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New Beginnings

Tim Susnara's RBI single broke a scoreless tie in the 11th as Cotuit topped Harwich.
Tim Susnara’s RBI single broke a scoreless tie in the 11th as Cotuit topped Harwich.

 
Cotuit is the hottest team in the league and its win Friday over Harwich means another hot team has knocked the Mariners from their perch at the top of the league.

The Kettleers beat Harwich 2-0 in 11 innings for their fourth straight win. They’re now 9-3-1 since their 2-14 start.

Friday’s win was their second this week over Harwich. The Mariners – with the league’s best record since a hot start – are still playing pretty well, with a 5-3-2 mark in their last 10. But Y-D has won three in a row, and Friday’s 8-4 victory over Falmouth means the Red Sox now have the best record in the league at 18-11. Y-D and Harwich are still tied atop the East, thanks to two ties for the Mariners.

Cotuit and Harwich were locked in a scoreless tie for 10 innings before a somewhat unlikely rally for the Kettleers, given who they were facing. But Quinn Brodey (Stanford) greeted standout Harwich closer Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Tim Susnara (Oregon), who had come on as a pinch-hitter earlier in the game, lined a base hit up the middle to score Brodey with the first run of the game.

Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) followed with a double and Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer) knocked in a run with a single.

Cotuit reliever Ryan Rigby (Mississippi State) kept Harwich off the board for one more inning, sealing the shutout win. Taylor Lehman (Penn State) had gone 2.2 scoreless innings in relief of starter Colton Hock (Stanford), a power arm who had his best start of the summer with six shutout frames.

Hunter Williams (North Carolina) went seven scoreless innings for Harwich but didn’t factor in the decision.

Meanwhile, Y-D’s win in a 5 p.m. game was already in the books. The Red Sox pounded 14 hits and used a five-run sixth inning – with four of the runs unearned – to blow the game open. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) homered while Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) had two hits and two RBI. Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) earned the win in relief and Sam Delaplane (Michigan State) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings for the save.

Y-D has won three straight and is 18-6 since opening the season 0-5.

 

Brewster 9, Hyannis 7

League home run leader Matt Davis (VCU) parlayed his time on the Cape into a pro contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Without him, Brewster kept slugging, getting 15 hits to edge past Hyannis. Bryce Jordan (LSU) went 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot and is hitting .420. Ryan Gridley (Mississippi State) homered and drove in two while Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had two hits and two RBI. Hunter Martin (Tennessee) allowed three runs in 6.1 innings for the win. Hyannis rallied for four runs in the ninth, but Jacob Wloczewski (Binghamton) and Max Herrmann (Rutgers) got out of trouble to seal the victory.

Wareham 6, Bourne 3

On a seven-game winless streak since a July 4 win over Bourne – a string that included two ties – the Gatemen beat Bourne again to snap the skid. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Robert Metz (George Washington) drove in two runs and Cole Freeman (LSU) had two hits and two runs scored. Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) added a home run. Hogan Harris (Louisiana-Lafayette) earned the win in relief before Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) and Jake Matthys (Angelo State) combined for 2.2 scoreless innings to finish it off. Wareham improved to 13-13-3. Bourne, which got a home run from Connor Wong (Houston), fell to 13-15-1.

Orleans 5, Chatham 3

Orleans built a 5-0 lead and held off a late run by Chatham for a 5-3 win. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs to lead the Firebirds offense, while Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) hit his second homer of the summer. Riley Adams (San Diego) added two hits and two RBI and now has 11 hits in his last eight games. Six different pitchers carried the load for the Firebirds, with Chandler Day (Vanderbilt) and Kevin Smith (Georgia) tossing three innings apiece of one-hit, shutout ball. Chatham rallied on a Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) two-run double in the ninth, but Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) came on to get the final out with the tying run at the plate.

 

What to Watch

Good pitching matchup in Falmouth where Brady Singer (Florida) goes for the Commodores against Charlie Barnes (Clemson) of Hyannis. Singer has gone six and five scoreless innings in his two Cape League starts. Barnes went five scoreless in his last outing.
 

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Catching Fire

Brian Miller had three hits as Orleans won its fourth straight game.
Brian Miller had three hits as Orleans won its fourth straight game.

 
All of a sudden, the best team in the league since day one has somebody hot on its tail.

Harwich lost 4-2 to Chatham for its third straight defeat last night. In the meantime, Orleans shut out Hyannis 4-0 for its fourth straight win. The Firebirds are now just a game back of the Mariners for first place in the East.

Orleans was 7-8 when its win streak began, and the streak has followed a pretty classic good baseball formula – three runs or fewer allowed in each game, at least nine hits and only two errors total across the four-game stretch.

The pitching was at its best in Saturday’s win. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge), who has allowed a run or less in each of his four starts, went five strong innings, giving up four hits and striking out three. The bullpen then held up its end of the bargain in dominant fashion. Eli Morgan (Gonzaga), Zach Willeman (Kent State) and Zach Logue (Kentucky) didn’t surrender a hit in teaming up for the final four innings.

At the plate, Keegan McGovern (Georgia) hit his second home run in the win streak, a pinch-hit solo shot in the eighth. Brian Miller (North Carolina) drove in the other three runs for the Firebirds with a 2-for-5 night. Riley Adams (San Diego), Justin Jones (Georgia State) and Will Golsan (Ole Miss) scored a run apiece.

Success on the mound and at the plate in the win streak has put Orleans in third place in both team ERA and team batting average – making them the most balanced team in the league by that measure. A few more wins, and the Firebirds could become the best in the league by another measure.

 

Y-D 3, Falmouth 1

The Red Sox aren’t far behind Orleans for label of hottest team in the league. They topped Falmouth for their third straight win Saturday, rallying from a 1-0 deficit with a run in the seventh and two in the ninth despite finishing with only four hits. Mikey Diekroeger (Stanford) knocked an RBI single to tie the game in the seventh. In the ninth, Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) delivered an RBI double to plate the go-ahead run. Matthew Whatley’s (Oral Roberts) sacrifice fly made it 3-1, and Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched the bottom of the ninth for his third save. Cal State Fullerton standout Connor Seabold earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief in his Cape League debut. Diekroeger and Toffey had two hits each, the only hits for the Red Sox. Y-D is 10-9, over .500 for the first time this season. Falmouth got a home run from Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and six innings of one-hit, shutout ball from Florida freshman standout Brady Singer before the Red Sox rallied.

Chatham 4, Harwich 2

Losers of four straight, Chatham knocked off first-place Harwich with runs in the seventh and eighth innings to break a 2-2 tie. Stuart Fairchild’s (Wake Forest) third hit of the night plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Patrick Mathis (Texas) hit his second home run of the summer in the eighth for a little insurance, and Moises Ceja (UCLA) tossed a scoreless ninth for his third save. That made a winner out of Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh), who struck out five of the 10 batters he faced in 2.2 scoreless frames. Starter Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) also pitched well, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings. Chase Pinder (Clemson) had three hits and an RBI for the Anglers and Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) also knocked in a run. For Harwich, Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out five in 4.2 innings and leads the league in Ks with 26. Austin Filiere (MIT) had two hits and two RBI.

Bourne 2, Brewster 1

Bourne stopped a two-game slide and remained in first place in the West with a win over Brewster. An RBI single by Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Mangum, the SEC batting champ, finished 3-for-4, raising his average to .392. Connor Wong (Houston) and David MacKinnon (Hartford) added two hits each. Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt) allowed one run in five innings and left with the game tied. Doug Norman (LSU) earned the win in relief and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) picked up his third save with his fourth consecutive scoreless outing. Brewster got seven strong innings from Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State), who took the hard-luck loss. Nick Dunn (Maryland) had two hits.

Wareham 3, Cotuit 2

Friday, Cotuit won a one-run game for the first time in seven tries. Saturday, Wareham returned the favor, dropping the Kettleers to 1-7 in one-run games with a 3-2 victory at Spillane Field. Three runs in the third inning were all the Gatemen needed as three pitchers combined on a solid showing. Ethan Small (Mississippi State) went four scoreless innings for the win and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) escaped trouble in the eighth and tossed a perfect ninth to finish off the win. Colton Shaver (BYU) upped his league-best RBI total to 20 and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) also drove in a run. For Cotuit, Colton Hock (Stanford) allowed two earned runs in six innings. Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) homered and Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had two hits.

What to Watch

Today brings the openers in the two-game home-and-home holiday sets. As has been the case throughout the year, Harwich and Brewster looks an intriguing match-up. Two-time Cape League Pitcher of the Week Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) gets the ball for the Mariners today against Brewster’s high-powered offense.

 

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Y-D Charge

Tyler Houston and Y-D vaulted into a third-place tie in the East with Friday's win.
Tyler Houston and Y-D vaulted into a third-place tie in the East with Friday’s win.

 
J.J. Schwarz (Florida) singled in his long-awaited Cape League debut and that was just the start of a good night for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in Harwich. Three pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout as the Red Sox topped first-place Harwich 3-0 and vaulted into a tie for third place in the East.

Schwarz has been a big name in college baseball and prospecting circles since he burst onto the scene as a freshman at Florida last year by hitting .332 with 18 home runs. He didn’t have quite as much success this year but remains near the top of every early 2017 draft preview you’ll see.

Last summer Schwarz was on Y-D’s roster but ended up with Team USA. This year, after Florida’s loss in Omaha, he’s in town and immediately becomes a must-see attraction for scouts. Friday, he singled to lead off the second inning in his first Cape League at-bat and finished 1-for-3.

The bigger story for the Red Sox in terms of impact on Friday’s game was the pitching. Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly) allowed one hit in six shutout innings and struck out four. Coming off a spring in which he had a 3.68 ERA, Uelmen has delivered two scoreless outings in his two Cape starts, having gone five shutout innings his last time out.

Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) followed Uelmen to the hill and pitched a quick seventh inning. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) then notched his first save in emphatic fashion, striking out five of the six batters he faced in two perfect innings.

Harwich, as usual, had good pitching of its own, but a Y-D run in the fifth and two in the sixth provided the difference against starter Hunter Williams (North Carolina). Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) reached on an error and came around on a passed ball in the fifth. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) doubled and Kevin Smith (Maryland) had an RBI to key the sixth inning rally.

Y-D has won two in a row and is 9-9 on the year, hitting the .500 mark for the first time. The Red Sox started the season with five straight losses.

 

Falmouth 5, Bourne 1

Falmouth topped Bourne for its second straight win and moved within one point of the Braves for first place in the West. Willie Burger (Penn State) homered and had two RBI to lead the Commodore offense. Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State) added two hits each. Brady Puckett (Lipscomb) surrendered one run in five innings for his third win of the season and his third consecutive start allowing one run or less. Three relievers combined for four scoreless frames. Bourne got two hits from Mississippi State teammates Jake Mangum and Elih Marrero. Falmouth was without leadoff man and top hitter Kevin Merrell (South Florida), who is apparently injured and has been released, according to the league’s transactions page.

Hyannis 10, Chatham 0

The Harbor Hawks jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and cruised past Chatham at Veterans Field. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion), Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico) and Brett Netzer (Charlotte) led the early burst. Rutherford would finish 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI, while Netzer drove in three. Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) and Kameron Esthay (Baylor) also homered. Eight different Harbor Hawks had hits and six of those hits went for extra bases. Much of the offense came against Chatham’s Jacob Stevens (Boston College), who had tossed five shutout innings in his previous start. Alex Eubanks (Clemson) was the beneficiary of the offense and tossed six shutout innings for a second consecutive start. Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) finished off the win.

Orleans 7, Brewster 2

The Firebirds broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the sixth and tacked on two more in each of the seventh and eighth innings to pull away. The win allowed Orleans to take over second place in the East at 10-8, as Brewster fell to 9-9. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) and Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) had two hits and two RBI apiece. Riley Mahan (Kentucky) added two hits and Justin Jones (Georgia State) scored three runs. John O’Reilly (Rutgers) picked up the win in relief and three of his bullpen mates combined for three scoreless innings to finish it off. For Brewster, Matt Davis (VCU), Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) and Ryan Gridley (Mississippi State) all had two hits. Davis hit his league-best sixth home run. Rooker is now hitting .400.

Cotuit 7, Wareham 6

Cotuit got on its first win streak of the season, beating Wareham for a second consecutive victory. Jackson Klein (Stanford) went 4-for-5 with three RBI and homered for the second straight game. Recent arrival Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) – a former Orleans Firebird who was picked in the 11th round of last month’s draft by the Giants – went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Cal Stevenson (Arizona) and Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer) added two hits each, with Dorrian hitting his first home run of the summer. Taylor Lehman (Penn State) was credited the win in relief after surrendering one run in 3.1 innings. Wareham rallied within a run in the ninth on a three-run homer by Colton Shaver (BYU) – his fifth of the year – but Alec Byrd (Florida State) struck out Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) to end the game.

What to Watch

Falmouth and Y-D will both try to make it three wins in a row when they square off in Falmouth at 6 p.m. Oliver Jaskie (Michigan) makes his first start for Y-D. For Falmouth, Florida’s Brady Singer – the highest unsigned high school pick in the 2015 draft (second round by the Blue Jays) – will make his Cape League debut.
 

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Back to Normal

Alex Call waits for a throw at second base against Cotuit earlier this week. The Firebirds clinched the East title Thursday.
Alex Call waits for a throw at second base against Cotuit earlier this week. The Firebirds clinched the East title Thursday.

 
It was back to regularly-scheduled programming in the Cape League’s East Division on Thursday night. After two losses and a tie in their previous three games, the Orleans Firebirds looked like their old selves as they clinched the regular-season division title with a 12-8 victory over Hyannis. With Brewster losing, Orleans now cannot be caught.

The Firebirds were not as sharp as usual on the mound, but their powerful offense was on target. The Firebirds hit two home runs in an eight-run second inning. They finished the night with 18 hits, five of which went for extra bases. Ten different players had at least one hit.

With All-Star Game West MVP Devin Smeltzer (San Jacinto) on the hill for Hyannis, you wouldn’t have predicted a slugfest. But after getting a run in the first, the Firebirds went wild in the second inning. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit a grand slam and Kyle Lewis (Mercer) followed that with a solo shot.

Hyannis eventually found some of its offense, making it an 11-8 game in the eighth, but that was as close as it got.

Dalbec went 2-for-3 and the home run was his league-best 11th. I sound like a broken record, but his pace is incredible. Dalbec has played in 25 games. Eleven of his 26 hits are homers.

Lewis finished 4-for-5 with four RBI as he broke out of an 0-for-11 slump. Bryan Reynolds (Vanderbilt), Jeremy Martinez (USC), Daniel Pinero (Virginia) and Sean Murphy (Wright State) all chipped in two hits.

Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was credited with the win in relief.

Orleans finishes its four-game season series against Hyannis with a 3-1 record. The Harbor Hawks are in line to win the West, but they aren’t there yet. In a season of Orleans success, it was fitting that the Firebirds got there first.

With three games remaining, the Firebirds could still match the record of the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, who went 31-12-1, the best record in the league in at least the last 15 years.
 

Y-D 2, Chatham 1

With fifth-place Harwich losing to Wareham, Y-D had a chance to get some breathing room in the East standings. A seventh-inning rally against Chatham did the trick. The Red Sox won 2-1 and moved four points ahead of Harwich for the final playoff berth and just two points back of Chatham for the third seed. The Anglers broke a scoreless tie with a run in the sixth on a Will Craig (Wake Forest) RBI double. But in the very next half-inning, Y-D pushed the tying run across on a passed ball and plated the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Gio Brusa (Pacific). Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt), who had come on in the sixth, ran with the lead, striking out seven of the 13 batters he faced in 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. Y-D is now 21-20. Chatham is 22-19.
 

Falmouth 11, Brewster 7

Falmouth isn’t dead quite yet. The Commodores snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over Brewster. Coupled with a Cotuit loss, the Commodores are only three points out of the final playoff spot in the West. J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss) went 2-for-4 with a home run to lead the offensive breakout for Falmouth. Mitch Longo (Ohio), Evan Skoug (TCU) and Tate Blackman (Ole Miss) each drove in two runs. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had two doubles. Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) got the win, giving up two runs in five innings. Brewster scored five runs in the seventh against the bullpen but the game was called due to darkness after that.
 

Wareham 5, Harwich 2

The Gatemen inched closer to a playoff spot while Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) inched closer to hitting .400 for the year in a win over Harwich. Wareham now has a two-point edge on Cotuit for third place in the West and is five points in front of last-place Falmouth. As for Calica, he went 1-for-2, walked once and was hit by a pitch. It’s hard to raise a .439 average, but that line did it — Calica is now at .440 with just three games remaining. If you assume he gets 12 at-bats over those final three games, he would need just one hit in 12 at-bats to finish over .400. His teammates had a good offensive night Wednesday, as well. Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Gavin Stupienski (UNC Wilmington) had two hits and an RBI. Brett Hanewich (Stanford) struck out eight and allowed just one earned run in five innings for the win. Shaun Anderson (Florida) pitched four innings of one-hit relief.
 

Bourne 10, Cotuit 7

Bourne rallied from a 5-0 deficit and won 10-7 in a game that was called after the seventh due to rain. Nick Solak (Louisville) went 3-for-5 with four RBI to spark the comeback efforts. Brendan McKay (Louisville) and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) knocked in two runs apiece, while Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) both had two hits and scored three runs. Joseph Christopher (St. John’s) gave up two unearned runs in 2.1 innings of relief to help set the stage for the comeback. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) got the win in relief. Bourne is 20-19-2 and still has a shot at the West division title. Cotuit fell to 16-25 with its second straight loss.
 

What to Watch

Chatham can clinch a playoff spot and clear up much of the East postseason picture if it wins tonight at Harwich.
 

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Lucky 13

Chatham has had a lot to celebrate with three straight wins.
Chatham has had a lot to celebrate with three straight wins.

 
The only teams in the Cape League currently sporting a win streak are the teams already stationed atop the East division. With lopsided victories last night, first-place Orleans and second-place Chatham gained a little more cushion.

Orleans beat Cotuit 13-2 at Eldredge Park for its fourth straight win. The Firebirds are now 18-6 (that’s .750 baseball, if you’re scoring at home).

In neighboring Chatham, the Anglers won their third straight, beating Wareham 13-6. The Anglers are still eight points behind Orleans but have a three-point cushion on third-place Harwich and are just one win off the pace of Hyannis for the second-best record in the league.

For Orleans, a win streak is nothing new. At various points, the Firebirds have won six, four and three games in a row this summer, accounting for most of their wins. But the 13-2 win was their highest-scoring game and it came on the heels of an 11-2 win Tuesday. Perhaps the Firebirds are getting even hotter.

Orleans got 17 hits and blasted three home runs against the Kettleers. Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) hit one for the second straight game, while going 3-for-5 with four RBI. Willie Abreu (Miami) and Justin Jones (Georgia State) each hit their first home runs. Orleans now has 20 homers on the summer, nine more than any other team.

Kyle Lewis (Mercer) and Nick Zammarelli (Elon) had three hits apiece, with Zammarelli doing it for the second straight night. Lewis went for a multi-hit game for the fifth time in seven games, raising his average to .360. Vanderbilt’s Bryan Reynolds, making his second appearance since arriving late from Omaha, went 2-for-4.

Eric Lauer (Kent State) had no trouble making the lead stand up, tossing six innings of no-run, one-hit baseball. He struck out eight and brought his ERA to 1.38.

Over in Chatham, the Anglers didn’t flash quite as much pop as the Firebirds, getting only one extra-base hit, but they piled up the singles in hitting a season-high in runs. Like Orleans, it wasn’t their first big game of the week. They beat Harwich 12-4 on Sunday.

Tuesday, they scored five runs against highly-touted lefty Matt Krook (Oregon). Leadoff man Trenton Brooks (Nevada) went 4-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored. Jake Fraley (LSU) and Todd Czinege (Villanova) each went 3-for-5. Fraley is now hitting .400 and Chatham is 4-2 in the six games he’s played.

Luke Persico (UCLA) and Nick Sciortino (Boston College) drove in two runs each.

Ty Damron (Texas Tech) made his first start since June 22 and the big offensive night helped make it a warm welcome. Damron gave up one unearned run in six innings. Wareham scored five runs in the top of the ninth against the Chatham bullpen but the deficit was much too large.

Two streaking teams scoring 13 runs each are pretty tough to beat.
 

Falmouth 6, Hyannis 1

Falmouth’s Michael Tinsley (Kansas) hit the third pitch he saw from Hyannis ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) out of the park, and the Commodores were off-and-running. They scored five runs and chased Deeg – he of the 0.32 ERA – before he could even escape the first. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had an RBI and Shane Benes (Missouri) had two. Staked to the early lead, Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) turned in his best start of the summer, giving up one run on three hits in seven innings of work.
 

Harwich 4, Y-D 3

The bottom three teams in the East are trading places nearly every day and Harwich continued the musical chairs with a seventh-inning rally to beat Y-D. With his team trailing 3-2, Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) hit a two-run triple in the seventh and Harwich was in business from there. The bullpen didn’t allow a run in the final four innings and Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) nabbed his league-leading seventh save. Harwich also got a home run from Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and two hits from Brock Deatherage (NC State).
 

Bourne 5, Brewster 4

The Braves and Whitecaps scored all their runs in the final four innings, and Bourne managed one more in a 5-4 victory over Brewster. Corey Julks (Houston) had two hits and two RBI. Nick Solak (Louisville), Pete Alonso (Florida) and Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) had one RBI each. Bourne’s Josh Rogers (Louisville) and Brewster’s Alex Schick (California) both delivered solid starts before the bats arrived. Austin Conway (Indiana State) got the save for the Braves.
 

What to Watch

Just a make-up game between Brewster and Orleans on tap tonight. The Firebirds will be going for their fifth win in a row.
 

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Braves primed for the top again

bourne 15
 
With Falmouth getting hot in the playoffs, it’s easy to forget that Bourne owned the West Division last year and finished with the best record in the league. A couple of guys will be back from that team, and they’ll be joined by a strong influx of talent that has the Braves looking like a top on-paper contender.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Brendan McKay
2. Boomer Biegalski
3. Ryan Boldt
4. Nick Banks
5. Pete Alonso

 

NOTABLE

  • C.J. Chatham ends up in Bourne? We need to be better than that, people.

  • Florida State’s Boomer Biegalski will be among the most proven incoming CCBL starting pitchers after settling into ace duties for Florida State this year. He struck out 120, good for ninth in the country.

  • With Biegalski leading the way, the Braves have as impressive a collection of starters as any in the league. Keegan Akin, Matt Crohan, Ryan Keaffaber, Brendan McKay, Josh Rogers, Ryan SMoyer and Dominic Taccolini were all weekend rotation guys this year.

  • McKay has earned a Team USA camp invite, but if he comes to Bourne, he could be the league’s top freshman. The two-way star has a 1.77 ERA and a .314 average.

  • Bourne has a couple of guys with strong bullpen experience, but it will be hard for any of them to push Miami’s Bryan Garcia from the closer’s role, once he arrives from Omaha. Garcia has saved 25 career games in just two seasons with the Hurricanes.

  • Veteran catchers are not a bad place to start building a roster, and Bourne has a pair of returning Cape Leaguers in Jason Delay and Brian Serven.

  • Lots of big-time hitters on the roster, but from a purely statistical standpoint, no one was better than Lehigh’s Mike Garzillo, who hit .359 with 13 homers this spring.

  • Ryan Smoyer, Pete Alonso and Ryan Boldt were all Northwoods League stars last year and will be primed to follow the familiar path to Cape League stardom this year.

    •  

    PITCHERS

    Keegan Akin – SO – Western Michigan – Starter for most of his career, had 4.33 ERA with 75 Ks in sophomore season
    Boomer Biegalski – SO – Florida State – JUCO transfer emerged as ace this year, striking out 120 in 108 IP, with 3.17 ERA
    Matt Crohan – SO – Winthrop – Lefty had big sophomore season, going 7-4 with 3.05 ERA, 87 Ks on way to Big South second team nod
    Bryan Garcia – SO – Miami – Set Miami freshman record for saves last year with 15, has 10 more this year with Miami off to CWS
    Cooper Hammond – SO – Miami – Another key in Miami bullpen, leads team in appearances and owns 1.85 ERA
    Ryan Keaffaber – SO – Indiana State – MVC Freshman of the Year after closing in 2014 had 2.73 ERA in move to rotation this year
    Brendan McKay – FR – Louisville – Two-way star may be nation’s top freshman, but has also earned Team USA invite
    Andy Ravel – SO – Kent State – 21st-round pick out of high school had 3.13 ERA with 55 Ks in second season at Kent State
    Alex Robles – SO – Austin Peay – Two-way player had 3.31 ERA and batted .328 with three homers
    Josh Rogers – SO – Louisville – Solid starter for Cards is 8-1 with 3.53 ERA after posting 3.96 ERA with Braves last summer
    Cody Sedlock – SO – Illinois – Has 4.02 ERA in 21 appearances this year, mostly out of bullpen
    Ryan Smoyer – SO – Notre Dame – Top prospect award winner in Northwoods League last year went 9-1 with 2.27 ERA this spring
    Kirby Snead – SO – Florida – Followed busy freshman year with strong summer in Northwoods, has 3.19 ERA as reliever this year
    Jacob Sparger – SO – Louisville – Solid bullpen arm has 2.08 ERA in 14 appearances for Louisville
    Dominic Taccolini – SO – Arkansas – Moved to weekend rotation after strong freshman year and went 6-4 with 4.32 ERA
    Robert Tyler – SO – Georgia – Freshman All-American missed most of sophomore season after an injury, returning in May
     

    CATCHERS

    Jason Delay – SO – Vanderbilt – Hit .226 for Bourne last summer and batting .301 for Commodores this season
    Brian Serven – SO – Arizona State – Had some struggles in Bourne last year but returned to Tempe and hit .294 with 6 HRs this spring
     

    INFIELDERS

    Pete Alonso – SO – Florida – One of Northwoods League’s best last summer hitting .304 with three homers for Omaha-bound Gators
    C.J. Chatham – SO – Florida Atlantic – Followed strong debut with breakout sophomore season, hitting .344 with 28 XBH, 43 RBI
    Camden Duzenack – SO – Dallas Baptist – Helped lead DBU’s continued emergence with .286, 4 HR season
    Mike Garzillo – JR – Lehigh – Second baseman had huge junior year, batting .359 with 13 HR, 54 RBI and 15 SB
    Casey Golden – SO – UNC Wilmington – Freshman All-American last year hit .283 with 6 HR in second season
    Reid Humphreys – SO – Mississippi State – After part-time duty last year, hit .247 and was second on team in HR with 5
    Corey Julks – FR – Houston – Grabbed full-time job as season went on and hit .302 with 5 HR, 38 RBI
    Nick Solak – SO – Louisville – One of top hitters for dynamic Louisville offense, batting .326 with three homers, 18 SB
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Nick Banks – SO – Texas A&M – Led SEC in hitting for much of the year, now batting .366 with 7 HR, 47 RBI
    Ryan Boldt – SO – Nebraska – Baseball America’s top prospect in the Northwoods League hit .344 in second season in Lincoln
    Vince Fernandez – SO – UC Riverside – West Coast League all star last summer had breakout sophomore year with .316 average, 7 HR
     

    Posted on

    Star-powered Braves Set to Go

    stock_bourne13

     

    TeamLogo_Bourne2003.jpgThe Bourne Braves have had the Cape Cod Baseball League MVP in two of the last three years and three of the last five. It’s never a guarantee of success – the Braves were a .500 team with last year’s MVP Max Pentecost – but the awards represent the fact that good things are happening in Bourne more often than not these days. And look what Bourne did after its .500 season last year. The Braves made a surprising run to the West finals.

    As the 2014 season begins, the Braves are bringing in one of the youngest teams in the league, so there are some unknowns there. But it’s also a talented club, led by a host of proven college pitchers like Ryan Kellogg and Jimmy Herget.

    Maybe there’s another MVP in the mix, too. Either way, the Braves are hoping for continued success.

     

    THE SKINNY

    Manager: Harvey Shapiro
    Last Year: 21-21-1; Lost in West finals
    Returning Players: 2
    Juniors: 1
    Sophomores: 11
    Freshmen: 11

     

    NOTABLE

  • Arizona State pitchers Ryan Kellogg and Ryan Burr both have a shot to be among the best pitchers on the Cape this summer. Kellogg returns to Bourne for a second year, off another strong season in Tempe. Burr, who’s also been invited to Team USA, has been a dynamic closer for the Sun Devils.

  • Few pitchers on Cape rosters can boast a better 2014 college season than South Florida’s Jimmy Herget. The righty was one of the top pitchers in the American Athletic Conference, and led South Florida’s conference tourney upset of now Omaha-bound Louisville.

  • Bourne has three Louisville pitchers who have done very well this year. That’s the good news. The bad news from Bourne’s perspective is that the Cards are headed to Omaha, so the future Braves may be late arrivals.

  • Harrison Bader has done nothing but hit in two years with the Florida Gators, leading the team in batting average as a freshman and a sophomore.

  • Mississippi State freshman Gavin Collins was a top-notch catching prospect who slid in the draft last year due to an injury. He had a solid debut in Starkville this season.

  • Bourne has seven freshman hitters. Considering the struggles freshmen often have on the Cape, that could be a challenge, but this crew has a lot going for it. Brett Sullivan had a terrific freshman campaign at Pacific and Stephen Wrenn looks like a star-in-the-making at Georgia.

  • The Braves will have one veteran to anchor the lineup in Mark Laird, who returns for a second year. He’s been a steady player for LSU.

    •  

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Ryan Kellogg
    2. Ryan Burr
    3. Harrison Bader
    4. Brett Sullivan
    5. Mark Laird

     

    PITCHERS

    Ryan Burr – RHP – 6’4 225 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Thomas Hatch – RHP – 6’1 200 – Oklahoma State – Freshman
    Dylan Hecht – RHP – 6’2 195 – UC Santa Barbara – Sophomore
    Jimmy Herget – RHP – 6’3 165 – South Florida – Sophomore
    *Ryan Kellogg – LHP – 6’6 225 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Anthony Kidston – RHP/INF – 6’2 195 – Louisville – Sophomore
    Sam Kmiec – LHP – 6’0 210 – Winthrop – RS Sophomore
    Lucas Laster – LHP – 5’11 175 – Mississippi State – Junior
    Brett Morales – RHP – 6’1 200 – Florida – Freshman
    Josh Rogers – LHP – 6’3 210 – Louisville – Freshman
    Andrew Sopko – RHP – 6’2 200 – Gonzaga – Sophomore
    Jacob Sparger – RHP – 6’5 197 – Louisville – Freshman
    * – returning player

     

    Ryan Burr – RHP – 6’4 225
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    A 33rd-round pick out of high school, Burr grabbed the closer’s role last year and set a school freshman record for saves with 11. Despite pitching out of the bullpen, he ranked second on the team in strikeouts. He continued to pitch as a closer this season, saving 12 games while striking out 56 in 44 innings. Burr has been invited to Team USA.

    Thomas Hatch – RHP – 6’1 200
    Oklahoma State
    Freshman

    According to Baseball America, Hatch was the 95th-best high school prospect in the 2013 draft, and he was selected in the 33rd round. He headed off to Stillwater, where he had some ups and downs as a freshman. Hatch finished with a 5.28 ERA in a swing role.

    Dylan Hecht – RHP – 6’2 195
    UC Santa Barbara
    Sophomore

    Hecht closed for the Gauchos as a freshman last year and picked up nine saves. He played in the West Coast League last summer and was tabbed as the league’s third-best prospect by Perfect Game. Hecht moved off the closer role this season and had an ERA over six in just nine appearances.

    Jimmy Herget – RHP – 6’3 165
    South Florida
    Sophomore

    Herget was thrown into the fire last year when he made his first collegiate start against powerhouse Florida State. He responded with four strong innings and parlayed that into an outstanding freshman season. He was even better this year as he emerged as an ace. Herget had a 1.26 ERA and struck out 90 in 107.1 innings. He earned first-team all-conference honors.

    Ryan Kellogg – LHP – 6’6 225
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    Kellogg was a 12th-round pick out of high school and starred as a freshman in Tempe, putting up a Freshman All-American season that included a no-hitter. In Bourne last summer, Kellogg had an ERA under two in six starts. This spring, he continued to be steady, going 8-3 with a 3.76 ERA and leading the team in innings pitched.

    Anthony Kidston – RHP/INF – 6’2 195
    Louisville
    Sophomore

    Kidston pitched in a swing role last year and saw occasional two-way duty. He has focused exclusively on pitching this spring with good results. Kidston has been the Cardinals’ Sunday starter and hasn’t lost a game, going 9-0 with a 3.54 ERA.

    Sam Kmiec – LHP – 6’0 210
    Winthrop
    RS Sophomore

    Kmiec had a strong freshman season for the Eagles last year and was even better this year, putting up a 2.95 ERA as a weekend starter. In 103.2 innings, he struck out 73 and walked just 17.

    Lucas Laster – LHP – 5’11 175
    Mississippi State
    Junior

    A junior-college transfer, Laster was a valuable member of the Bulldogs’ staff this season as he made four starts and five relief appearances with a 2.60 ERA. He struck out 25 in 34.2 innings.

    Brett Morales – RHP – 6’1 200
    Florida
    Freshman

    Morales was one of the top high-school prospects in the state of Florida last year and was drafted in the 24th round. He had an up-and-down debut with the Gators, putting up an ERA over six in 11 appearances.

    Josh Rogers – LHP – 6’3 210
    Louisville
    Freshman

    A native of New Albany, Ind., Rogers crossed the Ohio River to attend Louisville and has made a splash for the CWS-bound Cardinals. Making nine starts and five relief appearances, Rogers owns a 3.63 ERA and has struck out 47 in 53 innings.

    Andrew Sopko – RHP – 6’2 200
    Gonzaga
    Sophomore

    Sopko was a Montana high school star and was drafted in the 14th round in 2012. He didn’t do much in his first year in Spokane but was named the Alaska League’s 17th-best prospect by Perfect Game last summer. This year, he took the expected leap, putting up a 3.64 ERA as a weekend starter.

    Jacob Sparger – RHP – 6’5 197
    Louisville
    Freshman

    The top prospect in Wisconsin last year, Sparger headed to Louisville and has had a strong debut campaign. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Sparger has a 3.20 ERA and has struck out 26 in 45 innings.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Harrison Bader – OF – 6’1 195 – Florida – Sophomore
    Gavin Collins – C – 5’11 200 – Mississippi State – Freshman
    Jason Delay – C – 6’0 – 180 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
    Bryce Harman – INF – 6’6 220 – East Carolina – Freshman
    Ryan Howard – INF – 6’1 192 – Missouri – Freshman
    Ben Johnson – OF – 6’1 195 – Texas – Sophomore
    *Mark Laird – OF – 6’2 175 – LSU – Sophomore
    Richard Martin Jr. – INF – 5’11 186 – Florida – Sophomore
    Brian Serven – C – 6’0 195 – Arizona State – Freshman
    Brett Sullivan – INF – 6’0 175 – Pacific – Freshman
    Stephen Wrenn – OF – 6’2 180 – Georgia – Freshman
    * – returning player

     

    Harrison Bader – OF – 6’1 195
    Florida
    Sophomore

    Bader was a New York high school star who headed south and promptly led the Gators in hitting last year. After a summer in the Northwoods League, he paced Florida again this year, hitting .335 with two homers, 24 RBI and a a team-best .411 OBP. He also stole 13 bases.

    Gavin Collins – C – 5’11 200
    Mississippi State
    Freshman

    Collins was projected as a top-five round pick before an injury cost him his senior season in high school. His loss was Mississippi State’s gain as Collins hit the college ranks with a .304 batting average and one home run.

    Jason Delay – C – 6’0 – 180
    Vanderbilt
    Freshman

    A Georgia high school star, Delay gradually worked his way into the starting catcher’s job at Vanderbilt this year. He finished with a .272 average and 13 RBI.

    Bryce Harman – INF – 6’6 220
    East Carolina
    Freshman

    Harman was a basketball and baseball standout at his Virginia high school and was a 27th-round draft pick last year. At East Carolina, he hit .244 but blasted a team-high seven home runs and had a .338 OBP.

    Ryan Howard – INF – 6’1 192
    Missouri
    Freshman

    Howard jumped right into the starting lineup in his freshman year in Columbia and acquitted himself well. He hit .302 and knocked in 20 runs.

    Ben Johnson – OF – 6’1 195
    Texas
    Sophomore

    Johnson didn’t have a great freshman year but is in the midst of an honorable mention All-Big 12 season this year. He’s hitting .271 for the Omaha-bound Longhorns and he leads the team with six home runs.

    Mark Laird – OF – 6’2 175
    LSU
    Sophomore

    Laird grabbed a starting job in the LSU outfield last year and hit over .300. He then hit .292 with Bourne last summer. This year, he batted .291 for the Tigers and stole 10 bases.

    Richard Martin Jr. – INF – 5’11 186
    Florida
    Sophomore

    Martin was a 38th-round pick out of high school and saw regular duty for the Gators last year. He played for Falmouth in the Cape League last summer and struggled to a .193 average. This spring, he was back on the horse, hitting .266 with 13 extra-base hits and 18 stolen bases.

    Brian Serven – C – 6’0 195
    Arizona State
    Freshman

    Serven started 45 games for the Sun Devils as a freshman this season and held his own. He finished with a .249 batting average to go with three homers and 27 RBI.

    Brett Sullivan – INF – 6’0 175
    Pacific
    Freshman

    Sullivan joined older brother Tyler in the Pacific lineup this season and made himself right at home with a huge debut. Sullivan hit a team-best .357, smacked four home runs, hit a team-best 24 extra-base hits and drove in a team-high 40 runs.

    Stephen Wrenn – OF – 6’2 180
    Georgia
    Freshman

    Wrenn was drafted in the 27th round last year by his hometown Braves but opted to stick with his commitment to Georgia. He started 55 games as a freshman and hit .254 with 20 RBI. He set a school record for an outfielder with a perfect fielding percentage.