .413 OBP, 25 extra-base hits and 19 stolen bases.

Kevin Martir – C – 6’0 200
Maryland
Sophomore

Martir played at catcher and DH as a freshman and hit .279. He hit .269 this year and popped four home runs for the Terps.

Justin Montemayor – INF/OF – 6’3 225
Houston
Sophomore

After a strong freshman year, Montemayor had a big hand in Houston’s breakout season this year, which saw the Cougars rise into the national top 10. Montemayor hit .298 with a .345 OBP and drove in 31 runs on his way to a first-team all-conference nod.

Kyle Overstreet – INF – 6’1 210
Alabama
Sophomore

Part of a trio of Alabama hitters who are headed to Brewster, Overstreet was an SEC all-freshman pick in 2013 and followed that with a solid sophomore season. He hit .278 this year with four homers and 30 RBI.

Georgie Salem – OF – 5’11 210
Alabama
Sophomore

Like Overstreet, Salem has been solid in two years in Tuscaloosa, hitting .282 this year with 14 extra-base hits and 22 RBI. Last summer, he played in the Northwoods League and was named the 16th-best prospect by Perfect Game.

John Sansone – INF – 5’11 200
Florida State
Sophomore

A 39th-round pick out of high school, Sansone has been a regular contributor for two years running in Tallahassee. After hitting .233 last year, he dropped to .221 this year, but did have 15 extra-base hits and a .361 on-base percentage.

Josh Vidales – INF – 5’8 160
Houston
Sophomore

Like Montemayor, Vidales built on a strong freshman campaign to help lead Houston’s breakout this season. He hit .285 on the year with 30 RBI and stole 11 bases. He was named the MVP of the American Athletic Conference tournament after going 5-for-5 in the title game.

LaMonte Wade – INF/OF – 6’1 180
Maryland
Sophomore

Wade was a versatile performer as a freshman, playing the infield, outfield and pitching. He stayed off the mound entirely this year, and finished with a .247 average, 15 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. He was the 11th-best prospect in the Cal Ripken League last year, according to Perfect Game.

Mikey White – INF – 6’1 200
Alabama
Sophomore

White was a second-team All-SEC pick as a freshman and delivered an even better sophomore season. He hit .300, reached base at a .399 clip and ranked second on the team with seven home runs.