Anglers have depth, experience

CHA
 
After a solid summer, Chatham is poised for a repeat as it welcomes in a team that’s older than most in the Cape League.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. J.B. Bukauskas
2. James Karinchak
3. Tanner Gardner
4. Chase Pinder
5. Nick Meservey

 

NOTABLE

  • The Anglers’ web roster includes everybody right now – temps and full contracts – so be prepared for a lot of names, some of which might not be around all summer.
  • I wrote last summer about the North Carolina aces that Chatham has had over the years. They have another one lined up in J.B. Bukauskas, though it remains to be seen if he’ll pitch on the Cape at all after accepting a Team USA invite.
  • Several teams on the Cape this summer will play with two or three rising seniors on the roster. Chatham has 20 of them listed on the roster right now. Some of them are on temporary contracts, but even in terms of full contract guys, the Anglers are very old by Cape League standards. They’ll risk losing some to the draft, but could be a veteran team if all pans out.
  • Chatham lost a couple of big names from its initial roster. Seattle’s Tarik Skubal was dominating the WAC before a season-ending injury. UC Irvine’s Keston Hiura, a Perfect Game Summer All-American last year in the West Coast League, hit .358 with seven homers but is no longer on the Anglers roster.
  • Tanner Gardner hit over .400 for much of the year at Texas Tech. He’s now at .376 as the Red Raiders head to the Super Regionals, having earned all-Big 12 honors.
  • Bryant and Boston College are part of a banner year for New England college baseball, with the Bulldogs earning Top 25 love and a No. 2 seed in a regional and the Eagles still alive in Super Regionals. The Anglers will give several of those teams standouts a chance to build on the success, with four Eagles and a Bulldog ticketed for Chatham. The best of the bunch are Bryant ace James Karinchak and BC standout freshman Jacob Stevens.
  • The Anglers have two returning catchers in BC’s Nick Sciortino and Richmond’s Kyle Adams. Neither had a lot of success with the bat last year but can provide a pretty good foundation behind the plate.
  • Chatham was set to have to players from Seattle. With Skubal’s injury, they’re down to one – but he’s a good one. Nick Meservey earned WAC Pitcher of the Year honors and could be a potential ace for the Anglers.
  • The ACC batting champ wasn’t freshman star Seth Beer or former Angler Will Craig or likely top-five pick Corey Ray. It was Pittsburgh’s Charles LeBlanc, who hit .405 and is bound for Chatham.
  • Chatham has made a concerted effort to find some small-school guys hungry to success on the Cape in recent years. Several fit the mold this year, including Joe Tietjen of UNC Asheville, Matt Vernon of Appalachian State and D.J. Artis of Liberty. All had big springs and will be eager to prove themselves this summer.
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    PITCHERS

    Reagan Bazar – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Towering righty (6-7, 250) had 1.93 ERA in nine relief appearances for Ragin’ Cajuns
    Kale Breaux – JR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances out of bullpen, with 19 Ks
    J.B. Bukauskas – SO – North Carolina – Turned in breakout sophomore season with 3.10 ERA, team-best 111 Ks in 78.1 innings
    Moises Ceja – JR – UCLA – Led Bruins in ERA with 2.60 mark in 25 relief appearances and fanned 23 in 27.2 innings
    Tanner Chock – JR – Presbyterian – Struck out 72 in 86 IP, 4.60 ERA for Blue Hose, who had program’s best-ever showing in Big South
    Tom Cosgrove – SO – Manhattan – Turned in breakout sophomore season for Jaspers with 3.70 ERA, 80 Ks in 90 IP
    Tony Dibrell – SO – Kennesaw State – After solid NECBL showing last year, tallied 4.64 ERA while striking out 66 in 54.1 IP this spring
    Christopher Farish – RS SO – Wake Forest – After redshirt and injury-limited year, made 35 appearances and struck out 35 in 28 innings
    Michael Fitzgerald – RS JR – Northeastern – Saved 11 games and struck out 32 in 38.2 innings, while leading team in appearances
    Jason Foley – JR – Sacred Heart – Went 4-4 with 5.68 ERA and fanned 47 in 58.2 innings
    Trevor Gay – SO – North Carolina – Led Charlotte in appearances last season before transferring to North Carolina, where he sat out this year
    Caleb Gilbert – FR – LSU – Has 5.04 ERA in 25 appearances, mostly out of the pen, to go with 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings
    Lincoln Henzman – JR – Louisville – Standout reliever for Super Regional-bound Cards has 4.50 ERA, 27 Ks in 24 innings
    Reed Howell – SO – Appalachian State – Led team in appearances by wide margin and posted 3.83 ERA with 37 Ks in 49.1 innings
    James Karinchak – JR – Bryant – NEC Pitcher of the Year for breakout Bryant team went 12-3 with 2.00 ERA, 112 Ks in 94.2 innings pitched
    Andrew Karp – SO – Florida State – Has 7.43 ERA in eight relief appearances for Seminoles
    Erikson Lanning – FR – Texas Tech – In midst of Up-and-down freshman season with 2-3 record, 5.91 ERA, 27 Ks
    Simon Matthews – JR – Georgetown – Moved into weekend rotation and went 5-4 with 2.45 ERA and 59 Ks in 95.1 IP
    Isaac Mattson – SO – Pittsburgh – Followed strong debut in Panthers bullpen with more of the same this year – 3.71 ERA, 31 Ks
    Nick Meservey – JR – Seattle – WAC Pitcher of the Year posted 2.32 ERA, 79 Ks in 81.1 innings
    Matt Pidich – RS SO – Pittsburgh – New Jersey native had good numbers in limited action last year, did not pitch this season
    Parker Rigler – JR – Kansas State – JUCO transfer served as weekend starter, went 4-9, with 4.89 ERA and 73 Ks in 77.1 IP
    Jacob Stevens – FR – Boston College – Has burst onto the scene for upstart Eagles, going 4-3, 2.14 ERA, team-best 68 Ks

     

    CATCHERS

    Kyle Adams – SO – Richmond – Back for second year in Chatham off breakout sophomore season – .321, three homers, 33 RBI
    Joseph Freiday – SO – Virginia Tech – Former Massachusetts Gatorade POY hit .226 with three homers while splitting time behind plate this year
    Alex LeFevre – RS JR – Connecticut – Transfer from junior college ranks hit .283 in part-time role for Huskies
    Jordan Romero – JR – LSU – JUCO transfer is tied for the team lead in home runs with nine and hitting an even .300
    Nick Sciortino – JR – Boston College – Returning Angler hit .169 last summer but has been solid this spring with .277 AVG
    Gunnar Troutwine – SO – Wichita State – Hit .278 and led Shockers with seven home runs in sophomore campaign
     

    INFIELDERS

    John Aiello – SO – Wake Forest – Hit only .226, but nearly half of 44 hits went for extra bases
    Sean Bouchard – JR – UCLA – Finished second on team with .295 AVG and chipped in two homers and 36 RBI
    Orlando Garcia – SO – Texas Tech – Batting .261 with seven home runs for Super Regional-bound Red Raiders
    Cam Hanley – JR – Northeastern – Hit .247 while starting 24 games for Huskies
    Charles LeBlanc – SO – Pittsburgh – Native of Canada won ACC batting title at .405, drove in 46 and stole seven bases
    Hunter Lee – SO – High Point – Started every game and hit .295 with 30 RBI
    David MacKinnon – JR – Hartford – Earned spot with Wareham last summer and hit .292 then batted .392 with 4 HR for Hawks
    Jake Palomaki – JR – Boston College – Infield and leadoff stalwart hitting .265 with team-high 19 stolen bases
    Jeremy Vasquez – SO – Florida – Following good summer in Northwoods by hitting .289 for Gators
    Matt Vernon – JR – Appalachian State – Hit .317 with 8 HR, 42 RBI, all team-bests for Mountaineers en route to all-conference nod
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    D.J. Artis – FR – Liberty – Red Sox 40th-round pick last year had big debut, finishing at .369 with two home runs and 23 stolen bases
    Donovan Casey – SO – Boston College – Hitting .266 with big contributions in postseason and has also pitched some for Eagles
    Matt Cook – SO – Wheaton – Harwich native hit .268 for D-III powerhouse Wheaton
    Stuart Fairchild – SO – Wake Forest – Started every game and hit .293 while ranking second on team in RBI with 47
    Tanner Gardner – SO – Texas Tech – One of nation’s top batting average guys all year, now at .376 with 3 HR, 18 2B, 43 RBI
    Brock Lundquist – SO – Long Beach State – Followed up all-conference freshman year by hitting .315 with three home runs
    Patrick Mathis – SO – Texas – Hit .297 with six home runs for Longhorns
    Chase Pinder – JR – Clemson – Brother of former Angler Chad, hitting .294 with 11 home runs for Super Regional club
    Joe Tietjen – JR – UNC Asheville – Earned second-team all-Big South honors by hitting .344 with 10 homers, 55 RBI
     

    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.
     

    Southpaw Success

    Hyannis is off to the best start in the league with a 4-1 record.
    Hyannis is off to the best start in the league with a 4-1 record.

     
    There are five left-handed pitchers on the Hyannis Harbor Hawks roster right now. Three of them have made starts.

    And the Harbor Hawks may want to go ahead and let the other two give it a try.

    For the third time in four wins this year, Hyannis rode a strong effort from a left-handed starting pitcher to a victory. This time it was Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) allowing two runs in 5.2 innings of work as Hyannis won 5-2 over Orleans. He followed strong efforts by Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) and Nick Deeg (Central Michigan). Together, they’ve given up three runs in 17.2 innings, powering three of the Harbor Hawks’ league-high four wins.

    Deeg started the trend with seven shutout innings in a win over Cotuit. Tatum allowed one run in five innings in a victory over Harwich. And Saturday, it was Smeltzer’s turn.

    The southpaw didn’t have a great spring, seeing his ERA rise over six with FGCU. He was also matched up with an Orleans offense that was coming off a 15-hit, 3-home run night in a 12-3 victory over Y-D.

    But Smeltzer was up to the task. He scattered seven hits, all of which were singles. Nine of the 17 outs he recorded came via strikeout. Aaron Civale (Northeastern) and Will Stillman (Wofford) finished off his win with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

    The Hyannis offense got two hits and two RBI from Blake Tiberi (Louisville) in his summer debut. Ben DeLuzio (Florida State) scored two runs, Bobby Melley (Connecticut) had two hits and an RBI and Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) scored a run for the fourth time in five games.

    It was all part of a familiar formula – solid offense and a strong start from a lefty. Hyannis is at the top of the league because of it.
     

    Y-D 5, Bourne 0

    The league’s only winless teams squared off at Doran Park, and it was the Red Sox who got into the win column. Y-D pounded 12 hits – after coming in with 19 on the year. Tommy Edman (Stanford) made his first Cape League hit a home run, while Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) and Mike Donadio (St. John’s) had two hits and an RBI apiece. Brady Conlan (Cal State Dominguez Hills) went 3-for-5. Y-D also got its best pitching performances of the year. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) gave up two hits and struck out six in six shutout innings.
     

    Harwich 12, Wareham 11

    The Mariners won a wild one with Wareham, rallying from a 9-3 deficit and holding on for the one-run victory. Preston Palmeiro (NC State), making his second start of the summer, went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI to lead the comeback offense. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) and Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) added two RBI each. Every player in the Harwich lineup had a hit, as the Mariners finished with 14 of them. Reliever Anthony Ciavarella (Monmouth) set the stage for the comeback with four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced. In the loss, Wareham got home runs from a pair of red-hot hitters in Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) and David MacKinnon (Hartford). Jabs has a hit in every game, while MacKinnon – on a temporary contract – leads the league with a .471 average.
     

    Chatham 5, Cotuit 2

    The Anglers scored four runs in the top of the first and got five shutout innings from Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) to top Cotuit 5-2. Zack Short (Sacred Heart) led the early burst with a three-run homer. Trenton Brooks (Nevada), Will Craig (Wake Forest), Aaron Knapp (California) and Nick Sciortino (Boston College) finished with two hits apiece as Chatham knocked 12 hits for the game. Dunshee struck out three in his five innings.
     

    Falmouth 3, Brewster 2

    Falmouth scoed two runs in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and held off a late charge by the Whitecaps for the 3-2 win. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, accounting for all of the Falmouth runs. He also scored two of the runs. Heath Quinn (Samford) went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Austin Tribby (Missouri) went five scoreless innings on the mound for the Commodores and his college teammate Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri) struck out six in three innings of relief. He now leads the league in strikeouts with 12, over two relief appearances. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) struck out the side in the ninth for the save.
     

    What to Watch

    There’s a full slate of doubleheaders on tap. Based on the standings, the Hyannis-Brewster twin bills at Stony Brook Field may be the best bet. Those teams lead their respective divisions.

    Veteran hitters primed to lead Anglers’ resurgence

    chatham 15
     
    After a first-place finish in the East two years ago, the Anglers dropped to the bottom of the division last summer. With a talented offense primed to contribute from day one, Chatham would like to ride the rollercoaster right back to the top.

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Will Craig
    2. Nate Mondou
    3. Zack Burdi
    4. Jake Fraley
    5. Josh Greene
     

    NOTABLE

  • Zack Burdi has followed in his brother’s footsteps at Louisville and Chatham – and in his radar gun readings. With Nick now in the Twins organization after being selected in second round of last year’s draft, Zack had the top fastball velocity in the Cape League last summer and assumed closer duties for the Cardinals this spring.
  • Chatham has had quite a few North Carolina aces in town over the years, and Zac Gallen joins the crew this season. Gallen struck out 74 in his sophomore season.
  • Thomas Jankins of Quinnipiac was the New England Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year last summer when he set a new league record in ERA at 0.40.
  • James Mulry had a tough season with Northeastern but he’s a Cape League veteran, having posted a 3.89 ERA for Harwich last year.
  • Chatham has the makings of a strong, sophomore-led offense with players on the heels of big seasons. No seasons were bigger than those of a pair of Wake Forest players who will head to Veterans Field. Will Craig earned ACC Player of the Year honors after hitting .382 with 13 homers and teammate Nate Mondou wasn’t far behind, with a .338 average and 10 homers.
  • LSU’s Jake Fraley hit .265 and stole 11 bases for the Anglers last summer. His potential has drawn praise from LSU coach Paul Mainieri since the start of his career and you would think he’s poised for a big summer.
  • The list goes on of solid offensive options, but the best news for the Anglers? Just one player – Fraley – is on a College World Series team.
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    PITCHERS

    Zack Burdi – SO – Louisville – Flame-throwing closer, returning Angler, has excelled for Cardinals with 9 SV, 0.69 ERA
    C.J. Burdick – FR – San Diego – Solid in swing role, posting 4.24 ERA and 55 K in 57.1 IP
    Daniel Castano – FR – Baylor – Big 12 all-freshman pick followed with solid sophomore year as starter, with 3.61 ERA
    Ty Damron – SO – Texas Tech – After quiet freshman year, started 11 games as a sophomore and had 3.58 ERA
    Dane Dunning – SO – Florida – Moved to rotation after debut in bullpen last year, struck out nearly a batter an inning
    Paker Dunshee – SO – Wake Forest – Has posted an ERA under 3 in two years of relief work with Demon Deacons
    Gabe Friese – SO – Kennesaw State – Part of weekend rotation for two years running, had 3.57 ERA this year
    Zac Gallen – SO – North Carolina – Top starter for Tar Heels went 4-3 with 2.79 ERA and 74 Ks
    Jake Godfrey – JR – LSU – Power arm was 21st-round pick last year, has gone 7-1 with 4.70 ERA this year
    Thomas Jankins – SO – Quinnipiac – NECBL Pitcher of the Year last summer had 3.20 ERA this spring
    Aaron McGarity – SO – Virginia Tech – Pitched in relief and starting role with 4.57 ERA this season
    James Mulry – JR – Northeastern – Standout with Harwich last year had up-and-down junior year, finishing with 5.71 ERA
    Jeff Paschke – JR – USC – Two-way player honed in on pitching this spring and had ERA over six in 13 appearances
    A.J. Puckett – SO – Pepperdine – Moved into weekend rotation as a sophomore and went 7-5 with 4.35 ERA
    Cameron Stone – SO – Stony Brook – Saved 8 games as a freshman and added 6 this year with 1.04 ERA
    Garrett Williams – SO – Oklahoma State – Highly ranked out of high school, returning Angler had 4.91 ERA out of pen this spring
    T.J. Zeuch – SO – Pittsburgh – Grabbed full-time spot in rotation this year and struck out 90 in 88.1 IP
     

    CATCHERS

    Aaron Barnett – SO – Pepperdine – Freshman All-American last year hit .303 this season
    Nick Sciortino – SO – Boston College – Started 43 games and hit .243 this spring
     

    INFIELDERS

    Kyle Brooks – JR – North Florida – Hit .303 and stole nine bases for North Florida this season
    Will Craig – SO – Wake Forest – ACC Player of the Year hit .382 with .496 OBP, blasted 13 home runs, 20 doubles and knocked in 58
    Garrett Hampson – SO – Long Beach State – Big West Freshman of the Year in 2014 hit .296, stole 17 bases this year
    Nate Mondou – SO – Wake Forest – Part of Demon Deacons power-hitting duo with Craig, Mondou hit .338 with 10 homers
    Zack Short – SO – Sacred Heart – Followed up all-conference debut with nine homers, .303 average this season
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Trenton Brooks – SO – Nevada – Standout two-way player hit .365 and posted 3.65 ERA in 13 mound appearances
    Jake Fraley – SO – LSU – Highly-touted player set to return to Chatham off .314, 2 HR, 22 SB season with Tigers
    Josh Greene – SO – High Point – Built on solid freshman year by hitting .355 with 7 HR, 13 SB
    Luke Persico – SO – UCLA – Started every game for Bruins and hit .285 with three homers
    Bobby Stahel – JR – USC – Took leap this season with .376 average, four homers, 33 RBI on way to first-team all-conference nod