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All League Team Unveiled

Steven Duggar was one of six Falmouth Commodores on the All-League squad.
Steven Duggar was one of six Falmouth Commodores on the All-League squad.

 

This is a few days old, but in case you missed it, the Cape League released its All-League selections for the 2014 season. The team is below. Below that, a few notes.

First Base – A.J. Murray – Chatham – Georgia Tech
Second Base – Billy Fleming – Bourne – West Virginia
Shortstop – Kevin Newman – Falmouth – Arizona
Third Base – David Thompson – Orleans – Miami
Infield Utility – Richard Martin Jr. – Bourne – Florida
Outfield – Gio Brusa – Brewster – Pacific
Outfield – Donnie Dewees Jr. – Hyannis – North Florida
Outfield – Steven Duggar – Falmouth – Clemson
Outfield – Ian Happ – Harwich – Cincinnati
Outfield – Mark Laird – Bourne – LSU
Outfield – Andrew Stevenson – Y-D – LSU
DH – Conner Hale – Falmouth – LSU
DH – Chris Shaw – Chatham – Boston College
Catcher – Jameson Fisher – Cotuit – SE Louisiana
Catcher – Anthony Hermelyn – Harwich – Oklahoma

Pitcher – Michael Boyle – Harwich – Radford
Pitcher – Zack Erwin – Harwich – Clemson
Pitcher – Matt Hall – Falmouth – Missouri State
Pitcher – Jordan Hillyer – Chatham – Kennesaw State
Pitcher – Justin Jacome – Y-D – UC Santa Barbara
Pitcher – Ryan Kellogg – Bourne – Arizona State
Pitcher – Kolton Mahoney – Orleans – BYU
Pitcher – Kevin McCanna – Falmouth – Rice
Pitcher – Andrew Naderer – Brewster – Grand Canyon
Pitcher – Kyle Twomey – Orleans – USC
Closer – Phil Bickford – Y-D – Cal State Fullerton
Closer – Adam Whitt – Cotuit – Nevada
Utility – Jake Madsen – Falmouth – Ohio

 

NOTES

  • Kevin Newman and Ryan Kellog are your lone repeat honorees. The Arizona-Arizona State rivals had terrific Cape League careers.

  • For the second year in a row, Falmouth had the most All-League selections with six. Lot of talent at Guv Fuller Field the last two years.

  • Champion Y-D with only one position player on the team. I thought that might be unusual, but it’s actually the second year in a row. Cotuit had just one All-League hitter last year, Rhett Wiseman. In the case of both Y-D and Cotuit, it speaks to the ability to play one day at a time and find a way to win, without having the stars of stars.

  • Snubs? Jordan Tarsovich jumps out to me. Probably the league champ’s most consistent hitter, Tarsovich hit .322 with three homers. I think Y-D’s Rob Fonseca (.315, 4 HR’s) could have been there too. And Bourne’s Blake Davey tied for second in the league in extra-base hits. A couple more possibilities, but overall, solid work, I think.

  • LSU leads all schools with three selections: Andrew Stevenson, Conner Hale and Mark Laird.

  • Seven schools have an All-League pick for the second year in a row: Arizona, USC, Arizona State, West Virginia, Florida and . . . mighty Kennesaw State. With MVP Max Pentecost last year and standout pitcher Jordan Hillyer this year, the Owls are making some Cape League noise.

  • How about schools that have an All-League pick for three years running? Nada. I was shocked by that.

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    Still Alive

    Brendan Hendriks is greeted in the dugout after his go-ahead home run Friday.
    Brendan Hendriks is greeted in the dugout after his go-ahead home run Friday.

     

    Higher-seeded teams owned the first games of their opening-round playoff series, and two of them held serve in game two.

    We shouldn’t be surprised at the two teams that avoided sweeps. Cotuit and Y-D, winners of five of the last 10 Cape League championships, don’t go down easy.

    Cotuit rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to beat top-seeded Bourne 10-7, while Y-D got a dominant performance from Walker Buehler (Vanderbilt) and broke out the bats in a 9-0 shutout of East No. 2 Orleans. Both series will conclude with game threes today.

    For Cotuit, it’s been an up-and-down season, dominated by the fact that the Kettleers just don’t have much starting pitching. They have made it work by cobbling things together, and of course, with their backs against the wall yesterday, they made it work by doing it very well. Seven pitchers took the mound, and once Cotuit made its comeback, the final three pitchers combined on five scoreless innings.

    The pitching contingent has been led all summer by Adam Whitt (Nevada), who was presented with the league’s outstanding relief pitcher award before Friday’s game. Whitt, unlike most recipients of that award, was not strictly a closer, often pitching two or three innings, whether his team was winning or losing. Yesterday, he went the final two innings, giving up no runs on one hit. Austin Sexton (Mississippi State) and Jackson McClelland (Pepperdine) had scoreless outings before Whitt took the hill.

    The comeback made the strong relief work count. Bourne’s Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) led off the game with a home run, and Cotuit trailed 5-0 after three but quickly got back into the game with two runs in the third and one in the fourth. Bourne pulled back away at 7-3, but Cotuit got within 7-6 then scored three in the seventh and one in the eighth to take control.

    Logan Taylor (Texas A&M), Jackson Glines (Michigan) and Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco) all homered for the Kettleers, with Hendriks’s two-run blast in the seventh giving them the lead for good. Kyle Holder (San Diego) added three hits.

    Martin and Blake Davey (Connecticut) both homered for Bourne, but it wasn’t enough. The Braves had only two hits after the fifth inning.

    Over in Yarmouth, the Red Sox cruised past Orleans 9-0 after they were shut-out 3-0 in game one. Buehler, who pitched briefly with Team USA but found his way back to the Cape, allowed just a pair of singles in 7.1 innings. He struck out five and walked only one.

    Y-D’s starting rotation, even with the loss of Cody Poteet, still looks like it could be the best in the playoffs. Justin Jacome was the hard-luck loser against Orleans ace Kolton Mahoney, but Buehler got the Red Sox back on track. Drake Owenby (Tennessee) retired all five batters he faced to finish off the win.

    The Y-D offense made sure no one would be a hard-luck loser this time. Jesse Jenner (San Diego) and Michael Donadio (St. John’s) had three hits each to pace a 13-hit attack. Donadio homered. Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) and Timothy Wharton (Catawba) drove in two runs each.

     

    Harwich 5, Brewster 0

    Top-seeded Harwich punched its ticket into the East finals with a shutout of Brewster. Michael Boyle (Radford) went six innings with eight strikeouts before Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State) and Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) finished off the shutout. For much of the game, Harwich needed that kind of effort, with Brewster pitchers limiting the Mariner offense to one run through the first seven innings. But Harwich scored three in the eighth and one in the ninth for a little extra breathing room. Joe McCarthy (Virginia) went 4-for-5 – and is now 7-for-10 in the playoffs – while Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had two hits and two RBI. For Brewster, Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) allowed one run in three innings and Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) – who played a lot more outfield than he ever expected in this series – pitched three scoreless frames. The Whitecaps, who made a strong late-season run, were short-handed in the playoffs and didn’t stand much of a chance. Harwich now gets a day off before beginning play in the East finals.

     

    Falmouth 5, Hyannis 1

    Falmouth also rode strong pitching to a sweep of Hyannis. Kevin McCanna (Rice) allowed one run in eight innings, needing just 100 pitches to get that far. He struck out six and scattered five hits. The Commodore offense did the rest. Conner Hale (LSU) and Boomer White (TCU) knocked in two runs each while Kevin Newman (Arizona) and Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) had two hits. Falmouth scored three in the first, meaning it never trailed in the series. Donnie Dewees (North Florida) scored the lone run for Hyannis in the seventh inning. The Harbor Hawks, who overcame a mid-season slump to grab the third seed, had beaten Falmouth three straight times in the regular season, including a 10-0 win on August 1.

     

    What to Watch

    Cotuit at Bourne, 6 p.m.
    Y-D at Orleans, 7 p.m.

    I’ll be interested to see how the pitching match-up turns out in Orleans. The Red Sox have a solid starter going in Kevin Duchene, while Orleans is turning to Kyle Twomey, who’s been very good but has also pitched mostly out of the bullpen. His longest outing is five innings.

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    Stars and Stripes

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

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    A Grand Night

    Wade Wass hit two grand slams and had nine RBI last night.
    Wade Wass hit two grand slams and had nine RBI last night.

     

    On a July night last summer, Max Pentecost delivered the season’s most memorable performance when he went 5-for-5 with two home runs. The Bourne catcher had a great summer overall, but that was the night he put himself in the MVP running and the night he cemented his burgeoning prospect status.

    It remains to be seen what the rest of the 2014 summer – and beyond – holds for Brewster catcher Wade Wass (Alabama). But on a July night, Wass had the same kind of night that Pentecost had.

    In a 12-5 Brewster win over Wareham at Stony Brook Field, Wass hit two grand slams and drove in nine runs.

    Cape Cod Baseball League single game records are not readily available online, but I’ve got to think Wass’s performance cracks the books somewhere. In Major League Baseball history, players have two hit grand slams in a single game just 13 times. The last was in 2009. Nine RBI is a little more common at the MLB level, but in seven years of writing about the Cape League, I can’t remember a player hitting that number.

    Obviously, it was a heck of a night.

    Wass, a junior-college transfer, hit .302 with five homers for Alabama this spring. He was a 13th-round draft pick in 2012 out of the junior college ranks but stayed put.

    This summer, he had just five hits in his first nine games but broke out with a home run on a 3-for-4, four RBI night on Saturday. After an 0-4 on Sunday, he delivered his grand performance Wednesday.

    With a television audience on Fox College Sports – the crew’s first Cape broadcast of the summer – Wass came up in the third inning with the bases loaded and delivered his first grand slam. In the fifth, he doubled home a run, giving him a pretty good performance even if he had stopped there.

    He did not. In the eighth, he came up again with the bases loaded and again smashed a grand slam.

    Brewster won 12-5, with big nights from Braden Bishop (Washington) and Gio Brusa (Pacific) as well. Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) and Andrew Naderer (Grand Canyon) combined on a solid pitching performance.

    And they would all agree the night belonged to their teammate. Wass, not surprisingly, now leads the league in RBI with 18 and is tied for second in home runs with three.

     

    Orleans 13, Hyannis 0

    The Firebirds now own the longest win streak of the summer thanks to a 13-0 shutout of Hyannis last night. Trent Thornton (North Carolina) struck out seven in five innings and combined with Cody Moffett (Arizona) and Tyler Honahan (Stony Brook) on the shutout. Thornton, who gave up five runs in his last start, allowed just three hits, all singles. The Firebirds offense gave him plenty of support, racing to a 7-0 lead after three innings. R.J. Ybarra (Arizona State) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Brett Lang (North Carolina) drove in three runs. Edwin Rios (Florida International) also had two RBI, giving him 16 on the year. Orleans is now 11-8, just one game back of Harwich for first place in the East. The Firebirds have scored 39 runs in their last three games and 59 in the six-game streak.

     

    Bourne 7, Harwich 6

    Losers of three straight, Bourne came to Whitehouse Field and righted the ship with a narrow victory over East-leading Harwich. The Braves are now 12-6, matching Harwich for the best record in the league. The teams combined for 29 hits in their match-up, but Bourne had a little more offense. Blake Davey (Connecticut) had three hits and two RBI, while five of his teammates knocked in one run apiece. Davey and Harrison Bader (Florida) both homered. Harwich was balanced as well, getting at least one hit from every spot in the lineup, including two from recently arrived C.J. Hinojosa (Texas). Jacob Sparger (Louisville) got the win in relief for Bourne. Joey Strain (Winthrop) picked up a save.

     

    Chatham 7, Cotuit 2

    The big night by Wass will make headlines, but nobody in the league has been hotter of later than Chatham’s A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech). He went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI last night as the Anglers beat Cotuit 7-2. Murray is riding an eight-game hit streak that includes seven two-hit games and three home runs. He’s batting an even .500 – 18-for-36 – in the streak. He’s tied for the league lead in homers, ranks second in RBI and is sixth in batting average. Last night, Chris Shaw (Boston College) also homered for the Anglers and Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) added two hits. Jordan Hillyer (Kennesaw State) allowed one run in five innings, maintaining some remarkable consistency. He has gone exactly five innings and given up exactly one run in all three of his starts, and he has won them all.

     

    Y-D 8, Falmouth 1

    Kevin Duchene (Illinois) delivered the performance Y-D’s been waiting for, striking out nine in six shutout innings as the Red Sox beat Falmouth 8-1. Duchene, the former Big Ten Freshman of the Year, hadn’t yet hit his groove and sported a 6.08 ERA after three starts. But Wednesday, he didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and gave up just two overall. The nine strikeouts vaulted him to second in the league. With Duchene pitching like that and Falmouth starting Kevin McCanna (Rice) the game shaped up as a low-scoring affair, but Y-D scored five runs – four unearned – off McCanna, who had allowed four runs all season. Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) went 3-for-4 to raise his league-best average to .413. Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Vincent Jackson (Tennessee) had two RBI apiece.

     

    What to Watch

    Today will bring the first of two games in the annual Fourth of July holiday rivalry series. Orleans and Chatham will be interesting as always, especially with the Firebirds riding their win streak. In Brewster, we’ll see what Wade Wass can do for an encore against Harwich’s Michael Boyle (Radford), who hasn’t allowed an earned run all summer.

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    A Red Wilson Night

    Patrick Mazeika's three-run homer gave Chatham a lead in Tuesday's slugfest.
    Patrick Mazeika’s three-run homer gave Chatham a lead in Tuesday’s slugfest.

     

    Yarmouth’s Red Wilson Field has the shortest fences in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Home runs are more common there, and in turn, big run totals flow a little more easily.

    And every once in a while, the floodgates really open.

    Last night at Red Wilson, Chatham and Y-D combined for six home runs, 31 hits and 30 runs in a 16-14 Chatham victory. The 30 combined runs is the most in a Cape League game since 2010, when Y-D beat Orleans 23-10 in a playoff game . . . at Red Wilson Field. Two teams also hit 30 in the 2010 regular season, when Harwich beat Y-D 16-14 . . . at Red Wilson Field. (Two totals near 30 – a 17-12 game last year and a 16-10 game in 2012 – also happened in Yarmouth).

    Red Wilson’s latest show belonged to the Anglers, who scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning and stopped the slugfest in the bottom half. With the sun setting on the three-hour, 20-minute game, it was called after eight.

    Chatham hit two home runs and Y-D hit three. Chris Shaw (Boston College) had one of the blasts for Chatham as part of a big night. He went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and an RBI. Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) hit the other home run for the Anglers on his way to a 1-for-2, four-run, three-RBI game.

    The Anglers trailed 13-11 going into the eighth, but exploded immediately. Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) led off with a double and A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) traded places with him on an RBI double. After a base hit by Shaw, Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) doubled in the tying run. Y-D went to its bullpen, but Mazeika greeted reliever Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer) with a three-run homer, the biggest and the final blow in the night’s power surge.

    Kyle Davis (USC), who’s been one of the best relievers in the league this summer, came on to try and close the door for Chatham. Though even he couldn’t escape without giving up a run – his second of the year – Davis stranded two runners when he ended the game with a strikeout. Davis got the save for Zack Burdi (Louisville), who had gotten out of a jam in the seventh.

    Simmons and Landon Cray (Seattle) had three hits each for Chatham, while Murray and Mazeika drove in three runs apiece. Chatham has now scored the second-most runs in the league after ranking in the middle of the pack before last night.

    Y-D got two home runs from Hunter Cole (Georgia), plus one each from Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) and Ryan Hissey (William & Mary).

     

    Hyannis 14, Cotuit 2

    The Harbor Hawks weren’t at Red Wilson Field but may as well have been in the late innings of a 14-2 victory over Cotuit at Lowell Park. Leading 3-0 into the seventh, Hyannis scored 11 runs over the final three innings. The Harbor Hawks (9-4) have now scored the most runs in the league and are 3-0 against rival Cotuit (6-7). Bobby Melley (Connecticut), who was hitting .250 coming in after a huge spring for the Huskies, broke out with a 4-for-4, four RBI night. Kyle Survance (Houston) homered and drove in two, Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Jarret DeHart (LSU) had two RBI. Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana), pitching without a big lead, went six scoreless innings with three strikeouts for his third win in as many starts.

     

    Bourne 5, Orleans 2

    Making his ninth career Cape League start, Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) turned in perhaps his best performance as the West-leading Braves (10-3) topped Orleans (5-8). Kellogg went six scoreless innings, striking out four and scattering six hits. Thomas Hatch (Oklahoma State) and Lucas Laster (Mississippi State) finished off the win. Kellogg’s battery mate and ASU teammate Brian Serven homered for the Braves. Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) and Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) added two hits each.

     

    Harwich 4, Wareham 1

    The Mariners remained even with Bourne for the best record in the league thanks to a victory over Wareham. Michael Boyle (Radford) allowed just an unearned run in 5.1 innings for the win. Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) struck out four in 2.2 innings of relief and Seth McGarry (Florida Atlantic) pitched a perfect ninth for his first save. Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) homered to lead the offense, while Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) had three hits from the top of the lineup. Barrett owns a six-game hitting streak and is batting .400 on the year.

     

    Falmouth 8, Brewster 3

    The Commodores (5-7-1) snapped a five-game winless streak with a victory over Brewster (5-8). Steven Duggar (Clemson) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the offense, which hadn’t scored more than five runs since June 15. Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) added three RBI, while Trever Morrison (Oregon State) and Conner Hale (LSU) had two hits each. Matt Eureste (San Jacinto North) went 1-for-4 and continues to lead the league in hitting with a .414 average. On the mound for Falmouth, Matt Hall (Missouri State) turned in one of the team’s best starts of the summer, striking out five in seven scoreless innings. Hall is now tied for the league lead in strikeouts.

     

    What to Watch

    A good pitching match-up is lined up in Orleans, where the Firebirds send Brett Lilek (Arizona State) to the mound against Harwich’s James Mulry (Northeastern). Lilek, a standout this spring, struck out six in four scoreless innings in his first Cape League start. Mulry has a 1.39 ERA in two starts.

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    Fire Power

    stock_orleans13

     

    On a night when college baseball continued to lament the lack of offense in Omaha, their college baseball brethren on Cape Cod flashed some pop in Yarmouth.

    Orleans smacked four home runs in a 6-2 victory over Y-D. It is, I believe, the first time since 2012’s year of the home run that a Cape League team has gone yard four times in one game.

    Taylor Ward (Fresno State) started the power surge in the second inning, when he smacked a leadoff home run. Two pitches later, Edwin Rios (Florida International) went back-to-back with another bomb. In the third, leadoff man Johnny Sewald (Arizona) hit one, and in the fourth, R.J. Ybarra (Arizona State) clubbed a two-run blast.

    Orleans hit more home runs in this one game than any other Cape League team has hit in the entire season. Orleans already led the league in homers with three, but with seven now, the cushion is much bigger. Wareham is next with three and no other team has more than two. Two teams – Chatham and Harwich – are still without a home run.

    The four-homer night on Tuesday secured Orleans’ second victory of the season as the Firebirds moved to 2-4. Trent Thornton (North Carolina) made the homers count with 5.1 strong innings on the mound. He allowed two runs and struck out four. Kyle Twomey (USC), Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) finished the job without surrendering a run.

     

    Cotuit 7, Bourne 6

    Defending champion Cotuit won its fourth in a row with a 7-6 victory over Bourne. The Kettleers had started the summer 0-2 but haven’t lost since. They smacked 11 hits against the Braves, stole five bases and again used a parade of pitchers on their way to the narrow victory. Casey Schroeder (Polk State College) hit a home run to lead the offense, while Jeremy Taylor (East Tennessee State) drove in two runs. Drew Jackson (Stanford), a key part of last year’s championship run, made his first appearance of 2014 and went 2-for-4. The Kettleers did much of their damage against Jimmy Herget (South Florida), who had been impressive in his first start. On the basepaths, Cotuit continued to run wild. They’ve stolen a league-high 18 bases thus far. Caleb Whalen (Portland) stole one more last night and leads the league with five. And on the mound, Cotuit has used at least four pitchers in five of six games this year – and used three in the other. On Tuesday, they used six. Adam Whitt (Nevada) earned his second win with three scoreless innings out of the pen and Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) notched a save. For Bourne, Blake Davey (Connecticut) went 3-for-4 with a home run.

     

    Harwich 2, Falmouth 1

    The Mariners won their league-best fifth game thanks to a sixth-inning rally against the Commodores, who dropped to 3-3. Trailing 1-0, the Mariners got RBI from Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) and Brendon Sanger (Florida Atlantic) to take a lead. Reliever Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State), who just returned for his second stint in Harwich, tossed three scoreless innings of relief in making the lead stand up. Robby Kalaf (Florida International) tossed a scoreless ninth for the save. Steven Duggar (Clemson) had two hits for Falmouth, but the Commodores only managed four total. Falmouth’s Matt Hall (Missouri State) turned in his second solid start, going five scoreless innings and striking out six. He leads the league in strikeouts with 11. For Harwich, Michael Boyle (Radford) allowed just an unearned run in five innings.

     

    Chatham 6, Brewster 2

    Chatham snapped a four-game skid with a victory over Brewster. Nick Collins (Georgetown) had two hits and two RBI to lead the offense, which broke out after scoring a total of six runs all season. Chatham took advantage of four Brewster errors, and all their runs were unearned. Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State), Landon Cray (Seattle) and Blake Butera (Boston College) all had two hits, as did standout LSU freshman Jake Fraley, who was making his Chatham debut. On the mound, Andrew Chin (Boston College) allowed two runs in six innings, while striking out four. Jeff Gelinas (Maine) and Kyle Davis (USC) combined on the last three innings.

     

    Hyannis 8, Wareham 4

    Hyannis jumped into a three-way tie for first in the West with an 8-4 victory over Wareham. Bobby Melley (Connecticut) had his best game in a Hyannis uniform, going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) homered and drove in three, while Sam Haggerty (New Mexico) homered as part of a three-hit night. Tate Scioneaux (Southeastern Louisiana) allowed two earned runs in 5.1 innings and Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) went 3.2 innings for the save. For Wareham, Jake Little (Memphis) hit his second home run of the season.

     

    What to Watch

    James Mulry (Northeastern), who dominated for Harwich on opening night, will make his second start as the Mariners visit Hyannis for a 7 p.m. start. The Harbor Hawks will throw Joseph Shaw (Dallas Baptist) in his Cape League debut. He had a 2.96 ERA while pitching mostly as a reliever for Dallas Baptist this spring.

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    Talent Coming to Harwich Again

    stock_harwich13

     

    TeamLogo_Harwich2003.jpgIn recent years, the Harwich Mariners have won the preseason roster battle almost every year. Of course, that means little in any season, especially in a Cape Cod Baseball League season, and the results bear that out. The Mariners won the league championship in 2008 and finished in last place the next year. They won again in 2011, but have been up and down since.

    But the fact remains. The Mariners are very good at bringing in talent. And when it comes together well, look out.

    This year should be no different. Harwich brings back the league’s top returning prospect in Ian Happ, and has other sophomore stars joining him. The pitching staff features some young guys with upside and quite a few veterans who have had big college success.

    It adds up to a club that’s in preseason contention again. We’ll see how it pans out.

     

    THE SKINNY

    Manager: Steve Englert
    Last Year: 23-19-2; Lost in East Semis
    Returning Players: 3
    Juniors: 10
    Sophomores: 20
    Freshmen: 4

     

    NOTABLE

  • Michael Boyle comes to Harwich from Radford, the same path taken by Colorado Rockies prospect Eddie Butler, who vaulted from the Cape to the Majors in just three years. Boyle had a strong sophomore season.

  • Jake Drossner returns to Harwich after emerging as a solid weekend starter for Maryland this spring. He had a better ERA than teammate Jake Stinnett, a second-round pick of the Cubs.

  • Oklahoma pitcher Jacob Evans had a high ERA this spring but had a terrific strikeout-to-walk ratio of 54 to 7.

  • Harwich has quite a few guys who have been very consistent starters for mid-major programs, like Boyle, Jon Harris at Missouri State and Jason Inghram at William & Mary.

  • Jason Vosler was just drafted by the Cubs in the 16th round, so we’ll see if he makes it to Harwich.

  • The Citadel’s Skyler Hunter has 28 career saves, so I’d bet on him taking the closer’s job.

  • LSU freshman Jared Poche’ jumped right into the weekend rotation in Baton Rouge, which you don’t see all that often. That alone makes him a pitcher to watch.

  • Skye Bolt looked destined for stardom last spring and spent the summer with Team USA. Bolt had kind of a down year by comparison in 2014, but the bright side for Harwich is that Team USA probably won’t come calling again.

  • No returning hitter has a better Cape League track record than Ian Happ, who was one of the top prospects in the league last year.

  • Harwich has two sons of former Major Leaguers, and their dads were teammates. Tyler Servais is the son of Scott Servais and Cavan Biggio’s dad is Craig Biggio. Both played with the Astros.

  • Joe McCarthy has put up terrific all-around numbers for Virginia this spring. You could make the case that he’s been one of the two or three best players for the Omaha-bound Cavaliers.

    •  

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Ian Happ
    2. Skye Bolt
    3. C.J. Hinojosa
    4. Jake Drossner
    5. Jared Poche’

     

    PITCHERS

    Michael Boyle – LHP – 6’2 185 – Radford – Sophomore
    Ray Castillo – RHP – 6’0 180 – Alabama – Sophomore
    *Jake Drossner – LHP – 6’3 195 – Maryland – Sophomore
    Zack Erwin – LHP – 6’4 180 – Clemson – Freshman
    Jacob Evans – LHP – 6’2 205 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
    Ronnie Glenn – LHP – 6’3 220 – Pennsylvania – Junior
    Jon Harris – RHP – 6’4 160 – Missouri State – Sophomore
    Skylar Hunter – RHP – 6’1 185 – The Citadel – Sophomore
    Jason Inghram – LHP – 6’3 195 – William & Mary – Junior
    Robby Kalaf – RHP – 6’0 210 – Florida International – Junior
    Seth McGarry – RHP – 6’0 180 – Florida Atlantic – Sophomore
    James Mulry – LHP – 6’3 215 – Northeastern – Sophomore
    Gavin Pittore – RHP – 6’3 230 – Wesleyan – Sophomore
    Jared Poche’ – LHP – 6’1 195 – LSU – Freshman
    Robert Youngdahl – LHP – 6’2 190 – Notre Dame – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     

    Michael Boyle – LHP – 6’2 185
    Radford
    Sophomore

    Boyle had a solid freshman season in Radford’s weekend rotation last year and flashed ace potential in a return engagement this season. Boyle finished with a 4.09 ERA but led the team in strikeouts with 69 in 81.1 innings. He twirled a two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts against Winthrop in his career-best outing. Boyle dominated the Cal Ripken League last year with a 0.77 ERA and he was named the circuit’s top prospect by Perfect Game.

    Ray Castillo – RHP – 6’0 180
    Alabama
    Sophomore

    Castillo set an Alabama freshman record with 12 saves on his way to Freshman All-American honors last year. The Crimson Tide went with a different closer this year, as Castillo finished with a 5.09 ERA and no saves.

    Jake Drossner – LHP – 6’3 195
    Maryland
    Sophomore

    Drossner had an ERA over six in his freshman campaign but had a good showing in Harwich, where he posted an ERA under one in 10 appearances. That was a sign of things to come, as Drossner emerged as a solid weekend starter this year. Drossner sported a team-best 2.45 ERA to go with 59 strikeouts in 62.1 innings.

    Zack Erwin – LHP – 6’4 180
    Clemson
    Freshman

    Erwin has shuffled in and out of the starting rotation for the Tigers the last two years, but has delivered decent results in both roles. He had a 3.45 ERA as a freshman. This year it was at 4.21. He picked up two saves this year while ranking third on the team in strikeouts with 62.

    Jacob Evans – LHP – 6’2 205
    Oklahoma
    Sophomore

    Evans saved nine games as a freshman in Norman but met some struggles in a swing role this year. He finished with an ERA over five, while starting nine games and making 12 relief appearances. On the bright side, he struck out 54 in 58.2 innings and walked just seven all season.

    Ronnie Glenn – LHP – 6’3 220
    Pennsylvania
    Junior

    Glenn tied a school record with eight saves last year but left the late-inning duty behind as he converted to starting full-time this season. It was a smooth transition as Glenn put up a 3.46 ERA and earned an Honorable Mention All-Ivy nod.

    Jon Harris – RHP – 6’4 160
    Missouri State
    Sophomore

    Injuries thrust Harris into the weekend rotation as a freshman last year and he responded by becoming the first pitcher in school history to win his first eight starts. The streak eventually ended, but Harris continues to pitch well. He had a 3.16 ERA this year with 66 strikeouts in 79.2 innings.

    Skylar Hunter – RHP – 6’1 185
    The Citadel
    Sophomore

    Hunter burst onto the scene last year, saving 13 games with an 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings mark. He reprised his closer’s role again this year and was even more dominant, saving 15 games while posting a 1.67 ERA. He struck out 44 in 43 innings and allowed opponents to hit just .143 against him.

    Jason Inghram – LHP – 6’3 195
    William & Mary
    Junior

    After two good seasons for the Tribe, Inghram blossomed into a bona fide ace this season. He went 10-2 with a 2.71 ERA and struck out 91 in 109.2 innings. He earned second-team All-CAA honors. He led the conference in innings pitched.

    Robby Kalaf – RHP – 6’0 210
    Florida International
    Junior

    Kalaf dominated in the JUCO ranks for the State College of Florida and made a pretty good transition to D-I baseball this season. Kalaf had an ERA of 3.74 while making 10 starts and four relief appearances.

    Seth McGarry – RHP – 6’0 180
    Florida Atlantic
    Sophomore

    McGarry has made only 13 appearances in two seasons but has done well in the limited action. He had a 1.52 ERA in 11.2 innings this year.

    James Mulry – LHP – 6’3 215
    Northeastern
    Sophomore

    Mulry earned Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie honors last year and followed it up with a pretty good sophomore season. He lowered his ERA to 4.06 and struck out 30 in 37.2 innings.

    Gavin Pittore – RHP – 6’3 230
    Wesleyan
    Sophomore

    A late addition to the roster, Pittore is coming off a big season for Wesleyan. He went 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 59.1 innings.

    Jared Poche’ – LHP – 6’1 195
    LSU
    Freshman

    Poche’ took a rare leap when he joined the Tigers weekend rotation in his first season in Baton Rouge, but it was a smooth ride. Poche went 9-3 with a 2.45 ERA, striking out 52 in 91.2 innings. He took home several Freshman All-America honors.

    Robert Youngdahl – LHP – 6’2 190
    Notre Dame
    Sophomore

    A 37th-round pick in 2011, Youngdahl bounced from Kansas State to Iowa Western Junior College to Notre Dame and seems to have found a home in South Bend. He delivered a 1.93 ERA out of the bullpen this spring despite walking more batters than he struck out. He also was a regular in the Irish lineup, hitting .225 and leading the team in extra-base hits with 15.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Craig Aikin – OF – 5’10 170 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
    Angelo Amendolare – INF – 5’10 170 – Jacksonville – Junior
    Kyle Barrett – OF – 5’11 – 180 – Kentucky – Sophomore
    Cavan Biggio – INF – 6’2 180 – Notre Dame – Freshman
    Skye Bolt – OF – 6’3 185 – North Carolina – Sophomore
    Guy Davidson – INF – 6’1 185 – Wesleyan – Sophomore
    Matt Gonzalez – INF – 6’0 192 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
    *Ian Happ – INF – 5’11 192 – Cincinnati – Sophomore
    Anthony Hermelyn – C – 6’1 200 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
    *C.J. Hinojosa – INF – 5’10 180 – Texas – Sophomore
    Joe McCarthy – OF – 6’3 215 – Virginia – Sophomore
    Alex Perez – INF – 5’10 165 – Virginia Tech – Junior
    Brendon Sanger – OF – 6’0 155 – Florida Atlantic – Sophomore
    Tyler Servais – C – 6’2 215 – Princeton – Junior
    Jordan Tarsovich – OF – 5’10 175 – VMI – Junior
    Kenny Towns – INF – 6’0 185 – Virginia – Junior
    Jason Vosler – INF – 6’1 190 – Northeastern – Junior
    Matt Winn – C – 6’0 210 – VMI – Junior
    Danny Zardon – INF – 6’1 185 – LSU – Freshman
    * – returning player

     

    Craig Aikin – OF – 5’10 170
    Oklahoma
    Sophomore

    Aikin has started all but one game in his two seasons at Oklahoma and has been a steady contributor. After hitting .286 as a freshman, he bumped to .326 this year, good for second on the team. He led the team in OBP at .411 and stole five bases.

    Angelo Amendolare – INF – 5’10 170
    Jacksonville
    Junior

    A junior-college transfer, Amendolare hit .278 and stole 16 bases in his first season with the Dolphins.

    Kyle Barrett – OF – 5’11 – 180
    Kentucky
    Sophomore

    After leading the Wildcats in hitting as a freshman, Barrett was named the third-best prospect in the Perfect Game Collegiate League last summer. His averaged dipped to .253 this spring.

    Cavan Biggio – INF – 6’2 180
    Notre Dame
    Freshman

    The son of former Big Leaguer Craig Biggio, Cavan came to Notre Dame with high expectations after getting selected in the 29th round out of high school by the Phillies. Joining big brother Conor on campus, Cavan hit .246 in his debut season but showed some pop with 14 extra-base hits.

    Skye Bolt – OF – 6’3 185
    North Carolina
    Sophomore

    Bolt was one of the top freshmen in the country last year and spent the summer with Team USA. He didn’t have quite as much success this spring, hitting .257 with four home runs.

    Guy Davidson – INF – 6’1 185
    Wesleyan
    Sophomore

    A Harwich native, Davidson was a late addition to the roster and will get a shot to make an impression with his hometown club. This spring, he hit .273 with 21 extra-base hits for Wesleyan.

    Matt Gonzalez – INF – 6’0 192
    Georgia Tech
    Sophomore

    An 11th-round pick out of high school, Gonzalez had a good freshman season in Atlanta then played 26 games for Bourne in the Cape League last summer. Now ticketed for Harwich, Gonzalez is coming off a sophomore season in which he hit .314 with 23 extra-base hits.

    Ian Happ – INF – 5’11 192
    Cincinnati
    Sophomore

    Happ delivered one of the most eye-opening performances of the 2013 Cape Cod Baseball League season and was named the league’s ninth-best prospect by Perfect Game and its top freshman. For an encore, Happ was a model of consistency, finishing the spring with the same .322 average he finished with in 2013. He had five homers, a .443 OBP and 19 stolen bases.

    Anthony Hermelyn – C – 6’1 200
    Oklahoma
    Sophomore

    Like his teammate Aikin, Hermelyn has been an everyday player from the word go and has been solid throughout his career. He hit .289 this season with two homers.

    C.J. Hinojosa – INF – 5’10 180
    Texas
    Sophomore

    A 26th-round pick out of high school, Hinojosa was off to a strong start with Harwich last summer when he got the call to Team USA. This spring, he has helped lead the Longhorns to the College World Series this year, hitting .300 with a homer and 33 RBI.

    Joe McCarthy – OF – 6’3 215
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    McCarthy had a Freshman All-American season for the Cavs in 2013 and has been one of the best hitters for an Omaha-bound squad this season. He’s hitting .303 with six homers, a team-high 22 extra-base hits and 46 RBI. He was named the 37th-best prospect in the Northwoods League by Perfect Game last summer.

    Alex Perez – INF – 5’10 165
    Virginia Tech
    Junior

    Perez has started 170 consecutive games since arriving in Blacksburg three years ago. He hit .249 this year and made only four errors in the field.

    Brendon Sanger – OF – 6’0 155
    Florida Atlantic
    Sophomore

    Sanger led the Owls in hitting as a freshman and did the same this year, finishing at .332 to go with a .451 OBP and 15 extra-base hits.

    Tyler Servais – C – 6’2 215
    Princeton
    Junior

    The son of former Major League catcher Scott Servais, Tyler was a 36th-round pick out of high school. He hasn’t broken out with the bat in his time at Princeton, hitting .216 this year. Knowing his father, I’d venture a guess that he’s a strong defensive catcher.

    Kenny Towns – INF – 6’0 185
    Virginia
    Junior

    Towns has been a consistent contributor for Virginia in each of his three seasons in Charlottesville. He’s hitting .261 this year with two home runs.

    Jason Vosler – INF – 6’1 190
    Northeastern
    Junior

    Vosler has been a mainstay for the Huskies for three years and is coming off a junior season in which he hit .322 with a .419 OBP. As a junior, he was eligible for the draft this year and went in the 16th round to the Cubs, so he’ll have a decision to make.

    Matt Winn – C – 6’0 210
    VMI
    Junior

    Winn hit .333 as a sophomore and was on the Johnny Bench Award watch list. He struggled this year to a .204 average.

    Danny Zardon – INF – 6’1 185
    LSU
    Freshman

    Like his teammate Poche’, Zardon was a highly-touted recruit for LSU. He didn’t get as much of a chance to prove himself this year but did hit .268 in 28 games.