The Other Ace

On a day when Orleans’ Mitchell Jordan was named the All-Star Game starting pitcher for the East squad – a shoo-in of a selection – the one other guy who could have made a serious case was just as good as his fellow ace.

Y-D’s Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) stayed perfect on the summer, making his sixth start and winning his sixth game. He allowed one run on three hits in seven innings and struck out nine as the Red Sox beat Harwich 4-1.

Thomas and Jordan are both 6-0, giving the league two big winners in a category that sometimes tops out at four wins when all is said and done. While Jordan took a no-decision in one of his starts, Thomas has been a winner every time. He owns more than a third of Y-D’s 17 victories.

Wins are not a favored statistic in this day-and-age – a great pitching performance does not guarantee a win – but for a guy who’s winning a lot, it’s still useful as a reflective statistic. And Thomas has been winning a lot, and earning each and every one.

The lefty has gone at least 5.2 innings in each start and has not surrendered more than one run in any start. He has a 0.96 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitched.

Saturday, he set a new season-high in strikeouts, fanning nine Mariners in the victory. A solo home run by Connor Justus (Georgia Tech) was the only blemish on his day.

Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) hit his fourth home run to back Thomas, while Tommy Edman (Stanford), Luke Bonfield (Arkansas) and Joshua Vidales (Houston) drove in one run each. The Y-D offense seems to enjoy nights when Thomas is on the mound – the four-run output Saturday was actually the lowest run support total he’s seen this year. The Red Sox are averaging six runs per game in his starts.

While that offense certainly helps, the Red Sox could be scoring two runs per game and still winning with Thomas on the mound. Coming off a solid spring with the Bulldogs in which he posted a 3.92 ERA, he’s been the best rising sophomore pitcher in the league this summer, statistically speaking.

At some point, Thomas and Jordan will probably take a loss. But it didn’t happen Saturday.

Orleans 2, Chatham 1

The aforementioned Jordan went four more innings without allowing an earned run – bringing his streak to 37 innings – before Chatham pushed one across in the fifth inning on a Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) RBI single. Jordan got out of the inning without further trouble and ended his outing there after five innings. His ERA now stands at 0.24. The Orleans offense gave Jordan a lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by Kyle Lewis (Mercer), and that was all the Firebirds needed. Three relievers combined on four scoreless innings, with Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) grabbing the save. Ty Damron (Texas Tech) was the hard-luck loser for Chatham. He allowed two runs in six innings. Flamethrowing reliever Zach Burdi (Louisville) made his second appearance since arriving from Team USA and went three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

Wareham 2, Hyannis 1

Wareham walked off on a suicide squeeze for a 2-1 victory in 10 innings over Hyannis. John Sternagel (Florida) tripled with one out in the 10th and on the second pitch of the next at-bat, Preston Grand Pre (California) got down the bunt to win it. Wareham had given up a 1-0 lead in the eighth before its extra-inning rally. The squeeze made a winner out of Evan Hill (Michigan), who pitched five innings of relief with just an unearned run. Starter Ian Hamilton (Washington State) also went five and didn’t allow a run. Hyannis got 6.1 strong innings from Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State).

Brewster 7, Bourne 4

The Whitecaps won their fifth straight and jumped into a second-place tie with Chatham in the East. The Nick Senzel MVP campaign rolled right along with the win streak, as Senzel (Tennessee) went 2-for-3 with three RBI. That’s his eighth multi-hit game in 14 July contests. He has driven in 17 runs in those games. And as usual, it wasn’t just a one-man show for the hot-hitting Whitecaps. Jack Meggs (Washington), Tyler Ramirez (North Carolina) and Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) had two hits each, part of an 11-hit attack. Nick Highberger (Creighton) got the win in relief.

Cotuit 8, Falmouth 2

The unpredictable West Division looked the part in Falmouth, as Cotuit beat the Commodores 8-2 a night after losing to them 5-2. Austin Sexton (Mississippi State) allowed one run in 5.1 innings for the win. Branden Berry (Cal State Northridge) went 3-for-4 with four RBI and his fourth home run of the year. Brett Stephens (UCLA) added four hits and two RBI. The Kettleers scored four of their runs off Falmouth starter Austin Tribby (Missouri), who had allowed only one run in each of his last three starts.

What to Watch

Brewster will shoot for its sixth consecutive win as it visits Harwich. J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount), who had a strong start last time out, gets the ball.

July 13, 2015July 13, 2015

Nick of Time

Nick Senzel is hitting .463 in his last 10 games and has taken over the league lead in hitting.

Nick Senzel has had two very good spring seasons at Tennessee, but his first taste of summer baseball last year wasn’t quite so good. Senzel hit three home runs but only batted .210 for the Matsu Miners in the Alaska Baseball League.

This year, Senzel is having the kind of summer that matches his springs. With a 4-for-5 night in Brewster’s 2-0 win over Cotuit Sunday, Senzel is now leading the Cape League in hitting, RBI, extra-base hits and slugging percentage.

The 6’1, 205-pound infielder got off to a strong start for the Whitecaps and really turned it on when the calendar flipped to July. Senzel has a hit in eight of his last 10 games and is batting .463 in that span, raising his average from .306 up to the current league leading mark of .369. He has six multi-hit games, two home runs and six extra-base hits in the month of July.

Senzel has set the pace for a Brewster team that has the best batting average in the league. Sunday, his 4-for-5 day included a double and an RBI as the Whitecaps topped Cotuit. For good measure, Senzel stole a pair of bases, giving him 11 on the summer, which is tied for the league lead.

The two runs didn’t represent a typical performance for the Whitecaps, who don’t often win pitchers duels. But with the offense providing just enough, Tyson Miller (California Baptist) went five scoreless innings and the bullpen gave up just one hit over the final four innings to seal the win.

Tyler Ramirez (North Carolina) added an RBI.

The Whitecaps improved to 14-14 good for a third-place tie with Y-D in the East. With Senzel leading the charge, July may get even better.

Orleans 5, Hyannis 4 (10 innings)

Kyle Lewis (Mercer) has had some big moments this summer, but few could match Sunday, when Lewis hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to give the Firebirds a 5-4 victory over Hyannis in a match-up of division leaders. Hyannis had scored two in the ninth to force extra innings, but three walks loaded the bases for Lewis in the 10th. With two outs, he smacked a base hit to plate the winning run. The victory moved Orleans to 20-8, and the Firebirds are now four games better than any team in the league. Jared Carkuff (Austin Peay) picked up the win in relief. Nick Zammarelli (Elon), Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) all had two hits for the Firebirds, with Dalbec hitting his fifth home run in just 13 games and his first since returning from a Team USA stint. For Hyannis, Jake Rogers (Tulane) hit a two-run homer that tied the game in the ninth.

Y-D 3, Wareham 2 (10 innings)

There was also free baseball at Red Wilson Field, where Y-D rallied from a late 2-0 deficit and won it in the 10th on a walk-off single by Mike Donadio (St. John’s). The Red Sox scored a run in the seventh and one in the ninth to force extras. A single by Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and a double by Gio Brusa (Washington) set the table for Donadio, who came through with the two-out base hit to score Walton. The rally made a winner out of Cory Malcolm (Arkansas Little Rock). Tommy Edman (Stanford) had three hits for the Red Sox while Connor Wong (Houston) homered. For Wareham, Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) came through with his fourth consecutive two-hit game.

Chatham 2, Harwich 0

Four pitchers combined to surrender just four hits as the Anglers shut out Harwich at Whitehouse Field. Garrett Williams (Oklahoma State), a lefty with big potential, made his first start after four relief appearances and tossed five scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Brandon Miller (Millersville), Cameron Stone (Stony Brook) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) followed suit, going the final four innings to finish off the shutout. Harwich pitching was also strong, but Chatham broke up the shutout with two runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) – who’s back from Team USA – and Kyle Brooks (North Florida).

Falmouth 8, Bourne 6

Because they began the run at the bottom of the West standings, it’s been a little quiet, but Falmouth has won four in a row and is the hottest team in the league. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI to lead a 12-hit attack in the win over Bourne. Logan Ice (Oregon State) added two hits and two RBI, while Heath Quinn (Samford) chipped in two hits and two runs scored. Falmouth used six pitchers, with Jack Finnegan (McLennan CC) getting the win. Wyatt Short (Ole Miss) struck out four of the five batters he faced for the save. Falmouth is now just two points out of second place in the West.

What to Watch

League-wide off-day today. When action resumes Tuesday, Hyannis will try to slow down red-hot Falmouth when it visits Guv Fuller Field.

June 20, 2015June 20, 2015

Still Hot

It could have been a rough day for the Orleans Firebirds. Friday’s game was their first without a trio of early standouts who departed for Team USA. The club also released three pitchers with ace potential who are currently in Omaha and who have also earned Team USA invites.

But on the field, the Firebirds just kept rolling. Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) struck out eight in five innings and six different players had hits as Orleans beat Harwich 5-1 at Whitehouse Field. It was the fifth straight victory for the Firebirds, who moved to 8-2 and overtook Hyannis for the best record in the league.

It was an impressive first act as a new-look squad, considering what Orleans lost. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) was hitting .310 and leading the league with four home runs and nine RBI. Bryson Brigman (San Diego) was leading the league in hitting at .385, and Colby Woodmansee (Arizona State) was batting .348 while manning shortstop. In Wednesday’s game, their last in Orleans, that trio combined for four hits, three RBI and two runs scored. They may return to Orleans, since Team USA has a short tour this summer, but their departures are still a big blow for now. And that’s not even counting the trio of pitchers who showed up on the transactions list yesterday. Logan Shore and A.J. Puk of Florida and Connor Jones of Virginia all had the potential of being the best arms on the Cape.

Clearly, though, Orleans – like any CCBL team this time of year – will focus on what it still has. And it was pretty good Friday night.

Serrano turned in his second solid start of the summer, allowing one run on three hits in five innings and striking out eight. Chandler Blanchard (Pepperdine) followed with two scoreless frames and Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) chipped in one inning each.

At the plate, the Firebirds had only one more hit than the Mariners but took advantage of them with a four-run fourth inning and another run in the sixth. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Adam Pate (North Carolina) had an RBI. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) went 1-for-4 with a double.

It was enough for the Firebirds to stay hot, even on a rough day.

Brewster 4, Y-D 3

The Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, tying the game in the ninth and walking off with a 4-3 win over the Red Sox in the 10th. Tyler Ramirez (North Carolina) drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the winning run, after the Whitecaps had loaded the bases with two walks and a single. Brewster also trailed 3-2 in the ninth when a sacrifice fly by Eli White (Clemson) from the No. 9 spot in the order tied the game at 3-3. Colin Lyman (Louisville) and Brandon Gold (Georgia Tech) also knocked in runs for the Whitecaps. Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) kept the Whitecaps in reach as they rallied, tossing two scoreless innings of relief for the win. The win bumped Brewster ahead of Y-D in the standings at 4-6. The Red Sox fell to 3-7 with their third straight loss. Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) was again a bright spot for Y-D, going 3-for-5 for the third consecutive game.

Chatham 4, Cotuit 1

Every run was scored in the seventh inning, and Chatham tallied a few more on its way to a second straight victory and a spot in second place in the East. With the Anglers trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Zack Short (Sacred Heart) and Aaron Knapp (California) had RBI singles, and Will Craig (Wake Forest) came off the bench for a pinch-hit, two-run single. The rally made a winner out of reliever C.J. Burdick (San Diego) who allowed one run in 1.2 innings. Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) picked up the save. Though he did not factor in the decision, starter Jesse Adams (Boston College) pitched six scoreless innings for the Anglers. Cotuit’s Austin Sexton (Mississippi State) allowed two runs in 6.1 innings, both of which scored after he departed in the seventh. Jackson Klein (Stanford) homered for the Kettleers, who fell to 4-6.

Bourne 4, Hyannis 2

The Braves only picked up their first win Tuesday – seven games into the season – but haven’t lost since. Friday, they knocked off first-place Hyannis, handing the Harbor Hawks their second straight defeat. Bourne starter Alex Robles (Austin Peay) gave up two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning but settled in and allowed just three more hits and no runs over the final five innings. Nick Solak (Louisville) – who arrived for the first win and now hasn’t lost in a Braves uniform – broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run triple in the seventh. Corey Julks (Houston) also knocked in a run. Cody Sedlock (Illinois) got the win in relief and Austin Conway (Indiana State) picked up his first save.

Falmouth 6, Wareham 4

Falmouth smacked 13 hits and broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth on its way to a victory over Wareham. Caleb Hamilton (Oregon State) and Tristan Gray (Rice) knocked in the runs in the eighth. Mitch Longo (Ohio) paced the offense with three hits and an RBI. Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri) made his first start after two dominant relief stints and gave up one run on one hit in five innings of work. He struck out one. Morgan Earman (Arizona) earned the win out of the pen and Stephen Villines (Kansas) got the save.

What to Watch

Hyannis will try to get back on track as it visits Harwich. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast), who struck out nine in his first start, gets the ball for the Harbor Hawks. Cory Wilder, who had a 3.50 ERA in NC State’s weekend rotation this spring, will start for the Mariners.

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015

Brewster hopes playoffs no surprise this time

The Whitecaps made a surprise run to the playoffs last year, after it looked like they’d been written off. With new manage Jamie Shevchik taking over after a successful stint in the NECBL, Brewster will be looking to establish a winning tradition.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Grayson Long
2. Danny Garcia
3. Lucas Erceg
4. Jacob Robson
5. Patrick Ruotolo

NOTABLE

Brewster had one of the Cape League’s best pitching prospects in Cal Poly Pomona’s Cody Ponce last year. Ponce hailed from the Division II ranks out west and the Whitecaps are going back to the well with California Baptist’s Tyson Miller and Catawba’s Shaefar Shepard, both of whom are coming off good seasons on the mound.

The Whitecaps have five junior pitchers on the roster. If they make it to Brewster after the draft, it’ll be a veteran group, potentially led by Texas A&M’s Grayson Long. He has struck out 106 this season.

Miami’s pitching staff has been terrific on its way to the College World Series and Danny Garcia has been a key part of it. Pitching in relief and as a starter, he leads the team in strikeouts with 79 in 80.1 innings, to go with just 17 walks.

Pat Ruotolo had a solid summer with Brewster last year and parlayed it into a big season as the UConn closer, where he struck out 52 in just 36.1 innings of work.

Jordan Sheffield was drafted in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2013. He missed last season with injury but has come back strong as a reliever for Vanderbilt this year. If his workload expands for the Whitecaps, look out.

Mercyhurst sent standout infielder Zak Blair to the Cape a few years back and will put infielder Brendan Cox in Brewster this year.

The Whitecaps will have a Cape League champ on their roster, with Nico Giarratano coming over from Y-D.

Outfielders Ryan Peurifoy and Kel Johnson were the leading hitters for Georgia Tech this spring.

PITCHERS

Anthony Arias – r-FR – Fresno State – Lefty redshirted last year, had 5.40 ERA in swing role this year
J.D. Busfield – SO – Loyola Marymount – Tied for 10th in the nation with 14 saves, paired them with 1.89 ERA
Hansen Butler – FR – North Carolina – Made 19 appearances in debut season, finished with 3.38 ERA
Matthew Clancy – JR – St. John’s – Busy reliever had 2.91 ERA and struck out better than a batter per inning our of the pen
Danny Garcia – SO – Miami – Limited action as freshman but has been valuable in rotation and bullpen this year, with team-best 79 strikeouts
Thomas Hackimer – JR – St. John’s – Made whopping 35 appearances and tied for sixth in the country with 15 saves
Nick Highberger – JR – Creighton – Sold reliever throughout career, had 2.92 ERA in team-high 26 appearances this year
Jacob Jenkins – JR – Pacific – Ace of the Pacific staff as a sophomore saw ERA balloon over six this season
Grayson Long – JR – Texas A&M – One of top pitchers in SEC, is 9-1 with 2.82 ERA and 106 Ks in 95.2 innings
Hunter Martin – SO – Tennessee – Had solid debut as a starter last year before watching ERA rise above five in sophomore season
Tyson Miller – SO – California Baptist – Went 8-3 with 3.32 ERA, 85 strikeouts for D-II California Baptist
Trent Paddon – SO – Oregon – Pitched as starter and reliever and had ERA over six, despite 35 strikeouts in 41.2 innings
Patrick Ruotolo – SO – Connecticut – Returning Whitecap took closer’s role for Huskies and saved six games with 52 Ks in 36.1 IP
Zac Ryan – SO – Georgia Tech – Took over closing duties as a sophomore and saved seven games while posting a 9-1 record
Alex Schick – SO – California – Built on strong freshman year by leading team in appearances out of the bullpen
Jordan Sheffield – r-FR – Vanderbilt – 13th-round pick in 2013 back from injury for 2.90 ERA in swing job this year
Shaefer Shepard – SO – Catawba – Conference Freshman of the Year in 2014 pitched for Hyannis last summer, had 3.94 ERA, 80 Ks this year

CATCHERS

Cassidy Brown – SO – Loyola Marymount – Hasn’t put up great offensive numbers but has been regular starter behind the plate
Karl Ellison – SO – Vanderbilt – Part of catching platoon with Commodores, hitting .212 this year
J.C. Escarra – SO – Florida International – Lefty swinger hit .271 with five homers this spring

INFIELDERS

Candler Avant – FR – Alabama – Had solid first season in Tuscaloosa, hitting .266 and stealing 11 bases in full-time role
Brendan Cox – JR – Mercyhurst – Hit .343 with .421 OBP for Division II Mercyhurst
Lucas Erceg – SO – California – After decent freshman year, hit .303 and ranked second in Pac-12 with 11 home runs in big sophomore year
Nico Giarratano – SO – San Francisco – Scrappy infielder won CCBL title with Y-D last year, hit .237 in sophomore season with Dons
Brandon Gold – SO – Georgia Tech – Two-way player had 3.26 ERA in starting role, batted .273 while playing strong defense at third
Nick Senzel – SO – Tennessee – Strong two-year contributor batted .325 with four home runs this season
Will Smith – SO – Louisville – Solid contributor for Cardinals hitting .237 in second year with team

OUTFIELDERS

Brandon Caruso – SO – Pepperdine – After solid freshman campaign, bumped average to .309 with three homers this spring
Toby Handley – SO – Stony Brook – Emerged as one of top hitters for Stony Brook with .330 average and 12 stolen bases
Kel Johnson – FR – Georgia Tech – Freshman All-American hit .298, blasted 10 home runs in first season with Tech
Colin Lyman – SO – Louisville – Hit .263 as a freshman but struggling in limited duty this season
Jack Meggs – SO – Washington – Playing for father, Lindsay, at Washington, hit .243 in second season as a Husky
Ryan Peurifoy – SO – Georgia Tech – Sophomore led Jackets with .324 batting average, chipped in two home runs
Tyler Ramirez – SO – North Carolina – Hit .285, stole 18 bases and tied for team lead with 10 home runs in second season with Heels
Jacob Robson – r-SO – Mississippi State – Missed most of last season but returned with a vengeance, hitting team-best .324 with 21 SB