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Late Innings

HYA16_bullpen
 
Hyannis ranks next-to-last in team ERA in the Cape League, but if opponents are counting on getting their bats in gear when they face the Harbor Hawks, they better do it before the sixth inning.

In two consecutive wins, Hyannis relievers have allowed a total of two hits and no runs from the sixth inning on. The Harbor Hawks’ top four relievers are turning into one of the best crews in the league.

Garrett Cave (Florida International) leads the league in appearances with 14 and saves with seven. He ranks in the top 15 in the league in strikeouts despite pitching only 12.1 innings. With a big fastball, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has scouts keeping the radar guns handy until the late innings.

Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) is just behind Cave in appearances with 11 and has a 1.03 ERA with 20 strikeouts and not a single walk in 17.1 innings. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) has a 0.84 ERA in 10 outings and James Harrington (New Mexico) has yet to allow a run – earned or unearned – in 11.2 innings of relief.

The combined ERA for the quartet is 1.07. And while they can’t pitch every game, a combination of the four has had a hand in a lot of victories. Hyannis has won six of the seven games Harrington has appeared in and is 10-4 when Cave takes the mound.

Tuesday, Hyannis beat Wareham 6-1 with three of the standout relievers finishing the deal. Naylor pitched two scoreless innings and Harrington and Cave tossed one each. Last night, the Harbor Hawks rallied from a late deficit for a 5-4 win over Bourne, but the comeback was made possible by more dominant bullpen work. Stevens struck out three of the five batters he faced in 1.1 scoreless frames and Cave got the last two outs for save number seven.

Cody Henry (Alabama) led the Hyannis offense with two hits and two RBI, with his two-run single giving Hyannis the lead in the top of the ninth.

The consecutive wins have Hyannis at 13-15 and just one game out of second place in the West.

If the bullpen is involved, that gap may yet close further.
 

Harwich 4, Chatham 0

The Mariners showed off their embarrassment of pitching riches by trotting out Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) and Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) in the same game, and Chatham was held to two hits in a shutout win for Harwich. Wilson, the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, struck out five and gave up only two hits in five innings of work. Solomon, one of the arms getting a lot of buzz this season, returned to the bullpen after a start last time out and went four shutout innings without allowing a hit. He has given up two hits in his last 15.1 innings. The Harwich offense had 14 hits and stranded eight runners, but the four runs were plenty. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington) hit his second home run while Ernie Clement (Virginia) and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) had three hits each.

Y-D 4, Orleans 0

Y-D remained a game back of Harwich in the East with a 4-0 shutout of its own. Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) struck out five and scattered four hits in 6.1 innings and William Montgomerie (Connecticut) went the final 2.2 frames and didn’t surrender a hit. Matt Winaker (Stanford) went 4-for-5 with a run scored to lead the Y-D offense. J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara), Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) and Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) drove in one run each. Y-D has won two straight and is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Falmouth 12, Wareham 3

The Commodores slugged past Wareham and suddenly have a seven-point lead in the West standings. Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) led a 16-hit attack by hitting two home runs and driving in four. Leadoff man Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) added two hits and three RBI and Deacon Liput (Florida) knocked in two runs. Five different Commodores had multi-hit games. Starter Tyler Holton (Florida State) went only two innings, but his FSU teammate Cole Sands shined in relief, striking out six in three scoreless innings for the win.

Cotuit 5, Brewster 2

Cotuit has its first three-game winning streak of the season. Four pitchers combined to hold down the league’s best offense with Ross Achter (Toledo) earning the win in relief. Connor Simmons (Georgia Southern) and Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) didn’t allow a hit over the final 3.2 innings. Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer CC) led the Kettleers at the plate with two hits and two RBI. Recently-crowned CCBL Hitter of the Week Quinn Brodey (Stanford) went 1-for-4 and scored two runs.

 

What to Watch

After an off-day Thursday, two surging teams will meet in Yarmouth when the Red Sox host Falmouth.
 

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Red Hot Sox

Brendan Skidmore and Y-D are 16-6 since their 0-5 start.
Brendan Skidmore and Y-D are 16-6 since their 0-5 start.

 
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox have won the last two Cape League championships as a surging No. 3 seed that got hot at the right time.

This season, Y-D has started its surge a little earlier.

With a 9-5 win over Brewster Tuesday, the Red Sox improved to 16-11, matching Harwich and Falmouth for the most wins in the league. The Mariners have had the best record in the league almost since day one, when they started 5-0. In the meantime, the Red Sox were in the midst of an 0-5 start. But since June 16 – when that streak ended – it’s the Red Sox who own the best mark in the league.

The arrivals of players like Will Toffey (Vanderbilt), J.J. Schwarz (Florida) and J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) provided a boost, and players who were off to strong starts from day one have continued to play well. The pitching has been solid despite lacking the steady rotation that a team like Harwich can boast. And Y-D has made its run up the East standings even smoother by going 9-3 against its mates in the East since stopping the season-opening losing streak.

Tuesday, the Red Sox struck out nine times in 5.1 innings against Brewster’s Zac Lowther (Xavier) – who took over the league lead in strikeouts – but managed to build a lead. When they lost it in the top of the eighth, they quickly came back with four runs in the bottom half to break a 5-5 tie and send them on their way.

Nolan Brown (TCU) and Matt Winaker (Stanford) had RBI singles in the eight-inning push and Muno broke the game open with a two-run double. Having come on in the eighth, Bryan Pall (Michigan) stayed in for the ninth and kept Brewster off the board for his ninth consecutive scoreless outing.

Winaker finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and has six hits in his last six games. Kevin Smith (Maryland) homered and scored three runs. Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) added two hits.

Starting pitcher Connor Seabold (Cal State Fullerton) didn’t factor in the decision, but had a solid showing with two runs in 6.1 innings.

The victory was the fifth in the last six games for Y-D.

 

Orleans 2, Falmouth 1

League ERA leader Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) of Falmouth tossed seven shutout innings, but Orleans got the better of the Commodores in a late bullpen battle for a 2-1 win. Passantino, who struck out 82 and walked only 12 this spring, struck out five and allowed four hits while pitching seven scoreless innings for a second straight start. His ERA now stands at 0.56. On this night, though, he departed with all zeroes on the scoreboard as Orleans’ Kirk McCarty (Southern Miss) went 6.2 shutout innings despite walking five batters. Falmouth broke through for the game’s first run in the top of the ninth on a pinch-hit RBI single by Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) but Orleans won it when Adam Haseley (Virginia) hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Cotuit 3, Harwich 1

The Kettleers topped East-leading Harwich for their second win in a row as they continued to slowly chip away in the West standings, improving to 9-17-1. A two-run double by Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) in the fourth inning gave Cotuit all the runs it needed. Justin Hooper (UCLA) allowed one run in four innings. Eddie Muhl (George Washington) and Ryan Rigby (Mississippi State) combined for five scoreless innings out of the bullpen, with Muhl getting the win and Rigby the save. Harwich got two hits from Nick Dalesandro (Purdue). B.J. Myers (West Virginia) allowed two earned runs in six innings and took his first loss of the summer.

Bourne 7, Chatham 5

Mired in a six game losing streak a few days ago, Bourne won for the second time in a row and moved back into a tie with Wareham for second place in the West. Connor Wong (Houston) went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Danny Reyes (Florida) hit a three-run home run as Bourne rallied from an early 3-0 deficit. Ronnie Rossomando (Connecticut) earned the win in relief and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) escaped a jam of his own making in the ninth, stranding two runners to finish off the win. Chatham got home runs from Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) and John Aiello (Wake Forest).

Hyannis 6, Wareham 1

Hyannis jumped ahead 4-0, led 6-1 after two and kept the score right there for a win over Wareham. Dylan Busby (Florida State) led the early push with a three-run home run in the first inning, his third of the year. Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Ford Proctor (Rice) added RBI hits in the second inning as the lead grew. Mac Sceroler (SE Louisiana) gave up one run in five innings and three relievers allowed just one hit combined over the final four innings. Both James Harrington (New Mexico) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) pitched perfect frames. Wareham got three scoreless innings of relief from Nick Sprengel (San Diego). Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) homered and has 14 hits in his last eight games. He’s now hitting .362 as he emerges as one of the top rising sophomores on the Cape.

 

What to Watch

Falmouth tries to go to 4-1 in its season series with second place-Wareham as it hosts the Gatemen at 6 p.m. Tyler Holton (Florida State) will make his second start for the Commodores. Wareham counters with Dalton Horton (TCU), who gave up two runs in four innings in his Cape debut last time out.
 

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Matching shutouts

Brady Puckett tossed six shutout innings in Falmouth's win.
Brady Puckett tossed six shutout innings in Falmouth’s win.

 
At the Cape League’s annual workout at Fenway Park, hitters are on center stage, taking batting practice and running timed sprints. The pitchers don’t get to do as much.

Back on the Cape, a few pitchers put the spotlight back on themselves.

Led by Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), three Falmouth Commodores one-hit Bourne in a 1-0 win. Charlie Barnes (Clemson) set the stage for a similar result in Hyannis, as he and two teammates shut-out Harwich 1-0.

Puckett delivered another in a string of terrific starts for Falmouth. The 6-foot-8 rising junior right-hander had a great spring at Lipscomb. He allowed three runs in four innings in his first Cape League start but has been lights out since — 23 innings, one earned run, 10 hits. Take away the first start, and his ERA would be 0.39. As it is, it’s still at 1.33.

Friday, Puckett allowed one hit in six shutout innings for the second time in his last three starts. He doesn’t strike out a lot of guys — his five Friday were a season-high — but it’s clearly working. The only hit he allowed was a single.

Relievers Brac Warren (Oregon) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) didn’t allow a hit after Puckett departed.

Bourne got strong pitching of its own from A.J. Moore (Kennesaw State) but Falmouth broke through in the seventh on a J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) double and a Joshua Watson (TCU) triple.

Falmouth improved to 14-10 and remained in first place in the West.

As for Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks out-pitched Harwich, no easy task. Barnes came in with a 5.30 ERA thanks to two starts in which he gave up four runs in less than five innings. He had also turned in two strong outings and was even better this time. Barnes allowed three hits and struck out five in five shutout innings.

James Harrington (New Mexico) followed with three perfect innings and Garrett Cave (Florida International) closed the door in the ninth to take over the league lead in saves with six.

Harwich got seven strong innings from Hunter Williams (North Carolina), but just like Falmouth, Hyannis got a run in the seventh to make the difference. An RBI groundout by Cody Henry (Alabama) did the trick.

Hyannis ran its record to 11-13.
 

Y-D 8, Orleans 6

After Tuesday’s games, Yarmouth-Dennis and Orleans were tied for second place in the East. With back-to-back matchups between the teams going to Y-D, the Red Sox now have a four-point edge on the Firebirds for second place. A rally from a 6-5 deficit in the eighth sent the Red Sox to the latest win. Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) had a two-run double to power the rally. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) and Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched a scoreless inning each once Y-D grabbed the lead, with Pall earning his fifth save. The win went to Collin Snider (Vanderbilt), who tossed 2.2 shutout frames after starter Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly) was touched up for six runs – the first runs he had allowed all year. Nolan Brown (TCU) had a home run for the Y-D offense and Corey Dempster (USC) had three hits and two RBI. Orleans got a home run and four RBI from Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) and four hits from Adam Hasely (Virginia).

  • Brewster 2, Chatham 1

    • The Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Chatham. After a string of slugfests, Hunter Martin (Tennessee) gave Brewster a strong start, going six innings and allowing one run. Zac Lowther (Xavier) then rescued the Whitecaps from some trouble in the seventh and went strong to the finish line, going 2.1 hitless innings for the save. Lowther – who has pitched entirely in relief – now leads the league with 28 strikeouts. Brewster got all the offense it needed in the third inning, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) and Nick Dunn (Maryland) coming through with RBI singles. Chatham fell to 11-13, one game ahead of Brewster at 10-14.

    Cotuit 3, Wareham 3

    Wareham took a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, Cotuit tied it in the bottom half and the teams played one more scoreless frame before darkness set in at Lowell Park. Alex Destino (South Carolina) had an RBI single to give Wareham the lead in the ninth before Quinn Brodey (Stanford) came back with an RBI single in the bottom half. Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) followed with a scoreless tenth for the Kettleers and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) did the same for Wareham, leaving the winning run at first base. Brodey had two hits to lead Cotuit, while Robert Metz (George Washington) had three for the Gatemen.

     

    What to Watch

    The only reigning CWS champion on a Cape League roster makes his debut as Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina) starts for Cotuit against Brewster. Bilous had a 4.43 ERA in his freshman campaign and made one start in Omaha.
     

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    Back in Town

    J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.
    J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.

     
    J.J. Matijevic came back to the Cape with a bang.

    An all-star last summer and probably the top returning player currently on a Cape League roster, Matijevic (Arizona) made his season debut on the Fourth of July and smacked a two-run homer that sent Falmouth to a 2-0 win over Cotuit.

    Matijevic finished third in the league in hitting last summer, batting .333 with four home runs. He hit .287 with four homers this spring and was a key part of Arizona’s runner-up finish in the College World Series.

    He wasted little time returning to Falmouth after Thursday’s final game in the CWS championship series. Monday, he was in the starting lineup for the Commodores, batting second and playing first base.

    His homer in the fifth inning – after a Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) walk – was all the offense Falmouth needed. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just two hits and fanned seven in seven shutout innings. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) finished the shutout with a scoreless inning each.

    Tristan Gray (Rice) added two hits for the Commodores and Joshua Watson (TCU) – another late arrival from Omaha – also had two.

    Falmouth and Cotuit split their holiday series, with the Commodores improving to 11-10 after Monday’s win.

     

    Wareham 2, Bourne 1

    A holiday sweep of Bourne has Wareham alone in first place in the West. The Gatemen rode strong pitching and an opportunistic offense to their third consecutive victory and their second in a row over the Braves. Zachary Pop (Kentucky) gave up one run in five innings in his second start of the summer and Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette) was again dominant in relief. Leger, who has made two starts and two relief appearances, has given up three hits in 11 innings with 15 strikeouts this season. Monday, he surrendered one hit in three scoreless innings and struck out four. Casey Mize (Auburn) followed Leger and pitched the ninth for the save. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 to lead the offense and his RBI single in the second – following an error – staked Wareham to a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Bart scored what proved to be the winning run on a passed ball, making both of Wareham’s runs unearned. That made for a hard-luck loss for Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) who struck out eight and six innings and now leads the league in strikeouts.

    Harwich 11, Brewster 7

    For the first time all season, an opponent scored more than five runs against Harwich – and the Mariners won anyway. They racked up 20 hits – which might be a league-season high – and broke a 7-7 tie with a grand slam in the top of the eighth for a slugfest win over Brewster. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington), back after a stint at Team USA trials, came through with the grand slam after a single and two walks loaded the bases. It was Feight’s first homer of the summer. Austin Filiere (MIT) also homered and drove in two, Antoine Duplantis (LSU) had two hits and two RBI and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) had three hits each. Harwich raised its team batting average from .246 to .260. Brewster had plenty of offense of its own, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) going 4-for-4 with two RBI, Matt Davis (VCU) getting three hits and Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) driving in three runs. It was the fourth straight loss for Brewster.

    Chatham 6, Orleans 3

    The longest win streak in the league met its end at Veterans Field as Chatham topped Orleans 6-3. The Anglers took a lead in the fifth, added to it in the seventh and held off a push by Orleans. Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) struck out eight and allowed just an unearned run in 5.2 innings for the win. Austin Magestro (UNC Wilmington) notched a four-out save. Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) and Jordan Romero (LSU) led the Anglers at the plate with two hits and an RBI apiece. Chase Pinder (Clemson), Sean Bouchard (UCLA) and Patrick Mathis (Texas) drove in one run each. Orleans – which had won five in a row – got a home run from Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) but only six hits on the day.

    Hyannis 8, Y-D 5

    The second-longest win streak in the league also came to an end as Hyannis stopped Y-D’s four-game heater. The Harbor Hawks broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth on a Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) RBI double and a two-run single by Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee). Garrett Cave (Florida International) ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless ninth for the save. That made a winner out of James Harrington (New Mexico), who tossed three perfect innings of relief. Hudgins was one of four Harbor Hawks with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-3, Dylan Busby (Florida State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Trey Truitt (Mercer) went 2-for-5. Y-D got two hits and two RBI from J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara).

     

    What to Watch

    The best pitching staff in the league will try something a little different in the rotation as dominant reliever Austin Bain (LSU) makes his first start when Harwich hosts Bourne. Bain has 12 strikeouts in seven scoreless relief innings this summer.
     

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    Another Breakthrough

    HYA15 team
     
    Perhaps the Hyannis Harbor Hawks just prefer a matinee. In a 2 p.m. game at McKeon Park Saturday, the Harbor Hawks finally broke through for their first win of the season, beating Wareham 5-4.

    The night before, Hyannis lost a 1-0, extra-inning decision to Harwich, probably its most frustrating loss of all. The Gatemen – who took the train to Hyannis as part of a promotion – took a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning Saturday, but Hyannis rallied with four in the eighth and held off a final push in the ninth for the win.

    Trey Truitt (Mercer) was hit by a pitch to start the rally and Ford Proctor (Rice) doubled for his third hit of the day. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) plated both of them and gave Hyannis the lead with a two-run single. After two more hits, Cody Henry (Alabama) knocked a two-run double to make it 5-2.

    Wareham managed two runs in the ninth, but James Harrington (New Mexico) induced a ground ball to end the game, stranding runners on first and second. Harrington was credited with the save. The win went to reliever Trysten Barlow (Mississippi State). Starter Alex Eubanks(Clemson) didn’t factor in the decision but had a good day, allowing one run in six innings while fanning three.

    Proctor, who had a strong freshman season for Rice, led the Hyannis offense with a 3-for-4 day in his third start on the Cape. Rutherford – who has a hit in six of Hyannis’ eight games – went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

    Hyannis is now 1-7 overall, matching Cotuit’s record. Those teams will meet for the first time this season today.
     

    Orleans 1, Harwich 0

    Harwich was on the winning end of a game that was 0-0 most of the way Friday, but was on the losing end Saturday as Orleans walked off with a 1-0 win in the bottom of the ninth. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Brian Miller (North Carolina) brought him home with the winning run on a base hit. Before that, pitching had dominated to the tune of eight scoreless innings. Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) got the win in relief for Orleans. He was the third of three relievers who maintained starter Joe Ryan’s (Cal State Northridge) shutout. Ryan scattered six hits in five innings. Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out six in six scoreless innings for Harwich. For the Orleans offense, Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits for the third straight game since his arrival. Ernie Clement (Virginia) had a three-hit day for Harwich.

    Y-D 5, Bourne 1

    Break up the Red Sox. Winless two days ago, Y-D won its third straight Saturday with a 5-1 victory over West-leading Bourne. Tyler Houston (Butler) led an 11-hit attack with three hits and two RBI. Kevin Smith (Maryland) and Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) added two hits each. The Red Sox staked starter Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) to an early 2-0 lead and he ran with it, allowing just an unearned run in five innings for the win. Collin Snider and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) closed out the victory. Jake Mangum (Mississippi State), one of the nation’s leading hitters this spring, made his debut for Bourne and started in the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4.

    Chatham 5, Falmouth 2

    The Anglers gave up two runs in the first inning but nothing else and rallied from the early deficit to move back to .500 at 4-4. Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) settled in after Falmouth touched him up early, going five innings for the victory. Jason Foley (Sacred Heart) pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Moises Ceja (UCLA) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. Kyle Adams (Richmond) and Chase Pinder (Clemson) had RBI single to start the rally in the fourth inning. A single run in the fifth and two more in the ninth provided some insurance. Pinder would finish with a 3-for-4 day. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) and Sean Bouchard (UCLA) had two hits each. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had an RBI and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went 3-for-4. Kevin Merrell (South Florida) continued his blistering start with his sixth multi-hit game of the summer.

    Brewster 7, Cotuit 5

    Brewster leads the league in runs scored and had another solid day in a victory over Cotuit. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) hit his first home run and Matt Davis (VCU) went 2-for-4 with two RBI to take over the league lead with 11. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) – the NECBL MVP last year – went 2-for-4 in his second start for the Whitecaps this summer. A.J. Graffanino (Washington) added two RBI. Aaron Soto (Tennessee) allowed five runs in six innings but all the offense made him a winner. His college teammate Jacob Westphal (Tennessee) earned the save. For Cotuit, Cory Voss (New Mexico) hit a grand slam and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) had two hits.

    What to Watch

    Hyannis and Cotuit meet for the first time this season at Lowell Park. Charlie Barnes, who led Clemson in strikeouts this summer, makes his second for Hyannis after allowing four runs in four innings his first time out. Justin Hooper (UCLA), a 6-foot-7 freshman, is set to make his debut for Cotuit.
     

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    Harbor Hawks look for an encore

    HYA
     
    Hyannis lost a heartbreaker to Y-D in the Cape League championship series last year, but it was still one of the best summers McKeon Park has ever seen. Replicating that kind of success is never easy, but the Harbor Hawks again have a lot of offensive potential.

    Five to Watch

    1. Carl Stajduhar
    2. Trey Truitt
    3. Devin Smeltzer
    4. Taylor Walls
    5. Dylan Busby

    Notable

  • New Mexico won the Mountain West Conference title and is in regionals now. Whenever it ends, the Lobos will send a trio of players to Hyannis. Carl Stajduhard has had the best season of the three. He earned conference player of the year honors with great overall numbers – .348, 18 HR – and was unstoppable in conference play with a .421 batting average, nine homers and 39 RBI.

  • Tristan Hildebrandt ended up as a key late addition for Hyannis last summer but couldn’t build on his success with Cal State Fullerton this spring, finishing the regular season hitting under .200. A return to McKeon Park will offer a chance for a jumpstart.

  • The other returning Harbor Hawk is Devin Smeltzer, who wasn’t on the team’s initial roster but is there now. Smeltzer had an up-and-down summer last year, but the ups included a no-hitter of Harwich. Smeltzer transferred from Florida Gulf Coast to junior college power San Jacinto and had a terrific sophomore season. As a juco player, he will be eligible for the draft.

  • Minnesota has sent some pretty good pitchers to Hyannis over the years and Lucas Gilbreath is next in line. He’s been terrific out of the bullpen this year, striking out better than a batter per inning.

  • Florida State is hitting .295 as a team this season and two guys who had a big hand in the success are bound for Hyannis. Dylan Busby and Taylor Walls are both hitting over .300, with Busby leading the team in home runs.

  • Rice seems to churn out infielders and Ford Proctor is next in line. The freshman is starting at shortstop and batting third for the Owls as they head to regionals.

  • Outfielder has a breakout sophomore season then stars on the Cape. Sound familiar? Kyle Lewis’ outfield mate, Trey Truitt, is halfway to a similar path. He hit .354 with 17 home runs and might have been Southern Conference Player of the Year if not for Lewis’ presence.

    • PITCHERS

    Trysten Barlow – FR – Mississippi State – Part of a big class of pitching newcomers in Starkville has not seen any action this year
    Charlie Barnes – SO – Clemson – Busy reliever moved into rotation this year and has 4.49 ERA, team-best 78 Ks
    Garrett Cave – SO – Florida International – Pitched as starter and reliever and posted 4.67 ERA with 42 Ks
    John Gavin – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Not a huge strikeout guy but has 2.16 ERA in Titans’ weekend rotation
    Lucas Gilbreath – SO – Minnesota – Following up good summer in Northwoods with dominant year in pen – 1.35 ERA, 41 Ks
    Andrew Gonzalez – SO – Michigan State – Put up solid numbers in swing role, with 2.84 ERA in nine starts, eight relief apps
    James Harrington – SO – New Mexico – ERA over six while pitching mostly as a mid-week starter for Lobos
    Daniel Johnson – SO – Charleston Southern – Weekend starter had 5.82 ERA, 41 Ks
    Justin Lewis – SO – Kentucky – Notched four saves with 2.08 ERA as Wildcats reliever
    Al Pesto – FR – Duke – Freshman has been valuable part of Blue Devil bullpen with 1.83 ERA in 15 appearances
    Ricky Salinas – SO – Rice – Solid weekend starter with 3.62 ERA, 60 Ks
    Mac Sceroler – SO – SE Louisiana – Top starter for regional-bound Lions with 2.18 ERA, 92 Ks
    Devin Smeltzer – SO – San Jacinto – After no-hitter in CCBL last summer, dominant for JUCO powerhouse – 1.20 ERA, 108 Ks
    Tyler Stevens – SO – New Mexico – Solid starter in weekend rotation with 4.34 ERA, 71 Ks

    CATCHERS

    Chris Cullen – FR – South Carolina – 38th-round pick last year hitting .252, 11 2Bs in part-time gig for Gamecocks
    Chris Hudgins – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Splitting time behind plate and hitting .231 with three home runs for Titans

    INFIELDERS

    Dylan Busby – SO – Florida State – Leading Seminoles with 12 HRs, 47 RBI in breakout sophomore season
    Cody Henry – SO – Alabama – Batted .223 with team-best 16 doubles for Crimson Tide
    Tristan Hildebrandt – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Returning Hawk has had tough sophomore year with .168 average
    Ford Proctor – FR – Rice – Texas high school star having big debut – .343, 3 HRs, team-best in extra-base hits and RBI
    Zach Rutherford – SO – Old Dominion – Freshman All-American picked up where he left off this year with team-best .311 AVG, 12 SB
    Carl Stajduhar – SO – New Mexico – MWC Player of the Year in midst of huge season for champ Lobos – .348, 18 HR, 66 RBI
    Taylor Walls – SO – Florida State – Started every game as a frosh last year and has starred this year with .357 AVG, 6 HR, 14 SB
    Peter Zyla – SO – Duke – Batting .253 for regional participant Blue Devils

    OUTFIELDERS

    Treg Haberkorn – SO – Cincinnati – Solid sophomore year included .264 AVG, 3 home runs, 13 stolen bases
    Jack Schaaf – SO – Florida International – Batted .275 with three home runs as a sophomore after similar freshman season
    Trey Truitt – SO – Mercer – Starred alongside CCBL ’15 standout Kyle Lewis with .335 AVG, 17 HR, 54 RBI
    Drew Wharton – SO – Clemson – Hitting .154 in limited action for Tigers