A sweep and a Classic

Corey Bird, pictured earlier in the playoffs, knocked in the go-ahead runs as Hyannis punched its ticket to the championship.

Hyannis has had some very good teams in the last few years, winning or sharing the regular season division title in 2011, 2013 and this year. But for all that success, playoff runs proved elusive. In 2015, the Harbor Hawks have broken through. They’ll play for the Cape League title for the first time since 2000 thanks to a 4-2 victory last night that clinched a sweep of Bourne.

The Harbor Hawks’ berth means we’re halfway to another first in a while — two No. 1 seeds meeting in the finals. It hasn’t happened since 2005. But it didn’t happen last night, either. No. 1 Orleans and No. 3 Y-D staged a 13-inning thriller in game two of their East division finals, and the Red Sox prevailed 2-1 to force game three.

Hyannis 4, Bourne 2

The Harbor Hawks had barely been challenged in starting the playoffs 3-for-3. Friday, that changed. Behind a strong performance from starter Alex Robles (Austin Peay), the Braves carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the ninth inning at Doran Park, three outs from forcing a third game.

With Austin Conway (Indiana State) on the hill, that seemed a foregone conclusion. The Cape League’s co-relief pitcher of the year saved 10 games this summer and did not allow an earned run. The only unearned run he surrendered came in his first appearance of the summer. Conway has also saved three games against Hyannis.

Friday, Conway came on in the eighth to protect the slim lead. It was business as usual with a scoreless frame.

But in the ninth, Hyannis found some magic.

Blake Tiberi (Louisville) walked, Matt Thaiss (Virginia) singled and Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) continued his red-hot postseason with an RBI single that tied the game. Conway was on the verge of keeping things tied, getting Corey Bird (Marshall) down 0-2 with two outs, but Bird then ripped a triple to score two more runs.

It’s about as stunning a rally as I can remember in the Cape League playoffs.

Aaron Civale (Northeastern) made it stand up with a scoreless bottom of the ninth and the Harbor Hawks were on to the championship.

It’s their first appearance there since 2000, and they lost on that trip. Hyannis hasn’t won the Cape League title since 1991.

A rally like Friday’s makes you think something special might happen this year.

Y-D 2, Orleans 1

The Red Sox scored a run on an error in the fourth inning. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) tied it for Orleans with a solo home run in the seventh. The teams would play six more scoreless innings before a wild pitch brought in the winning run in the bottom of the 13th.

Orleans, with the league’s best record since 2007, is headed to a game three for the second straight series.

Y-D had lost 4-0 in game one and didn’t have a ton more offense Friday, but capitalized on Firebirds miscues. A double by Dallas Carroll (Utah) set up the run-scoring error in the fourth.

Orleans starter Tanner Tully (Ohio State) was otherwise dominant, giving up nothing else in six innings. Y-D starter Cory Malcolm (Arkansas Little Rock) was just as good, with Lewis’s home run is only blemish. Interestingly, Tully and Malcolm both attended Elkhart Central High School in Indiana.

Though the next two pitchers had no such connection, they matched each other, too. Chandler Blanchard (Pepperdine) pitched six innings of no-hit, shutout ball, with six strikeouts. Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt) allowed two hits in five shutout innings for Y-D.

It all came down to the 13th, when Y-D loaded the bases against reliever Jared Carkuff (Austin Peay) on two singles and a walk. After a force-out at home for the second out, the Red Sox had Mike Donadio (St. John’s) at the plate. He was down in the count 0-2, when the wild pitch allowed Gio Brusa (Pacific) to race home.

Just like that, the Red Sox were alive.

The teams will return to Eldredge Park tonight at 7 p.m. for game three.

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015

Going Three

Parker Dunshee tossed six shutout innings as Chatham edged Orleans.

Three of the four opening-round playoff series ended in sweeps Tuesday. The one that’s going to three games is not the one you’d expect.

The fourth-seeded Chatham Anglers, who lost seven of their final eight regular-season games and dropped Monday’s opener, knocked off top-seeded Orleans 1-0 Tuesday night to push their East Division semifinal series to a decisive third game.

The Firebirds, with the best record in the league, had been shut out only once all season, in a 5-0 loss to Y-D on July 10. But Chatham’s Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) and two of his teammates made it two shutouts, right when it counted the most.

Dunshee was as dominant as anybody has been all year against the powerful Firebirds. He allowed two hits, both singles, and struck out eight in six shutout innings. The right-hander was working on an eight-inning scoreless streak heading into the game, but six innings of two-hit baseball against these Firebirds represented a jump to a whole new level. He took a no-hitter into the fifth before Orleans notched a pair of singles, one that didn’t leave the infield.

Brandon Miller (Millersville) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) picked up where Dunshee left off, combining on three perfect innings to finish off the win.

Orleans starter Eric Lauer (Kent State) was almost as good as Dunshee, striking out nine and giving up four hits in five innings. But Chatham’s fourth-inning tally proved to be enough. Dunshee’s Wake Forest teammate Joey Rodriguez, a mid-season addition who hit just .105 in nine regular-season games, delivered the run-scoring hit. Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine), who had led off the inning with a base hit, scored the run.

The Firebirds never really threatened. The fifth-inning singles were their only hits, and Dunshee had no trouble escaping the mini-jam.

Orleans had won five straight, looking the part of the favorite. Thanks to Chatham and Parker Dunshee, the favorite quickly finds itself in a must-win game.

Y-D 7, Brewster 3

Y-D’s come-from-behind win in game one put Brewster in a tough spot, and not just because the Whitecaps faced elimination. They would also be facing Red Sox ace Ricky Thomas (Fresno State), who has quite literally been unbeatable this year. It proved to be just as tough as expected. Thomas was right on script, tossing six shutout innings with seven strikeouts as the Red Sox eliminated Brewster with a 7-3 victory. Thomas is now 8-0 on the summer. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) homered to lead the Y-D attack, while Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) chipped in two hits each. Y-D and Brewster both had 11 hits, but the Whitecaps were shut-out for seven innings and could muster only three runs in the eighth as they attempted a comeback. Jack Meggs (Washington) went 3-for-4 to lead Brewster. MVP Nick Senzel – Brewster’s leading hitter and run producer – missed the game with a wrist injury. The loss brings to an end a terrific season for Brewster and first-year manager Jamie Shevchik. The defending champion Red Sox move on.

Hyannis 9, Cotuit 5

Hyannis is now 8-0 against Cotuit this season, and the Kettleers won’t get another chance to change that, as the Harbor Hawks’ victory Tuesday sent them home. The West’s top seed started fast for a second straight night, scoring seven runs in the first three innings after getting six Monday. Ryne Birk (Texas A&M), who had one home run in the regular season, hit his second of the playoffs to make it a 3-0 game in the second inning. No. 9 hitter Tristan Hildebrandt (Cal State Fullerton) went 4-for-5 and knocked in three runs. Corey Bird (Marshall) went 2-for-5 and scored twice. Armed with the early lead, Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) allowed two runs in five innings for the win. Cotuit made some headway against the bullpen but would get no closer than the final four-run margin. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) was a bright spot for Cotuit in the loss, going 4-for-5 with two RBI. The loss sent Cotuit to its first opening-round exit since 2012. The Kettleers were league champs in 2013 and West finalists last year.

Bourne 4, Wareham 0

After a 7-1 victory in game one, Bourne pitching was even better in game two, as the Braves shut-out Wareham and punched its ticket to the West finals. Keegan Akin (Western Michigan) went 4.2 innings and struck out four ahead of a dominant relief outing from Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers), who struck out six in 3.1 innings. Austin Conway (Indiana State) pitched a perfect ninth. The co-winner of the league’s top reliever award still hasn’t allowed an earned run this summer. The Bourne offense backed the strong mound work with three runs in the top of the first inning, all on a home run by C.J. Chatham (Florida Atlantic). Wareham starter Brett Hanewich (Stanford) settled in from there, but the damage was done. Chatham added an RBI single in the eighth as the Braves cruised to the victory.

What to Watch

With only one first-round series headed to a third game, everybody gets a day off Wednesday except for the Anglers and Firebirds. Game three of their set is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Eldredge Park. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was listed as the game three probable for Orleans after the series opener. Ty Damron (Texas Tech) was listed as the Chatham starter.

July 29, 2015July 29, 2015

Chasing a Title

Andrew Calica is hitting .426 and should soon qualify for the batting title.

Yesterday’s games were the start of a mad dash to the finish in the Cape League, where there won’t be a day off until it’s all over. There’s much to be decided in the standings — and one very interesting race to be decided on league leaderboards.

Wareham’s Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) went 2-for-6 in the Gatemen’s 12-inning, 4-4 tie with Harwich last night. The lefty-swinging outfielder is now batting .426. He has 17 hits in his last seven games. Assuming he stays hot, he looks like the favorite to win the batting title . . . as long as he gets enough plate appearances.

Calica arrived in Wareham two weeks into the season, and though he has been red-hot since the day he stepped foot on the Cape, he has yet to make an official appearance in the race for the league’s batting title. Players need a minimum of 2.7 plate appearances per team game, and Calica has yet to reach that threshold.

But it’s a number he’s steadily catching up to, and if he stays hot over the final week of the season, he could win the batting title and become the first Cape Leaguer to hit .400 since Mark Smith did it for Wareham in 1990.

Calculating plate appearances requires a bit of math (ABs + BBs + HBP + Sacrifices), so feel free to check me on this, but I’ve got Calica for 105 plate appearances as of last night (94 ABs + 6 BBs + 3 HBP + 2 Sacrifices). To qualify right now, through 39 team games, he would need 105.3 plate appearances, so he’s almost there.

If he gets three plate appearances tomorrow – a pretty good bet – he’ll be right on the number of 108 through 40 games. The end-of-season number needs to be 118.8. So Calica needs 14 plate appearances over his final five games to get above that mark.

As for the quest for .400, Calica has as good a chance as anybody I can remember. He’s averaging about 3.6 at-bats per game, which would give him 18 more at-bats this season. If he gets five hits in that span, he’ll finish at .402.

Calica’s performance Tuesday helped Wareham grab a point in the standings with the tie against Harwich. Mark Karaviotis (Oregon) and Connor Beck (TCU) also chipped in two hits, while Andrew Knizner (NC State) homered. The Gatemen trailed 4-3 in the top of the ninth but forced extras on Knizner’s home run.

Harwich got two hits and two RBI from Connor Justus (Georgia Tech). Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to keep the game tied in extras. The Mariners are 17-20-2 and the point they picked up with the tie moves them just two points out of a playoff spot.

Wareham is now 15-22-2 and is tied with Cotuit for third place in the West.

The Gatemen have yet to clinch a playoff spot, so they’ll be pushing hard over the season’s final week. Calica will be leading the charge.

Bourne 5, Y-D 3 (10 innings)

The Harwich-Wareham game was one of three extra-innings affairs on a wild night around the league. With a 10-inning victory over Y-D, Bourne clinched a playoff spot. The Braves are 19-18-2 and have won four in a row. Y-D tied last night’s game with two runs in the seventh inning, but as darkness closed in at Red Wilson Field, Bourne pushed two runs across in the 10th on consecutive bases-loaded walks to Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) and Corey Julks (Houston). Austin Conway (Indiana State) then worked a perfect bottom of the 10th for his league-leading ninth save. Conway still hasn’t allowed an earned run all summer. Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) chipped in a home run for Bourne.

Orleans 6, Brewster 6 (12 innings)

Orleans was on the brink of clinching the outright East Division title, but second-place Brewster touched up the bullpen for four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to force extras. The teams went on to play three more innings before the game was called in a tie. Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) allowed one unearned run in five innings, putting his season ERA at 0.21. The Firebirds staked themselves to a lead, as well, scoring all six of their runs in the first four innings. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit his 10th home run and drove in three, while Daniel Pinero (Virginia) had two RBI. Brewster came to life in the eighth with a Nick Senzel (Tennessee) RBI single, a two-run triple by J.C. Escarra (Florida International) and an RBI groundout by Cassidy Brown (Loyola Marymount). Trailing by one in the ninth, Escarra plated the tying run with a base hit. Eder Erives (Arizona State) came out of the bullpen after that and slammed the door, pitching the final 3.1 innings, but the damage had been done. Had Orleans beaten Brewster, the teams would have been 12 points apart in the standings with five games left. As it is, they’re 10 points apart, which means there’s still a slim chance they could finish tied if Brewster wins its last five and Orleans loses all five.

Cotuit 6, Falmouth 1

The Kettleers won their third straight and gained a little more distance on the fading Commodores in the West Division race. Cotuit broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the sixth inning. Spencer Gaa (Bradley) and Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt) knocked in runs ahead of a two-run single by Will Haynie (Alabama), who finished with three RBI on the day. The rally made a winner out of Nick Lewis (Baylor), who tossed four scoreless innings of relief, striking out three and giving up no hits. Matthew Milburn (Wofford) had given Cotuit a solid start, allowing one run in five innings. Gaa, Kendall, Haynie and Branden Berry (Cal State Northridge) each had two hits to power the Cotuit offense. The Kettleers are now 16-23 and tied with Wareham for third place in the West. Falmouth, which has lost six in a row, is five points back Cotuit and Wareham.

Hyannis 4, Chatham 3

Even with Bourne surging, Hyannis still has a three-point edge at the top of the West thanks to a narrow victory over Chatham at Veterans Field last night. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) went 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the way, while Austin Hays (Jacksonville) had two hits and two RBI. Corey Bird (Marshall) scored two runs. Blake Quinn (Cal State Fullerton) allowed one earned run in five innings for the win. Aaron Civale (Northeastern) struck out five of the nine batters he faced in the two-inning save.

What to Watch

Orleans and Brewster will meet for the second straight night. League strikeout leader Eric Lauer (Kent State) goes for the Firebirds against Tyson Miller (California Baptist), who has a 2.11 ERA for the Whitecaps.

July 27, 2015July 27, 2015

Riding the Wave

Jack Meggs knocked in the go-ahead run in the 10th as Brewster beat Falmouth Sunday.

Apologies for the unannounced hiatus. The Right Field Fog extended family was together on Cape Cod, which was wonderful in general but bad for blogging. Back in business today.

Division leaders Orleans and Hyannis have already clinched playoff spots. All of a sudden, Brewster is looking like the team that’s next in line.

The Whitecaps edged Brewster 4-3 in 10 innings Sunday for their fourth consecutive win. At 22-16, they’ve taken over second place in the East and currently own the league’s second-best record.

The last three wins in the four-game streak have come by one run. With a team that’s great at the plate but a little more up-and-down on the mound, the assumption when they get hot is that the pitching is coming around. That’s not entirely true for Brewster, who has allowed 15 runs in its latest win streak.

The relentless, top-to-bottom offense just keeps pounding away. The Whitecaps are not among the league leaders in extra-base hits – despite leading in hits and batting average – but their ability to knock single after single has been good enough for a lot of wins.

Sunday, the Whitecaps did get a strong pitching performance, as J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount) gave up two runs in six innings. But again, it was the offense that came through. After Falmouth tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, Brewster scored one in the top of the 10th and went on to the win.

Leadoff man Colin Lyman (Louisville) started the 10th with a single and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second. With two outs, Jack Meggs (Washington) singled to bring him home.

Trent Paddon (Oregon) worked around two hits in the bottom of the 10th to seal the win.

Meggs and Toby Handley (Stony Brook) finished with two hits each to lead the Brewster offense.

Bourne 9, Wareham 1

The Braves pushed their win streak to three with a blowout of Wareham. Nick Solak (Louisville) and Mike Garzillo (Lehigh) both had three hits and three RBI and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) homered. Bourne scored all its runs in two innings, with four in the fourth and five in the sixth. On the mound, Cody Sedlock (Illinois) allowed one run in six innings for the win. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and the recently signed Daniel Jagiello (Long Island) tossed a scoreless frame in his Bourne debut. Bourne is now 18-18-2. Wareham has lost three in a row and is 15-22-1.

Hyannis 5, Y-D 1

With Bourne making its run, Hyannis kept the Braves at arm’s length with a victory over Y-D, which maintains the team’s three-point cushion in the West. Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) was back to his dominant self after a rough outing in his last start. He struck out seven and allowed one run in eight innings for the win. Jake Rogers (Tulane) homered while Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) had three hits to pace a 12-hit attack. Rogers, a terrific defensive catcher, was hitting .175 just two weeks ago but has gone 10-for-22 since to up his average to .274. Corey Bird (Marshall) and Blake Tiberi (Louisville) chipped in two hits each.

Harwich 8, Chatham 3

The Mariners hit three home runs and got solid showings from three pitchers to beat Chatham 8-3. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) went deep twice while his Georgia Tech teammate Connor Justus had a home run and four RBI. Preston Palmeiro (NC State) added a hit and scored two runs. Jake Fraley (LSU) homered for Chatham and Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) had three hits, but the Anglers couldn’t get much else going. Scott Tully (Notre Dame) allowed two runs in six innings for the win. Harwich is now 17-20-1 and three points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the East.

Cotuit 4, Orleans 2

Cotuit allowed Orleans just one extra-base hit and continued its run toward a playoff spot with a victory over the league-leading Firebirds. The Kettleers have won two straight and hold a three-point lead on Falmouth for fourth place in the West. Daniel Brown (Mississippi State) had his best performance of the summer in quieting the Orleans bats. Brown struck out six and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of work. Jack Anderson (Penn State) and Justin Dunn (Boston College) finished off the win. The Cotuit offense steadily pushed in front with single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Brody Weiss (Riverside CC), Spencer Gaa (Bradley), Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt) and Will Haynie (Alabama) each drove in a run, with Kendall and Haynie both hitting solo home runs. Haynie now has seven home runs on the year.

What to Watch

It’s a league-wide off day today. When teams return to the fields Tuesday, there will be an interesting match-up in Orleans, where the first-place Firebirds will host surging Brewster. Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) is slated to start for Orleans as he looks to go 7-0.

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015

Second time’s a charm

Nick Deeg, Hyannis, Cape Cod Baseball League

Nick Deeg‘s first Cape Cod Baseball League outing with Hyannis was almost exactly one year ago. The Central Michigan rising junior faced Cotuit and gave up four runs in seven innings.

In a nice bit of symmetry that perfectly reflects the kind of summer Deeg is poised for this year, his first start of 2015 came Wednesday, against Cotuit. This time, the big lefty went eight shutout innings in a 5-0 win for the Harbor Hawks.

It could be a sign of things to come.

Deeg was solid in his first summer on the Cape, putting up a 3.89 ERA while pitching mostly as a starter. It was a season much like his first with Central Michigan, in which he 5-4 with a 4.08 ERA. This past spring, he took the leap with the Chippewas, going 8-5 with a 3.11 ERA, and appears primed for a leap with the Harbor Hawks, too.

Last year, he didn’t strike out more than five batters in any outing. Last night, he struck out eight. Deeg didn’t allow a hit in the first three innings and ended up giving up just two – both singles – in his seven innings of work. HIs performance was probably the best start of the young Cape League season.

Deeg was backed by home runs from Colby Bortles (Ole Miss) and Jake Rogers (Tulane). Corey Bird (Marshall) and Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) added RBI. The Harbor Hawks have put up 21 hits in their first two games, best in the league.

The win moves the Harbor Hawks to 2-0. And Deeg’s performance means they may have found an ace.

Brewster 6, Orleans 4

The Whitecaps won their season opener last year then lost their next game by a 10-0 score. The start’s been better this year, as Brewster is 2-0 and leads the league in runs scored so far. Robbie Tenerowicz (California) went 2-for-4 with a home run to lead the attack Wednesday while Ryan Peurifoy (Georgia Tech) had two RBI. Hunter Martin (Tennessee) started on the hill and went five solid innings before a good effort by the Whitecap bullpen. Pat Ruotolo (Connecticut), who had three saves for Brewster last summer, struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his first of this summer. Orleans got a home run from Kyle Lewis, a late addition to their roster who had an absolutely enormous spring for Mercer, hitting .367 with 17 homers and 19 doubles on his way to Southern Conference Player of the Year honors. He’s a rising junior.

Chatham 3, Bourne 2

Chatham is also 2-0 thanks to a narrow win over the Braves. The Anglers scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie then got a scoreless bottom half from C.J. Burdick (San Diego). Jim McDade (Millersville) had the win in relief. Zack Short (Sacred Heart) and Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) had two hits and an RBI each, while ACC Player of the Year Will Craig (Wake Forest) had his first two Cape League hits after an 0-for-3 on opening night. Bourne, which fell to 0-2, got five shutout innings from Andrew Ravel (Kent State).

Wareham 10, Falmouth 1

Duke’s Bailey Clark faced just three over the minimum in a strong start and the Gatemen pounded their way to a 10-1 win over Falmouth. Tanner Kirk (Wichita State) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored at the top of the lineup. Mandy Alvarez (Eastern Kentucky) had two RBI. The Gatemen moved to 1-1 while Falmouth fell to 0-2.

Harwich 4, Y-D 2

The defending champs are 0-2 after a 4-2 loss to Harwich Wednesday. The Mariners picked up a pair of RBI from Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Drew Ellis (The Citadel) chipped in an RBI single. Geoff Bramblett (Alabama) gave up one run and struck out six in six innings of work. Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) picked up the save. Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) homered for the Red Sox.

What to Watch

It’s a (very) early battle for first place in the East as Chatham visits Brewster for a 5 p.m. game at Stony Brook Field. Gabe Friese, a solid starter with Kennesaw State this year, is slated to start for the Anglers. Brandon Gold, a standout for Georgia Tech, is the projected starter for the Whitecaps.

June 8, 2015June 9, 2015

Veteran hitters lead Harbor Hawks

Hyannis had the second-worst team batting average in the league last year but held its own and grabbed a playoff spot in the West. The offense looks ready to have a much better showing this year, with a host of sophomores coming off strong seasons. The Harbor Hawks should also be closer to a finished product in the early part of the season than many of their counterparts.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Matt Thaiss
2. Nicholas Pappas
3. Nick Deeg
4. Ryne Birk
5. JaVon Shelby

NOTABLE

With only one player headed to Omaha, Hyannis should be ahead of the curve in the early part of the season, compared with a lot of Cape League clubs.

That one player is a big one, though. Virginia’s Matt Thaiss has been one of the ACC’s best hitters and leads the team with 60 RBI.

College relievers dominate the Hyannis staff and several have had big success. Nolan Blackwood of Memphis heads the list. He gave up two runs the whole season while closing 14 games.

Returning Harbor Hawk Nick Deeg looks like the top incoming starter. The sophomore lefty stand 6-foot-5 and had a solid summer last year. Look for him to build on it this season.

Catchers Arden Pabst and Jake Rogers have yet to put it all together at the plate, but both are strong defenders. Rogers, of Tulane, led the nation in runners caught stealing this season.

College of Charleston’s Nicholas Pappas was an extra-base machine this year, with 12 homers and 28 doubles.

Kentucky’s JaVon Shelby was near the SEC lead with nine home runs.

Two incoming Hawks – Ryne Birk of Texas A&M and David Martinelli of Dallas Baptist – both hit 10 home runs this spring.

Ben DeLuzio hit under .200 with Hyannis last year, but this is a guy who was a third-round pick out of high school. Set to return, he’ll be poised for improvement.

Ole Miss infielder Colby Bortles is the younger brother of Blake Bortles, the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

PITCHERS

Nolan Blackwood – SO – Memphis – Dominant closer this season saved 14 games and allowed two runs all year
Thomas Burrows – SO – Alabama – Standout reliever for two years running owns 18 career saves, had 3.22 ERA this year
Nick Deeg – SO – Central Michigan – Had 3.89 ERA for Hyannis last summer, posted 3.11 ERA in sophomore season with Chippewas
Zach Girrens – SO – Saint Louis – Bumped to weekend rotation this year and went 7-1 with 4.20 ERA, team-best 75 strikeouts
Ryan Hendrix – SO – Texas A&M – 17th-round pick in 2013 saved five games this year and struck out 64 in 54.1 innings
Dakota Hudson – SO – Mississippi State – Has had success in two seasons in Bulldog pen, posting 4.32 ERA in 17 appearances this year
Chris McGrath – FR – Duke – Made 11 appearances as a freshman, put up 3.48 ERA with 20 Ks in 20.2 IP
Logan Salow – SO – Kentucky – Lefty has pitched mostly in relief for Wildcats, delivered 27 strikeouts this year with 5.32 ERA
Marc Skinner – SO – Troy – Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2014, had 4.46 ERA with two saves this year
Devin Smeltzer – SO – Florida Gulf Coast – Struck out 41 while starting and relieving, with ERA of 6.19
Vance Tatum – SO – Mississippi State – Struck out 42 in swing role but had ERA over five this spring
James Teague – SO – Arkansas – After limited duty as freshman, went 6-4 with 3.36 ERA in swing role this season

CATCHERS

Arden Pabst – SO – Georgia Tech – Scuffled to .138 average in 28 games with Hyannis last year, batted .235 for Tech this year
Jake Rogers – SO – Tulane – Standout defensive catcher led NCAA in runners caught stealing this season, while batting .227
Matt Thaiss – SO – Virginia – Former late-round pick of Red Sox, having enormous year for Cavs, .332 AVG, 9 HR, 60 RBI

INFIELDERS

Ryne Birk – SO – Texas A&M – Started all but two games for Aggies and hit .280 with team-high 10 home runs
Colby Bortles – SO – Ole Miss – Brother of NFL QB Blake, hit .281 with seven homers in solid sophomore season
Nicholas Pappas – SO – College of Charleston – Freshman All-American in 2014 had no sophomore slump: .337, 12 HR, 42 XBH
Errol Robinson – SO – Ole Miss – Opening day starter at shortstop last year, continued to hit well this year .297 average, 1 HR
JaVon Shelby – SO – Kentucky – Emerged as UK’s most dangerous hitter, batting .312 with team-highs of 9 homers and 44 RBI
Blake Tiberi – SO – Louisville – NECBL all-star last year hit .261 with four homers for Cardinals this season

OUTFIELDERS

Corey Bird – FR – Marshall – Led team in hitting as a freshman and was second this year with .309 average, 1 HR, 9 SB
Ben DeLuzio – SO – Florida State – Former 3rd-rounder had freshman struggles on Cape last year, hit .241 this spring with 14 SB
Austin Hays – SO – Jacksonville – JUCO transfer hit .271 with three homers in first year with Dolphins
David Martinelli – SO – Dallas Baptist – Burst onto the scene for emerging powerhouse DBU with .267 average, 10 homers