Gio Brusa gets a high five from Scott Pickler as he rounds third base after his first-inning home run Saturday night.
The summer of 2007 was the last time a team with the best regular-season record in the Cape League went on to the league championship. Even with a team as good as the 2015 Orleans Firebirds, the streak lives on.
Defending champion Yarmouth-Dennis ousted Orleans Saturday night at Eldredge Park, riding dominant pitching for the second consecutive day to a 2-1 victory. The Red Sox, who had lost game one, also won by a 2-1 score in Friday’s game two, which went 13 innings. Orleans – which had the same record as the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, the last team to win with the best mark – is out by the narrowest of margins.
With Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) on the hill Saturday and the offense chomping at the bit after being limited for 13 innings the night before, Orleans seemed poised for a rebound. Instead, Y-D found a way.
Dustin Hunt (Northeastern), who had a 4.96 ERA this spring and began his summer in the Y-D bullpen, drew the start. He had delivered some pretty good performances and quietly struck out 33 in 22.2 innings. Saturday, he was a whole lot better than pretty good. Hunt struck out 10 and gave up just two hits in 7.2 innings. Neither of the hits went for extra bases.
And he pitched with a lead. Gio Brusa (Pacific), the third batter of the game, hit the first home run that Jordan has surrendered all summer in staking the Red Sox to the 1-0 lead. Brusa was at it again in the eighth, hitting a two-out double and scoring on a Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) single.
Hunt struck out the first two batters in the eighth before Evan Bell (Indiana) relieved him. The Firebirds quickly started their comeback, getting a base hit by Sean Murphy (Wright State) and an error in left field that allowed him to score. Another error put runners on first and third, but Y-D escaped with a force-out at second base.
In the ninth – with the middle of the order up – Bell struck out home run king Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) and retired standout Kyle Lewis (Mercer). After a single by Willie Abreu (Miami), Chad Hockin (Cal State Fullerton) relieved Bell and ended the game with a strikeout.
It was a fitting finish – Y-D pitching allowed Orleans two runs in the last two games – all 22 innings of them – and the Red Sox are moving on because of it.
For Orleans, it’s a tough ending. As a fan, I like to see great teams do great things. But as is often the case in the Cape League, the great things can come from anybody.
Y-D will be in the finals for the sixth time in the last 10 years, a remarkable stretch.
The championship series begins tonight at McKeon Park.
Alex Call waits for a throw at second base against Cotuit earlier this week. The Firebirds clinched the East title Thursday.
It was back to regularly-scheduled programming in the Cape League’s East Division on Thursday night. After two losses and a tie in their previous three games, the Orleans Firebirds looked like their old selves as they clinched the regular-season division title with a 12-8 victory over Hyannis. With Brewster losing, Orleans now cannot be caught.
The Firebirds were not as sharp as usual on the mound, but their powerful offense was on target. The Firebirds hit two home runs in an eight-run second inning. They finished the night with 18 hits, five of which went for extra bases. Ten different players had at least one hit.
With All-Star Game West MVP Devin Smeltzer (San Jacinto) on the hill for Hyannis, you wouldn’t have predicted a slugfest. But after getting a run in the first, the Firebirds went wild in the second inning. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit a grand slam and Kyle Lewis (Mercer) followed that with a solo shot.
Hyannis eventually found some of its offense, making it an 11-8 game in the eighth, but that was as close as it got.
Dalbec went 2-for-3 and the home run was his league-best 11th. I sound like a broken record, but his pace is incredible. Dalbec has played in 25 games. Eleven of his 26 hits are homers.
Lewis finished 4-for-5 with four RBI as he broke out of an 0-for-11 slump. Bryan Reynolds (Vanderbilt), Jeremy Martinez (USC), Daniel Pinero (Virginia) and Sean Murphy (Wright State) all chipped in two hits.
Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was credited with the win in relief.
Orleans finishes its four-game season series against Hyannis with a 3-1 record. The Harbor Hawks are in line to win the West, but they aren’t there yet. In a season of Orleans success, it was fitting that the Firebirds got there first.
With three games remaining, the Firebirds could still match the record of the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, who went 31-12-1, the best record in the league in at least the last 15 years.
Y-D 2, Chatham 1
With fifth-place Harwich losing to Wareham, Y-D had a chance to get some breathing room in the East standings. A seventh-inning rally against Chatham did the trick. The Red Sox won 2-1 and moved four points ahead of Harwich for the final playoff berth and just two points back of Chatham for the third seed. The Anglers broke a scoreless tie with a run in the sixth on a Will Craig (Wake Forest) RBI double. But in the very next half-inning, Y-D pushed the tying run across on a passed ball and plated the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Gio Brusa (Pacific). Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt), who had come on in the sixth, ran with the lead, striking out seven of the 13 batters he faced in 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. Y-D is now 21-20. Chatham is 22-19.
Falmouth 11, Brewster 7
Falmouth isn’t dead quite yet. The Commodores snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over Brewster. Coupled with a Cotuit loss, the Commodores are only three points out of the final playoff spot in the West. J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss) went 2-for-4 with a home run to lead the offensive breakout for Falmouth. Mitch Longo (Ohio), Evan Skoug (TCU) and Tate Blackman (Ole Miss) each drove in two runs. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had two doubles. Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) got the win, giving up two runs in five innings. Brewster scored five runs in the seventh against the bullpen but the game was called due to darkness after that.
Wareham 5, Harwich 2
The Gatemen inched closer to a playoff spot while Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) inched closer to hitting .400 for the year in a win over Harwich. Wareham now has a two-point edge on Cotuit for third place in the West and is five points in front of last-place Falmouth. As for Calica, he went 1-for-2, walked once and was hit by a pitch. It’s hard to raise a .439 average, but that line did it — Calica is now at .440 with just three games remaining. If you assume he gets 12 at-bats over those final three games, he would need just one hit in 12 at-bats to finish over .400. His teammates had a good offensive night Wednesday, as well. Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Gavin Stupienski (UNC Wilmington) had two hits and an RBI. Brett Hanewich (Stanford) struck out eight and allowed just one earned run in five innings for the win. Shaun Anderson (Florida) pitched four innings of one-hit relief.
Bourne 10, Cotuit 7
Bourne rallied from a 5-0 deficit and won 10-7 in a game that was called after the seventh due to rain. Nick Solak (Louisville) went 3-for-5 with four RBI to spark the comeback efforts. Brendan McKay (Louisville) and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) knocked in two runs apiece, while Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) both had two hits and scored three runs. Joseph Christopher (St. John’s) gave up two unearned runs in 2.1 innings of relief to help set the stage for the comeback. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) got the win in relief. Bourne is 20-19-2 and still has a shot at the West division title. Cotuit fell to 16-25 with its second straight loss.
What to Watch
Chatham can clinch a playoff spot and clear up much of the East postseason picture if it wins tonight at Harwich.
Gio Brusa is riding an 11-game hit streak for Y-D, who has won four in a row.
Baseball America listed Gio Brusa (Pacific) as the Cape League’s fourth-best prospect last summer. The other players in the top five all were selected among the first 73 picks in the 2015 draft. Brusa was selected with pick number 701, in the 23rd round. The 6’3, 225-pound outfielder was coming off an injury-hampered junior season and he had reportedly indicated to teams before the draft that he was leaning toward a return to Pacific.
With another year of college ahead, Brusa headed for the Cape and hooked on with the Y-D Red Sox, after spending last summer in Brewster. He got off to a shaky start, going 3-for-23 out of the gates, but since then, he has looked the part of the guy who kept good prospect company last year.
Brusa is on an 11-game hitting streak and hit his fifth home run in that span last night as Y-D beat Harwich 5-3. Brusa is now hitting .277, is tied for the league lead in home runs with five and ranks sixth in the league in RBI with 14.
Again, he has done essentially all of this in 11 games.
Brusa’s hot streak has helped the Red Sox find their footing, too. Tuesday’s win was their fourth in a row. They’re 7-4 in the month of July and have moved one game over .500 at 15-14.
Tuesday, they were tied with Harwich 1-1 before Brusa’s three-run homer powered a four-run fifth inning.
Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Tommy Edman (Stanford) added two hits and an RBI each. Edman is on a hot streak of his own, with hits in nine straight games.
Stater Brett Adcock (Michigan) allowed two runs in 4.2 innings before a strong showing by the Y-D bullpen. Dalton Lehnen (Cincinnati) got the win in relief and Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt) picked up his first save. Bowden, a late arrival after Vandy’s run in Omaha, has struck out 12 in 6.1 scoreless innings this summer.
Y-D is now tied with Brewster for third place in the East and only one game back of Chatham for second. With Brusa streaking toward a second straight all-star summer, the defending champion Red Sox may be primed for another run.
Brewster 6, Chatham 0
Alec Rash (Missouri) delivered perhaps the best performance of his college and Cape League career as Brewster shut out Chatham. Rash, a former second-round pick of the Phillies that has struggled at Missouri, tossed six innings of one-hit ball against the Anglers. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. Three relievers followed him to the hill and finished off the shutout, as Chatham managed just three hits. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) led the Brewster offense with two hits and two RBI. League batting and RBI leader Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 1-for-5 and knocked in his 19th run. J.C. Escarra (Florida International) and Ryan Peurifoy (Georgia Tech) also had RBI. Brewster is now just one game back of Chatham for second place in the East.
Hyannis 5, Falmouth 2
The Harbor Hawks stopped Falmouth’s four-game winning streak and upped their West division lead to four games with a 5-2 victory. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) delivered his best start since his no-hitter last month, giving up one earned run and striking out five in 6.2 innings of work. Aaron Civale (Northeastern) notched his third save in relief of Smeltzer. Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Hyannis attack. Austin Hays (Jacksonville) homered, while Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) and Arden Pabst (Georgia Tech) had two hits each.
Orleans 8, Wareham 2
East-leading Orleans also gained a little more distance, pushing its lead to five games with a win over Wareham and a Chatham loss. Eric Lauer (Kent State), who’s doing his best to keep up with teammate Mitchell Jordan, struck out nine and gave up one run on two hits in five innings of work. Lauer is now second in the league in strikeouts to Jordan with 39 and fifth in ERA with a 1.45 mark. Catcher Sean Murphy (Wright State) went 3-for-5 for the second time in four games, raising his average to .235 and continuing his emergence as another big bat in the powerful Firebirds lineup. Bryson Brigman (San Diego) added two RBI.
Cotuit 3, Bourne 1
The Kettleers moved within two games of second-place Bourne in the tightly-packed West standings with a 3-1 win over the Braves. Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt) had two hits, a home run and an RBI, giving him six hits in five games since his late arrival. Brett Stephens (UCLA) added two hits. Matthew Milburn (Wofford) allowed just an unearned run in 5.2 innings for the win. Justin Dunn (Boston College) tallied his fourth save.
What to Watch
Daulton Jefferies (California), who had a 2.57 ERA with Team USA, makes his return to Wareham as the Gatemen visit Chatham tonight.
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.
Brady Conlan catches a high throw at first during game one of Sunday’s doubleheader.
Hyannis had the most impressive doubleheader Sunday in the league, beating Brewster by 8-0 and 9-2 scores to run its league-best record to 6-1. But in terms of necessity, the bigger Sunday sweep belonged to the defending champion Y-D Red Sox.
After an 0-4 start, fresh off their first win, the Red Sox rolled past Cotuit 4-1 and 4-0 to get to 3-4 and leave their shaky first few games firmly in the past. Y-D used a four-run fifth inning to turn things around in Sunday’s first game. In the nightcap, a four-run third inning and a combined shutout from three hurlers sealed the victory.
The Red Sox had stumbled out of the gates, scoring only six runs and giving up 28 in their first four games.
Y-D broke out Saturday with 12 hits and a strong showing on the mound in a 5-0 win over Bourne, and it was more of the same Sunday.
Jacob DeVries (Air Force) pitched into the final frame of the first seven-inning affair, scattering seven hits and allowing just one run. After Will Haynie (Alabama) touched DeVries up for a one-out double, Brett Adcock (Michigan) relieved him, got an out, then made things interesting with two walks to load the bases. But with the go-ahead run at the plate, Adcock induced a pop-up to end the game.
Nick Ruppert (Dartmouth) had two RBI in the big fifth inning, while Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) and Nathan Rodriguez (Arkansas) knocked in one run each. The Red Sox had four hits – their only four hits of the game – in that inning, and also took advantage of two Cotuit errors.
In game two, Y-D pitching was even a little better as a trio combined for the team’s second shutout in three games. Christian Morris (Indiana) gave up three hits in five innings, before Dalton Lehnen (Cincinnati) and Gabriel Cramer (Stanford) finished the job with a scoreless inning each.
Billingsley, Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) had two hits apiece to lead the offense.
Hyannis 8, Brewster 0; Hyannis 9, Brewster 2
The aforementioned Harbor Hawks were indeed impressive in their sweep of Brewster, who had come in at 3-1. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State), who’s been mostly a reliever in two seasons in Starkville, made the start in game one and struck out seven while giving up only two hits in six shutout innings. Marc Skinner (Troy) pitched the seventh to finish out the victory. Bobby Melley (Connecticut) continued his hot start with three hits and three RBI, pacing a nine-hit attack. Hyannis led 3-0 after one, then scored five in the final inning. In the second game, four pitchers chipped in on a solid effort, with Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) picking up the win on one perfect inning. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) led the offense this time, going 2-for-4 and driving in four of the nine runs. After going hitless for the first time all season in the doubleheader opener, Justin Arrington (Baylor) went 2-for-3. Hyannis, at 6-1, is not only in first place in the West, but also has the only winning record in the division.
Orleans 6, Wareham 2; Orleans 1, Wareham 0
It was also a sweep at Eldredge Park, where the Firebirds mashed three home runs in the opener then eked out a pitchers duel in the second game. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) hit his third home run of the young season to power the game-one win, while Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) knocked his second as part of a 3-for-3 day. Sean Murphy (Wright State) went 2-for-3 and hit his first homer. Kyle Cedotal (SE Louisiana) tossed five scoreless innings for the win, and Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) delivered his third scoreless relief outing of the summer. In the second game, Orleans was limited to three hits by Wareham starter Anthony Kay, a standout at UConn this spring, and reliever Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona), but the Firebirds scratched one run across and held down the Wareham offense completely. Dalbec’s second home run of the doubleheader provided the only offense. Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) gave up one hit in five innings. Stephen Nogosek (Oregon) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) closed the shutout. Orleans, now 5-2, moved into first place in the East with the sweep.
Harwich 1, Bourne 1; Harwich 6, Bourne 2
Bourne picked up a tie in the opener (there’s an innings limit in doubleheader games) but remained winless as Harwich took a 6-2 victory in the nightcap at Whitehouse Field. Cameron Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) homered in the third inning of the first game but Harwich answered in the fourth on an RBI double by Drew Ellis (The Citadel). Neither team would score again through nine full innings. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) and Austin Conway (Indiana State) were lights-out in the Bourne bullpen – with Conway striking out five of seven batters he faced – while Spencer Trayner (North Carolina) and Williams Durruthy (Florida International) did the job for Harwich. In game two, Preston Palmeiro (NC State) and Michael Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) drove in two runs apiece to power the six-run burst. Bourne was within a run in the sixth before Harwich pulled away. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) picked up the win with 5.2 solid innings. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) – the rare two-way player on the Cape – picked up the save in his first outing on the mound.
Chatham 6, Falmouth 4; Falmouth 3, Chatham 2
The only split of the busy Sunday came at Veterans Field, where Chatham took the opener but watched Falmouth score the go-ahead run in the ninth to win the second game. Trenton Brooks (Nevada) went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the first game. Kyle Adams (Richmond) added two RBI, while Will Craig (Wake Forest) had two hits and scored a run. James Mulry (Northeastern) pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the win and Andre Scrubb (High Point) got the save. Brooks was hot again in the second game, notching his third straight two-hit game and upping his league-best average to .500. But Falmouth had the last laugh, breaking a 2-2 tie on a Boomer White (Texas A&M) RBI single. The hit scored Mitch Longo (Ohio), who had reached on an error, taken second on a sac bunt and stolen third. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) grabbed his second save in as many days with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
What to Watch
It’s a league-wide off-day Monday. Getting back to action Tuesday, Hyannis and Cotuit will renew their rivalry with a 5 p.m. game at Lowell Park.
Orleans finished with the fourth-best record in the league last summer. With 11 incoming players heading to Omaha this week, rather than the Cape, it may be an uneven start to 2015, but on paper, the Firebirds once again have one of the league’s more talented teams.
FIVE TO WATCH
1. Bobby Dalbec
2. David Fletcher
3. A.J. Puk
4. Connor Jones
5. Zack Collins
NOTABLE
Orleans will be hard-hit by the College World Series, with 11 players on teams that are bound for Omaha. So the team on the field in Tuesday’s opener will look different than this one.
That said, there’s a lot of talent with or without the Omaha crew. The Firebirds have two returning standouts in Bobby Dalbec and David Fletcher and three players who were their conference’s freshmen of the year last year.
Dalbec has received a Team USA invite, as well, after he played for Orleans last summer. The two-way standout smacked 15 home runs for Arizona this spring.
Fletcher was great for Orleans last summer, with a .299 average and the same kind of presence at shortstop that made him the Alaska League’s top prospect in the summer of 2013 before he even got to college. He’s as good a building block as any team in the league can claim this year.
Virginia star Nathan Kirby, who was drafted last night, was ticketed for Orleans last year but never made it. His teammate, Connor Jones, who emerged as an ace when Kirby was hurt for part of this season, is now slated to be a Firebird.
Hayden Stone pitched 11 innings for Orleans last summer and allowed just one earned run. He’s slated to be back, although he has missed a lot of time for Vanderbilt this spring. Teammate John Kilichowski has bided his time for the Commodores behind first-round picks Carson Fulmer and Walker Buehler.
Ohio State had some standout freshmen in 2014 and three of them are headed to Orleans. Pitcher Tanner Tully was the Big 10 Freshman of the Year, Travis Lakins has joined him in the weekend rotation and outfielder Ronnie Dawson was one of the Buckeyes’ best hitters.
Kent State seems to churn out pitching prospects more than any other non-power conference program, and Eric Lauer may be next in line. A 17th-round pick out of high school, he struck out 103 this year.
Lauer, Lakins, Tully and Cameron Neff make up a pretty good foundation for a starting rotation, even before you factor in late arrivals. Logan Shore and A.J. Puk are stars for Florida and the aforementioned Jones has been terrific for Virginia.
Two of the best hitters for an Omaha-bound Miami team have Orleans as their next stop. Zack Collins hit 15 homers this year while Willie Abreu is a former 14th-round pick.
PITCHERS
Parker Bean – FR – Liberty – Big right-hander had ERA over seven in debut season
Alec Bettinger – SO – Virginia – Mid-week starter last year slid into full-time bullpen role and has 4.80 ERA
Chandler Blanchard – SO – Pepperdine – Strong reliever as freshman had 4.99 ERA, saved four games as a sophomore
Adam Haseley – FR – Virginia – Two-way player hit .252, put up 2.66 ERA in 10 appearances on the mound
Connor Jones – SO – Virginia – With UVA ace Nathan Kirby ailing, emerged as Cavs’ workhorse, going 7-2, 2.96 ERA, 105 Ks in 103.1 IP
John Kilichowski – SO – Vanderbilt – Lefty has started and relieved for Omaha-bound Commodores and has 2.97 ERA
Travis Lakins – SO – Ohio State – Tossed perfect game in Prospect League last summer, posted 3.75 ERA in weekend rotation this year
Eric Lauer – SO – Kent State – 17th-round pick in 2013 broke out as one of best in MAC this year with 1.98 ERA, 103 Ks
Cameron Neff – SO – St. Mary’s – Workhorse had 5 complete games as a freshman, delivered 2.32 ERA as a sophomore
Stephen Nogosek – SO – Oregon – Led team in appearances this year with 39 and had 2.02 ERA with 60 Ks
A.J. Puk – SO – Florida – Towering righty, Perfect Game’s top Northwoods prospect last summer, has team-best 99 Ks this season
Kit Scheetz – SO – Virginia Tech – Lefty made nine starts this year, had 4.34 ERA in those games
Logan Shore – SO – Florida – SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014 continues to shine with 2.50 ERA this year as Friday starter
Hayden Stone – SO – Vanderbilt – Struck out 80 in 58 relief innings last year but was limited to three appearances this season
Tanner Tully – SO – Ohio State – Reigning Big 10 Freshman of the Year had 4-4 record, 4.32 ERA in sophomore season
CATCHERS
Jeremy Martinez – SO – USC – Steady in first two years with Trojans, hit .296 this season
Sean Murphy – SO – Wright State – Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2014 hit .329 with 4 HR this year
INFIELDERS
Zack Collins – SO – Miami – ACC’s top freshman in 2014 hitting .303 with 15 HR, 70 RBI as Miami heads to Omaha
Bobby Dalbec – SO – Arizona – Two-way player had huge sophomore season at the dish, hitting .319 with 15 HR
David Fletcher – SO – Loyola Marymount – Started 41 games at SS for Orleans last year, hit .308 and stole 14 bases this spring
T.J. Nichting – SO – UNC Charlotte – All-Star in Great Lakes League last summer scuffled to .198 average in sophomore year
Daniel Pinero – SO – Virginia – 20th-round pick in 2013 has been starting SS for two years, hit .300 with 6 HR this season
Colby Woodmansee – SO – Arizona State – Shortstop had solid sophomore year, hitting .308 with 5 HR, team-best 44 RBI
Nick Zammarelli – FR – Elon – Lincoln, R.I., native hit .288 with 7 HR in first season with Phoenix
OUTFIELDERS
Willie Abreu – SO – Miami – 14th-round pick in 2013, batting an even .300 and ranks fourth on team with six home runs
Ronnie Dawson – SO – Ohio State – Picked up where he left off after big freshman year, hitting .279 with 7 HR, 16 SB
Austin Miller – SO – Loyola Marymount – A Freshman All-American last year like teammate Fletcher, hit .314 with three homers this spring
Bryan Reynolds – SO – Vanderbilt – Consensus Freshman All-American last year hitting .311 with 5 HR, 17 SB this year
