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Hyannis Aiming for Return to Form

Hyannis had one of its best-ever seasons in 2011, but couldn’t replicate in 2012, finishing fifth in the West and missing the playoffs. It was still a very memorable summer – thanks in large part to the superstar emergence of Sean Manaea – but the Harbor Hawks wouldn’t mind trading some memories for more success this season.

They look poised to do just that, with a veteran team that should once again list pitching as its biggest strength.

While a Manaea repeat is highly unlikely, the Harbor Hawks have half-a-dozen pitchers coming off very good seasons as weekend starters, and that’s something that a lot of teams can’t say. The offense may be a little behind the pitching, but not by much. Returner Dominic Jose should be one of the top prospects in the league, while newcomers like Brian Anderson, Tyler Spoon and Ryan Padilla come in with good track records.

The Harbor Hawks will also have an older team than most, with 24 sophomores and only one freshmen. That’s a recipe that has worked for them before, most recently in that great 2011 season.

They’re hoping it all works again.

 

THE SKINNY

Manager: Chad Gassman
Last Year: 17-27; Missed playoffs
Returning Players: 2
Juniors: 0
Sophomores: 24
Freshmen: 1

 

NOTABLE

  • No pressure, Landon Curry, but the last guy from Indiana State was pretty good.

  • In Kyle Freeland and Jordan Foley, the Harbor Hawks have a pair of pitchers from mid-major schools who should be reliable Cape League starters. Freeland was the second-best prospect in the Alaska League last summer, while Foley is coming off a big season with Central Michigan.

  • Arkansas has a trio of players slated for Hyannis and each of the three is riding high coming in. Brian Anderson and Tyler Spoon were the team’s best hitters while Michael Gunn was great pitching out of the bullpen.

  • Andrew Istler hasn’t been a dominant pitcher at Duke but he sure was dominant last summer, posting a 0.78 ERA in the Coastal Plain League and earning top prospect honors.

  • UC Santa Barbara sophomore Austin Pettibone ranked sixth in the nation in innings pitched this season. He did very well in those innings, too, winning 10 games and posting an ERA under three. He didn’t have huge strikeout numbers but is certainly an arm to keep an eye on.

  • Another workhorse is North Dakota sophomore Andrew Thome, who pitched a no-hitter in the season opener this year and has 10 complete games in 27 career appearances.

  • If Pettibone, Thome and the aforementioned Freeland and Foley are good to go for another heavy workload, they’re going to give the Harbor Hawks the beginnings of a very solid, veteran rotation. Add in UCLA sophomore Grant Watson and it shapes up nicely.

  • Georgia Southern Chase Griffin was one of the top freshman catchers in the nation a year ago. He didn’t have as big a year this season but will be looking to prove himself on a big stage this summer.

  • It hasn’t come together yet at Stanford for Dominic Jose. He didn’t play much as a freshman and hit .235 this year. If last summer is any indication, he’ll be happy to be back in Hyannis. He hit six home runs for the Harbor Hawks and was one of the league’s top freshmen.

  • New Mexico’s Ryan Padilla looked poised for stardom after hitting .353 as a freshman last year. He wasn’t quite as good this year, though there may have been an injury because he only started about half of the Lobos’ games. Still, as a 6’4, 220-pound lefty swinger, Padilla remains firmly on the scouting radar.

  • The Harbor Hawks’ roster includes the son of a Major Leaguer – Drew Stankiewicz – and the nephew of a Major Leaguer – Shane Zeile.

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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Dominic Jose
    2. Kyle Freeland
    3. Ryan Padilla
    4. Jordan Foley
    5. Austin Pettibone

     

    PITCHERS

    Jordan Foley – RHP – 6’3 215 – Central Michigan – Sophomore
    Kyle Freeland – LHP – 6’4 185 – Evansville – Sophomore
    Michael Gunn – LHP – 6’1 205 – Arkansas – Sophomore
    Bryant Holtmann – LHP – 6’5 205 – Florida State – Sophomore
    Andrew Istler – RHP – 5’11 180 – Duke – Sophomore
    Rocky McCord – RHP – 6’2 170 – Auburn – Sophomore
    Austin Pettibone – RHP – 6’4 215 – UC Santa Barbara – Sophomore
    Joseph Shaw – RHP – 6’4 240 – Dallas Baptist – Freshman
    Scott Simon – RHP – 6’7 201 – Washington State – Sophomore
    Cy Sneed – RHP – 6’4 200 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
    Andrew Thome – RHP – 6’4 205 – North Dakota – Sophomore
    Grant Watson – LHP – 6’1 190 – UCLA – Sophomore

     
    Jordan Foley – RHP – 6’3 215
    Central Michigan
    Sophomore

    A 26th-round pick out of high school, Foley struggled mightily in his freshman year, finishing with an ERA over eight. But this season, he pulled a 180 and turned into an ace for the Chippewas. Foley finished with a 3.08 ERA and a team-best 90 strikeouts in 90.2 innings. Opponents hit just .209 against him.

    Kyle Freeland – LHP – 6’4 185
    Evansville
    Sophomore

    Freeland was a 35th-round pick out of high school and had a solid freshman year. He then went to Alaska and was named the league’s second-best prospect by Baseball America. He got off to a strong start this season, but hit some rough patches down the stretch and finished with a 4.34 ERA. He struck out 84 in 93.1 innings.

    Michael Gunn – LHP – 6’1 205
    Arkansas
    Sophomore

    Former Cape League standout Colby Suggs had ninth-inning duties for Arkansas this year, but Gunn was a valuable part of the bullpen in his own right. The lefty had a 1.21 ERA in 18 appearances, striking out 35 and walking only eight in 29.2 innings. Perfect Game ranked Gunn the top prospect in the MINK League last summer.

    Bryant Holtmann – LHP – 6’5 205
    Florida State
    Sophomore

    Holtmann was the busiest freshman pitcher the Seminoles had in 2012 and made the most of his opportunities, finishing with a 3.20 ERA. This season, he has made 21 appearances and carries a 4.15 ERA into FSU’s Super Regional.

    Andrew Istler – RHP – 5’11 180
    Duke
    Sophomore

    Istler was slated to be a reliever in the Coastal Plain League last summer but ended up as a starter and dominated on his way to being named the league’s top prospect by Baseball America. This spring, he was back in the Duke bullpen. He led the team with 28 appearances and had a 4.10 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.

    Rocky McCord – RHP – 6’2 170
    Auburn
    Sophomore

    A late-round pick out of high school in 2011, McCord had an ERA near five in limited action last season. He was then named the second-best prospect in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League last summer. This spring, he had a 3.96 ERA but an injury limited him to seven games.

    Austin Pettibone – RHP – 6’4 215
    UC Santa Barbara
    Sophomore

    Pettibone led the Gauchos in wins as a freshman and did it again this year in workhorse fashion. Pettibone logged 117.2 innings, 34 more than anybody on the team, and went 10-3 with a 2.98 ERA. He struck out 61 and walked 20.

    Joseph Shaw – RHP – 6’4 240
    Dallas Baptist
    Freshman

    Shaw is the only freshman on the Hyannis roster, and he should represent the young guys well. In 20 relief appearances, Shaw had a 3.30 ERA with four saves and 24 strikeouts in 30 innings.

    Scott Simon – RHP – 6’7 201
    Washington State
    Sophomore

    Simon was drafted in the 33rd round out of high school. He redshirted in 2011 before saving four games for the Cougars last season. This year, he moved into the weekend rotation and held his own, finishing with a 3.95 ERA.

    Cy Sneed – RHP – 6’4 200
    Dallas Baptist
    Sophomore

    Sneed had a decent season in the Dallas Baptist weekend rotation this year, going 4-4 with a 4.84 ERA. He struck out 54 in 83.2 innings.

    Andrew Thome – RHP – 6’4 205
    North Dakota
    Sophomore

    Thome was the only freshman in the nation to toss three nine-inning shutouts in 2012, and he started 2013 with a no-hitter in the season opener. His ERA rose to 4.14 by the end of the year but he still led the team in innings pitched and strikeouts and finished with four more complete games.

    Grant Watson – LHP – 6’1 190
    UCLA
    Sophomore

    Watson tied former Bruin star Trevor Bauer’s record for single-season wins by a freshman last year. This season, he’s been a solid part of the weekend rotation again, going 8-3 with a 3.22 ERA. He has 52 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 86.2 innings.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Brian Anderson – INF – 6’3 180 – Arkansas – Sophomore
    Jay Baum – INF – 6’0 190 – Clemson – Sophomore
    Landon Curry – OF – 6’2 185 – Indiana State – Sophomore
    Skyler Ewing – C/INF – 6’1 220 – Rice – Sophomore
    Chase Griffin – C – 6’0 200 – Georgia Southern – Sophomore
    *Dominic Jose – OF – 6’3 200 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Will Maddox – INF – 5’11 180 – Tennessee – Sophomore
    Ryan Padilla – INF/OF – 6’4 225 – New Mexico – Sophomore
    *Jeff Schalk – INF/OF – 6’3 215 – UAB – Sophomore
    Austin Slater – INF/OF – 6’2 205 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Tyler Spoon – INF/OF – 5’11 190 – Arkansas – Sophomore
    Drew Stankiewicz – INF – 5’10 180 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Shane Zeile – INF – 6’1 190 – UCLA – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     
    Brian Anderson – INF – 6’3 180
    Arkansas
    Sophomore

    Anderson was a 20th-round pick out of high school and has taken all the right steps so far. He hit well as a freshman then batted .290 with five home runs in the Northwoods League last summer. This season, he emerged as the top hitter for the Razorbacks, finishing with a team-best .325 average, four home runs, 12 doubles, 36 RBI and a team-best .448 on-base percentage. He ranked fifth in the SEC in OBP.

    Jay Baum – INF – 6’0 190
    Clemson
    Sophomore

    Baum has not yet hit his stride in two seasons with the Tigers, batting .239 as a freshman and .228 this season. Perfect Game still liked him as its 10th-best prospect in South Carolina for the 2014 draft.

    Landon Curry – OF – 6’2 185
    Indiana State
    Sophomore

    Curry follows in the footsteps of ISU teammate Sean Manaea, who had a historic summer last year. Curry had a solid year with the bat for the Sycamores, hitting .260 with 21 RBI. He also stole 19 bases.

    Skyler Ewing – C/INF – 6’1 220
    Rice
    Sophomore

    Ewing played in only nine games as a freshman. He has struggled some this year but has gotten ample opportunity. He’s hitting .225 and ranks third on the team with four home runs.

    Chase Griffin – C – 6’0 200
    Georgia Southern
    Sophomore

    Griffin hit .320 with 10 home runs last year and was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. After a good summer in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, he hit .272 with four homers and 47 RBI this season.

    Dominic Jose – OF – 6’3 200
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    An 15th-round pick out of high school, Jose only started four games as a freshman last year but made up for lost time with a great summer in Hyannis. He hit .272 with six home runs and was named the league’s 17th-best prospect by Perfect Game. This spring, he was limited to 35 games and hit .237.

    Will Maddox – INF – 5’11 180
    Tennessee
    Sophomore

    An SEC All-Freshman pick last year, Maddox excelled again this season for the Vols. He ranked second on the team with a .333 batting average and led the squad with a .425 on-base percentage. He also stole 22 bases, second in the SEC behind Vanderbilt star Tony Kemp.

    Ryan Padilla – INF/OF – 6’4 225
    New Mexico
    Sophomore

    Padilla starred as a freshman last year, ranking sixth nationally among all freshmen in hitting. He finished at .353 with five home runs. This season, he saw his average dip to .266 with three home runs.

    Jeff Schalk – INF/OF – 6’3 215
    UAB
    Sophomore

    Schalk was a Conference USA all-freshman pick in 2012. He hit only .200 for the Harbor Hawks over the summer and didn’t really bounce back this spring. He hit .220 for the Blazers with one home run.

    Austin Slater – INF/OF – 6’2 205
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    Slater played in just seven games as a freshman but moved into a much bigger role this year and made the most of it. He hit .269 with three home runs, and his 20 extra-base hits led the team.

    Tyler Spoon – INF/OF – 5’11 190
    Arkansas
    Sophomore

    Spoon redshirted in the spring of 2012. When he finally got on the field in Alaska that summer, he starred and was named the league’s fifth-best prospect by Baseball America. He picked up where he left off this spring, hitting .288 with four homers and a team-high 49 RBI.

    Drew Stankiewicz – INF – 5’10 180
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    The son of former Big Leaguer Andy Stankiewicz, Drew inherited the Sun Devil shortstop job from first-round pick Deven Marrero. After hitting .265 last year, he batted .295 this season with two homers and 25 RBI.

    Shane Zeile – INF – 6’1 190
    UCLA
    Sophomore

    The nephew of former Major Leaguer Todd Zeile, Shane played well when he got a chance as a freshman last year, then earned all-star honors for the Walla Walla Sweets of the West Coast Collegiate League. Baseball America had him as the circuit’s sixth-best prospect. Zeile has not had quite as good a sophomore season as he hoped, hitting .239 with two homers.

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    Foley an Emerging Ace

    Rosters for the 2013 Cape Cod Baseball League season feature quite a few pitchers from mid-major programs with great track records.

    Jordan Foley is pushing his way to the top of the list.

    The Central Michigan righty, who’s on the Hyannis roster, has become a bona fide ace in his sophomore season with the Chippewas. He’s 6-1 with a 1.02 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. He ranks seventh nationally in ERA and 14th in strikeouts. The only underclassmen ahead of him on the strikeout list are two you might have heard of – NC State’s Carlos Rodon and LSU’s Aaron Nola.

    That’s impressive company, but Foley has proved every step of the way this season that he belongs there. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his starts this year, and he’s gone deep into the game every time. He leads the team in innings pitched by a wide margin. Opponents are hitting .185 against him.

    All of this comes after Foley had a bumpy freshman season. The Texas native came in as one of the team’s most highly-touted recruits. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 26th round of the 2011 draft. On campus, though, he saw his ERA balloon to 8.20 ERA, largely because he walked almost a batter an inning – 34 in 37.2 innings. He’s improved drastically in that area this year, with 24 walks in 61.2 innings. The 70 strikeouts – and the 42 hits allowed – don’t hurt either.

    If Foley keeps it up, he’ll be poised for a big summer. He just might stay at the top of the list.

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    Freeland on a Familiar Path

    A tall left-hander from a mid-major baseball program in Indiana signs on with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. Sounds familiar, right?

    That was the profile of Sean Manaea, the Indiana State lefty who became one of the biggest breakout stars the Cape Cod Baseball League has ever seen when he dominated for Hyannis last season. Manaea’s performance vaulted him into the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

    It would be unfair to compare Kyle Freeland with Manaea or to predict the same success, but the similar circumstances are worth mentioning. Freeland is a 6’3 southpaw who attends Evansville, and he’ll play for Hyannis this summer.

    Those are not the only similarities. Freeland has some serious credentials.

    Freeland was a late-round draft pick out of high school, and he brought a little more hype to college than Manaea. He’s the record holder for strikeouts in the state of Colorado.

    He had some ups and downs in his freshman season with the Purple Aces but flashed plenty of potential and led the team with 70 strikeouts. Last summer, he headed north to Alaska and was named the league’s second-best prospect by Baseball America. His season included 35 consecutive scoreless innings.

    So far this season, Freeland has picked up where he left off. He owns a 3.00 ERA and has struck out 31 while walking just three in 27 innings of work. If he keeps it up, he’ll become one of the top pitchers in the nation.

    What happens after that is anybody’s guess, but I’m thinking Hyannis is very happy to have another lefty from Indiana on the way.