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

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

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

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

 

THE SKINNY

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

 

NOTABLE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

FIVE TO WATCH

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

 

PITCHERS

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

 

Nathan Bannister – RHP – 6’3 224
Arizona
Sophomore

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

Ryne Combs – LHP – 6’0 190
Kentucky
Sophomore

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

Tyler Ferguson – RHP – 6’3 225
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

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

Eric Hanhold – RHP – 6’5 195
Florida
Sophomore

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

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

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

Nathan Kirby – LHP – 6’2 185
Virginia
Sophomore

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

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

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

Cody Moffett – LHP – 6’4 213
Arizona
Sophomore

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

Josh Sborz – RHP – 6’3 225
Virginia
Sophomore

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

Kyle Wilcox – RHP – 6’3 180
Bryant
Sophomore

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

 

POSITION PLAYERS

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

 

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

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

Bobby Dalbec – UTIL – 6’4 219
Arizona
Freshman

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

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

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

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

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

Devin Pearson – OF – 5’11 192
California
Sophomore

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

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

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

Christin Stewart – OF – 6’0 205
Tennessee
Sophomore

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

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

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

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

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

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

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