Trenton Brooks is hitting an even .500 in the early going.
Four sophomores were among the national top 50 in batting average this spring. One of them – Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi – was draft-eligible and went as Boston’s first-round pick earlier this month. The other three have headed to New England for a different reason. Will Craig, Kyle Lewis and Trenton Brooks are all in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer. And in one of 2015’s early storylines, those three are picking up exactly where they left off.
Through six games, Brooks leads the league with a .500 batting average. The Chatham outfielder has had a hit in every game but one (in which he was hit by a pitch in his first time up and departed). The lefty-swinging rising junior has done nothing but hit in two seasons at Nevada, with a .330 average as a freshman and a .365 mark this season.
Craig is right alongside Brooks in the Chatham lineup. after hitting .382 – tops among sophomore – and earning ACC Player of the Year honors, Craig is off to a fast start with the Anglers. He has seven hits in six games, good for a .350 average, eighth in the league. The 6’3, 220-pound third baseman should be one of the league’s best all summer.
Lewis was not on the initial roster that Orleans released, but the Mercer star was a no-brainer of an addition. The 6’4, 205-pound outfielder hit .281 as a freshman but morphed into the Southern Conference Player of the Year with a huge sophomore season. He batted .367 with a .423 OBP, and blasted 17 home runs, plus 19 doubles. Lewis homered in his second Cape League game and is now tied for the league lead with three in just six games. He’s also hitting .409, good for fourth in the league.
Plenty more big-time hitters will emerge as the summer goes on. But few will have been big-time in the spring and the summer quite like Brooks, Craig and Lewis.
With Lewis and Bobby Dalbec, Orleans has a fearsome middle of the order. They each have three home runs. Unfortunately for the Firebirds, Dalbec, a standout at Arizona, has accepted an invitation to play for Team USA.
Team USA’s roster is taking shape, and Dalbec won’t be the only loss for the Cape League. Two of the top sophomore pitchers in the nation – Maryland’s Mike Shawaryn and Virginia’s Connor Jones – are on there. Shawaryn was slated for Y-D and Jones for Orleans. News came out Sunday that four Florida players will head to Team USA after the Gators finish in Omaha, and all were originally ticketed for the Cape. Pitchers A.J. Puk and Logan Shore were on the Orleans roster, power-hitting freshman J.J Schwarz was on the Y-D roster, and outfielder Buddy Reed was on the Harwich roster.
In better news, Wareham has activated Oregon’s Matt Krook. The lefty was on his way to becoming one of the best pitchers in the 2016 draft class but got hurt during his freshman year and needed Tommy John surgery. He missed this college season but will apparently begin his comeback in Wareham. Krook was mentioned on Jonathan Mayo’s very early look at the 2016 draft.
One of the few pitchers in the league to make two starts already is Orleans’ Mitchell Jordan, and he has been up to the task. The Stetson rising junior, a solid performer in the weekend rotation this year, has turned in two carbon-copy starts: five scoreless innings, one hit, five strikeouts. He’s the early league leader in strikeouts with 10.
Andrew Frankenreider saved nine games for Northern Illinois this spring and already has two for Falmouth this summer. He has allowed just one hit in 6.2 innings. Frankenreider is just the third player in Northern Illinois history to play on the Cape.
The teams with the best records so far have been the total package. Orleans, at 5-2, leads the league in team batting average and ERA. Hyannis, now 6-1, is second in both categories.
Hyannis had the makings of a pretty good offense even before late additions Bobby Melley, Justin Arrington and Jacob Noll arrived on the scene. Melley, a Cape League vet at this point, is hitting .429 with six RBI in just four games. Arrington has a hit in all but one game and is batting .438. Noll, who hit .348 for Florida Gulf Coast this year, is 4-for-8 in three games.
In addition to its Team USA guys, the initial Orleans roster also had a pair of six-round picks in Ohio State’s Travis Lakins and Loyola Marymount’s David Fletcher. Neither is on the active roster right now. We’ll see if they make an appearance at some point this summer.
Orleans finished with the fourth-best record in the league last summer. With 11 incoming players heading to Omaha this week, rather than the Cape, it may be an uneven start to 2015, but on paper, the Firebirds once again have one of the league’s more talented teams.
FIVE TO WATCH
1. Bobby Dalbec
2. David Fletcher
3. A.J. Puk
4. Connor Jones
5. Zack Collins
NOTABLE
Orleans will be hard-hit by the College World Series, with 11 players on teams that are bound for Omaha. So the team on the field in Tuesday’s opener will look different than this one.
That said, there’s a lot of talent with or without the Omaha crew. The Firebirds have two returning standouts in Bobby Dalbec and David Fletcher and three players who were their conference’s freshmen of the year last year.
Dalbec has received a Team USA invite, as well, after he played for Orleans last summer. The two-way standout smacked 15 home runs for Arizona this spring.
Fletcher was great for Orleans last summer, with a .299 average and the same kind of presence at shortstop that made him the Alaska League’s top prospect in the summer of 2013 before he even got to college. He’s as good a building block as any team in the league can claim this year.
Virginia star Nathan Kirby, who was drafted last night, was ticketed for Orleans last year but never made it. His teammate, Connor Jones, who emerged as an ace when Kirby was hurt for part of this season, is now slated to be a Firebird.
Hayden Stone pitched 11 innings for Orleans last summer and allowed just one earned run. He’s slated to be back, although he has missed a lot of time for Vanderbilt this spring. Teammate John Kilichowski has bided his time for the Commodores behind first-round picks Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler.
Ohio State had some standout freshmen in 2014 and three of them are headed to Orleans. Pitcher Tanner Tully was the Big 10 Freshman of the Year, Travis Lakins has joined him in the weekend rotation and outfielder Ronnie Dawson was one of the Buckeyes’ best hitters.
Kent State seems to churn out pitching prospects more than any other non-power conference program, and Eric Lauer may be next in line. A 17th-round pick out of high school, he struck out 103 this year.
Lauer, Lakins, Tully and Cameron Neff make up a pretty good foundation for a starting rotation, even before you factor in late arrivals. Logan Shore and A.J. Puk are stars for Florida and the aforementioned Jones has been terrific for Virginia.
Two of the best hitters for an Omaha-bound Miami team have Orleans as their next stop. Zack Collins hit 15 homers this year while Willie Abreu is a former 14th-round pick.
PITCHERS
Parker Bean – FR – Liberty – Big right-hander had ERA over seven in debut season
Alec Bettinger – SO – Virginia – Mid-week starter last year slid into full-time bullpen role and has 4.80 ERA
Chandler Blanchard – SO – Pepperdine – Strong reliever as freshman had 4.99 ERA, saved four games as a sophomore
Adam Haseley – FR – Virginia – Two-way player hit .252, put up 2.66 ERA in 10 appearances on the mound
Connor Jones – SO – Virginia – With UVA ace Nathan Kirby ailing, emerged as Cavs’ workhorse, going 7-2, 2.96 ERA, 105 Ks in 103.1 IP
John Kilichowski – SO – Vanderbilt – Lefty has started and relieved for Omaha-bound Commodores and has 2.97 ERA
Travis Lakins – SO – Ohio State – Tossed perfect game in Prospect League last summer, posted 3.75 ERA in weekend rotation this year
Eric Lauer – SO – Kent State – 17th-round pick in 2013 broke out as one of best in MAC this year with 1.98 ERA, 103 Ks
Cameron Neff – SO – St. Mary’s – Workhorse had 5 complete games as a freshman, delivered 2.32 ERA as a sophomore
Stephen Nogosek – SO – Oregon – Led team in appearances this year with 39 and had 2.02 ERA with 60 Ks
A.J. Puk – SO – Florida – Towering righty, Perfect Game’s top Northwoods prospect last summer, has team-best 99 Ks this season
Kit Scheetz – SO – Virginia Tech – Lefty made nine starts this year, had 4.34 ERA in those games
Logan Shore – SO – Florida – SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014 continues to shine with 2.50 ERA this year as Friday starter
Hayden Stone – SO – Vanderbilt – Struck out 80 in 58 relief innings last year but was limited to three appearances this season
Tanner Tully – SO – Ohio State – Reigning Big 10 Freshman of the Year had 4-4 record, 4.32 ERA in sophomore season
CATCHERS
Jeremy Martinez – SO – USC – Steady in first two years with Trojans, hit .296 this season
Sean Murphy – SO – Wright State – Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2014 hit .329 with 4 HR this year
INFIELDERS
Zack Collins – SO – Miami – ACC’s top freshman in 2014 hitting .303 with 15 HR, 70 RBI as Miami heads to Omaha
Bobby Dalbec – SO – Arizona – Two-way player had huge sophomore season at the dish, hitting .319 with 15 HR
David Fletcher – SO – Loyola Marymount – Started 41 games at SS for Orleans last year, hit .308 and stole 14 bases this spring
T.J. Nichting – SO – UNC Charlotte – All-Star in Great Lakes League last summer scuffled to .198 average in sophomore year
Daniel Pinero – SO – Virginia – 20th-round pick in 2013 has been starting SS for two years, hit .300 with 6 HR this season
Colby Woodmansee – SO – Arizona State – Shortstop had solid sophomore year, hitting .308 with 5 HR, team-best 44 RBI
Nick Zammarelli – FR – Elon – Lincoln, R.I., native hit .288 with 7 HR in first season with Phoenix
OUTFIELDERS
Willie Abreu – SO – Miami – 14th-round pick in 2013, batting an even .300 and ranks fourth on team with six home runs
Ronnie Dawson – SO – Ohio State – Picked up where he left off after big freshman year, hitting .279 with 7 HR, 16 SB
Austin Miller – SO – Loyola Marymount – A Freshman All-American last year like teammate Fletcher, hit .314 with three homers this spring
Bryan Reynolds – SO – Vanderbilt – Consensus Freshman All-American last year hitting .311 with 5 HR, 17 SB this year
Levi MaVorhis, pictured earlier this summer, was part of a cobbled-together for playoff-bound Brewster.
They had pitchers in the outfield and lost their finale 12-2. But I guess that’s what happens when you make a run this surprising.
For the Brewster Whitecaps, the run continues.
Harwich beat Brewster 12-2 in the last game of the season for both teams last night, but Chatham lost to Orleans, meaning the Whitecaps have grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot in the East.
As detailed yesterday , the Whitecaps were eight points back of Chatham with seven games to play but delivered their best baseball of the summer in a late surge. Chatham lost six of its last seven, so this is what we’re left with.
We’ll see if Brewster can put anything together in the playoffs. Pitchers Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) and Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) were on the outfield corners last night, so the Whitecaps will hopefully get some reinforcements. Harwich pounded out 15 hits in finishing the season with a bang. The Mariners ended up with a 26-16-2 record.
The Brewster game was over well before the Chatham-Orleans game, meaning the door was open for the Anglers, but they couldn’t step through. Starting pitcher Max Tishman (Wake Forest) was touched up for five unearned runs as Chatham made four errors. Orleans then scored six runs off Kyle Davis (USC), who’s been Chatham’s best pitcher all summer. Chris Shaw (Boston College) hit his eighth home run and will likely finish as the league leader, but it wasn’t enough. David Thompson (Miami) had four hits and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) had three to lead the Firebirds. With the win, Orleans grabbed the No. 2 seed by a point over Y-D.
Brewster will be making its first playoff appearance since 2011, which is also the last time Chatham didn’t make it.
Bourne 5, Wareham 0
The Braves still have one game to play but have already secured the best record in the league thanks to their third straight victory, and their second straight shutout. Six pitchers combined on the shutout, with the win going to reliever Max Knutson (Nebraska). John Gorman (Boston College) and Joey Strain (Winthrop), the last two pitchers to the mound, both struck out the side in an inning each. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 4-for-4 with a home run to bring his batting average to .358, which is second best in the league. Mark Laird (LSU) added three hits and Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) homered. The teams will meet again in the season finale tonight.
Falmouth 4, Cotuit 2
Falmouth beat Cotuit 4-2, which means the seedings in the West are now set. Behind Bourne and Falmouth, Hyannis will be the No. 3 seed and Cotuit will be the No. 4. With the right combination of results, Cotuit could have jumped Hyannis but is now two points back with one to play and can do no better than a tie, with Hyannis getting the tiebreaker. Five Falmouth pitchers limited Cotuit to just four hits. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) was credited with the win and Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) got the save. The Commodore offense was led by Kevin Newman (Arizona), who was in danger of losing his grip on the batting title and responded with a 3-for-4 night. He now has a .370 average and is in line to win his second straight crown. Conner Hale (LSU) added two hits and two RBI and he’ll likely finish as the league leader in RBI.
Y-D 3, Hyannis 2
Y-D scored a run in the eighth to finish the season with a 3-2 victory over Hyannis. Josh Lester (Missouri) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate what proved to be the winning run. Andrew Stevenson (LSU) and Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) had two hits each to lead the Y-D attack, while Brennon Lund (BYU) and newcomer Marcus Mastrobuoni (Cal State Stanislaus) had an RBI each. Both teams used a lot of pitchers, with Y-D’s Josh Staumont (Azusa Pacific) picking up the win and Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer) grabbing the save.
What to Watch
Two makeup games on the docket tonight to conclude the 2014 regular season. Neither game will have any bearing on playoff seedings, but keep an eye on Falmouth as Kevin Newman tries to clinch the batting title. He’s at .370. Second-place Richard Martin Jr. of Bourne is at .358 and will also likely be in action.
Kevin Newman is hitting .376 this season after winning the batting title with a .375 mark last year.
In the first week of his Cape Cod Baseball League career, Kevin Newman (Arizona) went three games without a hit. That career has now spanned nearly 70 games, and Newman has never again gone three games without a hit. More often than not, he hasn’t even gone two without a hit.
For two years running, he’s been the Cape League’s most consistent hitter, and it’s about time to take a step back and marvel.
Last night, Newman went 2-for-5 – his second straight multi-hit game – as Falmouth got within a game of first place with a 7-5 victory over Wareham. Newman was the 2013 Cape League batting champion and he’s well on his way to winning the batting title again in 2014. He hit .375 last year, and – believe it or not – is so consistent that he’s hitting .376 this season. He leads the league, with his next closest competitor .19 points behind.
When Newman won the batting title in 2013, he was the steady, contact guy on a team full of sluggers. He was hitting .338 when he went 6-for-6 on one of the final days of the season to surge to the batting title. He was the first freshman in league history to win it.
This season, Newman is a veteran leader for the Commodores. He of course picked up where he left off, getting two hits in the season opener. He spent part of the summer at Team USA trials but returned and has continued to shine for a solid Falmouth team. He’s shown a little more pop, with seven extra-base hits thus far, compared to only three last year. But mostly, he’s just hit the ball. He will start the All-Star game for the second year in a row.
Newman’s 2-for-5 day on Saturday helped Falmouth inch closer to the top of the standings. Falmouth trailed Wareham 5-4 in the ninth, but a Newman single was part of a three-run inning that turned the game around. Conner Hale (LSU), another veteran standout, had a two-run double as part of a four-hit night and Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) knocked in a run as Falmouth took control. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) struck out three in the bottom of the ninth for the save.
West-leading Bourne fell to Hyannis for the second straight day, meaning Falmouth is now just a game back of the Braves for first place.
With just six games left, Falmouth could certainly make a run for the top spot. It’s a safe bet Kevin Newman will do his part.
Hyannis 8, Bourne 7
Hyannis beat Bourne for the second night in a row and moved to 4-2 against the Braves this season with a one-run victory. The Harbor Hawks led 7-2 before Bourne tied the game in the eighth. Jarret DeHart’s RBI single in the bottom half put Hyannis back in front to stay, as Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) rebounded from the tough eighth inning to strike out two in a scoreless ninth. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) and Donnie Dewees (North Florida) both homered for the Harbor Hawks, while John La Prise (Virginia) had two hits. Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana) went seven strong innings for Hyannis. Bourne got another home run from Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt), who has four in 16 games, plus three RBI from Mark Laird (LSU).
Orleans 1, Cotuit 0
Orleans won a very well-pitched game in anti-climactic fashion when Johnny Sewald (Arizona) drew a bases-loaded, walk-off walk in the 11th inning for the only run of the game. Kyle Twomey (USC) started for Orleans and went four scoreless innings. Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) and Bobby Poyner (Florida) combined for five innings without allowing a hit before Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) pitched two scoreless innings. Four Cotuit pitchers kept things scoreless before Orleans got a base hit, a walk and a hit batsman to load the bases for Sewald, who walked on a 3-1 pitch. For Orleans, David Thompson (Miami) and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) had two hits each. John Norwood (Vanderbilt) had two hits for Cotuit.
Harwich 9, Chatham 8
Harwich also walked off with a victory in extra innings as Skye Bolt (North Carolina) knocked in the game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the 10th. Chatham had scored four in the top of the ninth to take an 8-6 victory, thanks in large part to Chris Shaw’s (Boston College) league-best seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot. But in the bottom of the ninth, C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Bolt scored runs on wild pitches to tie the game. After a scoreless top of the 10th by Kenny Towns (Virginia), Craig Aikin (Oklahoma) reached on an error, Ian Happ (Cincinnati) was intentionally walked and Bolt delivered the game-winning hit. Harwich is now tied again with Orleans for first place in the East, while Y-D fell two points back with a loss.
Brewster 13, Y-D 3
Y-D has pitched extremely well lately, but when it hasn’t done so well, the results have been rough, and Saturday’s game fell in line with that trend. Brewster pounded 16 hits and scored a season-high 13 runs in the lopsided win. Y-D has only lost three times in its last 14 games, but all three losses have been by at least 10 runs. Luke Lowery (East Carolina) homered and drove in three, Andrew Lee (Tennessee) went 4-for-4, Kyle Overstreet (Alabama) had three hits and two RBI, and Gio Brusa (Pacific) knocked in three runs to lead the charge. Kenneth Oakley (UNLV) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win. Three relievers combined for four scoreless innings, with Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) striking out three in his two innings.
What to Watch
The All-Star game is set for today at Bourne’s Doran Park. Gates open at 2 p.m. The home run hitting contest is at 5 p.m., while the game is set for 6:05 p.m. For a full schedule of activities, see the league website.
Adam Whitt leads the league in appearances and wins.
In an era of pitch counts and closely-watched elbows, sometimes the most valuable player on a Cape League pitching staff isn’t a dominant ace or a flame-throwing closer. It’s the guy who can take the ball every other day, pitch one inning or four and be counted on to come through, whatever the situation.
Two of those guys helped their teams pick up wins last night.
Adam Whitt (Nevada), the captain of this crew, pitched three scoreless innings of relief as Cotuit beat first-place Bourne 9-5. Marcus Brakeman (Stanford), typically a reliever, stepped in for a start and went five solid innings to help Hyannis snap a seven-game losing streak in an 11-8 victory over Falmouth.
Whitt has been tremendous this summer, an MVP if the award ever went to a middle reliever. After a spring in which he saved seven games for Nevada, Whitt has been a whatever-you-need arm for the Kettleers. He is tied for the league lead in appearances with 10 and – despite all of them coming in relief – he’s in the top 10 in innings pitched. It’s not just quantity either. Whitt leads the league in wins with four and ERA with a 0.77 mark. He has given up two earned runs all summer, in 23.1 innings pitched.
On Tuesday, Whitt came on in the seventh, with his team trailing 5-2. He tossed a scoreless inning, and his team scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), Jameson Fisher (SE Louisiana) and Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco). Cotuit added two more in the eighth on a home run by John Norwood (Vanderbilt). Whitt ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless eighth and finishing the job with a quiet ninth. The win was Cotuit’s second straight.
In Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks needed even more from their jack-of-all trades. Make your first Cape League start and give us a chance to stop a seven-game losing streak while you’re at it? Brakeman was up to the task. The righty from Stanford had pitched as little as a third of an inning in one appearance and four innings in another. He came in with a 1.50 ERA.
Brakeman got into immediate trouble when Falmouth loaded the bases in the first, but he escaped with minimal damage then settled in. He pitched two scoreless frames before Falmouth added two in the fourth. But Brakeman finished with a one-two-three fifth that included a pair of strikeouts.
The offense stayed close while Brakeman was in there then broke out late to take control. Brakeman’s Stanford teammate Austin Slater had three hits and four RBI, while Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) had three hits and three RBI.
Brakeman didn’t factor in the decision, as Joseph Shaw (Dallas Baptist) got the win and Matt Denny (Misssissippi) got the save.
But for the unsung jack-of-all-trades, that’s all in day’s work.
Harwich 13, Chatham 8
Harwich pounded 20 hits and was on its way to a 13-0 win before Chatham scored eight runs in the top of the ninth. But that was as close as the Anglers got, as Harwich held onto first place with the victory. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) both homered for the Mariners, while Joe McCarthy (Virginia) had four hits in his second Cape League game. Danny Zardon (LSU) added three hits and two RBI. McCarthy and Zardon each had two doubles. Making his first start after opening the year in the bullpen, Robby Kalaf (Florida International) struck out five and allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings. Ronnie Glenn (Penn) pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Ty Moore (UCLA) and Nick Collins (Georgetown) led Chatham’s late charge.
Orleans 3, Y-D 2
The Firebirds won their fourth in a row, scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth and finishing off Y-D in the ninth. Orleans scratched the key run across with two outs in the eighth, on two singles and an error. That made a winner out of reliever Bobby Dalbec (Arizona), and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) pitched a scoreless ninth for his league-best fifth save. David Fletcher (Loyoloa Marymount) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) each had two hits for the Firebirds. Hunter Cole (Georgia) had two hits for Y-D.
Brewster 2, Wareham 0
Three pitchers combined on a shutout and the Brewster offense scored a run in the fifth and another in the seventh to win a pitcher’s duel with Wareham. Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, the second time this summer that he’s gone six scoreless in a start. Joe McCarthy (Southern New Hampshire) pitched 1.2 innings before Pat Ruotolo (Connecticut) grabbed the save, striking out three of the five batters he faced. Drew Harrington (Louisville) allowed one run in five innings. Braden Bishop (Washington) and Luke Lowery (East Carolina) knocked in the decisive runs.
What to Watch
Players from national champion Vanderbilt have been trickling in and a good one will make his debut tonight as Walker Buehler starts for Y-D against Brewster.
Ty Moore hit a grand slam Sunday for his second homer in as many games.
The Chatham Anglers had the best record in the league last summer and picked up where they left off in their first game this year, blowing past Orleans 10-2. It’s been an interesting ride in the weeks since, not quite as smooth as last year. The Anglers scored four total runs in their next four games, looking punchless after their big debut. They’re still sorting out a solid pitching rotation. They’ve generally been pretty up-and-down.
But one thing has stabilized. The Anglers are not punchless.
Chatham won for the fourth straight time on Sunday, topping Hyannis 9-3. It was also the team’s fourth straight big night at the plate. Chatham has scored at least seven runs and hit at least one home run in each of the four victories.
The Anglers lead the league in runs scored, rank second in hits, second in home runs and third in batting average.
And they’ve got a core group that’s consistently delivering.
A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 last night, stretching his hitting streak to 11 games. Nine of the 11 have been multi-hit games. Murray is making a strong case for league MVP honors at this point. He’s third in the league in hitting, tied for first in home runs and tied for second in RBI. He has a 1.042 OPS.
And Murray isn’t alone. Chris Shaw (Boston College) went 2-for-5 last night. He hit home runs on back-to-back days last week and is tied with Murray for the league lead. Ty Moore (UCLA) has been hot too. He hit a grand slam on Sunday, giving home runs in consecutive games, and he’s now hitting .284.
Throw in a solid leadoff man in Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) and some big hitters who have had their moments, and it’s no wonder the Anglers are scoring. Pat Mazeika (Stetson) added two hits Sunday and Robert Baldwin (Yale) had three.
In the win over Hyannis, the pitching came through, too. Charlie Dant (Dayton), who was on a temporary contract but is now full-time, gave up three runs and struck out eight in five innings for the win. Bryan Goossens (Siena) pitched two scoreless innings and Kyle Davis (USC) delivered his seventh scoreless appearance in 10 tries to finish it off.
Chatham is now 12-9-1, one point back of Orleans for second place and just two behind Harwich for first.
Orleans 5, Wareham 1
The other budding offensive powerhouse in the East won its second straight with a strong performance against Wareham. David Thompson (Miami) led the way with a homer and four RBI. David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and is now on an eight-game hitting streak after a slow start to the summer. R.J. Ybarra (Arizona State) added an RBI. On the mound, Nathan Bannister (Arizona) made his first start after long relief stints in his first three appearances and responded with six strong innings. He struck out six and allowed one run. The Firebirds are 4-0 in games in which Bannister has pitched. Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) picked up his fourth save.
Falmouth 9, Bourne 3
The Commodores picked up their third straight win and knocked off the Western Division leader in the process. Falmouth is now only three points out of first place. Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 4-for-6 to lead a strong offensive performance. Newman now has seven hits in three games since returning from Team USA trials. Shaun Chase (Oregon) added a home run and three RBI, Conner Hale (LSU) had two RBI and Jake Madsen (Ohio) and Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) had two hits each, with Costello also homering. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) allowed three runs in five innings before the bullpen cruised through the last four innings. For Bourne, Blake Davey (Connecticut) hit his third home run.
Harwich 5, Cotuit 5 (10 innings)
Harwich and Cotuit played 10 innings at Lowell Park but still couldn’t settle things before darkness fell as they finished in a tie. Grant Kay (Louisville) and Ian Rice (Chipola) each had four hits to lead a 15-hit Cotuit attack. Jake Fincher (NC State) had three hits for the third consecutive game, raising his average from .375 to a league-best .453. On the mound, Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) kept Harwich off the board over the final two innings. For Harwich, C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Matt Winn (VMI) had two hits each. Zack Erwin (Clemson) pitched 5.1 innings of one-run relief.
Y-D 3, Brewster 2
Y-D got a strong start from Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara) and a dominant bullpen effort made a one-run lead stand up in a victory over Brewster. Jacome struck out six and allowed two runs in five innings for his third good start of the summer. William Strode (Florida State) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings before Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) took over and did his usual. Bickford struck out four of the eight batters he faced in 2.2 scoreless frames. Bickford, an unsigned first-round pick last year, has three saves and has given up one total hit in those outings. At the plate, Y-D got two hits from Rob Fonseca (Northeastern). League RBI leader Hunter Cole (Georgia) tacked on one more and Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) also drove in a run. For Brewster, Gio Brusa (Pacific) had three hits, including a home run.
The East’s hottest teams and the highest scoring teams in the league will meet at Veterans Field when Chatham hosts Orleans. Two Cape League veterans who were once high draft picks out of high school are scheduled to square off. Andrew Chin (Boston College), a fifth-round pick in 2011 and a 15th-rounder this year, will make his 11th career Cape League start for Chatham. He’s had two tough outings in a row after a good start. For Orleans, 2012 third-rounder Kyle Twomey (USC), who’s made nine relief appearances after a full summer in the bullpen last year, is scheduled to make his first start of the 2014 season. He has a 2.84 ERA.
Orleans celebrates a run in one of its victories over Harwich.
The Harwich Mariners have been in first place in the Cape League’s Eastern Division since the opening night play ball, partly because they’ve cruised through a lot of their competition in the East. Harwich is 6-0 against Chatham, Brewster and Yarmouth-Dennis.
But Orleans is just a game back of Harwich, as close as anyone’s been in a while, and there’s a reason for that too. While Harwich is unbeaten against three of its division rivals, it’s winless against the fourth. Orleans moved to 3-0 against Harwich this season with a 3-1 victory on Saturday night.
The teams didn’t have their first meeting this year until two weeks in, when Orleans won 7-5 thanks to two David Thompson (Miami) home runs. Four days later, Orleans pounded 17 hits in a rare poor performance by a Harwich starting pitcher and won 15-8.
On Saturday, after the washed-out Fourth of July, Orleans sent budding ace Kolton Mahoney (BYU) to the hill and set the course for another victory. Mahoney, the league’s strikeout leader, went five scoreless innings, allowing just two singles and striking out four to pick up the win. He’s now tied for the league lead in wins, leads in strikeouts and ranks fourth in ERA.
Orleans gave him a lead with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth off Harwich starter Jason Inghram (William & Mary), who came in with a 2.35 ERA. Johnny Sewald (Arizona), David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) and Thompson each knocked in a run. Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) added two hits. Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) went 1-for-4 and continued the league lead in on-base percentage at .509. He has reached base in every game he’s played this summer.
Armed with a lead, the Orleans bullpen cruised through the last four innings, allowing four hits in that span. Harwich didn’t have an extra-base hit in the game. Sam Moore (UC Irvine), the NCAA saves leader this year, made his fourth appearance since arriving from Omaha, and picked up his first Cape League save.
Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) was a bright spot for Harwich, striking out six in four scoreless innings of relief. He has not allowed a run in 16 innings of relief this summer.
But this night belonged to Orleans. The Firebirds are now 12-9, one game back of Harwich.
Bourne 5, Y-D 0
While Harwich went down, Bourne shut out Y-D to reclaim the best record in the league label. Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State) struck out six and allowed just two singles in six scoreless innings. Bergen had been touched up for five runs in his last start. Dylan Nelson (Radford) and Joey Strain (Winthrop) followed him to the hill and finished off the shutout. The Braves offense backed Bergen with four early runs. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) hit his first home run of the summer while Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) had two hits. Blake Davey (Connecticut), Brett Sullivan (Pacific) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) drove in one run apiece. Bourne has won three in a row after dropping three straight before that.
Falmouth 14, Hyannis 3
Much like Orleans and Harwich, Falmouth has had Hyannis’ number. The Commodores picked up their third win in 10 days against the Harbor Hawks with their most lopsided victory of the season. They led 6-1 in the eighth when they exploded for eight runs to pull away. Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) led the attack with a 4-for-4, two RBI night, and Sam Gillikin (Auburn) added three hits. Ten different players had at least one RBI. Alex Young (TCU), who had a great spring as a reliever in Fort Worth, made his first Cape League start and allowed just one run in five innings. Three relievers tossed scoreless innings, with Nicholas Cooney (Wesleyan) striking out the side in his stint. Hyannis has lost five in a row, and Falmouth is now ahead of the Harbor Hawks for second place in the West.
Chatham 7, Brewster 2
The Anglers kept pace in the tightening East race with a 7-2 victory over Brewster. Chatham is now 11-9-1, one point back of Orleans for second. Ty Moore (UCLA) homered to lead the offense, while Nick Collins (Georgetown) went 3-for-4 and Kevin Fagan (Stetson) drove in three runs. A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) went 1-for-4 and now owns a 10-game hitting streak. On the mound for Chatham, Max Tishman (Wake Forest) turned in another solid performance, scattering eight hits and allowing one run in six innings of work. Tishman, who leads the Anglers in innings pitched, has a 2.14 ERA.
Wareham 7, Cotuit 3
Kyle Cody (Kentucky) followed up a dominant start with a very good one, striking out nine and giving up three runs in eight innings as Wareham topped Cotuit. Cody struck out six in seven scoreless innings in his last start. Cotuit touched him up for three early runs this time, but he was back to dominance after that, allowing just two hits from the fourth inning on. Scott Effross (Indiana) pitched a scoreless ninth to finish off the win. The Wareham offense got two RBI from Willie Calhoun (Arizona) and two hits and an RBI from Kramer Robertson (LSU).
What to Watch
First-place Bourne and a hot Falmouth team will meet at Doran Park at 6 p.m. Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga), who’s been strong all summer, makes his fourth start for Bourne. Falmouth trots out Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech), who allowed three runs in his only start of the summer.
Reilly Hovis tossed three scoreless frames in Orleans’ victory on Friday.
For most of the summer, I’ve been thinking Orleans looked like one of the best teams in the league without really looking like it. The Firebirds lead the league in home runs and extra-base hits, and their pitchers have allowed the fewest hits in the league. But on the flip side, they only rank fourth in runs scored and batting average, and their pitchers have walked the most batters in the league.
That’s a recipe for the ups and downs the Firebirds have had, but there have been more ups lately. With last night’s 7-3 victory over Wareham, Orleans moved one point back of Chatham for second place in the East.
Trevor Megill (Loyola Marymount) and Nathan Bannister (Arizona) continued to join forces for what amounts to solid starts. Megill, recovering from Tommy John surgery, went two innings. Bannister followed with four, allowing two runs. Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) then sealed the deal with the best performance of the night, striking out four in three scoreless innings.
At the plate, the Firebirds broke open a 3-3 game with two runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth. An error brought the go-ahead run home in the eighth, and Geoff DeGroot (Rutgers) followed with an RBI single. In the ninth, David Thompson (Miami) smacked a two-run single to make it 7-3.
Thompson went 2-for-5 and is now seven for his last 13. DeGroot and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) also had two hits.
Wareham fell to 4-11 with the loss, but Willie Calhoun (Arizona) continued to be a bright spot for the Gatemen. He went 4-for-5 with two doubles, giving him a league-high 11 for the year. Last season, the league leader in doubles finished with 14.
Falmouth 5, Y-D 1
Like Orleans, Falmouth also won its third straight, improving to 7-7-1 on the year with a 5-1 victory over Y-D. Jake Madsen (Ohio), who didn’t have an extra base hit coming into the game, went 3-for-4 with three doubles. Nicholas Ramos (Indiana) had two hits and two RBI and Trever Morrison (Oregon State) had a triple and two RBI. On the mound, Casey Mulholland (South Florida) delivered his best start of the summer, allowing just an unearned run on three hits in six innings of work. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon), who had terrific numbers this spring, pitched a scoreless inning, as did Travis Stout (Jacksonville State) and Kevin Mooney (Maryland). Florida Gulf Coast standout Michael Murray made his third start for Y-D and allowed two earned runs in 6.2 innings.
Cotuit 6, Hyannis 2
Cotuit doesn’t have much in the way of starting pitching on its staff, and coming into Friday, only once all season had a starter gone more than four innings. With the Kettleers riding a two-game losing streak, Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave his team what it needed. Fiori allowed one run in five innings with seven strikeouts as the Kettleers (7-8) topped Hyannis (9-6). Trey Wingenter (Auburn) and Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) combined on four innings of relief as Cotuit allowed just four total hits. At the plate, Cotuit got a home run from Logan Taylor (Texas A&M), plus RBI from Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco), Jake Fincher (NC State) and Dalton Dulin (Mississippi). Hyannis had been 3-0 against rival Cotuit this season.
Bourne 8, Brewster 2
Coming off their first home loss of the season, Bourne didn’t take another one, topping Brewster 8-2 to improve to 11-4, tied for the best mark in the league. Making his first start, Josh Rogers (Louisville) gave up just an unearned run in five innings. He struck out four and gave up three hits. His teammate Jacob Sparger (Louisville) followed with three scoreless frames and John Gorman (Boston College) pitched the final inning. Brett Sullivan (Pacific) led the offense with three hits, while Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) and Billy Fleming (West Virginia) had two hits and two RBI each.
Harwich 10, Chatham 4
The Mariners continued to match Bourne for the league’s best record with a 10-4 victory over Chatham. Jason Inghram (William & Mary), Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) and Robby Kalaf (Florida Internatinal) limited a Chatham an offense that had scored 29 runs in its last two games. Both Evans and Kalaf have yet to allow a run this summer. Anthony Hermelyn (Oklahoma) paced the Harwich offense with four hits and two RBI while Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) had three hits and two RBI. Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) had two hits and now owns an 11-game hit streak.
What to Watch
Ms. Right Field Fog and I will be in Hyannis tonight as the Braves come to McKeon Park for a 6 p.m. start. Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State), who allowed one run in five innings in his first start, gets the ball for the Braves. Hyannis will go to big righty Blake Hickman (Iowa), one of the top prospects in the Northwoods League last summer.
Richard Martin Jr. scored what proved to be the winning run as Bourne beat Harwich.
Harwich has been the most well-rounded team in the league so far this summer, with the most runs scored in the league and by far the fewest allowed. They’ve also shined in close games, winning two one-run games and two-run three-run games.
But Bourne gave the Mariners a taste of their own medicine on Friday.
The Braves scored two runs in the fifth, allowed one in the bottom half of the same inning and then slammed the door, beating Harwich 2-1. It was just the second loss for the Mariners, who dropped to 7-2. Bourne, now 6-3, grabbed hold of first place in the West.
After getting shut-out through four by Harwich starter Jake Drossner (Maryland) Bourne scored its first run on an RBI groundout by Billy Fleming (West Virginia). Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) then raced home on a passed ball, which would prove to be a huge run.
Harwich got one back on a Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) RBI single, but Bourne starter Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State) got Skye Bolt (North Carolina) to groundout to end the fifth.
From there, the Braves bullpen took over, with Thomas Hatch (Oklahoma State) and Joey Strain (Winthrop) combining to allow just one hit over the final four innings. Bergen got the win after striking out seven in five innings. Strain picked up the save.
Orleans 3, Cotuit 0
Orleans won by shutout for the third time this season in a 3-0 victory over Cotuit. Trevor Megill (Loyola Marymount) went one scoreless frame before Nathan Bannister (Arizona) turned in his second straight four-inning stint of shutout baseball. Bannister was credited with the win. Reilly Hovis (North Carolina), Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) finished out the shutout. David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) led the offense with two hits and an RBI, while Edwin Rios (Florida International) picked up his league-leading ninth RBI.
Brewster 4, Y-D 1
The Whitecaps topped Y-D for their second straight win, improving to 5-4. Justin Montemayor (Houston) went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Gio Brusa (Pacific) went 2-for-4 and scored two runs, and Josh Vidales (Houston) went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Brewster scored three runs against Y-D starter Michael Murray (Florida Gulf Coast), who was one of the top pitchers in the nation this spring. On the mound for the Whitecaps, Ryan McCormick (St. John’s) allowed just a run on four hits in 5.2 innings.
Wareham 7, Hyannis 5
Wareham also won its second straight, holding off a late charge by Hyannis for a 7-5 victory. Andrew Knizner (NC State) went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Chris Chinea (LSU) drove in two. The Gatemen have put up double-digit hits in four consecutive games and now lead the league in hits with 89. On the mound, Ryan Olson (San Diego) gave up four runs but only one earned in 4.2 innings. Andrew Zapata (Connecticut) got the win in relief with Scott Effross (Indiana) grabbing the save. Hyannis got a home run from Ben DeLuzio (Florida State).
Chatham 3, Falmouth 3
The first tie of the Cape League season happened after 12 innings in Falmouth. The Commodores trailed until the eighth, when they took a 3-2 lead. Chatham answered with a run in the top of the ninth and that was it for the scoring. Matt Eureste (San Jacinto North) went 4-for-6 atop the Commodore lineup and now leads the league in hitting with a .500 average. Steven Duggar (Clemson) drove in two runs. Nicholas Cooney (Wesleyan) pitched six strong innings, while Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) kept Chatham off the board for the final three. Chatham’s Zac Gallen (North Carolina) went six shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. Ty Moore (UCLA), A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech), Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) and Landon Cray (Seattle) had two hits each.
What to Watch
Wareham will visit Orleans as it tries to win its third straight behind perhaps it best pitcher, Kentucky’s Kyle Cody. He struck out six in three innings in his first start. The Firebirds counter with Kolton Mahoney (BYU) who struck out seven in four innings of relief in his only other appearance.
Ryan Kellogg, pictured last year, had a strong first start in 2014.
Wednesday was one of the hottest days of the summer so far, and two Sun Devils must have felt right at home.
Arizona State’s Ryan Kellogg went six strong innings for Bourne as the Braves topped Cotuit 5-4, while spring teammate Brett Lilek went four scoreless frames in a 5-0 shutout for Orleans over Brewster.
The perennial powerhouse Sun Devils didn’t have their best season this year, finishing 33-24 and losing in an NCAA Tournament Regional to Sacramento State. But the uncharacteristic early exit wasn’t for lack of success from their top two starting pitchers. Lilek emerged as an ace in his sophomore season, putting up a 2.68 ERA with 79 strikeouts on his way to first-team all-conference honors. Kellogg, who starred last year as well, had his ERA climb to 3.76 but still went 8-3 and was a workhorse with 103 innings pitched.
Both Kellogg and Lilek look poised for big summers, and they delivered in their first appearances.
Kellogg, making a return trip to Bourne, struck out seven and scattered seven hits in six innings. He gave up three runs, but only one was earned. Cotuit threatened against the Braves bullpen, but Lucas Laster (Mississippi State) and John Gorman (Boston College) slammed the door.
The Bourne offense scored four runs in the first inning and never trailed. Billy Fleming (West Virginia), Blake Davey (Connecticut), Ryan Howard (Missouri) and Kellogg’s ASU teammate Brian Serven all had one RBI. Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) had three hits for Cotuit. Bourne improved to 5-2 while Cotuit dropped to 4-3.
In Orleans, the Firebirds also staked their ASU starter to an early lead, scoring all five of the game’s runs in the bottom of the first. David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount), a defensive whiz who was off to a slow start with the bat, broke out with a 3-for-3 night. Timmy Robinson (USC) hit a home run and drove in three, adding to the Firebirds’ league-best total of eight.
Lilek went only four innings but was dominant, striking out six of the 14 batters he faced and giving up just two hits, both singles. Ryne Combs (Kentucky) and Kyle Wilcox (Bryant) followed with two scoreless innings apiece before a perfect ninth from Bobby Dalbec (Arizona).
Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) rescued Brewster after the first inning and went six scoreless, striking out five.
Orleans improved to 3-4. Brewster is also 3-4.
Harwich 6, Hyannis 3 (11 innings)
In a battle of teams off to strong starts, Harwich continued the best start in the league with an extra-innings victory over Hyannis. The Mariners, now 6-1, had allowed Hyannis to tie the game with a run in the eighth, but they struck first in extras with three in the top of the 11th. Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) had a sacrifice fly, Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) had an RBI single and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had a sacrifice fly. Ray Castillo (Alabama) gave up two hits in the bottom of the 11th, but with the tying run at third, he struck out Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) to end it. The win went to Jacob Evans (Oklahoma), who went 2.1 strong innings. Starter James Mulry (Northeastern), dominant on opening night, gave up two runs in six innings in his second start. Happ had two hits and is hitting .500 for the summer. Gonzalez, Kyle Barrett (Kentucky), and Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) also had two hits. Bobby Melley (Connecticut) had two hits and Carl Wise (College of Charleston) homered for the Harbor Hawks.
Chatham 4, Y-D 1
The Anglers won their second straight and created a logjam of 3-4 teams in the East. Jordan Hillyer (Kennesaw State) allowed one hit and one unearned run in five strong innings for Chatham. Lou Distasio (Rhode Island) and Kyle Davis (USC) combined for four scoreless innings in relief. A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) led the Chatham offense with a home run and two RBI. Blake Butera (Boston College) and Ty Moore (UCLA) had two hits each.
Falmouth 5, Wareham 4
Wareham out-hit Falmouth 14-8 but the Commodores managed one more run on the scoreboard in the 5-4 victory. Tate Matheny (Missouri State) went 2-for-4 with a home run in his last game before Team USA training camp, while Kevin Newman (Arizona) also had two hits before he departs. Sam Gillikin (Auburn) added two hits and an RBI for Falmouth. Kevin McCanna (Rice) picked up his second win of the season with his second six-inning effort. He gave up three runs and struck out four. Wareham got three hits apiece from Willie Calhoun (Arizona), Keaton Aldridge (Memphis) and Chris Chinea (LSU) but left 12 runners on base.
What to Watch
Jason Inghram (William & Mary) makes his second start for Harwich after seven innings of two-hit baseball last week. The Mariners host Chatham at 7 p.m.
