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Kettleers Defending Another Title

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I’ve been doing these early look team preview stories since the early years of Right Field Fog. I enjoy doing them because it gives me a foundation of information about incoming players, but there’s always an understanding that things will change.

I don’t if there’s ever been a team that had more things change, with better results, than the 2013 Cotuit Kettleers.

More than half of the players in their early look were not in Cotuit uniforms as the Kettleers celebrated the Cape Cod League Championship. And still, they won it. It was a testament to their ability to put a team together, almost day-by-day.

As the 2014 season approaches, the Kettleers start with a group that has some returning players like Drew Jackson and Rhett Wiseman, plus the usual talented newcomers like Sam Tewes, Tres Barrera and Jameson Fisher.

How will it work out? You never know for any team in any year, but that seems especially true after what Cotuit did last year. But whether this core ends up carrying the team all summer or 15 other guys swoop in, it’s safe bet that the Kettleers will be contending come August.

 

THE SKINNY

Manager: Mike Roberts
Last Year: 25-18-1; Won CCBL Championship
Returning Players: 4
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 17
Freshmen: 5

 

NOTABLE

  • The returning players are a good start in maintaining the identity of that gritty, tough-minded Kettleers team from last year. Drew Jackson was a big part of it and so was Rhett Wiseman. Garrett Stubbs and Max Schrock spent less time in Cotuit but still had a taste of it, with Stubbs as one of the poster boys for the late-season adjustments. He was in town for two regular season games then hit over .400 in the playoffs.

  • Both Jackson and Wiseman have run into sophomore slumps this year. Both had very good summers a year ago, and will be trying to recapture that form. Wiseman, in particular, remains a must-see for scouts.

  • Cotuit’s closer last year was Vanderbilt’s Brian Miller, and another Commodore will likely slide right in. Sophomore Carson Fulmer, who actually has more saves for Vandy than Miller this season, is ticketed for Cotuit. He’s saved nine games so far, averaging better than a strikeout an inning.

  • Wofford sophomore Luke Leftwich hasn’t put up the best college numbers but he had a good summer in the Valley League last year, and he has bloodlines working in his favor. HIs father Phil was a Major League pitcher, as was his grandfather Tom Timmerman.

  • Pepperdine consistently sends solid pitchers to Cape Cod, year after year. Jordan McClelland looks to be next in line. He has an ERA under four in the Waves’ starting rotation.

  • Cotuit had a great bullpen last year, and the early roster indicates more of the same in 2014. It also appears the Kettleers are trying to make sure the likely relievers on the roster fit together well – both Travis Duke and A.J. Minter have been used at times as lefty specialists this spring.

  • Southeast Louisiana sophomore Jameson Fisher could very well end up as the incoming CCBL player with the highest spring batting average. The catcher/infielder leads the Southland with a .382 mark.

  • In Fisher, Stubbs, Tres Barrera and Will Haynie, the Kettleers have four players who can catch. Barrera has some of the top behind-the-plate credentials. It’s not every day that a freshman gets a chance to start at catcher for the University of Texas. He’s not there everyday, often DH’ing, but getting there at all is pretty good.

  • If you look at Adam Parks’s collegiate numbers at Liberty, you might wonder why he’s getting a chance to play in the Cape League. But, two years removed from Tommy John surgery, he flashed big velocity in the Valley League last summer. And with one game, he made a name for himself. Parks threw a perfect game in June.

  • As a 22nd-round pick who stands 6-foot-5 with a thin frame, Wichita State freshman Sam Tewes has the projection scouts like. Production doesn’t always follow immediately, but it has for Tewes. He didn’t allow a hit in 4-plus innings in his first collegiate start and sports a 3.15 ERA in the Shockers’ weekend rotation.

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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Rhett Wiseman
    2. Jameson Fisher
    3. Sam Tewes
    4. Max Schrock
    5. Tres Barrera

     

    PITCHERS

    Travis Duke – LHP – 6’3 210 – Texas – Sophomore
    Nick Eicholtz – RHP – 6’4 180 – Alabama – Freshman
    Carson Fulmer – RHP – 5’11 190 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    Spencer Henderson – LHP/1B – 6’3 215 – UC Davis – Sophomore
    Logan James – LHP – 5’11 185 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Luke Leftwich – RHP – 6’3 200 – Wofford – Sophomore
    Jackson McClelland – RHP – 6’5 220 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
    A.J. Minter – LHP – 6’0 200 – Texas A&M – Sophomore
    Adam Parks – RHP – 6’2 220 – Liberty – RS Sophomore
    Sam Tewes – RHP – 6’5 205 – Wichita State – Freshman
    Matthew Vogel – RHP – 6’2 185 – South Carolina – Freshman
    Trey Wingenter – RHP – 6’7 195 – Auburn – Sophomore

     

    Travis Duke – LHP – 6’3 210
    Texas
    Sophomore

    Duke emerged as a valuable bullpen arm in his first season in Austin last year, posting a 1.53 ERA. He’s out-done himself this year. In 21 appearances, Duke hasn’t allowed an earned run. He has struck out 16, walked four and given up only 12 hits in 18.1 innings.

    Nick Eicholtz – RHP – 6’4 180
    Alabama
    Freshman

    A 29th round pick out of high school last year, Eicholtz has had a solid debut season with the Crimson Tide. Pitching out of the bullpen and as a starter, Eicholtz has a 2.49 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 47 innings.

    Carson Fulmer – RHP – 5’11 190
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    Fulmer had a great freshman season as a reliever and has been even better this year. With a 1.17 ERA, nine saves and 54 strikeouts in 46 innings, Fulmer has even out-done his teammate Brian Miller, a former Cotuit closer.

    Spencer Henderson – LHP/1B – 6’3 215
    UC Davis
    Sophomore

    A two-way player, Henderson had good luck with the bat and struggled some on the mound in limited action during his freshman campaign. He’s flipped things around this year, hitting just .171 but posting a 3.77 ERA out of the bullpen. Henderson was a Perfect Game Collegiate League all-star and the 35th-ranked prospect in the league last summer.

    Logan James – LHP – 5’11 185
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    A left-handed reliever, James has posted higher ERA’s than he and the Cardinal would like in his first two seasons in Palo Alto. He had a 4.56 mark last year. This season, walks have been a problem and have sent his ERA climbing further to 5.14.

    Luke Leftwich – RHP – 6’3 200
    Wofford
    Sophomore

    Leftwich has given up a lot of hits and has a career ERA north of five, but he’s done one thing very well in two years at Wofford – he has struck people out. Leftwich was second on the team with 69 K’s last year. He already has 69 in 70 innings this season, with some games left to play. Perfect Game tabbed Leftwich as the ninth-best prospect in the Valley League last summer.

    Jackson McClelland – RHP – 6’5 220
    Pepperdine
    Sophomore

    McClelland pitched mostly out of the bullpen last year and shined for the Waves. After a strong summer in the Southern California Collegiate League, he’s been a steady performer in Pepperdine’s rotation this spring. In 11 starts, he has a 3.79 ERA with 36 strikeouts. McClelland was a 35th-round pick out of high school in 2012.

    A.J. Minter – LHP – 6’0 200
    Texas A&M
    Sophomore

    A 39th-round pick out of high school, Minter had an ERA over four last year but has emerged this season as a reliable bullpen arm in College Station. In 18 appearances, often pitching as a lefty specialist, Minter has a 1.84 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 14.2 innings.

    Adam Parks – RHP – 6’2 220
    Liberty
    RS Sophomore

    After a medical redshirt year in 2012 for Tommy John surgery, Parks hasn’t yet hit his stride for the Flames. He had an ERA over six last season and has seen it balloon to 9.39 in brief action this year. But in between those two seasons, Parks was tremendous in the Valley League last summer. He ranked as the second-best prospect and threw a seven-inning perfect game early in the season that put him on the scouting map.

    Sam Tewes – RHP – 6’5 205
    Wichita State
    Freshman

    Tewes was a 22nd-round pick out of high school but stuck with his commitment to the Shockers. Despite his thin frame, he’s had no trouble adjusting to the next level. As a weekend starter, Tewes has a 3.15 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.

    Matthew Vogel – RHP – 6’2 185
    South Carolina
    Freshman

    Vogel was one of the top high school prospects in New York last spring and was drafted in the 36th round by the Diamondbacks. He headed to South Carolina and has yet to see a ton of action for the Gamecocks. In eight appearances, he has a 6.91 ERA, though he has struck out 15 in 14.1 innings.

    Trey Wingenter – RHP – 6’7 195
    Auburn
    Sophomore

    A late-round pick of the Mariners out of high school, Wingenter hasn’t made a huge impact with the Tigers but continues to flash potential. The towering righty had a 3.68 ERA in six appearances last year. This season, he’s at 2.84 in 10 games, with 22 strikeouts in 19 innings. Last summer, he was the second-rated prospect in the Perfect Game Collegiate League.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Tres Barrera – C – 6’2 195 – Texas – Freshman
    Jameson Fisher – C/INF – 6’2 180 – SE Louisiana – Sophomore
    Will Haynie – C/INF – 6’5 225 – Alabama – Freshman
    Kyle Holder – INF – 6’1 185 – San Diego – Sophomore
    *Drew Jackson – INF – 6’2 195 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Hunter Melton – INF – 6’2 225 – Texas A&M – Sophomore
    *Max Schrock – INF – 5’9 180 – South Carolina – Sophomore
    *Garrett Stubbs – C – 5’10 160 – USC – Junior
    Jeremy Taylor – OF – 6’2 178 – East Tennessee State – Sophomore
    Logan Taylor – INF – 6’1 200 – Texas A&M – Sophomore
    *Rhett Wiseman – OF – 5’11 190 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     

    Tres Barrera – C – 6’2 195
    Texas
    Freshman

    Barrera was an All-State shortstop and an All-State catcher at his Texas High School and has been a key cog for the Longhorns since day one. He’s batting .266 with a .335 OBP. He has two homers and is second on the team in extra-base hits.

    Jameson Fisher – C/INF – 6’2 180
    SE Louisiana
    Sophomore

    A 24th-round pick out of high school, Fisher had a tremendous debut season on his way to Freshman All-America honors last year, and the good times have rolled on this year. Fisher leads the Southland Conference in hitting with a .382 batting average. Though he doesn’t have a homer, he has 13 doubles and 30 RBI.

    Will Haynie – C/INF – 6’5 225
    Alabama
    Freshman

    One of Tennessee’s top high school prospects a year ago, Haynie has struggled in his first year in Tuscaloosa. Though he has three home runs, he’s hitting only .179.

    Kyle Holder – INF – 6’1 185
    San Diego
    Sophomore

    After a big season in the junior college ranks at Grossmont College, Holder transferred to San Diego and has made an immediate impact. As a full-time starter with the Toreros, he’s hitting .309 with three homers and 28 RBI.

    Drew Jackson – INF – 6’2 195
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    The brother of former Kettleer Brett Jackson, Drew was a valuable contributor in Cotuit’s championship run last year. Jackson hit .263 and was named the league’s 43rd-best prospect by Perfect Game. Back at Stanford, his sophomore season has not gone well. Jackson is hitting .151.

    Hunter Melton – INF – 6’2 225
    Texas A&M
    Sophomore

    Melton hit .280 and led the Aggies in home runs as a freshman. In his sophomore season, he hasn’t flashed the same pop. Melton is hitting .245 without a home run.

    Max Schrock – INF – 5’9 180
    South Carolina
    Sophomore

    A 28th-round pick out of high school, Schrock was one of the top freshmen in the SEC last season. In a brief stint in Cotuit, he continued to shine, hitting .381. This spring, Schrock is hitting .247 but his five home runs rank second on the team.

    Garrett Stubbs – C – 5’10 160
    USC
    Junior

    Stubbs was coming off a middling sophomore season when he hooked on with the Kettleers as part of one of their waves of reinforcements. After playing in just two regular season CCBL games, he was a huge part of the championship run, hitting .455 with three RBI in six playoff games. This spring, Stubbs is hitting .287 for the Trojans.

    Jeremy Taylor – OF – 6’2 178
    East Tennessee State
    Sophomore

    Taylor was an Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team pick in 2012, Taylor has continued to be a solid contributor for the Bucs this spring. He’s hitting .264 with two homers and 10 doubles, and he’s stolen 12 bases.

    Logan Taylor – INF – 6’1 200
    Texas A&M
    Sophomore

    Taylor struggled in limited action as a freshman but has been a solid everyday contributor this season. Taylor is hitting .272 with a team-best 14 doubles, to go with a homer and 21 RBI. Last summer, Taylor excelled in the Texas Collegiate League, ranking second with a .335 batting average. He was named the league’s second-best prospect by Perfect Game.

    Rhett Wiseman – OF – 5’11 190
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    A 25th-round pick in the 2012 draft who was projected to go even higher, Wiseman came to Vanderbilt and to Cotuit last summer with considerable hype. He was solid with flashes of brilliance in both spots, hitting .297 with four homers on the Cape. This spring, he has hit a rough patch, with a .236 average and no homers.

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    Kettleers in Line for a Big Year

    The 2012 Cape Cod Baseball League season was full of great storylines, from Wareham’s run to the title, to Harwich’s power display, to Sean Manaea’s dominance on the mound for Hyannis.

    It was easy to lose track of some other stories, like the 2012 Cotuit Kettleers. Wareham won the title, Harwich had the pop, Y-D had the highest team batting average we’re likely to see in years. But it was Cotuit that had the league’s best record.

    The Kettleers caught fire midway through the season and finished 30-14, becoming the league’s first 30-win team since a legendary 2007 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox club.

    In the end, the Kettleers fell short of the title, but the season was a great one, and they’re poised for another in 2013. The Kettleers bring back some sophomores ready for breakouts like Jordan Ramsey and Aramis Garcia and the rest of the roster is as solid looking as any in the league. The majority of their position players are coming off good seasons, and some off great seasons – like Bradley Zimmer, Patrick Mazeika and Joey Pankake. Freshmen like Rhett Wiseman and Max Schrock bring top-prospect flair. A veteran pitching staff has six starters with proven track records, and guys like Ramsey and Daniel Mengden have star potential.

    It adds up to a great-looking club on paper. The Cape League may not be able to match its 2012 storylines in 2013, but the Kettleers very well could.

     

    THE SKINNY

    Manager: Mike Roberts
    Last Year: 30-14; Lost in Western Division Semifinals
    Returning Players: 3
    Juniors: 1
    Sophomores: 18
    Freshmen: 6

     

    NOTABLE

  • The Kettleers have a quite a few players from College World Series contenders, like Vanderbilt and South Carolina. It could be an uneven start to the summer if those squads make it to Omaha.

  • Kyle Zimmer used a solid summer with Cotuit in 2011 as a springboard into a tremendous junior season and a spot as the fifth overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft. His brother will be on the beginnings of the same path this year. Bradley Zimmer attends San Francisco like his brother did, and has been the team’s best hitter. He’s ticketed for Cotuit this summer.

  • Coastal Carolina’s Ryan Connolly was one of the Cape League’s best relievers last summer with Cotuit, and the Kettleers will be hoping for a similar showing from Connolly’s teammate Patrick Corbett. The sophomore righty has been a key part of the Coastal bullpen this spring.

  • Another Chanticleer, Ben Smith, is a likely starting pitcher and a potential ace for the Kettleers. He was a first-team All Big South pick this season and led the team in strikeouts and ERA among starters.

  • Vanderbilt’s starting rotation gets a lot of pub, and with good reason, but the bullpen has been dynamic too and a pair of future Kettleers have been a big reason why. Sophomore Brian Miller has 15 saves and a 1.59 ERA, while freshman Carson Fulmer has an ERA under three and has struck out better than a batter an inning.

  • Cotuit will also welcome Vanderbilt’s Rhett Wiseman. The Mansfield, Mass., native was a top prospect out of high school, and though he’s been in the background for a veteran Vandy team this year, there’s no denying his ability. A summer in Cotuit could be a prime breakout chance for him.

  • Danny Diekroeger doesn’t have a lot of Cape League experience, but he sure got some quality innings last year. Diekroeger was a late-season pickup by Y-D and he was a key part of the Red Sox’ run to the CCBL finals.

  • It’ll be interesting to see what Daniel Mengden focuses on this summer. The Texas A&M two-way player seems to be settling into the role of an ace on the mound. He was one of the top starters in the SEC this year.

  • Two South Carolina sophomores – Joey Pankake and Jordan Montgomery – could be big additions for the Kettleers. Neither showed up on any SEC all-conference lists, but it’s a safe bet they’ll get there next year. Pankake is hitting .335 with 10 home runs, while Montgomery has a 1.86 ERA as a weekend starter. Gamecock freshman Max Schrock should also be poised for a good summer.

  • Junior college star Elliott Caldwell is a future Gamecock, and they’re getting a good one. The top prospect in the Prospect League last summer, Caldwell is one to keep an eye on this summer.

  • Washington State doesn’t have the baseball pedigree of many of its Pac-12 compatriots, but the Cougars have sent some talented players to the Cape in recent years. Two more are bound for Cotuit this summer. Joe Pistorese was the ace of the staff and a workhorse, while Yale Rosen belted seven home runs.

  • UNC Wilmington’s Jordan Ramsey is slated to return to Cotuit, but he’ll be coming back on a different level. He had a 4.35 ERA last summer in 11 games. This year, he was one of the top pitchers in the Colonial and I’d expect the rise to continue.

  • In his second year with Cotuit, Aramis Garcia has star potential and could emerge as a top-notch catching prospect. He’s coming off a huge sophomore season.

  • Springfield native Patrick Mazeika will be playing closer to home this summer but his journey to Florida has been very good to him. The Stetson freshman was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year after hitting .382.

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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Aramis Garcia
    2. Bradley Zimmer
    3. Jordan Ramsey
    4. Daniel Mengden
    5. Elliott Caldwell

     

    PITCHERS

    Christian Cecilio – LHP – 6’1 190 – San Francisco – Sophomore
    Patrick Corbett – RHP/INF – 6’5 185 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
    Chris Ellis – RHP – 6’5 195 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
    Carson Fulmer – RHP – 5’11 190 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
    John Hochstatter – LHP – 6’4 215 – Stanford – Sophomore
    *Adam McCreery – LHP – 6’8 219 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Daniel Mengden – RHP/C – 6’1 210 – Texas A&M – Sophomore
    Brian Miller – RHP – 6’4 200 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    Jordan Montgomery – LHP – 6’3 215 – South Carolina – Sophomore
    Joe Pistorese – LHP – 6’2 174 – Washington State – Sophomore
    *Jordan Ramsey – RHP – 6’4 198 – UNC Wilmington – Sophomore
    David Schmidt – RHP – 6’0 175 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Ben Smith – LHP – 6’2 175 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
    Wyatt Strahan – RHP – 6’3 195 – USC – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     
    Christian Cecilio – LHP – 6’1 190
    San Francisco
    Sophomore

    Cecilio has had two solid seasons in the Dons’ weekend rotation. For a regional-bound club this year, Cecilio is 3-3 with a 4.11 ERA. He has 46 strikeouts in 70 innings.

    Patrick Corbett – RHP/INF – 6’5 185
    Coastal Carolina
    Sophomore

    Corbett has been a very good reliever in two years with the Chanticleers. After posting a 3.54 ERA in 17 games last year, he has been one of the team’s busiest bullpen arms this year. In 23 appearances, he has a 2.47 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched.

    Chris Ellis – RHP – 6’5 195
    Ole Miss
    Sophomore

    Ellis had a solid freshman season as a reliever in 2012. He has seen limited action this year while dealing with an injury and has an ERA over six.

    Carson Fulmer – RHP – 5’11 190
    Vanderbilt
    Freshman

    A 15th-round pick of the Red Sox last year, Fulmer has had a very strong debut in the Vanderbilt bullpen. The righty earned SEC All-Freshman honors with a 2.98 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched. He’s second on the team in appearances.

    John Hochstatter – LHP – 6’4 215
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    A late-round pick in 2011, Hochstatter had his struggles as a freshman but took some strides as a member of the weekend rotation this year. Hochstatter posted a 3.88 ERA and struck out 29.

    Adam McCreery – LHP – 6’8 219
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    A 14th-round pick out of high school, McCreery is long on potential but he hasn’t yet put it all together. He had an ERA over five for Cotuit last summer. This spring, he had a 5.94 ERA while pitching as both a starter and a reliever.

    Daniel Mengden – RHP/C – 6’1 210
    Texas A&M
    Sophomore

    Mengden has done it all in two years with the Aggies, saving games as a freshman and emerging as a bona fide ace this season. He’s 8-3 with a 1.84 ERA and a team-best 91 strikeouts in 107.1 innings. He’s also a valuable hitter, carrying a .283 average and three home runs.

    Brian Miller – RHP – 6’4 200
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    After saving five games as a freshman, Miller moved into the closer’s role full-time this year and has emerged as one of the best in the country. Miller has 15 saves and an ERA and a team-best 1.59 ERA for the No. 2 national seed Commodores.

    Jordan Montgomery – LHP – 6’3 215
    South Carolina
    Sophomore

    A Freshman All-American as a weekend starter last year, Montgomery has been even better this year as the Gamecocks’ Saturday starter. He’s 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 53 innings.

    Joe Pistorese – LHP – 6’2 174
    Washington State
    Sophomore

    Pistorese led the Cougars in ERA as a freshman and it wasn’t a flash in the pan. He logged 100.1 innings this year as the Friday starter and went 5-5 with a 2.78 ERA. He didn’t have huge strikeout numbers compared to the high-innings total, but he still led the team with 61.

    Jordan Ramsey – RHP – 6’4 198
    UNC Wilmington
    Sophomore

    Ramsey was a 28th-rounder out of high school and a Colonial All-Rookie pick last year. He then made his way to Cotuit and had a 4.35 ERA in 11 appearances. This spring, he has made the kind of jump you’d expect from a player with his pedigree. Emerging as an ace, Ramsey has a 2.36 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 99.1 innings for regional-bound Wilmington. He earned second-team All-Colonial honors.

    David Schmidt – RHP – 6’0 175
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    Schmidt has had two solid seasons as a reliever in Palo Alto. He had a 3.98 ERA last year and dropped it to 3.68 this season. He struck out 19 in 29.1 innings.

    Ben Smith – LHP – 6’2 175
    Coastal Carolina
    Sophomore

    Smith pitched in a swing role for the Chanticleers last year before becoming an ace in the weekend rotation this year. Smith is 5-3 with a 2.19 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 86.1 innings pitched. Smith earned first-team All Big South honors.

    Wyatt Strahan – RHP – 6’3 195
    USC
    Sophomore

    Strahan was drafted in the 27th round out of high school and delivered a strong debut for the Trojans last year, posting a 1.37 ERA as a reliever. He moved into the weekend rotation this year and led the Trojans with a 2.45 ERA, despite walking nearly as many as he struck out.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Kevin Bradley – SS/3B – 6’2 185 – Clemson – Freshman
    Elliott Caldwell – OF – 6’2 190 – Spartanburg Methodist – Sophomore
    Hunter Cole – OF – 6’1 190 – Georgia – Sophomore
    Danny Diekroeger – INF – 6’1 190 – Stanford – Junior
    *Aramis Garcia – C – 6’2 200 – Florida International – Sophomore
    Drew Jackson – INF – 6’2 195 – Stanford – Freshman
    Patrick Mazeika – 1B – 6’3 210 – Stetson – Freshman
    Joey Pankake – INF – 6’0 195 – South Carolina – Sophomore
    Yale Rosen – INF/OF – 6’2 208 – Washington State – Sophomore
    Max Schrock – INF – 5’9 180 – South Carolina – Freshman
    Rhett Wiseman – OF – 5’11 190 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
    Bradley Zimmer – OF – 6’5 195 – San Francisco – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     
    Kevin Bradley – SS/3B – 6’2 185
    Clemson
    Freshman

    A late-round draft pick out of high school, Bradley hasn’t had a big impact yet with Clemson. He has seen action in 34 games this year, with only four starts, and is hitting under .200.

    Elliott Caldwell – OF – 6’2 190
    Spartanburg Methodist
    Sophomore

    After limited action at Winthrop as a freshman, Caldwell has been a star for Spartanburg Methodist, one of the top junior college teams in the country. Caldwell is hitting .357 with three homers, 42 RBI and 18 stolen bases for a JUCO World Series club. Caldwell was named the top prospect in the Prospect League last summer by Baseball America and has committed to South Carolina for next year.

    Hunter Cole – OF – 6’1 190
    Georgia
    Sophomore

    Cole led the Bulldogs in home runs as a freshman last year and followed it up with a very good sophomore season. Cole hit .303 with four homers and 33 RBI.

    Danny Diekroeger – INF – 6’1 190
    Stanford
    Junior

    A late addition to the Y-D Red Sox roster last summer, Diekroeger hit .306 in the Cape League playoffs. He returns to the Cape bound for Cotuit, and he comes in off a solid junior season. Diekroeger batted .299 with two homers and 28 RBI for the Cardinal. Brother Kenny was a fourth-round pick of the Royals last year.

    Aramis Garcia – C – 6’2 200
    Florida International
    Sophomore

    Garcia was steady as a freshman and pretty good last summer with the Kettleers. This spring, he took a step toward becoming one of the top catching prospects in the country when he hit .321 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI.

    Drew Jackson – INF – 6’2 195
    Stanford
    Freshman

    A 37th-round pick out of high school, Jackson struggled in his first collegiate season. He hit .207 in 41 games, with 24 starts.

    Patrick Mazeika – 1B – 6’3 210
    Stetson
    Freshman

    A native of Springfield, Mass., Mazeika headed south for college and made himself right at home, earning Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year honors. He hit a league-best .382 with three home runs, 33 RBI and a .488 OBP.

    Joey Pankake – INF – 6’0 195
    South Carolina
    Sophomore

    A late-round pick in 2011, Pankake was an SEC All-Freshman pick in 2012. This year, he has emerged as one of the top players for the Gamecocks, hitting .315 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI.

    Yale Rosen – INF/OF – 6’2 208
    Washington State
    Sophomore

    Rosen didn’t do much as a freshman, but he took a leap as a sophomore and emerged as one of the team’s best players. He hit .314 with seven homers and 35 RBI. The home run total tied him for a team-high with former Cape League all star Jason Monda.

    Max Schrock – INF – 5’9 180
    South Carolina
    Freshman

    Schrock was drafted in the 28th round out of high school. He opted to stick with his pledge to the Gamecocks and is in the midst of a solid first season. Schrock is hitting .286, and his five home runs and 37 RBI rank him third on the team.

    Rhett Wiseman – OF – 5’11 190
    Vanderbilt
    Freshman

    One of the top high school players in the country a season ago and a 25th-round pick of the Cubs, the Mansfield, Mass., native headed to Vanderbilt and has made the most of his time there. He’s appeared in 49 games and while he’s only started nine of them, Wiseman has three home runs and a .296 average.

    Bradley Zimmer – OF – 6’5 195
    San Francisco
    Sophomore

    The brother of former Kettleer pitcher and first-round pick Kyle Zimmer, Bradley plies his trade at the plate and does it very well. On his way to West Coast Conference all-league honors, Zimmer is hitting .335 with seven homers, 36 RBI and a team-best .456 on-base percentage. He has helped lead the Dons to an NCAA Regional.

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    Garcia Getting it Done Now

    I usually reserve the spotlights for players who will be new to the Cape Cod Baseball League. Aramis Garcia will not be new. He spent the summer of 2012 in Cotuit and is slated to return in 2013.

    But Cape League fans may seeing something new anyway.

    Garcia, a standout prep catching prospect who was a 20th-round pick out of high school, hit .271 in his freshman year at Florida International. In Cotuit last summer, he was steady but not spectacular. He hit .250 with three home runs.

    Now the breakout is happening.

    Garcia was tabbed by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Sun Belt Conference before the season and he’s making that pick look like a very good one. Garcia is hitting .351 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI this spring. His on-base percentage is .399 and he’s slugging .565. His home run total puts him in a tie for 21st nationally, and he ranks second among underclassmen.

    He has also started 41 of the team’s 42 games at the catcher spot, and in the one game he started at first base, he later moved to catcher. That’s huge for someone who has so much offensive potential; if he can stick at catcher, look out.

    Garcia was a player to keep an eye on last summer, a name to file away. He could be much more this summer.

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    Breaking Out

    The summer belonged to Sean Manaea. Pre-draft talk revolved around the big three – Manaea, Mark Appel and Ryne Stanek. Kevin Ziomek was there the whole time, not even really under the radar, just not quite turning every head.

    Now he’s officially crashing the party.

    The Vanderbilt junior and former Cotuit Kettleer has been the best pitcher in the country through the first month of the college baseball season, and I’m not sure it’s close. Ziomek is tied for the national lead in strikeouts with North Carolina State sophomore Carlos Rodon, but Rodon’s ERA sits at 5.14. Ziomek’s ERA? Try 0.87.

    Ziomek has struck out 46 and walked only seven in 31 innings. He’s 4-0 and has allowed 12 hits in four starts, for a nice little average of three per game. Opponents are hitting .118 against him.

    And that’s not even everything.

    Ziomek has hurled two absolutely dominant complete games. In a 9-0 win over Illinois-Chicago on March 1, he struck out 15 and didn’t allow a runner past second base on his way to the shutout. The very next week – on the road, against a much tougher Oregon team – Ziomek went nine again, this time allowing just two hits while striking out 13.

    It’s been an amazing start to the season, one that even prompted former Vanderbilt ace and Tampa Bay Rays star David Price to talk of “Nintendo Numbers” on Twitter in response to Ziomek’s stats.

    When you’re getting David Price’s attention, you’re doing something right.

    This level of success has always seemed like a possibility for Ziomek. He starred in high school in Amherst, Mass., and was a 13th-round pick of the Diamondbacks. At Vandy, he pitched mostly out of the bullpen as a freshman and did well.

    Since then, it’s been about waiting for the breakout.

    After his freshman season, he was in Cotuit and flashing his potential. He finished the summer with a 4.35 ERA, though, and almost as many walks as strikeouts. In his sophomore season at Vandy, he struck out a batter an inning but carried an ERA over five.

    This summer, though, while Manaea was dominating, Ziomek showed a few hints of what was to come. He pitched in only five games for the Kettleers, but struck out 36 in 28.1 innings and posted an ERA of 1.27.

    Now, the break-out is happening, in a pretty enormous way. Ziomek’s next start will come this weekend, when Vanderbilt opens up SEC play against Auburn.

    Will it be more of the same? Based on what’s happened so far, I wouldn’t put it past him.