Big Bats

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.

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015

Hello, Old Friend

Adam Whitt, Cotuit Kettleers, Cape Cod Baseball League

The players who pop up on Cape League rosters early in the season often have great stories. As teams scramble to fill gaps left by College World Series runs and Team USA invites, the fill-ins step up. They’re small-school guys looking for a chance, or kids from New England schools who were waiting by the phone. They’re young guys who might not have had a shot otherwise.

But of all those archetypes, my favorite might be the old friend.

The Cotuit Kettleers probably feel the same way.

You will not find Adam Whitt’s name on the Cotuit web site roster, but there he was on opening night, striking out all four batters he faced and getting a save in a 3-1 win. In other words, doing exactly what he did last year.

Whitt, a former walk-on at Nevada who found his niche as a side-arming closer, was the Swiss Army Knife of pitchers last summer. Sometimes he had long outings, sometimes he closed. Whatever he did, he was terrific, leading the league in ERA at 1.00 and appearances with 19. He shared the league’s top relief pitcher award with Y-D flamethrower Phil Bickford.

The junior built on his Cape League success by saving 14 games for the Wolf Pack this spring. He’s likely to get drafted, though it didn’t happen on the event’s first two days, through 10 rounds. A third day is on tap today.

But in the meantime, Whitt is a Kettleer again. Cotuit scored two runs in the seventh last night to break a 1-1 tie with Harwich. One inning later, Whitt was in to slam the door, getting four swinging strikeouts for his fifth career Cape League save.

The win went to Jack Anderson (Penn State), who also tossed 1.1 scoreless innings. Will Haynie’s (Alabama) two-run homer was the difference on the scoreboard.

For an old friend, it was a nice welcome back.

Hyannis 5, Falmouth 3

There was free baseball – or more free baseball than usual – in Falmouth, where visiting Hyannis won 5-3 in 11 innings. Kentucky stand-out JaVon Shelby opened his Cape League career by going 3-for-5 and scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th. He doubled and headed home on a sacrifice fly by Colby Bortles (Ole Miss). Returning Hawk Arden Pabst (Georgia Tech) – who didn’t have an extra-base hit in 28 games last summer – followed with an RBI double. Nolan Blackwood (Memphis), on for the final 3.2 innings, then slammed the door after getting the lead, picking up where he left off after saving 14 games with the Tigers. Pabst finished 3-for-5, while Nicholas Pappas (College of Charleston) had two RBI. Boomer White (Texas A&M) had three hits in his return to Falmouth.

Orleans 1, Bourne 0

Four Firebird pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout and the offense did just a little more damage as Orleans topped Bourne 1-0. Mitchell Jordan, who led Stetson with a 3.58 ERA this spring, started and went five innings with five strikeouts. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s), Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) and Sean Watkins (Loyola Marymount) then teamed up for four hitless innings. Jeremy Martinez (USC) had an RBI double in the seventh for all the offense Orleans needed. Bourne pitchers scattered seven hits. Babe Thomas (Winthrop) had the only hit for the Braves.

Chatham 5, Y-D 1

The Anglers got a strong start from potential ace T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) and steadily pulled away from Y-D for a 5-1 win over the defending champs. Zeuch, a 6-foot-7 righty who struck out 90 this season, went 5.2 innings and allowed just an unearned run while striking out two. Three relievers finished the job without allowing a hit. Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) led the offense with three hits, while Trenton Brooks (Nevada) had two RBI. Aaron Knapp (California), the brother of former Angler Andrew Knapp, also knocked in a run.

Brewster 5, Wareham 4

The Gatemen rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game in the sixth but saw Brewster break the deadlock in the next inning for the 5-4 win. Nick Senzel (Tennessee) knocked in the go-ahead run with a triple, part of a 2-for-4 night. Brandon Gold (Georgia Tech) added three hits and three RBI for the early league lead in both categories. College teammate Zac Ryan (Georgia Tech) earned the win with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. Starter Anthony Arias (Fresno State) had an odd – but good – line, striking out 10 and not allowing a hit in 5.1 innings. Four walks and an error behind him accounted for the four runs and two earned runs he was charged with. For Wareham, Anthony Kay (Connecticut) returned off a huge season with the Huskies and gave up three runs in three innings.

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit get their rivalry series off to an early start with a match-up at Lowell Field tonight. Returning Harbor Hawk Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) – a 6-foot-5 lefty – gets the ball for Hyannis.

June 8, 2015June 9, 2015

Veteran hitters lead Harbor Hawks

Hyannis had the second-worst team batting average in the league last year but held its own and grabbed a playoff spot in the West. The offense looks ready to have a much better showing this year, with a host of sophomores coming off strong seasons. The Harbor Hawks should also be closer to a finished product in the early part of the season than many of their counterparts.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Matt Thaiss
2. Nicholas Pappas
3. Nick Deeg
4. Ryne Birk
5. JaVon Shelby

NOTABLE

With only one player headed to Omaha, Hyannis should be ahead of the curve in the early part of the season, compared with a lot of Cape League clubs.

That one player is a big one, though. Virginia’s Matt Thaiss has been one of the ACC’s best hitters and leads the team with 60 RBI.

College relievers dominate the Hyannis staff and several have had big success. Nolan Blackwood of Memphis heads the list. He gave up two runs the whole season while closing 14 games.

Returning Harbor Hawk Nick Deeg looks like the top incoming starter. The sophomore lefty stand 6-foot-5 and had a solid summer last year. Look for him to build on it this season.

Catchers Arden Pabst and Jake Rogers have yet to put it all together at the plate, but both are strong defenders. Rogers, of Tulane, led the nation in runners caught stealing this season.

College of Charleston’s Nicholas Pappas was an extra-base machine this year, with 12 homers and 28 doubles.

Kentucky’s JaVon Shelby was near the SEC lead with nine home runs.

Two incoming Hawks – Ryne Birk of Texas A&M and David Martinelli of Dallas Baptist – both hit 10 home runs this spring.

Ben DeLuzio hit under .200 with Hyannis last year, but this is a guy who was a third-round pick out of high school. Set to return, he’ll be poised for improvement.

Ole Miss infielder Colby Bortles is the younger brother of Blake Bortles, the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

PITCHERS

Nolan Blackwood – SO – Memphis – Dominant closer this season saved 14 games and allowed two runs all year
Thomas Burrows – SO – Alabama – Standout reliever for two years running owns 18 career saves, had 3.22 ERA this year
Nick Deeg – SO – Central Michigan – Had 3.89 ERA for Hyannis last summer, posted 3.11 ERA in sophomore season with Chippewas
Zach Girrens – SO – Saint Louis – Bumped to weekend rotation this year and went 7-1 with 4.20 ERA, team-best 75 strikeouts
Ryan Hendrix – SO – Texas A&M – 17th-round pick in 2013 saved five games this year and struck out 64 in 54.1 innings
Dakota Hudson – SO – Mississippi State – Has had success in two seasons in Bulldog pen, posting 4.32 ERA in 17 appearances this year
Chris McGrath – FR – Duke – Made 11 appearances as a freshman, put up 3.48 ERA with 20 Ks in 20.2 IP
Logan Salow – SO – Kentucky – Lefty has pitched mostly in relief for Wildcats, delivered 27 strikeouts this year with 5.32 ERA
Marc Skinner – SO – Troy – Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2014, had 4.46 ERA with two saves this year
Devin Smeltzer – SO – Florida Gulf Coast – Struck out 41 while starting and relieving, with ERA of 6.19
Vance Tatum – SO – Mississippi State – Struck out 42 in swing role but had ERA over five this spring
James Teague – SO – Arkansas – After limited duty as freshman, went 6-4 with 3.36 ERA in swing role this season

CATCHERS

Arden Pabst – SO – Georgia Tech – Scuffled to .138 average in 28 games with Hyannis last year, batted .235 for Tech this year
Jake Rogers – SO – Tulane – Standout defensive catcher led NCAA in runners caught stealing this season, while batting .227
Matt Thaiss – SO – Virginia – Former late-round pick of Red Sox, having enormous year for Cavs, .332 AVG, 9 HR, 60 RBI

INFIELDERS

Ryne Birk – SO – Texas A&M – Started all but two games for Aggies and hit .280 with team-high 10 home runs
Colby Bortles – SO – Ole Miss – Brother of NFL QB Blake, hit .281 with seven homers in solid sophomore season
Nicholas Pappas – SO – College of Charleston – Freshman All-American in 2014 had no sophomore slump: .337, 12 HR, 42 XBH
Errol Robinson – SO – Ole Miss – Opening day starter at shortstop last year, continued to hit well this year .297 average, 1 HR
JaVon Shelby – SO – Kentucky – Emerged as UK’s most dangerous hitter, batting .312 with team-highs of 9 homers and 44 RBI
Blake Tiberi – SO – Louisville – NECBL all-star last year hit .261 with four homers for Cardinals this season

OUTFIELDERS

Corey Bird – FR – Marshall – Led team in hitting as a freshman and was second this year with .309 average, 1 HR, 9 SB
Ben DeLuzio – SO – Florida State – Former 3rd-rounder had freshman struggles on Cape last year, hit .241 this spring with 14 SB
Austin Hays – SO – Jacksonville – JUCO transfer hit .271 with three homers in first year with Dolphins
David Martinelli – SO – Dallas Baptist – Burst onto the scene for emerging powerhouse DBU with .267 average, 10 homers