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Daily Fog: Evened Out

Sam Haggerty and Hyannis were the last unbeaten team in the league - for a few hours.
Sam Haggerty and Hyannis were the last unbeaten team in the league – for a few hours.

 

Five days into the Cape Cod Baseball League season, nobody’s undefeated and nobody’s winless.

Yesterday’s slate of doubleheaders assured that. Previously unbeaten Harwich and Hyannis squared off and split their doubleheader, Brewster handed Bourne its first loss, and Yarmouth-Dennis broke into the win column twice with a sweep of Wareham.

I think the Red Sox were the happiest if the bunch.

Coming into the year, they looked like one of the most talented teams in the league but didn’t get much going in the first three games of the season, losing 7-2, 3-0 and 2-1. The third of those was the most frustrating as potential ace Michael Murray (Florida Gulf Coast) was charged with two unearned runs in a 2-1 loss.

Sunday, the Red Sox were finally on track.

In game one, they had their best offensive day of the season and beat the Gatemen 7-1. Rob Fonseca (Northeastern), who missed the spring season due to injury, smacked a home run for his first Cape League hit. Jason Goldstein (Illinois) and Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) added two hits apiece, and Michael Foster (Northeastern) drove in two runs.

On the mound, former first-round pick Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) made his Cape League debut and struck out three in three scoreless innings. Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer), who played for Harwich in 2012, followed with three strong innings for the win.

In game two, Josh Staumont (Azusa Pacific) and Tyler Jay (Illinois) combined to allow just an unearned run in seven innings as Y-D won 3-1. A.J. Simcox (Tennessee) knocked in two runs while Fonseca and Brennon Lund (BYU) had two hits each.

Kyle Cody (Kentucky), potentially one of the top pitching prospects in the league, struck out six in three innings for Wareham.

Hyannis 2, Harwich 0; Harwich 5, Hyannis 2

Hyannis staked claim to the title of lone unbeaten – but it didn’t last long. After knocking off unbeaten Harwich to go to 3-0, the Harbor Hawks fell in game two to the Mariners. In the opener, Jordan Minch (Purdue) and Matthew Margaritonda (Marshall) combined on the shutout, scattering seven hits while striking out three. Hyannis was out-hit 7-3, but scratched across runs in the first and third innings. Joe Purritano (Dartmouth) had an RBI, while Bobby Melley (Connecticut) and Matthew Britton (Mississippi State) had one hit each. In game two, Harwich starter Jon Harris (Missouri State) struck out eight in four innings and his offense rallied from a 2-0 first-inning deficit. Ian Happ (Cincinnati), who went 5-for-6 in the doubleheader, had three hits in game two and scored a run. Tyler Servais (Princeton) added two hits and Danny Zardon (LSU) had an RBI.

Brewster 5, Bourne 2; Bourne 4, Brewster 3

The Whitecaps handed Bourne its first loss in game one. Andrew Lee (Tennessee) struck out six and allowed one earned run in two innings for the win, and Evan Hill (Michigan) picked up the save. Gio Brusa (Pacific) hit his first home run of the year and drove in two, while Luke Lowery (East Carolina) also knocked in two. In the second game, Bourne held off a Brewster rally to win by a run. Jake Long (Clemson) got the win in relief with 2.1 scoreless innings and John Gorman (Boston College) notched a save. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) had two hits, an RBI and two runs scored to lead the Braves offense.

Cotuit 4, Chatham 1; Cotuit 3, Chatham 0

Cotuit moved to 3-2 on the year with a sweep of Chatham, who fell to 1-4. Four pitchers combined on a steady performance in game one, with Adam Whitt (Nevada) picking up the win. Casey Schroeder (Polk State College), Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco) and D.C. Arendas (South Carolina) drove in a run each. In game two, four more pitchers teamed up for a one-hit shutout. Dalton Potts (Tennessee Martin) and Bailey Clark (Duke) carried a no-hitter into the fourth. Chatham broke through with its lone hit in the fifth, but that was all Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave up. A.J. Minter (Texas A&M) closed things out with 2.2 scoreless frames. Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) had two hits to power the offense.

Falmouth 6, Orleans 5; Falmouth 9, Orleans 3

Orleans was coming off a 9-0 victory over Chatham but was swept at home by Falmouth. The Commodores scored two in the fifth inning of a back-and-forth game one on a two-run homer by Conner Hale (LSU). Hale was a late addition to this year’s roster who played a key role for the Commodores last year. Kevin Newman (Arizona), another returning player, also homered. Kyle Zimmerman (Wayne State) picked up the win in relief and Kevin Mooney (Maryland) grabbed a save. For Orleans, Christin Stewart (Tennessee) hit his second home run of the summer, making him the the only player in the league with two. In the second game, the Commodores rolled 9-3 behind a nine-hit attack. Leon Byrd Jr. (Rice) went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs, while Matthew Eureste (San Jacinto) went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .556 on a temp contract. Hale went 2-for-4 to add to his big day. On the mound, Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) picked up the win.

What to Watch

Just one game on the docket tonight, a makeup between Brewster and Hyannis. It’s set for 6 p.m. at McKeon Park. Starting pitchers still TBD.

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Daily Fog: Shutout Central

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Bourne and Harwich are off to the best starts in the first week of the Cape League season, each with a 3-0 record to their name. They won’t play each other until next Friday, June 20.

Maybe by then, they’ll have given up a run or two.

The Braves and Mariners have gone three-for-three by dominating on the mound. Harwich has a 0.33 ERA, Bourne owns a 0.62 ERA. They both notched their second consecutive shutouts last night.

For Harwich, the pitching has coincided with a whole lot of offense. They’ve scored more runs than any team in the league, paving the way for lopsided shutouts – 10-0 on Thursday and 7-0 over Wareham last night. But last night’s win began, again, with the starting pitching. This time, Zack Erwin (Clemson) went five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five against a Gatemen team that scored 13 runs in its previous game. Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) and Robby Kalaf (Florida International) finished the shutout.

At the plate for the Mariners, Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) went 4-for-4 and Craig Aikin (Oklahoma) went 3-for-5 with three RBI. Anthony Hermelyn (Oklahoma), who’s had a hit in all three games, went 2-for-3.

Over in Bourne, the Braves shut out Falmouth 6-0 on the heels of a 1-0 victory over Orleans. Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga), one of the top pitching prospects in the Alaska League last year, had a big debut on the Cape, giving up three hits and striking out six in six scoreless innings. He faced just two over the minimum. Brett Morales (Florida) and Joey Strain (Winthrop) closed out the shutout.

Brett Sullivan (Pacific) led the Bourne offense with two hits, including the team’s first home run of the year. Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) also had two hits.

Orleans 9, Chatham 0

Orleans doesn’t have the 3-0 record that Bourne and Harwich boast, but the Firebirds got into the win column with a shutout of their own last night over Chatham. After rehabbing third-round pick Trevor Megill (Loyola Marymount) went one scheduled inning, Nathan Bannister (Arizona) tossed four scoreless frames. Kolton Mahoney (BYU) then struck out seven of the 14 batters he faced in four scoreless innings. The offense handled the rest, smacking 16 hits. Christin Stewart (Tennessee) hit the Firebirds’ first home run of the year, while Edwin Rios (Florida International) drove in three runs.

Cotuit 2, Y-D 1

The Kettleers picked up their first win and kept Y-D as the only winless team in the league with a 2-1 victory at Lowell Park. Two runs in the fourth were the difference as Cotuit rallied from an early 1-0 deficit. After Blake Stevens (Birmingham Southern) struck out seven in four innings, Sam Tewes (Wichita State) picked up the win with 3.1 innings of relief. The Kettleers offense only had four hits, but scratched across the tying run before an RBI single by Brendan Hendricks (San Francisco) brought home the go-ahead run.

What to Watch

Every team is set for doubleheaders today so there’s plenty of baseball with beautiful weather in the forecast. In Yarmouth, the Red Sox are hosting Wareham and will send former first-round pick Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) to the mound in game one. Bickford was the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft but opted for the college ranks and had a strong freshman year for the Titans.

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Consistent Firebirds Pack Big Potential


 
orleans smallThe 2012 season gave Orleans its first non-winning season since 2002. The Firebirds righted the ship to make the Eastern Division finals that year, and last season, they were right back on the winning side of things. They had one of the best records in the league and made the Cape League championship series.

And this team looks even better. The Firebirds have put together a very talented group to this point. There’s top-notch pitching, with the likes of Nathan Kirby, Brett Lilek and Tyler Ferguson and there’s big offensive potential led by SEC stars Christin Stewart and Dansby Swanson.

Those proclamations come with the usual caveats – it’s early, rosters change, the College World Series pulls people away, etc. But for right now, I can’t imagine another team surpassing Orleans’ talent level.

In all those winning seasons, Orleans has had some teams like this and some teams that looked like this at first but didn’t pan out like this. Either way, you can expect another good summer at Eldredge Park.

 

THE SKINNY

Manager: Kelly Nicholson
Last Year: 24-19-1; Lost in CCBL Championship
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 0
Sophomores: 18
Freshmen: 2

 

NOTABLE

  • If previous summer success is a good indicator, the Firebirds have a lot of talent on the way. They’ve got four of the first 11 on Perfect Game’s Alaska League 2013 top prospects list, the first three from the NECBL’s list and the second-best from the Northwoods League. As far as summer track records go, few Cape League teams will be able to match that.

  • Winning in the summer is good, too, and the Firebirds have three members of the 2013 Alaska League champion Alaska Goldpanners – Nathan Bannister, Cody Moffett and David Fletcher.

  • The top prospects from the aforementioned leagues are both on the Orleans roster and are both having big sophomore seasons. Nathan Kirby, who starred in the NECBL last summer, has pitched a no-hitter this year. He’s also been invited to Team USA. Christin Stewart, Alaska’s best, is slugging .561 in the SEC.

  • Orleans has only 10 pitchers on the roster right now, but it looks a high-level group. Kirby, Josh Sborz, Tyler Ferguson, Brett Lilek and Kyle Wilcox have all been successful starters this spring. Even some guys who are relievers this season, like Eric Hanhold and Nathan Bannister had big summers as starters last year. In the pen, Reilly Hovis has been a dominant closer for North Carolina.

  • The NECBL was dominated by pitching last summer, and Orleans has the three best arms from that circuit, according to Perfect Game. Kirby, Lilek and Wilcox went one-two-three in the league.

  • Orleans has two players who have been two-way guys on a regular basis this spring in Arizona’s Bobby Dalbec and Michigan’s Jacob Cronenworth.

  • Orleans almost always has a solid hitter from Vanderbilt, and Dansby Swanson is next in line. The sophomore infielder leads the Commodores in hitting, OBP and slugging.

  • Korey Dunbar has not set the world on fire in his two years at North Carolina, but he was rated the third-best prospect in the Coastal Plain League last summer, and will have a shot to be the top catching prospect on the Cape this summer.

  • David Fletcher is only a freshman, but don’t be surprised if the Loyola Marymount shortstop draws “beyond his years” kind of praise. He played in the Alaska League last summer and wowed everybody with his glove.

    •  

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Christin Stewart
    2. Nathan Kirby
    3. Brett Lilek
    4. Kyle Wilcox
    5. Dansby Swanson

     

    PITCHERS

    Nathan Bannister – RHP – 6’3 224 – Arizona – Sophomore
    Ryne Combs – LHP – 6’0 200 – Kentucky – Sophomore
    Tyler Ferguson – RHP – 6’3 225 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    Eric Hanhold – RHP – 6’5 195 – Florida – Sophomore
    Reilly Hovis – RHP – 6’3 190 – North Carolina – Sophomore
    Nathan Kirby – LHP – 6’2 185 – Virginia – Sophomore
    Brett Lilek – LHP – 6’4 194 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Cody Moffett – LHP – 6’4 213 – Arizona – Sophomore
    *Josh Sborz – RHP – 6’3 225 – Virginia – Sophomore
    Kyle Wilcox – RHP – 6’3 180 – Bryant – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     

    Nathan Bannister – RHP – 6’3 224
    Arizona
    Sophomore

    Bannister totaled just 4.2 innings as a freshman last spring, but he had a busy and productive summer in Alaska, where he went 6-0 with a 2.25 ERA for the Alaska Goldpanners on his way to a spot as the league’s 11th-best prospect, according to Perfect Game. He has not quite been able to carry the success back to Arizona, where he has an ERA over six in 12 relief appearances this season.

    Ryne Combs – LHP – 6’0 190
    Kentucky
    Sophomore

    Kentucky’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2011, Combs made his presence felt for the hometown Wildcats as a freshman, posting a 2.01 ERA as a valuable member of the bullpen. Combs has hit a rough patch this year and has seen his ERA balloon over six.

    Tyler Ferguson – RHP – 6’3 225
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    In a Vanderbilt rotation headed by star Tyler Beede, Ferguson has more than held his own for the Commodores. He’s 7-3 with a 2.66 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 67.2 innings pitched. Ferguson had pitched in a swing role for Vandy last year. He pitched for the Newport Gulls last summer and was named the NECBL’s 18th-best prospect by Perfect Game.

    Eric Hanhold – RHP – 6’5 195
    Florida
    Sophomore

    Hanhold didn’t make a big splash in his freshman year, but was named the second best prospect in the prestigious Northwoods League by Baseball America last summer. He has pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Gators this spring and has a 4.40 ERA.

    Reilly Hovis – RHP – 6’3 190
    North Carolina
    Sophomore

    Hovis pitched well out of the bullpen as a freshman last year, and it was a sign of things to come. As a sophomore, he’s been busy and dominant. Hovis has made 30 appearances for the Tar Heels and owns a 1.73 ERA. He has struck out a whopping 70 in 52 innings – more strikeouts than two of the Heels’ weekend starters – while allowing opponents to bat just .171. He’s saved six games.

    Nathan Kirby – LHP – 6’2 185
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    Kirby has been invited to Team USA, but if he were to end up on Cape Cod, he’d easily be the most accomplished pitcher in the league. The top prospect in the NECBL last summer, Kirby tossed a no-hitter this year and has been consistently terrific outside of that game. He has a 1.62 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched.

    Brett Lilek – LHP – 6’4 194
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    A 37th-round pick out of high school, Lilek held his own in 11 appearances last spring. He then pitched in the NECBL and was ranked just behind Kirby on Perfect Game’s top prospects list. This spring, he has emerged as a bona fide ace for the Sun Devils, posting a 2.27 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched.

    Cody Moffett – LHP – 6’4 213
    Arizona
    Sophomore

    Moffett joined his Arizona teammate Bannister on the Goldpanners and the Alaska League top prospects list last summer, ranking eighth in the league after a terrific season out of the bullpen. He has continued to pitch in relief for the Wildcats this spring and is sporting a 4.20 ERA in 19 appearances. He has picked up two saves.

    Josh Sborz – RHP – 6’3 225
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    Sborz was a terrific reliever for the Cavaliers as a freshman before suiting up for Orleans last summer. He had some rough outings but impressed enough to crack Perfect Game’s list of the CCBL’s top 100 prospects. Sborz has moved seamlessly into the starting rotation this spring and is 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA.

    Kyle Wilcox – RHP – 6’3 180
    Bryant
    Sophomore

    Wilcox had an ERA over six for Bryant last spring, but he turned a lot of heads with a high-90’s fastball. He then had a strong stint in the NECBL that earned him No. 3 prospect honors behind Kirby and Lilek. This season, he has pitched mostly as a starter for the Bulldogs and has posted a 3.21 ERA to go with 40 strikeouts in 53 innings.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Jacob Cronenworth – INF/RHP – 6’1 167 – Michigan – Sophomore
    Bobby Dalbec – UTIL – 6’4 219 – Arizona – Freshman
    Korey Dunbar – C – 6’0 215 – North Carolina – Sophomore
    David Fletcher – SS – 6’1 175 – Loyola Marymount – Freshman
    Devin Pearson – OF – 5’11 192 – California – Sophomore
    Johnny Sewald – OF – 6’0 160 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Christin Stewart – OF – 6’0 205 – Tennessee – Sophomore
    Dansby Swanson – 2B/SS – 6’0 190 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    David Thompson – 3B/1B – 6’2 207 – Miami – Sophomore
    Mitchell Tolman – 1B/3B – 6’0 190 – Oregon – Sophomore

     

    Jacob Cronenworth – INF/RHP – 6’1 167
    Michigan
    Sophomore

    Cronenworth is listed as just an infielder on the Orleans roster, but at Michigan, he’s been a dynamic two-way player. A second-team all-conference pick as a freshman, Cronenworth has 10 saves this year to go with a 1.61 ERA. At the plate, he’s hitting .264 with two homers.

    Bobby Dalbec – UTIL – 6’4 219
    Arizona
    Freshman

    Projected as one of the best freshmen in the country, Dalbec has done it all for the Wildcats in his first year in Tucson. As one of the team’s busiest relievers, he leads the Wildcats in ERA at 1.94 and has saved two games. As a regular in the everyday lineup, he’s hitting .266 with two homers and 27 RBI.

    Korey Dunbar – C – 6’0 215
    North Carolina
    Sophomore

    A 39th-round pick out of high school, Dunbar hit under .200 in part-time action last year. He’s played nearly every day this season and is hitting .232 with three home runs. Last summer, Dunbar shined in the Coastal Plain League, where he was named the circuit’s third-best prospect by Perfect Game.

    David Fletcher – SS – 6’1 175
    Loyola Marymount
    Freshman

    Fletcher went undrafted out of high school but got a shot to play in the Alaska League and earned the league’s official top prospect award. He ranked fifth on Perfect Game’s list, with glowing scouting reports about his defense at shortstop and the part he played in helping his Goldpanners to the league championship. As a freshman at the collegiate level this year, Fletcher is continuing to shine, hitting .323 with 13 stolen bases.

    Devin Pearson – OF – 5’11 192
    California
    Sophomore

    A football and baseball star in high school, Pearson hit over .300 as a freshman for the Bears. He has struggled this year to a a.178 average.

    Johnny Sewald – OF – 6’0 160
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    A product of Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman, Sewald saw spot duty last year but has become a solid contributor this spring. He’s hitting .305 and has stolen 12 bases in 16 tries. He’s also getting on base at a .425 clip.

    Christin Stewart – OF – 6’0 205
    Tennessee
    Sophomore

    The Firebirds’ Alaska contingent could be headed by Stewart, who was named the league’s top prospect by Perfect Game. Playing for the Mat-Su Miners, Stewart hit five home runs and led the league in slugging. Stewart was a prolific home run hitter in high school and the power has played this spring too. Stewart is slashing .341/.396/.561 with five homers, 18 doubles and six triples.

    Dansby Swanson – 2B/SS – 6’0 190
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    Swanson was a 38th-round pick out of high school but his freshman season in Nashville was limited to 11 games because of an injury. This season, the sophomore infielder has made up for lost time. He leads the Commodores in hitting at .342, OBP at .421 and slugging at .497. He’s hit three home runs and driven in 27. He’s among the top 10 hitters in the SEC.

    David Thompson – 3B/1B – 6’2 207
    Miami
    Sophomore

    A 38th-round pick out of high school, Thompson hit .286 with six homers last year on his way to Freshman All-America honors. He’s been limited to 19 games this season but is hitting .328 with five doubles.

    Mitchell Tolman – 1B/3B – 6’0 190
    Oregon
    Sophomore

    Another Freshman All-American, Tolman hit .315 in his first season with the Ducks and has been even better this season. The infielder is hitting .322 with a .453 on-base percentage, 20 extra-base hits and a team-high 45 RBI.