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Opening Weekend

Eric Lauer led the Cape League in strikeouts last summer and will be part of a marquee pitching match-up on college baseball's opening day.
Eric Lauer led the Cape League in strikeouts last summer and will be part of a marquee pitching match-up on college baseball’s opening day.

Friday is a major milestone on the march to a Cape League summer – and a great day in its own right.

Division I college baseball opens with 137 games on the schedule. Cape League stars past and future will be on diamonds across America. If you’re in the mood to watch, Watch ESPN has 13 games streaming Friday, beginning at 4 p.m.

Without further ado, some Cape League-centric notes on the opening weekend proceedings . . .

  • Friday’s game between Virginia and Kent State at the Caravelle Resort Tournament in Myrtle Beach could be one of the highlights of the weekend. The Cavaliers are the defending national champs, while the Golden Flashes are a perennial mid-major contender and aren’t far removed from a 2012 trip to Omaha.Friday, the Golden Flashes will send former Orleans Firebird Eric Lauer to the hill, and he figures to give them a chance. Lauer had a terrific sophomore season last year, putting up a 1.98 ERA with 103 strikeouts. He didn’t slow down much on the Cape, leading the league with 50 strikeouts while posting a 2.04 ERA. MLB Pipeline lists Lauer as the 38th-best prospect for the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.His opponent Friday is Virginia’s Connor Jones, MLB Pipeline’s 11th-best prospect. Interestingly, Lauer and Jones were slated to be teammates in Orleans, but Jones sat out the summer after a heavy workload for the CWS champ Cavaliers. (Also an initial member of the Orleans pitching staff? No. 2 draft prospect A.J. Puk of Florida. Just a crazy collection of arms had it panned out).

    Lauer says he’s more confident than ever after his summer on the Cape, and he’ll need to be confident against the Cavaliers.

  • Lauer’s Orleans teammate Mitchell Jordan gets the start for Stetson Friday at 6:30 p.m. against Delaware. In a Stetson uniform last spring, Jordan was solid, with a 3.28 ERA. For the Firebirds, he was transcendent, posting a 0.21 ERA on his way to Cape League Pitcher of the Year honors. It’ll be interesting to see what Jordan’s big summer means for him this season. The Atlantic Sun named him a preseason all-conference pick.
  • The Volunteer State gets a cool baseball showcase when Tennessee and Memphis square off in Chattanooga this weekend. Tennessee will be led by a pair of 2015 Cape League standouts in infielder Nick Senzel and pitcher Kyle Serrano. Senzel earned league MVP and top prospect honors for Brewster and is projected to be one of the top players in the country this year, as well as a first-round pick. Serrano, another Orleans pitcher, will be an anchor for the Vols’ pitching staff.
  • Oklahoma State is ranked as high seventh in national preseason polls, and a guy who won big on the Cape is a major reason why. Donnie Walton, a key part of Y-D’s championship club, is one of seven starters back for the Cowboys. They face UT Arlington and Stephen F. Austin this weekend.
  • Matt Krook’s comeback started in Wareham, and it will continue Saturday when Oregon faces San Diego State. Krook was a supplemental first-round pick in 2013 who had Tommy John surgery. He missed all of the college season last spring before getting back on the mound for the first time with the Gatemen. And it could prove to be the beginning of a great comeback. Krook is MLB Pipeline’s 23rd-ranked prospect for the 2016 draft, and he was reportedly at the top of his game in Oregon’s final preseason scrimmage.
  • Andrew Calica’s season for UC Santa Barbara begins Friday at 5 p.m. against San Francisco, as the former Gatemen tries to build on hitting .400 on the Cape. As with the aforementioned Jordan, it’ll be very interesting what a terrific Cape League season will mean.
  • The series between Arizona and Rice shapes up as a good one. We’ll see if Bobby Dalbec’s ridiculous Cape League home run rate carries over to the spring.
  • Few players on the Cape last summer helped themselves more than Dakota Hudson in Hyannis. The Mississippi State flame-thrower delivered the production to match his projection and will be a big prospect to watch this spring. He’ll start for the Bulldogs Friday against Florida Atlantic.
  • Some future Orleans Firebirds will be on opposite sides when San Diego and Vanderbilt get together this weekend. San Diego catcher Riley Adams and Vandy’s Chandler Day, Donny Everett and Ethan Paul are all set to play in Orleans. Day was recently named the top freshman prospect in America by D-1Baseball.com. With a crowded staff that includes Cape playoff hero Ben Bowden, Day is likely to pitch out of the bullpen for the Commodores. Vanderbilt’s roster also features some future Cotuit Kettleers, including standout pitcher Kyle Wright and freshman infielder Alonzo Jones.
  • Consensus preseason No. 1 Florida is a little light on Cape League flavor after a ton of their rising juniors played for Team USA last summer. As for popular No. 2 pick Louisville, the Cards have plenty of Cape League roots. Brendan McKay and Nick Solak, who played for Bourne last summer, are poised for big years. Kyle Funkhouser, a Chatham Angler in 2013, is back after he was drafted in the first round by the Dodgers but didn’t sign. Louisville faces Southern Illinois-Edwardsville to open its season.

 

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Back to baseball

baseballs rff crop
 
Greetings! Why, yes, this is an off-season Right Field Fog post. Hopefully, the first of many.

This time last year, I was knee-deep in my first season of covering college basketball in Rhode Island, and was hibernating in an igloo, but I’ve got a little more of a handle on it now and it’s warm all of a sudden. So, you can expect some regular stuff here in the next few months — this new hot stove notebook, plus college, draft and alumni talk.

Happy New Year to you and yours. Let’s talk baseball.

  • It’s a bit quiet on the roster front, with only Cotuit, Harwich, Brewster andOrleans posting rosters at this point. A couple of names that caught my eye — Harwich’s Tyler Wilson was the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year as a freshman at Rhode Island and has big-time potential. Brewster’s Brent Rooker, who had a late cup of coffee with the Whitecaps last year, was the NECBL MVP.

  • Circle June 10 on your 2016 calendar. That’s day one of the Cape Cod Baseball League season. Wareham visits Y-D and Orleans heads to Brewster for 5 p.m. starts, with Hyannis visiting Bourne at 6, Cotuit heading to Harwich at 6:30 and Chatham finishing things off at 7 with a home game against Falmouth. Also of note in the schedule — no more scheduled doubleheaders.

  • The league also announced that Veterans Field in Chatham will host the 2016 All-Star Game July 23. If I remember right, the last one in Chatham was pretty good.

  • Congratulations to Judy Walden-Scarafile on her retirement as Cape League president.

  • Y-D manager Scott Pickler has been inducted into his high school alma mater’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Considering his propensity for CCBL championships, it should come as no surprise that he won a California state baseball championship as a player.

  • The MLB Draft is set for June 9. Much can happen between now and then, but MLB Pipeline likes Orleans outfield-mates Kyle Lewis and Bryan Reynolds as Top 10 picks with former Firebird teammate Bobby Dalbec not far behind. Other CCBL names of note in the top 50 include Nick Senzel, Matt Krook, Jake Fraley and Ben Bowden.

  • Check out some alumni and college notes while you’re here. Yes, that’s 3 offseason posts!

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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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    Something Brewing

    Nico Giarratano and Brewster have won four of six to move into third place.
    Nico Giarratano and Brewster have won four of six to move into third place.

     
    The Cape League’s best hitting team was shut-out 1-0 in its final June game. Since the calendar flipped to July, one run has not been enough to beat the Brewster Whitecaps.

    Powered by its fourth double-digit hit game in its last six, Brewster not coincidentally won the fourth time in six games Tuesday, 9-4 over Y-D. In the victories, the Whitecaps have racked up 57 hits, bringing their league-best batting average to .273.

    They’re still only one game over .500 and behind two teams in the East, but it’s pretty clear at this point that the Whitecaps can hit. They are not near the top in extra-base hits, but what they lack in pop, they make up for in sheer volume.

    In Tuesday’s win, the Whitecaps totaled 16 hits. Every player in the lineup had at least one. Five players had multi-hit games. And there was a little pop – two doubles and two home runs.

    Cassidy Brown (Loyola Marymount) – who’s emerging as the top offensive catcher on the Cape – went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI. He’s riding a seven-game hitting streak.

    Robbie Tenerowicz (California) went 2-for-4 and hit his fourth home run of the summer. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) added a double and scored three runs. Nick Senzel (Tennessee), who’s been red-hot, had his second straight three-hit night, scored three runs and knocked in two. Senzel is now second in the league in hitting.

    Brewster’s pitching numbers have remained in the middle of the pack for much of the summer, but all the offense certainly helps the cause. Alec Rash (Missouri) gave up two runs in three innings Tuesday before a strong relief performance by Anthony Arias (Fresno State), who struck out 10 and gave up two runs in five innings.
     

    Orleans 11, Falmouth 2

    If Brewster is the league’s best hitting team, Orleans is its most powerful. The Firebirds hit two more runs – bringing their league-best total to 17 – in an 11-2 victory over Falmouth. Sean Murphy (Wright State) hit his third in a 3-for-5 night while Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) smacked his second. Murphy also tripled. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) added three hits and two RBI for the Firebirds. Five pitchers had no trouble making the lead stand up, with Tanner Tully (Ohio State) picking up the win in relief. Falmouth’s Turner Larkins (Texas A&M) allowed just an unearned run in five innings but Orleans broke through against the Falmouth bullpen. The Firebirds have won three in a row and are now 17-6.
     

    Chatham 4, Bourne 3

    With Orleans and Brewster winning, Chatham also kept pace thanks to a victory over Bourne. The Anglers scored four runs in the first two innings and held onto the lead from there. Brandon Miller (Millersville) got the win in relief while Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) pitched two innings for his fourth save. Jake Fraley (LSU) went 2-for-4 and is batting .350 since his late arrival in Chatham. Aaron Knapp (California) also had two hits. Chatham is now 13-11, which is suddenly the third-best record in the league.
     

    Hyannis 4, Harwich 1

    The Harbor Hawks were getting a push from Wareham in the West standings for a while there, but with their second straight win and Wareham’s third straight loss, they now have a seven-point cushion at the top. Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) and Aaron Civale (Northeastern) worked in tandem for the second time in as many Tatum starts. Tatum gave up one run in 5.2 innings and Civale went 3.1 innings without allowing a hit, bringing his ERA to 0.54. The Hyannis offense was led by Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast), who surged back to the top of the batting average leaderboard with a 3-for-4 night. He also hit his first home run. Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) added three hits for the Harbor Hawks.
     

    Cotuit 2, Wareham 1

    Cotuit may not have great starting pitching depth, but the Kettleers have officially found themselves an ace. Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) tossed seven shutout innings, striking out five and giving up five hits, as Cotuit edged Wareham. Woodcock now has a 0.99 ERA and has gone at least 5.2 innings with no more than one run allowed in his last three starts. Justin Dunn (Boston College) grabbed the save Tuesday. Jackson Klein (Stanford) had an RBI single and Brody Weiss (UCLA) had a sacrifice fly to bring in two runs in the fifth, which was all the offense Cotuit needed. The Kettleers moved ahead of Falmouth for fourth place in the West.
     

    What to Watch

    Several of the league’s best arms are slated to be on the mound tonight. Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) goes for Hyannis in Falmouth. Matt Krook (Oregon) starts for Wareham in Chatham. Eric Lauer gets the ball for Orleans at home against Cotuit.
     

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    All it Takes is One

    WAR15_slide
     

    Last Friday, Wareham beat Cotuit by a run with two runs in the top of the ninth inning. The go-ahead run scored on a passed ball. Wednesday, Wareham won by a run again, and this one might have been even more frustrating for the Kettleers.

    A solo home run by Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) in the sixth inning was the game’s only run – and Wareham’s only hit. Four Gatemen pitchers combined on a shutout as the Gatemen won 1-0.

    Wareham improved to 10-9 and is one game back of Hyannis for first place in the West. Cotuit dropped to 6-13.

    The Gatemen were 0-5 in one-run games before the 4-3 victory over Cotuit Friday. Their luck turned around in that game and apparently didn’t run out, either. Cotuit’s Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) obviously took a no-hitter into the sixth Wednesday, but the one hit sent him to the hardest of hard-luck losses.

    Calica, the No. 9 hitter in the order, came up with two outs in the sixth and smacked a 2-1 pitch for his first home run of the summer. Calica, who hit .329 for UC Santa Barbara, only had one home run this spring, too. He’s now hitting .438 in six games on the Cape.

    Woodcock didn’t allow anything else – his season ERA is now 1.50 – and Mitch Stallings (Duke) tossed two hitless innings. But Wareham’s pitchers remained in control.

    Matt Krook (Oregon) started and went two innings. He walked four and struck out two but didn’t give up a run or a hit. Blake Fox (Rice) followed with 4.2 innings, Ian Hamilton (Washington State) tossed two-thirds of an inning and Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy) went the final 1.2 without surrendering a hit.

    Cotuit threatened with a little luck of its own when Will Haynie (Alabama) led off the ninth by reaching on a dropped third strike. He made it to second on a bunt and third on a groundout, but Spitzbarth stranded him there. Kort Peterson (UCLA) lined out to end the inning.

    The Kettleers finished with four hits but none went for extra bases. Wareham’s one hit did a little more damage.
     

    Harwich 6, Bourne 2

    Harwich scored four runs in the fifth to break away for a 6-2 win over Bourne. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Connor Justus (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Mariners. Adam Pate (North Carolina) went 2-for-3 and now has 10 hits in eight games since Harwich picked him up after he was released by Orleans. Pate has three straight two-hit games and ranks third in the league with a .356 batting average. Pate’s UNC teammate Hunter Williams struck out seven in four innings and Ross Vance (West Virginia) got the win in relief after Harwich’s big inning. Joe DiBenedetto (Seton Hall) went three scoreless innings for his first save. Harwich did much of its damage at the plate against Bourne starter Nick Jensen-Clagg (Kent State), who hadn’t allowed a hit in his first two starts. He gave up six Wednesday, walked five and was charged with three earned runs.
     

    Y-D 9, Chatham 2

    The Red Sox built an early lead then pulled away with a six-run seventh inning in a win over Chatham. It was Y-D’s second win this week over Chatham, and the Red Sox sit just one game back of the second-place Anglers in the East standings. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) led the Y-D offense with three hits, a home run and two RBI. It was the fourth three-hit game of the summer for Walton, who’s batting .318. The homer was his first. Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) added two hits while Gio Brusa (Washington) – a 2014 CCBL All-Star – shook off his slow start to 2015 with a two-hit night. Barnstable native Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) made his Cape League debut and drew three walks. On the mound for Y-D, Brett Adcock (Michigan) walked five but surrendered only one run in five innings. Chatham got home runs from Luke Persico (UCLA) and Todd Czinege (Villanova).
     

    Falmouth at Hyannis, PPD; Brewster at Orleans, PPD

     

    What to Watch

    Four games on tap today, including what should be a good pitching match-up at Red Wilson Field. Josh Rogers (Louisville), who was drafted in the 11th round this year but is planning to return to school, goes for Bourne against Y-D’s Shane Bieber (UC Santa Barbara), who went 7.2 shutout innings last time out. Also on the hill tonight is Chatham’s T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh), who will go against Brewster at Veterans Field. Zeuch has not allowed an earned run in his three starts.
     

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    Big Bats

    Will Haynie hit his third and fourth home runs of the year to lead Cotuit past Y-D 11-1.
    Will Haynie hit his third and fourth home runs of the year to lead Cotuit past Y-D 11-1.

     
    In 84 Cape League games prior to Tuesday night’s slate, teams had hit double digits in runs only five times. Tuesday, it happened twice.

    Perhaps the bats – always behind at the start of a Cape summer – are catching up.

    Bourne beat Falmouth 12-3 with a 15-hit, six extra-base-hit attack, while Cotuit broke out for its best offensive day of the season in an 11-1 victory over Y-D.

    (Chatham and Orleans also had big nights, scoring nine and eight runs, respectively, while Hyannis went and ruined the league-wide storyline with a 1-0 victory over Brewster.)

    For Bourne, the offense was steady in the early going, with single runs in the first, second and third innings, and four in the fourth. For good measure, the Braves scored five in the top of the ninth to hammer it home.

    Camden Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI. Six other players drove in runs, with Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) bringing home two each. Florida standout Pete Alonso, playing his second game in a Braves uniform, went 3-for-5 with a double and scored a run. C.J. Chatham (Florida Atlantic) had a triple. Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

    The 12 runs were a season-high for the Braves, who raised their team batting average by a whopping .10 points, from .229 up to .239.

    The outburst was plenty for Keegan Akin (Western Michigan), who tossed five shutout innings. Doug Norman, who had a strong spring in LSU’s bullpen, made his first Braves appearance and picked up the save. Bourne improved to 8-8-1.

    Over at Lowell Park, Cotuit was up to similar tricks, although they were a bit more condensed. After getting shut-out for five innings, the Kettleers scored five runs in the sixth inning and six runs in the eighth to blow past Y-D.

    Will Haynie (Alabama) was the star of the show with two home runs, a three-run shot in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth. Haynie, though he’s only batting .179, is now tied for the league lead in homers with four.

    Gene Cone (South Carolina) also homered and drove in two, while Jackson Klein (Stanford) had two hits and two RBI.

    Daniel Brown (Mississippi State) gave up one run in five innings on the hill, and Matthew Milburn (Wofford) went the last four innings for the win. He struck out six.

    The win was the second straight for Cotuit, who is now 6-12.
     

    Chatham 9, Wareham 2

    The Gatemen had won three in a row, but Chatham broke open a close game with five runs in the sixth inning on its way to the 9-2 win. Aaron Knapp (California) and Will Craig (Wake Forest) each had two RBI for the Anglers. Trenton Brooks (Nevada), Cory Raley (Texas Tech) and Kyle Adams (Richmond) added two hits each. Jesse Adams (Boston College) allowed one run in five innings of work for the win. Wareham got a home run from Jarett Rindfleisch (Ball State). Chatham improved to 10-8, which is the third-best record in the league. Wareham is 9-9.
     

    Orleans 8, Harwich 5

    Orleans also had a big inning – a five-run fourth – to pull away from Harwich in an 8-5 victory. The Firebirds racked up 16 hits, led by three each from Austin Miller (Loyola Marymount) and T.J. Nichting (Charlotte). Kyle Lewis (Mercer) had two hits and two RBI for his third consecutive two-hit game. The emerging star is second in the league in hitting with a .368 mark and is tied for the league lead in home runs and RBI. In addition to the big night at the plate, Orleans got another strong outing from Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), who struck out eight in six innings of two-hit ball. The only run he allowed was unearned, keeping his season ERA at 0.00. Jordan is 3-0 and leads the league in strikeouts with 25.
     

    Hyannis 1, Brewster 0

    The lone exception on the offensive night was in Hyannis, where the Harbor Hawks and Whitecaps were scoreless for eight innings before a walk-off in the ninth. Nicholas Pappas (College of Charleston) plated the winning run with a two-out single in the ninth, scoring Austin Hays (Jacksonville). Before those heroics, two Hyannis pitchers and four Whitecaps were engaged in quite the duel. Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) scattered five hits in five scoreless innings for Hyannis, before Andrew Civale (Northeastern) struck out five in four scoreless frames. Alex Schick (California) gave up just two hits in six innings for Brewster.
     

    What to Watch

    No games today. When things pick back up Wednesday, Wareham might be a good place to be. Matt Krook (Oregon), the former first-round pick who’s working his way back from Tommy John Surgery, is slated to start for the Gatemen against Cotuit’s Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech), who is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA.
     

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    Streak No. 4

    Parker Dunshee went six strong innings to help Chatham take game one of a doubleheader with Hyannis.
    Parker Dunshee went six strong innings to help Chatham take game one of a doubleheader with Hyannis.

     
    Chatham’s eight wins this season have all come in two-win bursts. They won two in a row to start the summer, lost their next game, won two in a row, lost three straight, then won two in a row and lost their next game.

    Their latest burst was their most impressive. The Anglers visited West-leading Hyannis Monday at McKeon Park and swept a doubleheader with the Harbor Hawks, winning 3-2 and 3-1.

    The victories give Chatham an 8-5 record, which matches Hyannis and is good for second-best in the league to Orleans’ 10-3 mark.

    Chatham started the twin bill with a bang Monday night, scoring all three of its runs in the top of the first inning. Will Craig (Wake Forest), Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Zack Short (Sacred Heart) knocked in the runs in consecutive at-bats.

    The early lead proved just enough for a pair of Chatham pitchers. Starter Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) allowed two runs in six-plus innings and struck out three. In the seventh – the final inning in scheduled doubleheader games – Hyannis scored a run off reliever Andre Scrubb (High Point), which was charged to Dunshee, and had the winning run on base before Scrubb retired the final two batters for his third save.

    In the second game, it was Hyannis that jumped in front with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Chatham immediately took the lead with two in the second and tacked on insurance in the seventh. Short homered for the Anglers, while Trenton Brooks (Nevada) and Cory Raley (Texas Tech) knocked in one run each.

    Ty Damron (Texas Tech) allowed one run in five innings of work for the win. C.J. Burdick (San Diego) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) pitched a scoreless inning each to finish it off.

    The Anglers had two in a row again. They’ll try to stretch a streak to three for the first time all year when they host Brewster tonight.
     

    Harwich 5, Cotuit 3; Harwich 6, Cotuit 1

    Harwich also swept its doubleheader, making things interesting at the top of the East standings, where there hasn’t been much of a race to this point. The Mariners are now 7-5-1, just a point back of Chatham for second place. Starting pitching set the course for the Mariners Monday, with each of their starters going five innings and giving up no earned runs. Joe O’Donnell (NC State) did it in the first game before Cotuit took a late lead against the bullpen. Harwich rallied for three runs in the seventh to win it. Saige Jenco (Virginia Tech) had an RBI single to power the rally. Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) grabbed his league-best fourth save. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one unearned run in five innings for the win in game two. Michael Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) powered a 10-hit attack with a three-run homer. Adam Pate (North Carolina) had three hits, while Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) had two hits and two RBI, bumping his average to .371. Cotuit’s Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) in the sweep, going 2-for-3 to take over the league batting lead at .400. He’s also second in stolen bases with six.
     

    Y-D 7, Falmouth 6; Y-D 5, Falmouth 1

    The defending champs have struggled this season, but they know how to win a doubleheader. The Red Sox topped Falmouth for their second twin bill sweep of the summer, which accounts for four of their five wins on the season. Y-D scored four runs in the top of the seventh to take the opener, with Mike Donadio (St. John’s), Gio Brusa (Washington), Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) and Connor Wong (Houston) driving in the runs. Wrenn finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Brusa, a standout with Brewster last year, went 1-for-4 in his 2015 debut. Christopher Viall (Stanford) pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to finish off the game-one win. The Red Sox stayed hot in game two, smacking nine hits on their way to the sweep. Tommy Edman (Stanford) drove in two runs. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) turned in his second strong start of the summer, giving up one run in 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts.
     

    Bourne 6, Orleans 3; Orleans 3, Bourne 0

    The Braves snapped Orleans’ six-game winning streak in the opener but Orleans got right back on track with a shutout in the second game. Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) had two hits and two RBI to pace a 10-hit Bourne attack in the first game. Mike Garzillo (Lehigh), Corey Julks (Houston) and Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) also had two hits. Bryan Baker (North Florida) turned in his third straight scoreless relief outing, going 3.1 innings and striking out five for the win. Austin Conway (Indiana State) picked up the save. In the second game, Bourne was no match for Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), who dominated again. He went five scoreless innings, just as he did in his first two starts of the summer. He also struck out seven to take over the league lead in that category with 17. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge) pitched the final two innings for the save. An error and a two-run single by Austin Miller (Loyola Marymount) in the sixth gave Orleans all the offense it would need. Nick Jensen-Clagg (Kent State) was a bright spot for Bourne in the loss, striking out eight in four scoreless innings. He has 16 strikeouts in 8.1 innings this summer.
     

    Brewster 5, Wareham 4; Wareham 5, Brewster 0

    Brewster used a four-run fourth inning to pull away in game one, while two Gatemen pitchers combined on a shutout in game two. The Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead in the first game on a third-inning home run by Toby Handley (Stony Brook). They added four hits in the fourth innings, and three runs came home on passed balls or wild pitches, ahead of an RBI double by Eli White (Clemson). Wareham chipped away but was held scoreless over the final two innings. Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) went the final 1.1 for the save. Highly-touted lefty Matt Krook (Oregon) started for Wareham, making his first appearance since the 2014 college season, and struck out two in two scoreless innings. In game two, Wareham righted the ship thanks to Evan Hill (Michigan) who allowed three hits in six shutout innings. He had plenty of support, with Logan Sowers (Indiana) and Andrew Knizner (NC State) driving in two runs each.
     

    What to Watch

    Orleans has had just one game against its closest competition in the East, but that changes this week. Harwich visits Eldredge Field tonight and Chatham comes to town Thursday.
     

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    Fast starts after big finish

    Trenton Brooks is hitting an even .500 in the early going.
    Trenton Brooks is hitting an even .500 in the early going.

     
    Four sophomores were among the national top 50 in batting average this spring. One of them – Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi – was draft-eligible and went as Boston’s first-round pick earlier this month. The other three have headed to New England for a different reason. Will Craig, Kyle Lewis and Trenton Brooks are all in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer. And in one of 2015’s early storylines, those three are picking up exactly where they left off.

    Through six games, Brooks leads the league with a .500 batting average. The Chatham outfielder has had a hit in every game but one (in which he was hit by a pitch in his first time up and departed). The lefty-swinging rising junior has done nothing but hit in two seasons at Nevada, with a .330 average as a freshman and a .365 mark this season.

    Craig is right alongside Brooks in the Chatham lineup. after hitting .382 – tops among sophomore – and earning ACC Player of the Year honors, Craig is off to a fast start with the Anglers. He has seven hits in six games, good for a .350 average, eighth in the league. The 6’3, 220-pound third baseman should be one of the league’s best all summer.

    Lewis was not on the initial roster that Orleans released, but the Mercer star was a no-brainer of an addition. The 6’4, 205-pound outfielder hit .281 as a freshman but morphed into the Southern Conference Player of the Year with a huge sophomore season. He batted .367 with a .423 OBP, and blasted 17 home runs, plus 19 doubles. Lewis homered in his second Cape League game and is now tied for the league lead with three in just six games. He’s also hitting .409, good for fourth in the league.

    Plenty more big-time hitters will emerge as the summer goes on. But few will have been big-time in the spring and the summer quite like Brooks, Craig and Lewis.
     

  • With Lewis and Bobby Dalbec, Orleans has a fearsome middle of the order. They each have three home runs. Unfortunately for the Firebirds, Dalbec, a standout at Arizona, has accepted an invitation to play for Team USA.

  • Team USA’s roster is taking shape, and Dalbec won’t be the only loss for the Cape League. Two of the top sophomore pitchers in the nation – Maryland’s Mike Shawaryn and Virginia’s Connor Jones – are on there. Shawaryn was slated for Y-D and Jones for Orleans. News came out Sunday that four Florida players will head to Team USA after the Gators finish in Omaha, and all were originally ticketed for the Cape. Pitchers A.J. Puk and Logan Shore were on the Orleans roster, power-hitting freshman J.J Schwarz was on the Y-D roster, and outfielder Buddy Reed was on the Harwich roster.

  • In better news, Wareham has activated Oregon’s Matt Krook. The lefty was on his way to becoming one of the best pitchers in the 2016 draft class but got hurt during his freshman year and needed Tommy John surgery. He missed this college season but will apparently begin his comeback in Wareham. Krook was mentioned on Jonathan Mayo’s very early look at the 2016 draft.

  • One of the few pitchers in the league to make two starts already is Orleans’ Mitchell Jordan, and he has been up to the task. The Stetson rising junior, a solid performer in the weekend rotation this year, has turned in two carbon-copy starts: five scoreless innings, one hit, five strikeouts. He’s the early league leader in strikeouts with 10.

  • Andrew Frankenreider saved nine games for Northern Illinois this spring and already has two for Falmouth this summer. He has allowed just one hit in 6.2 innings. Frankenreider is just the third player in Northern Illinois history to play on the Cape.

  • The teams with the best records so far have been the total package. Orleans, at 5-2, leads the league in team batting average and ERA. Hyannis, now 6-1, is second in both categories.

  • Hyannis had the makings of a pretty good offense even before late additions Bobby Melley, Justin Arrington and Jacob Noll arrived on the scene. Melley, a Cape League vet at this point, is hitting .429 with six RBI in just four games. Arrington has a hit in all but one game and is batting .438. Noll, who hit .348 for Florida Gulf Coast this year, is 4-for-8 in three games.

  • In addition to its Team USA guys, the initial Orleans roster also had a pair of six-round picks in Ohio State’s Travis Lakins and Loyola Marymount’s David Fletcher. Neither is on the active roster right now. We’ll see if they make an appearance at some point this summer.

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    Pitching leads Wareham

    Screen shot 2015-06-08 at 3.56.39 PM
     

    Since winning the Cape League championship in 2012, the Gatemen have had a rough go of it, missing the playoffs for two straight years. With a talented pitching staff in place, Wareham will be poised for a return to prominence this summer.
     

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Corey Ray
    2. Anthony Kay
    3. Matt Krook
    4. Ryan Olson
    5. Jarrett Rindfleisch

     

    NOTABLE

  • Oregon’s Matt Krook was an unsigned first round pick of the Marlins in the 2013 draft. He was looking the part as an Oregon freshman with 60 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched last year before going down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. The procedure was done 13 months ago and Krook was reportedly ready to burn his redshirt and pitch in the postseason if Oregon needed him. That didn’t happen, so it appears the Cape League season will mark Krook’s return to the mound. He’ll surely be on a tight leash, but he’ll be interesting to watch.

  • While Krook obviously has a lot of potential, seven other Gatemen pitchers have potential and big seasons as starting pitchers to build on. Connecticut’s Anthony Kay is the best of them, having established himself as an ace for the Huskies with 96 strikeouts this year.

  • Another of those pitchers is Cal Poly Pomona’s Ryan Olson, who pitched for the Gatemen last year. Like Pomona teammate Cody Ponce, who pitched for Brewster last summer and rocketed up draft boards, Olson is coming off a huge sophomore season. He went 12-0 with a 1.73 ERA and 92 strikeouts.

  • Ian Hamilton has saved 28 games in two seasons at Washington State.

  • Indiana University has been good to the Gatemen over the years and fellow Hoosier State school Ball State is on the act this year, with pitcher Zach Plesac and catcher Jarret Rindfleisch poised for big things.

  • If Louisville’s Corey Ray doesn’t end up with Team USA, he’s primed to be one of the Cape League’s best. The sophomore has flashed power and speed in breakout campaign.

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    PITCHERS

    Shaun Anderson – SO – Florida – Won a Northwoods League title last summer and has 4.29 ERA as Gator reliever this spring
    Bailey Clark – SO – Duke – After just six outings as freshman, jumped into rotation and turned in 2.95 ERA in 13 starts
    Grant Dyer – SO – UCLA – Went from mid-week starter to shut-down reliever, putting up 1.82 ERA in whopping 42 appearances
    Ian Hamilton – SO – Washington State – Broke school record for saves with 15 last year, tacked on 13 with 1.67 ERA this year
    Brett Hanewich – SO – Stanford – Has started 27 games in two years for Cardinal, with 3.59 career ERA
    Drew Harrington – SO – Louisville – Set to return to Wareham after posting 0.29 ERA with 42 Ks in Louisville bullpen
    Zac Houston – JR – Mississippi State – After quiet freshman year, made 21 relief appearances with 3.66 ERA
    Daulton Jefferies – SO – California – Strong starter for two years running, went 6-5 this year with 2.92 ERA, team-high 74 Ks
    Connor Jones – SO – Georgia – Struggled in sophomore season, with ERA above 8 in 16 relief appearances
    Anthony Kay – SO – Connecticut – After strong summer in Wareham, lefty emerged as UConn ace with 2.07 ERA, 96 K in 100 IP
    Matt Krook – SO – Oregon – Former first-round pick missed 2015 season after Tommy John surgery, but is ready to work his way back
    Ryan Olson – SO – Cal Poly Pomona – After stint with Wareham last year, dominated for Pomona with 12-0 record, 1.73 ERA, 92 Ks
    Benton Parr – SO – Georgia Tech – Solid as starter and reliever in two seasons with Yellow Jackets, has career 3.53 ERA
    Zach Plesac – SO – Ball State – National freshman pitcher of the year last year had 3.27 ERA, 77 K in sophomore year
    Tyler Thorne – SO – Stanford – Has pitched mostly in relief for Cardinal, finishing with 5.18 ERA this year
    Ryan Williamson – SO – NC State – Pitched as starter and in relief and finished with ERA over five this season
     

    CATCHERS

    Jarett Rindfleisch – SO – Ball State – MAC Freshman of the Year in 2014 hit .310 with 10 homers this year
     

    INFIELDERS

    Nick Cieri – SO – Maryland – Infielder/catcher hit .299 as a sophomore for Terps
    Mark Karaviotis – SO – Oregon – Hawaii native grabbed starting SS job last year, hit .270 this season in second year with Ducks
    Andrew Knizner – SO – NC State – Emerged as standout in sophomore year, with .317 average, five homers
    Kramer Robertson – SO – LSU – Returning to Wareham after hitting .232 for Tigers this season
    John Sternagel – SO – Florida – Hitting .178 for Gators in limited action this season
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Connor Beck – r-FR – TCU – After redshirt year, has only seen action in 11 games for Horned Frogs this season
    Jamison Jabs – SO – Franklin Pierce – Hit .328 and smashed 13 home runs for D-II power Ravens
    Corey Ray – SO – Louisville – Team USA invite has been dynamic player for Cards, with .330 average, 11 HR, 34 SBs
    Logan Sowers – FR – Indiana – Indiana Mr. Baseball hit .257 with six homers in debut season
    Charlie Warren – SO – Rice – Returning Gatemen hit .311 this spring for Owls
     

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    Krook living up to the hype

    matt krookAlmost every year, a highly-drafted high school pitcher spurns pro ball and immediately becomes a star on campus. From Gerrit Cole to Tyler Beede, it’s a pretty serious list.

    Matt Krook appears to be next in line.

    The Oregon freshman, who’s on the Orleans roster for 2014, was a supplemental first-round pick of the Marlins. He didn’t sign after a failed physical led to a significant reduction in his signing bonus.

    He was the second-highest pick who didn’t sign, behind only Phil Bickford, who went 10th overall and is now at Cal State Fullerton (Bickford is not currently on a CCBL roster for 2014). While Bickford has been good in his own right in his freshman season, Krook’s numbers have been even a little better.

    The lefty from San Mateo, Calif., ranks eighth in the nation in strikeouts with 49. That’s exactly one behind Carlos Rodon, the man who may be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Krook, who’s been the Saturday starter for the Ducks, has a 2.00 ERA to lead the team’s starters and opponents are hitting just .160 against him.

    Clearly, Krook has little trouble adjusting from the high school ranks, which is no big surprise. Krook pitched a few innings in the Far West League last year, a collegiate summer league that allows college-bound players to compete, and was named the top prospect by Perfect Game.