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Be Like Mitch

Mitchell Jordan tossed six shutout innings to improve to 5-0.
Mitchell Jordan tossed six shutout innings to improve to 5-0.

 
News flash: Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) allowed an extra-base hit Saturday night.

But it was a return to originally-scheduled programming soon after.

Jordan continued his absolutely dominant summer with six more shutout innings as Orleans beat Brewster 2-0. Jordan – six starts and 33 innings into his Cape League career – still has a 0.00 ERA.

Brewster’s Ryan Peurifoy (Georgia Tech) doubled in the third inning for the first extra-base hit allowed by Jordan this summer. It put runners on second and third, an earned run just 90 feet away. Jordan responded by striking out Brewster’s best hitter, Nick Senzel (Tennessee) to end the inning. He didn’t allow another hit, finishing with six innings of two-hit baseball, to go with nine strikeouts.

This is the time of year back in 2012 that Sean Manaea – who will be the measuring stick for Cape League aces for a long time – started to fully cement an incredible summer, with dominant start after dominant start. Jordan isn’t quite on the same strikeout pace as the former Hyannis star, but as RFF commenter Orville suggested, his overall performance is looking downright Manaean. This is not simply a great beginning or a hot streak – Jordan is having a tremendous summer.

Jordan leads the league in wins with five, strikeouts with 40 and ERA at 0.00. He has given up 11 hits the entire summer, for an opponents batting average of .104. He has gone at least five innings in every start and hasn’t surrendered more than three hits in any of them. He was won five consecutive starts after a no-decision in his summer debut.

Saturday’s win also came at an important time for the Firebirds, who had lost two in a row. They scratched a run across in the first on an error and added one in the ninth on a Willie Abreu (Miami) sacrifice fly.

Two runs were plenty. Brewster’s J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount) had a strong start as well, giving up one run in six innings. But as has been the case all summer, it wasn’t good enough to keep up with Mitchell Jordan.
 

Y-D 8, Chatham 1

Gio Brusa (Pacific) hit two home runs and drove in five, and Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) picked up his fifth win as Y-D stopped Chatham’s four-game winning streak. Brusa, who got off to a slow start in his second summer on the Cape, now has a hit in nine straight games and is batting .286 with four home runs. He hit a three-run shot in the third inning Saturday and added a solo shot in the fifth. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State), Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) and Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) each chipped in two hits, and Y-D scored five earned runs off Zac Gallen (North Carolina), who came in with a 0.00 ERA in three starts. Thomas allowed one run in 5.2 innings for his fifth win in as many tries. With the win, Y-D moved one point ahead of Harwich for fourth place in the East.
 

Bourne 4, Hyannis 1

The Braves have moved into second place in the West, and though they’re still six points back of division leader Hyannis, they’re also 3-0 against the Harbor Hawks after Saturday’s win. Bourne was shut-out for six innings but scored three in the seventh and one in the ninth. Nick Solak (Louisville) and Pete Alonso (Florida) each had two hits and an RBI. Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) also had two hits. Cody Sedlock (Illinois) allowed one run in 5.2 innings of work. Doug Norman (LSU) got the win in relief and Austin Conway (Indiana State) tallied his sixth save. For Hyannis, ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) righted the ship after a tough outing in his last start, going 5.2 scoreless innings.
 

Wareham 2, Cotuit 1

Evan Hill (Michigan) turned in his third great start, going six innings with one unearned run as Wareham edged Cotuit 2-1. Hill, a 6-5 lefty, has now had three starts in which he’s gone at least five innings without giving up an earned run. He also struck out seven on Saturday and gave up only one hit. Ian Hamilton (Washington State) took the baton in the seventh and tossed three scoreless innings to finish off the win. The Wareham offense was sparked by Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara), who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, who has delivered two hits in three straight games.
 

Falmouth 4, Harwich 1

Austin Tribby (Missouri) went six strong innings and the Falmouth offense smacked four doubles in a 4-1 victory over Harwich. Tribby scattered six hits and gave up one run in six innings for the win. Cobi Johnson (Florida State) got the save. Michael Tinsley (Kansas) went 3-for-4 while Heath Quinn (Samford) was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
 

What to Watch

Division leaders Orleans and Hyannis will meet for the third time, this one at Eldredge Park. They have split their first two meetings.
 

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Falmouth rebuilds after title trip

Falmouth 15

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

FIVE TO WATCH

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

NOTABLE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    PITCHERS

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

    CATCHERS

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

    INFIELDERS

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

    OUTFIELDERS

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