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Braves looking to stay in contention

boourne
 
Bourne is riding a nine-year playoff streak and has the makings of a club that can make it 10 – and contend from there.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Brendan McKay
2. Joe Davis
3. Corey Julks
4. Jake Mangum
5. Drew Carlton
 

NOTABLE

  • Louisville’s Brendan McKay made a good impression in his time with Bourne last summer. He’s on the roster for this year, but has a Team USA spot and could be headed to Omaha with the Cardinals in the meantime. Whatever happens, he’s perhaps the best two-way player in the country.

  • If McKay doesn’t make it to Bourne, fellow Card Devin Hairston will be a pretty good representative of the national No. 2 seed. Hairston is hitting .360 with three homers. He’s been a key to Louisville’s offense, along with 2015 Brave Nick Solak.

  • Patrick Raby had a strong debut for Vanderbilt and can lean on a couple of high school teammates for some Cape League advice. He played with Tennessee’s Nick Senzel and Kyle Serrano, who starred on the Cape last summer.

  • Connor Wong was a contributor for Y-D last summer. He’ll make the move to Bourne this year, where he’ll join Houston teammates Corey Julks and Joe Davis. Wong is listed as a catcher by the Braves, but didn’t play there much this spring.

  • The Cougars lost in the AAC conference championship, just missing out on the NCAA Tournament. That means the trio of Wong, Julks and Davis should be good to go from day one for the Braves, and they’ll provide a big boost. Julks, set for his second year with the Braves, had a great sophomore season. Davis was one of the top freshman sluggers in the nation, finishing with 14 home runs and AAC Freshman of the Year honors.

  • Drew Carlton hasn’t put up fantastic numbers, but when you’re the Friday starter for Florida State, you’re doing something right.

  • Washington made some noise in the Nashville regional and Noah Bremer had a hand in it. In the opener – which ended up as a 14-inning loss to eventual regional champ UC Santa Barbara, Bremer allowed just one run on four hits in nine innings of work.

  • Mississippi State catcher Elih Marrero is the son of former Major Leaguer Eli, who played with the Cardinals and several other clubs in a 10-year career. The younger Marrero was mentioned as a potential early-round pick last year but had a strong commitment to the Bulldogs.

  • Marrero’s teammate Jake Mangum wasn’t a regular starter for Mississippi State until April. Given a full-time spot, he never stopped hitting and finished ranked third in the nation with a .429 batting average.

  • East Carolina closer Joe Ingle struck out 69 in 47.2 innings. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings as the Pirates upset Virginia on their way to the Super Regionals.

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    PITCHERS

    Noah Bremer – SO – Washington – Standout weekend starter for Huskies has 2.98 ERA, team-best 66 strikeouts
    Drew Carlton – SO – Florida State – Friday starter for powerhouse Noles is 7-3, 4.36 ERA with 71 strikeouts
    Chris Holba – FR – East Carolina – ERA over five but a busy reliever for Pirates with 23 appearances
    Joe Ingle – SO – East Carolina – Star reliever for Super Regional-bound club has 12 saves, 69 Ks in 47.2 innings
    Sean Leland – SO – Louisville – Has 3.24 ERA in limited relief innings for Cards’ deep pitching staff
    Brendon Little – FR – North Carolina – Top 100 player nationally out of high school made only four appearances this spring
    Brendan McKay – SO – Louisville – Two-way star avoided sophomore slump, hitting .336 with 5HR and 12-3, 2.12 ERA, 119 Ks
    Chris Morris – SO – Seton Hall – Posted 3.76 ERA in Pirates’ bullpen, notched two saves and struck out better than a batter per inning
    Doug Norman – SO – LSU – Solid reliever for Tigers has 3.26 ERA in 21 appearances
    Patrick Raby – FR – Vanderbilt – Started third-most games on team and went 7-1 with 2.61 ERA, 63 Ks in 58.2 innings
    Ronnie Rosoomando – FR – Connecticut – A 28th-round pick last year, saw action as a starter and reliever and finished with 3.93 ERA
    Zach Spangler – SO – Kent State – Picked up one save in 17 appearances out of pen, with 3.18 ERA
    Keith Weisenberg – SO – Stanford – Posted 3.45 ERA in nine appearances for Cardinal
     

    CATCHERS

    Elih Marrero – FR – Mississippi State – Son of former Major League catcher Eli hit .238 in debut season with Bulldogs
    Garrett Wolforth – FR – Dallas Baptist – Hitting .259 in part-time duty behind the plate for DBU
    Connor Wong – SO – Houston – Hit .232 and won title with Y-D last summer then batted .304 with 5 HR as a sophomore
     

    INFIELDERS

    Joe Davis – FR – Houston – 16th-round pick last year burst onto scene and won AAC Rookie of the Year with .331 AVG, 14 HR, 58 RBI
    Devin Hairston – SO – Louisville – Hit .212 as frosh but now having breakout sophomore season – .360, 3 HR, 19 XBH
    Isaiah Pasteur – SO – Indiana – Big 10 all-freshman last year but struggled this year, finishing with average below .200
    L.T. Tolbert – FR – South Carolina – South Carolina high school star hitting .229 with three homers, 27 RBI in debut season
    Willy Yahn – SO – Connecticut – Followed big freshman year with continued success, hitting .319 with 27 extra-base hits
    Justin Yurchak – SO – Binghamton – Wake Forest transfer sat out this season per NCAA rules after hitting .312 with Deacons
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Luis Alvarado – SO – Nebraska – Batted .251 with seven extra-base hits for Huskers
    Brennan Breaux – FR – LSU – Hitting .152 in limited action as a Tiger freshman
    Corey Julks – SO – Houston – Returning Brave had breakout sophomore year, hitting .333 with 3 HR, 10 SBs
    Jake Mangum – SO – Mississippi State – True freshman forced his way into lineup and is scorching with .424 batting average, third in nation
    Danny Reyes – FR – Florida – Making most of limited opportunities with .282 average and a home run in 20 games
     

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    Opening Weekend

    Eric Lauer led the Cape League in strikeouts last summer and will be part of a marquee pitching match-up on college baseball's opening day.
    Eric Lauer led the Cape League in strikeouts last summer and will be part of a marquee pitching match-up on college baseball’s opening day.

    Friday is a major milestone on the march to a Cape League summer – and a great day in its own right.

    Division I college baseball opens with 137 games on the schedule. Cape League stars past and future will be on diamonds across America. If you’re in the mood to watch, Watch ESPN has 13 games streaming Friday, beginning at 4 p.m.

    Without further ado, some Cape League-centric notes on the opening weekend proceedings . . .

    • Friday’s game between Virginia and Kent State at the Caravelle Resort Tournament in Myrtle Beach could be one of the highlights of the weekend. The Cavaliers are the defending national champs, while the Golden Flashes are a perennial mid-major contender and aren’t far removed from a 2012 trip to Omaha.Friday, the Golden Flashes will send former Orleans Firebird Eric Lauer to the hill, and he figures to give them a chance. Lauer had a terrific sophomore season last year, putting up a 1.98 ERA with 103 strikeouts. He didn’t slow down much on the Cape, leading the league with 50 strikeouts while posting a 2.04 ERA. MLB Pipeline lists Lauer as the 38th-best prospect for the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.His opponent Friday is Virginia’s Connor Jones, MLB Pipeline’s 11th-best prospect. Interestingly, Lauer and Jones were slated to be teammates in Orleans, but Jones sat out the summer after a heavy workload for the CWS champ Cavaliers. (Also an initial member of the Orleans pitching staff? No. 2 draft prospect A.J. Puk of Florida. Just a crazy collection of arms had it panned out).

      Lauer says he’s more confident than ever after his summer on the Cape, and he’ll need to be confident against the Cavaliers.

    • Lauer’s Orleans teammate Mitchell Jordan gets the start for Stetson Friday at 6:30 p.m. against Delaware. In a Stetson uniform last spring, Jordan was solid, with a 3.28 ERA. For the Firebirds, he was transcendent, posting a 0.21 ERA on his way to Cape League Pitcher of the Year honors. It’ll be interesting to see what Jordan’s big summer means for him this season. The Atlantic Sun named him a preseason all-conference pick.
    • The Volunteer State gets a cool baseball showcase when Tennessee and Memphis square off in Chattanooga this weekend. Tennessee will be led by a pair of 2015 Cape League standouts in infielder Nick Senzel and pitcher Kyle Serrano. Senzel earned league MVP and top prospect honors for Brewster and is projected to be one of the top players in the country this year, as well as a first-round pick. Serrano, another Orleans pitcher, will be an anchor for the Vols’ pitching staff.
    • Oklahoma State is ranked as high seventh in national preseason polls, and a guy who won big on the Cape is a major reason why. Donnie Walton, a key part of Y-D’s championship club, is one of seven starters back for the Cowboys. They face UT Arlington and Stephen F. Austin this weekend.
    • Matt Krook’s comeback started in Wareham, and it will continue Saturday when Oregon faces San Diego State. Krook was a supplemental first-round pick in 2013 who had Tommy John surgery. He missed all of the college season last spring before getting back on the mound for the first time with the Gatemen. And it could prove to be the beginning of a great comeback. Krook is MLB Pipeline’s 23rd-ranked prospect for the 2016 draft, and he was reportedly at the top of his game in Oregon’s final preseason scrimmage.
    • Andrew Calica’s season for UC Santa Barbara begins Friday at 5 p.m. against San Francisco, as the former Gatemen tries to build on hitting .400 on the Cape. As with the aforementioned Jordan, it’ll be very interesting what a terrific Cape League season will mean.
    • The series between Arizona and Rice shapes up as a good one. We’ll see if Bobby Dalbec’s ridiculous Cape League home run rate carries over to the spring.
    • Few players on the Cape last summer helped themselves more than Dakota Hudson in Hyannis. The Mississippi State flame-thrower delivered the production to match his projection and will be a big prospect to watch this spring. He’ll start for the Bulldogs Friday against Florida Atlantic.
    • Some future Orleans Firebirds will be on opposite sides when San Diego and Vanderbilt get together this weekend. San Diego catcher Riley Adams and Vandy’s Chandler Day, Donny Everett and Ethan Paul are all set to play in Orleans. Day was recently named the top freshman prospect in America by D-1Baseball.com. With a crowded staff that includes Cape playoff hero Ben Bowden, Day is likely to pitch out of the bullpen for the Commodores. Vanderbilt’s roster also features some future Cotuit Kettleers, including standout pitcher Kyle Wright and freshman infielder Alonzo Jones.
    • Consensus preseason No. 1 Florida is a little light on Cape League flavor after a ton of their rising juniors played for Team USA last summer. As for popular No. 2 pick Louisville, the Cards have plenty of Cape League roots. Brendan McKay and Nick Solak, who played for Bourne last summer, are poised for big years. Kyle Funkhouser, a Chatham Angler in 2013, is back after he was drafted in the first round by the Dodgers but didn’t sign. Louisville faces Southern Illinois-Edwardsville to open its season.

     

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    Back to Normal

    Alex Call waits for a throw at second base against Cotuit earlier this week. The Firebirds clinched the East title Thursday.
    Alex Call waits for a throw at second base against Cotuit earlier this week. The Firebirds clinched the East title Thursday.

     
    It was back to regularly-scheduled programming in the Cape League’s East Division on Thursday night. After two losses and a tie in their previous three games, the Orleans Firebirds looked like their old selves as they clinched the regular-season division title with a 12-8 victory over Hyannis. With Brewster losing, Orleans now cannot be caught.

    The Firebirds were not as sharp as usual on the mound, but their powerful offense was on target. The Firebirds hit two home runs in an eight-run second inning. They finished the night with 18 hits, five of which went for extra bases. Ten different players had at least one hit.

    With All-Star Game West MVP Devin Smeltzer (San Jacinto) on the hill for Hyannis, you wouldn’t have predicted a slugfest. But after getting a run in the first, the Firebirds went wild in the second inning. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit a grand slam and Kyle Lewis (Mercer) followed that with a solo shot.

    Hyannis eventually found some of its offense, making it an 11-8 game in the eighth, but that was as close as it got.

    Dalbec went 2-for-3 and the home run was his league-best 11th. I sound like a broken record, but his pace is incredible. Dalbec has played in 25 games. Eleven of his 26 hits are homers.

    Lewis finished 4-for-5 with four RBI as he broke out of an 0-for-11 slump. Bryan Reynolds (Vanderbilt), Jeremy Martinez (USC), Daniel Pinero (Virginia) and Sean Murphy (Wright State) all chipped in two hits.

    Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was credited with the win in relief.

    Orleans finishes its four-game season series against Hyannis with a 3-1 record. The Harbor Hawks are in line to win the West, but they aren’t there yet. In a season of Orleans success, it was fitting that the Firebirds got there first.

    With three games remaining, the Firebirds could still match the record of the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, who went 31-12-1, the best record in the league in at least the last 15 years.
     

    Y-D 2, Chatham 1

    With fifth-place Harwich losing to Wareham, Y-D had a chance to get some breathing room in the East standings. A seventh-inning rally against Chatham did the trick. The Red Sox won 2-1 and moved four points ahead of Harwich for the final playoff berth and just two points back of Chatham for the third seed. The Anglers broke a scoreless tie with a run in the sixth on a Will Craig (Wake Forest) RBI double. But in the very next half-inning, Y-D pushed the tying run across on a passed ball and plated the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Gio Brusa (Pacific). Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt), who had come on in the sixth, ran with the lead, striking out seven of the 13 batters he faced in 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. Y-D is now 21-20. Chatham is 22-19.
     

    Falmouth 11, Brewster 7

    Falmouth isn’t dead quite yet. The Commodores snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over Brewster. Coupled with a Cotuit loss, the Commodores are only three points out of the final playoff spot in the West. J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss) went 2-for-4 with a home run to lead the offensive breakout for Falmouth. Mitch Longo (Ohio), Evan Skoug (TCU) and Tate Blackman (Ole Miss) each drove in two runs. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had two doubles. Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) got the win, giving up two runs in five innings. Brewster scored five runs in the seventh against the bullpen but the game was called due to darkness after that.
     

    Wareham 5, Harwich 2

    The Gatemen inched closer to a playoff spot while Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) inched closer to hitting .400 for the year in a win over Harwich. Wareham now has a two-point edge on Cotuit for third place in the West and is five points in front of last-place Falmouth. As for Calica, he went 1-for-2, walked once and was hit by a pitch. It’s hard to raise a .439 average, but that line did it — Calica is now at .440 with just three games remaining. If you assume he gets 12 at-bats over those final three games, he would need just one hit in 12 at-bats to finish over .400. His teammates had a good offensive night Wednesday, as well. Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Gavin Stupienski (UNC Wilmington) had two hits and an RBI. Brett Hanewich (Stanford) struck out eight and allowed just one earned run in five innings for the win. Shaun Anderson (Florida) pitched four innings of one-hit relief.
     

    Bourne 10, Cotuit 7

    Bourne rallied from a 5-0 deficit and won 10-7 in a game that was called after the seventh due to rain. Nick Solak (Louisville) went 3-for-5 with four RBI to spark the comeback efforts. Brendan McKay (Louisville) and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) knocked in two runs apiece, while Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) both had two hits and scored three runs. Joseph Christopher (St. John’s) gave up two unearned runs in 2.1 innings of relief to help set the stage for the comeback. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) got the win in relief. Bourne is 20-19-2 and still has a shot at the West division title. Cotuit fell to 16-25 with its second straight loss.
     

    What to Watch

    Chatham can clinch a playoff spot and clear up much of the East postseason picture if it wins tonight at Harwich.
     

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    Second Place Shutouts

    Chatham players celebrate during a game earlier this season.
    Chatham players celebrate during a game earlier this season.

     
    Second place has been a distant second for much of the Cape League season, but with shutouts last night – and losses by first-place Orleans and Hyannis – second place teams Chatham and Bourne made up a bit of ground.

    The Anglers cruised past Wareham 8-0 and are now four games back of Orleans, while the Braves tipped Y-D 4-0 to get within two games of Hyannis.

    Chatham got five strong innings from Daniel Castano (Baylor), who struck out three and gave up just two hits. Carl Burdick (San Diego), James Mulry (Northeastern) and Andre Scrubb (High Point) finished off the shutout.

    Every Chatham pitcher was on the hill with a big lead as the Anglers scored all eight of their runs in the first four innings. It was a good breakout for a team that had scored only five runs in its last five games.

    Nine different Anglers had hits. Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) led the way with two RBI apiece. Will Craig (Wake Forest) and Jake Fraley (LSU) each scored two runs. Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) had two hits and an RBI.

    Chatham has won two in a row and is now 18-13.

    Over at Doran Park, the Braves didn’t have quite as much offense, but the pitching was just as good. Alex Robles (Austin Peay) who had taken a loss in three straight starts, went a long way in securing a victory with six shutout innings. He scattered five hits and struck out two. Cooper Hammond (Miami) and Gavin Pittore (Wesleyan) did the rest.

    Pete Alonso (Florida) and Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) drove in runs to lead the offense. National Freshman of the Year Brendan McKay (Louisville) made his Bourne debut after a Team USA stint and went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

    The Braves have won two in a row and are 14-15-2.

     

    Brewster 10, Orleans 6

    The Whitecaps scored more runs than anybody has tallied against Orleans all year in a 10-6 victory at Eldredge Park. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was touched up for three earned runs and the Orleans bullpen didn’t have much better luck, as Brewster racked up 13 hits. Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs to bring his league-best RBI total to 22. Cassidy Brown (Loyla Marymount) hit his third home run. Jack Meggs (Washington) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Robbie Tenerowicz (California) and Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) added two hits each. For Orleans, Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit his league-best sixth home run and Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) smacked his fourth, but the Whitecaps kept the Firebirds off the board over the final three innings. Starter Jordan Sheffield (Vanderbilt) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win.
     

    Harwich 6, Hyannis 1

    West-leading Hyannis also went down, as Harwich raced to an early lead against Harbor Hawks ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) and cruised to a 6-1 win. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) and Preston Palmeiro (NC State) hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning, with Neuse’s going for three runs. Mike Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) hit a solo home run in the second. The Mariners had only four other hits on the day, but the early burst was enough. Cam Vieaux (Michigan State) struck out seven and gave up just one run in seven innings, his second straight very strong start. Joe Ravert (La Salle) pitched the final two innings.
     

    Falmouth 5, Cotuit 2

    The Commodores moved into third place in the West with a 5-2 victory over Cotuit and Wareham’s loss. Tate Blackman (Ole Miss) homered in drove in three runs while Heath Quinn (Samford) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Boomer White (Texas A&M) added two hits. Alex Phillips (San Jacinto) allowed one run in six innings for the win and Stephen Villines (Kansas) tallied his sixth save. Falmouth improved to 13-18 while Cotuit dropped to 11-20.
     

    What to Watch

    Orleans’ Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) takes his 5-0 record and 0.00 ERA to Veterans Field for his first meeting of the year with Chatham. The Anglers are slated to give the ball to Ty Damron (Texas Tech), who went six innings without allowing an earned run in his last start.
     

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    Braves primed for the top again

    bourne 15
     
    With Falmouth getting hot in the playoffs, it’s easy to forget that Bourne owned the West Division last year and finished with the best record in the league. A couple of guys will be back from that team, and they’ll be joined by a strong influx of talent that has the Braves looking like a top on-paper contender.
     

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Brendan McKay
    2. Boomer Biegalski
    3. Ryan Boldt
    4. Nick Banks
    5. Pete Alonso

     

    NOTABLE

  • C.J. Chatham ends up in Bourne? We need to be better than that, people.

  • Florida State’s Boomer Biegalski will be among the most proven incoming CCBL starting pitchers after settling into ace duties for Florida State this year. He struck out 120, good for ninth in the country.

  • With Biegalski leading the way, the Braves have as impressive a collection of starters as any in the league. Keegan Akin, Matt Crohan, Ryan Keaffaber, Brendan McKay, Josh Rogers, Ryan SMoyer and Dominic Taccolini were all weekend rotation guys this year.

  • McKay has earned a Team USA camp invite, but if he comes to Bourne, he could be the league’s top freshman. The two-way star has a 1.77 ERA and a .314 average.

  • Bourne has a couple of guys with strong bullpen experience, but it will be hard for any of them to push Miami’s Bryan Garcia from the closer’s role, once he arrives from Omaha. Garcia has saved 25 career games in just two seasons with the Hurricanes.

  • Veteran catchers are not a bad place to start building a roster, and Bourne has a pair of returning Cape Leaguers in Jason Delay and Brian Serven.

  • Lots of big-time hitters on the roster, but from a purely statistical standpoint, no one was better than Lehigh’s Mike Garzillo, who hit .359 with 13 homers this spring.

  • Ryan Smoyer, Pete Alonso and Ryan Boldt were all Northwoods League stars last year and will be primed to follow the familiar path to Cape League stardom this year.

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    PITCHERS

    Keegan Akin – SO – Western Michigan – Starter for most of his career, had 4.33 ERA with 75 Ks in sophomore season
    Boomer Biegalski – SO – Florida State – JUCO transfer emerged as ace this year, striking out 120 in 108 IP, with 3.17 ERA
    Matt Crohan – SO – Winthrop – Lefty had big sophomore season, going 7-4 with 3.05 ERA, 87 Ks on way to Big South second team nod
    Bryan Garcia – SO – Miami – Set Miami freshman record for saves last year with 15, has 10 more this year with Miami off to CWS
    Cooper Hammond – SO – Miami – Another key in Miami bullpen, leads team in appearances and owns 1.85 ERA
    Ryan Keaffaber – SO – Indiana State – MVC Freshman of the Year after closing in 2014 had 2.73 ERA in move to rotation this year
    Brendan McKay – FR – Louisville – Two-way star may be nation’s top freshman, but has also earned Team USA invite
    Andy Ravel – SO – Kent State – 21st-round pick out of high school had 3.13 ERA with 55 Ks in second season at Kent State
    Alex Robles – SO – Austin Peay – Two-way player had 3.31 ERA and batted .328 with three homers
    Josh Rogers – SO – Louisville – Solid starter for Cards is 8-1 with 3.53 ERA after posting 3.96 ERA with Braves last summer
    Cody Sedlock – SO – Illinois – Has 4.02 ERA in 21 appearances this year, mostly out of bullpen
    Ryan Smoyer – SO – Notre Dame – Top prospect award winner in Northwoods League last year went 9-1 with 2.27 ERA this spring
    Kirby Snead – SO – Florida – Followed busy freshman year with strong summer in Northwoods, has 3.19 ERA as reliever this year
    Jacob Sparger – SO – Louisville – Solid bullpen arm has 2.08 ERA in 14 appearances for Louisville
    Dominic Taccolini – SO – Arkansas – Moved to weekend rotation after strong freshman year and went 6-4 with 4.32 ERA
    Robert Tyler – SO – Georgia – Freshman All-American missed most of sophomore season after an injury, returning in May
     

    CATCHERS

    Jason Delay – SO – Vanderbilt – Hit .226 for Bourne last summer and batting .301 for Commodores this season
    Brian Serven – SO – Arizona State – Had some struggles in Bourne last year but returned to Tempe and hit .294 with 6 HRs this spring
     

    INFIELDERS

    Pete Alonso – SO – Florida – One of Northwoods League’s best last summer hitting .304 with three homers for Omaha-bound Gators
    C.J. Chatham – SO – Florida Atlantic – Followed strong debut with breakout sophomore season, hitting .344 with 28 XBH, 43 RBI
    Camden Duzenack – SO – Dallas Baptist – Helped lead DBU’s continued emergence with .286, 4 HR season
    Mike Garzillo – JR – Lehigh – Second baseman had huge junior year, batting .359 with 13 HR, 54 RBI and 15 SB
    Casey Golden – SO – UNC Wilmington – Freshman All-American last year hit .283 with 6 HR in second season
    Reid Humphreys – SO – Mississippi State – After part-time duty last year, hit .247 and was second on team in HR with 5
    Corey Julks – FR – Houston – Grabbed full-time job as season went on and hit .302 with 5 HR, 38 RBI
    Nick Solak – SO – Louisville – One of top hitters for dynamic Louisville offense, batting .326 with three homers, 18 SB
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Nick Banks – SO – Texas A&M – Led SEC in hitting for much of the year, now batting .366 with 7 HR, 47 RBI
    Ryan Boldt – SO – Nebraska – Baseball America’s top prospect in the Northwoods League hit .344 in second season in Lincoln
    Vince Fernandez – SO – UC Riverside – West Coast League all star last summer had breakout sophomore year with .316 average, 7 HR