Newman’s Old Tricks

Kevin Newman is hitting .376 this season after winning the batting title with a .375 mark last year.

In the first week of his Cape Cod Baseball League career, Kevin Newman (Arizona) went three games without a hit. That career has now spanned nearly 70 games, and Newman has never again gone three games without a hit. More often than not, he hasn’t even gone two without a hit.

For two years running, he’s been the Cape League’s most consistent hitter, and it’s about time to take a step back and marvel.

Last night, Newman went 2-for-5 – his second straight multi-hit game – as Falmouth got within a game of first place with a 7-5 victory over Wareham. Newman was the 2013 Cape League batting champion and he’s well on his way to winning the batting title again in 2014. He hit .375 last year, and – believe it or not – is so consistent that he’s hitting .376 this season. He leads the league, with his next closest competitor .19 points behind.

When Newman won the batting title in 2013, he was the steady, contact guy on a team full of sluggers. He was hitting .338 when he went 6-for-6 on one of the final days of the season to surge to the batting title. He was the first freshman in league history to win it.

This season, Newman is a veteran leader for the Commodores. He of course picked up where he left off, getting two hits in the season opener. He spent part of the summer at Team USA trials but returned and has continued to shine for a solid Falmouth team. He’s shown a little more pop, with seven extra-base hits thus far, compared to only three last year. But mostly, he’s just hit the ball. He will start the All-Star game for the second year in a row.

Newman’s 2-for-5 day on Saturday helped Falmouth inch closer to the top of the standings. Falmouth trailed Wareham 5-4 in the ninth, but a Newman single was part of a three-run inning that turned the game around. Conner Hale (LSU), another veteran standout, had a two-run double as part of a four-hit night and Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) knocked in a run as Falmouth took control. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) struck out three in the bottom of the ninth for the save.

West-leading Bourne fell to Hyannis for the second straight day, meaning Falmouth is now just a game back of the Braves for first place.

With just six games left, Falmouth could certainly make a run for the top spot. It’s a safe bet Kevin Newman will do his part.

Hyannis 8, Bourne 7

Hyannis beat Bourne for the second night in a row and moved to 4-2 against the Braves this season with a one-run victory. The Harbor Hawks led 7-2 before Bourne tied the game in the eighth. Jarret DeHart’s RBI single in the bottom half put Hyannis back in front to stay, as Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) rebounded from the tough eighth inning to strike out two in a scoreless ninth. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) and Donnie Dewees (North Florida) both homered for the Harbor Hawks, while John La Prise (Virginia) had two hits. Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana) went seven strong innings for Hyannis. Bourne got another home run from Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt), who has four in 16 games, plus three RBI from Mark Laird (LSU).

Orleans 1, Cotuit 0

Orleans won a very well-pitched game in anti-climactic fashion when Johnny Sewald (Arizona) drew a bases-loaded, walk-off walk in the 11th inning for the only run of the game. Kyle Twomey (USC) started for Orleans and went four scoreless innings. Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) and Bobby Poyner (Florida) combined for five innings without allowing a hit before Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) pitched two scoreless innings. Four Cotuit pitchers kept things scoreless before Orleans got a base hit, a walk and a hit batsman to load the bases for Sewald, who walked on a 3-1 pitch. For Orleans, David Thompson (Miami) and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) had two hits each. John Norwood (Vanderbilt) had two hits for Cotuit.

Harwich 9, Chatham 8

Harwich also walked off with a victory in extra innings as Skye Bolt (North Carolina) knocked in the game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the 10th. Chatham had scored four in the top of the ninth to take an 8-6 victory, thanks in large part to Chris Shaw’s (Boston College) league-best seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot. But in the bottom of the ninth, C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Bolt scored runs on wild pitches to tie the game. After a scoreless top of the 10th by Kenny Towns (Virginia), Craig Aikin (Oklahoma) reached on an error, Ian Happ (Cincinnati) was intentionally walked and Bolt delivered the game-winning hit. Harwich is now tied again with Orleans for first place in the East, while Y-D fell two points back with a loss.

Brewster 13, Y-D 3

Y-D has pitched extremely well lately, but when it hasn’t done so well, the results have been rough, and Saturday’s game fell in line with that trend. Brewster pounded 16 hits and scored a season-high 13 runs in the lopsided win. Y-D has only lost three times in its last 14 games, but all three losses have been by at least 10 runs. Luke Lowery (East Carolina) homered and drove in three, Andrew Lee (Tennessee) went 4-for-4, Kyle Overstreet (Alabama) had three hits and two RBI, and Gio Brusa (Pacific) knocked in three runs to lead the charge. Kenneth Oakley (UNLV) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win. Three relievers combined for four scoreless innings, with Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) striking out three in his two innings.

What to Watch

The All-Star game is set for today at Bourne’s Doran Park. Gates open at 2 p.m. The home run hitting contest is at 5 p.m., while the game is set for 6:05 p.m. For a full schedule of activities, see the league website.

July 26, 2014July 26, 2014

Deadlock

It’s a three-team race.

In the same week that saw Harwich finally lose its nearly season-long grip on first place in the East, that spot got even more crowded Friday night. With Y-D knocking off Orleans 6-3 and Harwich falling to Falmouth 5-3, three teams – Y-D, Orleans and Harwich – are tied for first place with 44 points each.

Y-D’s surge was chronicled yesterday and it continued last night in a key match-up with Orleans. Michael Murray (Florida Gulf Coast) delivered his best start of the summer, allowing just one hit and an unearned run while striking out eight in five innings of work. He left with his team up 6-1. Orleans made a little run, but William Strode (Florida State) and Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) didn’t let it continue. Strode struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving him 20 strikeouts in 10 appearances this summer, while Bickford struck out the side in the ninth for his league-leading seventh save.

Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) had two hits and two RBI to lead the offense, while recent arrival Timothy Wharton (Catawba) had a hit for the fifth straight game since his debut. Wharton drove in two runs and has now driven in six in his five games. For Orleans, David Thompson (Miami) hit his fourth home run.

With that result in the books, Harwich had a chance to reclaim first place but a grand slam in the seventh inning by Falmouth sealed a 5-3 victory for the Commodores.

James Mulry (Northeastern) allowed one run in 5.1 innings but Falmouth got to the bullpen with one swing of the bat. Falmouth trailed 3-1 in the seventh when Shaun Chase (Oregon) smacked a grand slam to give his team the lead in one fell swoop. Kevin Mooney (Maryland), Nicholas Cooney (Wesleyan) and Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) ran with the lead, combining to allow not a single hit in the final three innings.

Falmouth improved to 21-15-1. Harwich is 21-14-2, the same mark as Orleans. Y-D has one more win and is 22-15.

Hyannis 15, Bourne 6

Hyannis had seven hits in a seven-run fifth inning and cruised over West-leading Bourne 15-6. The rally was a merry-go-round of singles as Hyannis sent 12 men to the plate. It was part of a big offensive day overall, as Hyannis finished with 20 hits. John La Prise (Virginia) had four of them, to go with three RBI. Donnie Dewees (North Florida) and Cam Gibson (Michigan State) had three hits each, while Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) had two hits and three RBI. Chris Lanham (Yale) got the win with four innings of relief. He allowed one earned run. Nick Bates (St. Louis) finished the job in dominant fashion, striking out five of the eight batters he faced in two scoreless innings. For Bourne, Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt) homered for the third time in his 15 Cape League games. The Braves have lost two in a row, while Hyannis has held steady over its last 10 as it tries to secure a playoff spot. It has a seven-point lead on Wareham for the fourth and final spot.

Chatham 8, Brewster 3

Chatham is a ways off the pace of the trip atop the East, but the Anglers scored early and often to beat Brewster for their second straight win. Chatham scored five runs in the first, two in the second and one in the third and cruised from there. Justin Jones (UNLV), who didn’t have a hit since arriving on July 21, hit a three-run triple and a solo home run to power the fast start. Ty Moore (UCLA) and A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) added two hits each. P.J. Conlon (San Diego) allowed two runs in four innings before Jerry Keel (Cal State Northridge) allowed just one run over the final five innings to pick up the win.

Wareham 6, Cotuit 2

In a game that featured more errors than hits, Wareham took advantage of six Cotuit miscues to score six runs on only two hits and win 6-2. John Bormann (Texas San Antonio), Anderson Miller (Western Kentucky) and Willie Calhoun (Arizona) each drove in a run for the Gatemen. Wareham scored five runs in the sixth inning and Cotuit made five errors in that frame alone. Anthony Kay (Connecticut), who relieved starter Drew Harrington (Louisville) after just an inning, ran with the opportunity and allowed just one earned run on two hits in eight innings of work.

What to Watch

Yesterday, I mistakenly said the All-Star Game was Saturday. It is, in fact, on Sunday, so today is the final day of action before the festivities. Eldredge Park will feature a rematch of last year’s Cape League championship series, when Cotuit faces Orleans at 7 p.m.

July 24, 2014July 24, 2014

Some Things Never Change

Brian Serven puts a tag on a Cotuit runner in Wednesday's game. — Brian Serven puts a tag on a Cotuit runner in Wednesday’s game.

The wedding and honeymoon were pretty much perfect. What did I miss?

Two weeks of an eight-week Cape League season is a pretty good chunk of time. I feel like I went on a field trip that not everybody went on, and now that I’m back to school, it’s tough to get my bearings.

Then again, some things don’t seem to be changing.

Bourne continued to dominate the West last night with a 12-4 win over Cotuit, its third in a row. In the East, Harwich and Orleans remain at the top of the standings, although there was finally a change in order with a 4-3 extra-innings win by Orleans last night that put the Firebirds into first place.

Bourne has the best record in the league at 23-11-1. In their current three-game streak, they’ve allowed four runs in each game and have scored plenty more, capped by last night’s win over Cotuit. Samuel Kmiec (Winthrop) delivered a strong start, allowing one run in 5.1 innings. He’s won two starts in a row after a rough start to the season.

The offense backed Kmiec with 15 hits. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida), Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) led the way with three hits apiece. Allemand and Mark Laird (LSU) each had two RBI.

Over in Harwich, first place in the East finally changed hands, as Orleans beat Harwich 4-3 in 11 innings. The game was tied 2-2 until the Firebirds pushed two runs across in the top of the 11th, one on a wild pitch and the other on a Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) RBI single. Harwich got within a run in the bottom of the 11th on a Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) RBI double, but Orleans reliever Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) retired two of the league’s best hitters – Anthony Hermelyn (Virginia Tech) and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) – to end the game.

Stone allowed one run in two innings for the win. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) delivered four huge innings of scoreless relief to keep the game tied. Harwich’s Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) played the same role as Dalbec, with 4.1 scoreless innings.

Orleans is now 21-13-2 while Harwich dropped to 20-13-2.

Y-D 8, Chatham 4

One big difference since I last checked in two weeks ago: the Y-D Red Sox. Y-D beat Chatham 8-4 last night for its ninth win in its last 11 games. The Red Sox are now 20-15, just a two points out of second place and four points out of first. A balanced offensive attack led the way against Chatham standout Kyle Davis (USC), with five players knocking two hits each. Davis, typically a reliever, came in with a 1.35 ERA but was touched up for seven runs in four innings. Jesse Jenner (San Diego) had two hits and two RBI to lead the charge. Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) went 2-for-3 for his 12th multi-hit game of the summer. On the mound for Y-D, Cody Poteet (UCLA) allowed two earned runs in five innings. Three relievers combined on four scoreless innings. Chatham got three hits from Nick Collins (Georgetown). The loss was the Anglers’ fourth in a row.

Hyannis 3, Wareham 0

Blake Hickman (Iowa) delivered his second consecutive impressive start and Hyannis overcame dominant Wareham pitching to shut out the Gatemen. Hickman had gone seven scoreless innings in his previous start, a 3-0 win over Brewster. This time, he went 6.1 scoreless frames, striking out five and allowing four hits. Ryan Perez (Judson) followed Hickman to the mound and picked up a save with 2.2 shutout innings. Wareham’s Kyle Cody (Kentucky) and Sean Adler (USC) combined for six perfect innings, but Hyannis broke through for three runs in the seventh. John La Prise (Virginia) led the offense with a hit and two RBI.

Falmouth 7, Brewster 3

The Commodores remain comfortably in second place in the West after rebounding from a loss to Bourne Tuesday with a win over Brewster. Conner Hale (LSU) hit his fourth home run while Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) had two hits and three RBI. Jake Madsen (Ohio) added three hits and two RBI. Alex Young (TCU) struck out seven and gave up two runs in five innings. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) got the win in relief. Scott Kingery (Arizona) and Luke Lowery (East Carolina) both homered for Falmouth.

What to Watch

Three games on tap tonight, including a good one in Yarmouth, where the red-hot Red Sox take on West-leading Bourne.

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014

Stars and Stripes

Kevin Newman had two hits and a game-tying RBI in his return from Team USA.

Most of the players who left Cape Cod for the Team USA trials made the squad. Two players who didn’t get a spot made their returns to the league last night and did their part in the Cape’s patriotic traditions.

In the first game of the annual July 3 and 4 two-game sets, Falmouth’s Kevin Newman (Arizona) had two hits and a game-tying RBI in a win over Cotuit, and Bourne’s Jimmy Herget (South Florida) closed out a victory over Wareham with two scoreless innings of relief.

Newman, the defending Cape League batting champ, went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his last game before the USA trials, on June 18. He picked up exactly where he left off on Thursday, returning to the leadoff spot in the order and going 2-for-4 with an RBI again. The RBI was a big one, too. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and his team trailing 2-1, Newman smacked a single to score Sam Gillikin (Auburn) with the tying run.

Falmouth then won the game 3-2 in the 10th on a bases-loaded walk to Jake Madsen (Ohio).

Gillikin and Steven Duggar (Clemson) joined Newman with two hits apiece. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Starter Casey Mulholland (South Florida) allowed just an unearned run. He owns two straight starts now without an earned run allowed.

For Herget, the return to the Cape wasn’t quite so dramatic, but he gives first-place Bourne an unquestioned boost, and the Braves used it to finish off their 14-6 victory. Herget struck out three and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings. Brett Morales (Florida) got the win for the Braves with three scoreless innings of relief.

Bourne trailed 6-3 after four innings, but the offense broke out and made the shutout work of Morales and Herget count. Bourne scored 10 runs in the final four innings to blow the game open.

Mark Laird (LSU) finished with two hits and four RBI, Brett Sullivan (Pacific) had three hits and two RBI and Billy Fleming (West Virginia) had two hits and two RBI.

Bourne has won two in a row since a three-game losing streak.

Y-D 8, Hyannis 2

Y-D topped Hyannis for its fourth straight victory and continued an offensive surge. In three of the victories, Y-D has scored eight runs. In the other, nine runs. The Red Sox are now 9-11 while Hyannis dropped to 10-10. Hunter Cole (Georgia) led the offense with three hits and three RBI, giving him eight hits in the win streak. Rob Fonseca (Northeastern), A.J. Simcox (Tennessee), Josh Lester (Missouri) and Andrew Stevenson (LSU) had two hits each. On the mound, Cody Poteet (UCLA) allowed one run in five innings, a nice rebound after he gave up five runs in his previous start. Y-D has now gotten at least five innings from its starter in three of the victories in the streak. For Hyannis, John LaPrise (Virginia) went 3-for-3 in his second game since arriving from the College World Series.

Chatham 9, Orleans 7

Chatham stopped Orleans’ six-game winning streak with a late rally. Just when it seemed like the Firebirds would keep that streak going after tying the game with two runs in the top of the eighth, the Anglers answered with two in the bottom of the eighth on a Landon Cray (Seattle) RBI double and a Ty Moore (UCLA) RBI single. Kyle Davis (USC), who had allowed the home run that tied the game, then worked around a double to pitch a scoreless ninth and seal the win. Moore and Cray led the offense with two hits and two RBI, while Chris Shaw (Boston College) hit his fourth homer of the year. A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) had two hits to stretch his hitting streak to nine games. It’s also now an eight-game streak of at least two hits. For Orleans, Johnny Sewald (Arizona) homered. David Thompson (Miami) and Brett Lang (UNC-Charlotte) had three hits each.

Harwich 10, Brewster 5

Harwich raced to a 7-0 lead and got another solid performance from a starting pitcher in a victory over Brewster. Michael Boyle (Radford) allowed three runs in six innings of work with eight strikeouts. Brewster hit two home runs off him, but the eight strikeouts were also a season-high for Boyle, who has a 1.56 ERA. The Harwich offense was led by four RBI each from Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) and C.J. Hinojosa (Texas). Annunziata homered. Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) added three hits and three runs scored from the top of the lineup. Luke Lowery (East Carolina) and Scott Kingery (Arizona) had the Brewster home runs.

What to Watch

With Arthur bearing down, the Cape may not have any Fourth of July baseball this year, although games are still on as of this morning.

June 9, 2014June 10, 2014

Harbor Hawks Have the Pieces

When Hyannis won the Western Division title in 2011, it ended a long drought. The next two years saw the Harbor Hawks at opposite ends of the spectrum, but they’ve been steadier than their record would indicate. For two straight years, they’ve had the league’s best pitching prospect – Sean Manaea in 2012 and Jeff Hoffman in 2013 (not to mention Kyle Freeland) – and they seem to bring in good crops of talent every year.

I would expect more of the same this year. If there isn’t a top-notch pitching prospect, there are at least some very good weekend starters and some big bullpen arms. The position players group features some steady sophomores to go with talented freshmen, plus a host of guys who have been part of successful seasons this spring.

The Harbor Hawks have the pieces for another good year.

THE SKINNY

Manager: Chad Gassman
Last Year: 25-17-2; Lost in West semifinals
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 21
Freshmen: 5

NOTABLE

I don’t remember a whole lot of Florida State guys playing in Hyannis, but the Harbor Hawks have two this year and I think they’ll represent the Seminoles well. Freshman pitched Alec Byrd and freshman infielder/outfielder Ben DeLuzio were both highly-touted recruits. Byrd didn’t pitch a ton this year so could be poised for an emergence this summer, while DeLuzio – a third-round pick out of high school – was a mainstay in the Noles’ lineup as a freshman.

Hyannis has had good luck with Central Michigan players, and Nick Deeg is the latest to make the trip. As a freshman this year, Deeg ranked third on the team in strikeouts. The leader? Former Harbor Hawk Jordan Foley.

Ian Gibaut burst onto the scene at Tulane last year with 12 saves.

Iowa’s Blake Hickman will be an interesting player to watch this summer. A 20th-round pick out of high school, he reportedly chose college in part because he wanted to catch. But his future may be on the mound, where he gave scouts a brief look in the Northwoods League last summer and earned a spot on the league’s top prospects list.

Southeastern Louisiana pitcher Tate Scioneaux is about as experienced a sophomore as you’ll find in college baseball. A weekend starter since his freshman year, he’s racked up over 200 collegiate innings.

Two Virginia pitchers will head to Hyannis with very different resumes, but similar potential. Cameron Tekker has seen limited action for the Cavs but starred in the NECBL last summer. Brandon Waddell was the Friday starter as a freshman and has continued to be a huge part of the rotation this year.

Austin Listi has hit 19 homers in two seasons at Dallas Baptist, about as good a two-year stretch as anybody in the 2014 Cape League has had.

It looks like this team has the potential to be very fast on the bases. Five players stole at least 14 bases this spring.

Three Harbor Hawks will head to the Cape on the heels of history-making seasons with college teams that aren’t typical powerhouses. Kyle Survance led Houston to a Super Regional, Blake Trahan did the same for Louisiana-Lafayette (and the Ragin’ Cajuns are still alive as of Monday), and Carl Wise powered College of Charleston to just its second-ever Super Regional.

Last summer, UConn’s Bobby Melley – a Barnstable native – was the hometown kid getting a brief look in Hyannis. This year, he’s coming in off a huge season that established him as one of the best college players in New England.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Bobby Melley
2. Brandon Waddell
3. Alec Byrd
4. Blake Trahan
5. Cam Gibson

PITCHERS

Marcus Brakeman – RHP – 6’1 185 – Stanford – Sophomore
Alec Byrd – LHP – 6’3 180 – Florida State – Freshman
Nick Deeg – LHP – 6’5 210 – Central Michigan – Freshman
Matt Denny – LHP – 6’1 215 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Dylan Dwyer – LHP – 6’1 170 – Kentucky – Sophomore
Peter Fairbanks – RHP – 6’6 205 – Missouri – Sophomore
Ian Gibaut – RHP – 6’3 215 – Tulane – Sophomore
Blake Hickman – RHP/C/1B – 6’5 210 – Iowa – Sophomore
Matthew Margaritonda – RHP – 5’10 185 – Marshall – Junior
Tate Scioneaux – RHP – 6’2 185 – Southeastern Louisiana – Sophomore
Joseph Shaw – RHP – 6’4 240 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
Cameron Tekker – RHP – 6’3 185 – Virginia – Sophomore
Brandon Waddell – LHP – 6’3 180 – Virginia – Sophomore

Marcus Brakeman – RHP – 6’1 185
Stanford
Sophomore

A Florida high-school star, Brakeman has been a key reliever for the Cardinal in each of the last two seasons. This year, he pitched in 15 games with a 3.86 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 32 innings.

Alec Byrd – LHP – 6’3 180
Florida State
Freshman

Byrd was a 37th-round pick out of high school and eased into the Seminoles pitching staff as a freshman. In nine appearances, he had a 3.68 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 14.2 innings. Byrd was the Miami Herald’s Pitcher of the Year as a high school senior, no easy task, so this is a guy who should break out as he gets more opportunities.

Nick Deeg – LHP – 6’5 210
Central Michigan
Freshman

A Michigan high-school star, Deeg jumped right into the Central Michigan weekend rotation and had a decent debut. In 14 starts, he went 5-4 with a 4.08 ERA. He struck out 64 in 81 innings

Matt Denny – LHP – 6’1 215
Ole Miss
Sophomore

Denny had a good freshman season as a reliever, striking out better than a batter an inning and finishing with an ERA just a shade over two. He’s made 15 appearances for the Super Regional bound Rebels this season and has a 4.20 ERA.

Dylan Dwyer – LHP – 6’1 170
Kentucky
Sophomore

Dwyer acquitted himself well in 14 relief appearances as a freshman then helped his team win the championship in the Perfect Game Collegiate League. He pitched more as a starter in 2014 and finished with a 5.46 ERA. He struck out 47 in 56 innings.

Peter Fairbanks – RHP – 6’6 205
Missouri
Sophomore

A second-generation Missouri Tiger, Fairbanks had an ERA over five in limited duty as a freshman last year. He made eight starts and 19 total appearances this season and finished with a 4.33 ERA. He was at his best in the SEC play, where he dropped his ERA to 3.86.

Ian Gibaut – RHP – 6’3 215
Tulane
Sophomore

Gibaut earned a host of All-American accolades last year after he saved 12 games as a freshman, while striking out 38 in 40.2 innings and posting a 2.66 ERA. He was limited by injury this year but did well when he had a chance, putting up an ERA under two in 10 appearances.

Blake Hickman – RHP/C/1B – 6’5 210
Iowa
Sophomore

Hickman was a 20th round pick of his hometown Chicago Cubs out of high school but headed to Iowa, where he hit .220 as a freshman but didn’t pitch. Over the summer, he flashed his potential on the mound in the Northwoods League, where he was tabbed by Perfect Game as the circuit’s seventh-best prospect largely because of what he showed in six innings on the hill. This spring, he did two-way duty, hitting .217 and continuing to pitch well with a 3.94 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 34.1 innings.

Tate Scioneaux – RHP – 6’2 185
Southeastern Louisiana
Sophomore

Scioneaux became a weekend starter from day one last year and led the team in innings pitched. He was a workhorse again this season, pacing the squad with 110 innings and pitching well throughout. He had a 3.02 ERA with 77 strikeouts.

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

A 40th round pick out of high school, Shaw led Dallas Baptist in ERA as a freshman reliever last year. He also totaled four saves. Shaw was even a little better this year, finishing with a 2.94 ERA in 26 appearances.

Cameron Tekker – RHP – 6’3 185
Virginia
Sophomore

Tekker has seen very limited action in two years at Virginia, making four appearances as a freshman and only five so far this season. But Tekker shined in the NECBL last summer and was named the league’s 10th-best prospect by Perfect Game. He is eligible for this year’s draft.

Brandon Waddell – LHP – 6’3 180
Virginia
Sophomore

Unlike his teammate Tekker, Waddell has been very busy in Charlottesville. He was the Cavs’ Friday starter as a freshman last year and has been part of a dynamic weekend rotation this year. Heading into Super Regionals, Waddell is 8-3 with a 2.73 ERA.

POSITION PLAYERS

Jarret DeHart – OF – 6’2 205 – LSU – Freshman
Ben DeLuzio – SS/OF – 6’1 185 – Florida State – Freshman
Donnie Dewees – OF – 6’3 180 – North Florida – Sophomore
Cam Gibson – OF – 6’3 185 – Michigan State – Sophomore
Sam Haggerty – INF – 5’11 175 – New Mexico – Sophomore
David Houser – C – 6’1 220 – Tennessee – Sophomore
John La Prise – INF – 6’3 180 – Virginia – Sophomore
Austin Listi – IF/OF – 6’0 200 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
*Bobby Melley – 1B/C – 6’3 210 – Connecticut – Sophomore
Arden Pabst – C/IF – 6’4 200 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Joe Purritano – 1B/OF – 6’1 200 – Dartmouth – Sophomore
Kyle Survance – OF – 6’1 180 – Houston – Sophomore
Blake Trahan – SS – 5’9 175 – Louisiana Lafayette – Sophomore
Carl Wise – INF – 6’2 210 – College of Charleston – Sophomore
* – returning player

Jarret DeHart – OF – 6’2 205
LSU
Freshman

DeHart was a highly-touted high school player in New Jersey. After going undrafted, he headed to LSU but played in only 10 games. It was reported in May that he’ll be transferring.

Ben DeLuzio – SS/OF – 6’1 185
Florida State
Freshman

Deluzio was a third-round pick of the Phillies last year, the 80th overall selection, but opted to head to Tallahassee. He had a steady debut with the Seminoles, hitting .281 with a .371 OBP and stealing 16 bases.

Donnie Dewees – OF – 6’3 180
North Florida
Sophomore

Dewees had a big freshman year for North Florida, earning all-conference honors after hitting .347. He was limited to 12 games this spring.

Cam Gibson – OF – 6’3 185
Michigan State
Sophomore

The son of former Major Leaguer and current Diamondbacks manager Kurt Gibson, Cam followed his father’s footsteps to Michigan State and has had two solid years. He hit .315 this year, with two homers, 14 extra base hits and 16 stolen bases. Gibson played in the Northwoods League last summer, where he was rated the second-best prospect by Perfect Game.

Sam Haggerty – INF – 5’11 175
New Mexico
Sophomore

Haggerty was the Mountain West’s Co-Freshman of the Year last season and he followed up the big debut with an even better sophomore season. Haggerty hit .340 with a .420 on-base percentage and he delivered 13 extra-base hits. He also stole 14 bases.

John La Prise – INF – 6’3 180
Virginia
Sophomore

La Prise played in only 19 games as a freshman. He has worked his way into more playing time this year, starting 37 of the team’s 60 games and he leads the team in hitting with a .383 average.

Austin Listi – IF/OF – 6’0 200
Dallas Baptist
Sophomore

Listi hit nine home runs as a freshman last year and continued to flash some of the best pop in the Missouri Valley Conference again this year. He hit .285 this year, had an on-base percentage of .380 and slugged .477. He led the team with 10 homers and had 24 extra-base hits. He tied for third in the conference in home runs.

Bobby Melley – 1B/C – 6’3 210
Connecticut
Sophomore

A native of Barnstable, Melley got a cup of coffee with the hometown Harbor Hawks last year, but will likely make a much bigger impression this summer. Emerging as one of the top players in the American Athletic Conference, Melley hit .359 with a .475 OBP and a .502 slugging percentage, while cracking four home runs.

Arden Pabst – C/IF – 6’4 200
Georgia Tech
Freshman

Pabst was a high school star in California and headed East for Tech. He started 38 games in his freshman year and hit .217.

Joe Purritano – 1B/OF – 6’1 200
Dartmouth
Sophomore

Purritano hit .343 last year en route to Ivy League Freshman of the Year honors. This season, he hit .265 with three home runs.

Kyle Survance – OF – 6’1 180
Houston
Sophomore

A freshman All-American last year, Survance was a big reason why Houston had one of its best-ever seasons this year. Survance hit .308 with a .411 OBP and stole 31 bases, which put him among the top 10 nationally. When Houston knocked off LSU to win the Baton Rouge Regional a few weeks ago, Survance was named Regional MVP.

Blake Trahan – SS – 5’9 175
Louisiana Lafayette
Sophomore

Trahan has had a huge season in helping lead the Ragin’ Cajuns to the brink of the College World Series. The shortstop is hitting .359 with a .459 OBP. He’s also stolen 14 bases.

Carl Wise – INF – 6’2 210
College of Charleston
Sophomore

Wise also led a big year for his college club as Charleston made a Super Regional. Wise hit .295, slugged .419 and led the team in RBI by a wide margin with 54.