A Grand 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.

June 22, 2014June 22, 2014

Shutting it Down

On paper, it looked like the Orleans Firebirds had the best pitching in the league coming into the 2014 season. Some of their best – Virginia’s Nathan Kirby and Josh Sborz and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Ferguson – are in Omaha, but that hasn’t slowed the Firebirds down too much.

Orleans has won five games this summer, and four have been shutouts.

No. 4 was authored last night by Kolton Mahoney (BYU) and Ryne Combs (Kentucky) in a 7-0 victory over Wareham.

The Gatemen were riding a string of four straight games with double-digit hits, but Mahoney and Combs didn’t let them come even close to their fifth in a row. They combined to allow five hits and all were singles.

Mahoney, who threw a no-hitter for BYU this spring, was a draft-eligible sophomore this year and was selected by the Brewers in the 23rd round. He’s certainly catching their attention on the Cape, where he’s allowed four hits and no runs in 10 innings of work.

Mahoney’s previous outing was a four-inning relief stint in another shutout. Making his first start Saturday, he went six innings and allowed just two hits while striking out six. He allowed single in the second, an infield single in the sixth and nothing else. He’s now tied for the league lead in strikeouts.

Combs finished it off. The Kentucky reliever allowed three hits in three scoreless innings.

Orleans also had plenty of offense. Johnny Sewald (Arizona) went 3-for-5 with an RBI at the top of the lineup. Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) drove in two and David Thompson (Miami) had two hits and an RBI.

Orleans improved to 5-5 while Wareham dropped to 3-7.

Bourne 4, Harwich 2

Bourne beat Harwich for the second night in a row, and in doing so, created a tie for the best record in the league. Both teams are now 7-3. Samuel Kmiec (Winthrop) turned in six good innings for the Braves, allowing two runs and striking out six. Brett Morales (Florida) and John Gorman (Boston College) combined on three hitless innings of relief. Gorman picked up his third save, which is tied for the best in the league. The Braves offense, though it only scored four runs, smacked 13 hits. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 3-for-5, while Mark Laird (LSU), Billy Fleming (West Virginia), Blake Davey (Connecticut) and Brett Sullivan (Pacific) had two hits each.

Y-D 9, Cotuit 1

The Red Sox handed Cotuit its fourth straight loss in a 9-1 victory. Andrew Stevenson (LSU) and Vincent Jackson (Tennessee) homered for the Red Sox as they hit a season-high in runs. Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) went 3-for-3 and A.J. Simcox (Tennessee) had two hits. On the mound, Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara) scattered eight hits in 5.2 scoreless innings for the win. Cotuit got three hits from Kyle Holder (San Diego).

Chatham 6, Falmouth 2

Max Tishman (Wake Forest) gave Chatham its best starting pitching performance of the season and the Anglers ran with it in a 6-2 victory over Falmouth. Tishman didn’t allow a run in 5.1 innings, striking out three and working around four hits. Michael Wallace (Fairfield) pitched 3.2 innings for the save. Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) hit the team’s second home run of the season while Ty Moore (UCLA) drove in two runs.

Hyannis 4, Brewster 1

The Harbor Hawks overcame a solid start from Brewster’s Andrew Lee (Tennessee) and got a good start themselves from Jordan Minch (Purdue) in a 4-1 victory. Minch allowed one run and struck out six in six innings. Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) went three scoreless for his third save. Lee gave up two runs in five innings, and the Harbor Hawks added to their lead once he departed. Donnie Dewees Jr. (North Florida) had a double, a triple and two RBI while Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) had two hits. Mikey White (Alabama) homered for Brewster.

What to Watch

Another set of Sunday doubleheaders are on tap today. The best one may be in Hyannis, where two second-place teams – Orleans and Hyannis – square off.

June 10, 2014June 10, 2014

Red Sox Primed to Contend Again

The team of the 2000’s hasn’t done too bad for itself in the 2010’s either. Yes, the Y-D Red Sox haven’t won a title since they won their third in four years in 2007, but they’ve made the championship series twice in the last four years. Both series went to three games, meaning the Red Sox were a game away from being just as dominant this decade as they were in the last.

There have been some down years mixed in, but they don’t typically linger, and on the heels of a sub-.500 year in 2013, the Red Sox are poised for a resurgence in 2014.

As on-paper projections go, it’s easy to see this Red Sox team making a lot of noise. Where some clubs cobble together pitching rotations from unproven arms, the Red Sox have a deep corps of veteran weekend starters, led by Michael Murray, who should be the league’s top incoming arm. On the offensive side, the Red Sox have several top-notch prospects, plus a slew of veterans with long college track records.

So far, Team USA and the College World Series haven’t done too much damage either, which is always a risk for an extra-talented squad.

The Red Sox are primed for another big year.

THE SKINNY

Manager: Scott Pickler
Last Year: 20-22-2; Lost in East semis
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 9
Sophomores: 23
Freshmen: 4

NOTABLE

The aforementioned Michael Murray had a tremendous season for Florida Gulf Coast. He’ll follow the same summer path of former Eagle Chris Sale, who starred for Y-D and now pitches for the Chicago White Sox.

In a Vanderbilt rotation that includes first-round pick Tyler Beede, you could make a case that future Red Sox Walker Buehler has been the ace. The sophomore righty has a 2.39 ERA and is just six strikeouts off Beede’s pace.

The Red Sox had big success with UNLV’s Erick Fedde on the mound last summer and will welcome in his teammate Bryan Bonnell this year. Bonnell joined Fedde in the Runnin’ Rebels’ weekend rotation this season.

I would expect touted LSU freshman Parker Bugg to crack the Tigers’ weekend rotation next year after a bullpen stint this year, and a good summer in Yarmouth could be the first step in that direction.

Bugg and Maryland’s Mike Shawaryn are the only freshman pitchers on the team and both have impressed thus far.

Bubba Derby starred as a starter for San Diego State this spring after dominating ninth innings last year. Scouts like him as a future closer, so we’ll see which role he takes this summer.

Justin Jacome is another of the veteran starters, with two big seasons in UC Santa Barbara’s weekend rotation.

A.J. Simcox leads the group of positional player prospects. The Tennessee shortstop was rated No. 2 in the Alaska League last summer.

Simcox’s Tennessee teammate Vincent Jackson goes 6’5, 205 and was a 23rd-round pick of the Yankees in 2012.

Franklin Pierce junior John Razzino stole 45 bases this year, ranking third in all of Division II.

Northeastern doesn’t send a ton of guys to the Cape, but two are coming to Y-D with big reputations. Ray Fonseca and Michael Foster were expected to anchor the middle of the order this season. Fonseca missed the spring with an injury but Foster held up his end of the bargain.

Y-D has two catchers on the roster – Jason Goldstein of Illinois and Ryan Hissey of William & Mary – and both have hit very well thus far in their college careers. In a league where everyday catchers don’t often don’t hit much, having two with potential could be a big advantage.

Y-D’s one returning player, D.J. Stewart of Florida State, may end up with Team USA instead. If he does, the Red Sox are still getting a pretty good Seminole, as junior John Nogowski was a recent roster addition.

Missouri sophomore Josh Lester played for the Columbus (Ga.) Northern Little League team that won the Little League World Series championship in 2006.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Michael Murray
2. A.J. Simcox
3. Walker Buehler
4. D.J. Stewart
5. Bubba Derby

PITCHERS

Bryan Bonnell – RHP/1B – 6’5 200 – UNLV – Sophomore
Walker Buehler – RHP – 6’1 160 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Parker Bugg – RHP – 6’6 218 – LSU – Freshman
Bubba Derby – RHP – 5’10 185 – San Diego State – Sophomore
Kevin Duchene – LHP – 6’1 220 – Illinois – Sophomore
Zac Favre – RHP – 6’3 217 – Central Florida – Sophomore
Justin Jacome – RHP – 6’6 215 – UC Santa Barbara – Sophomore
Tyler Jay – LHP – 6’1 170 – Illinois – Sophomore
Nick Kozlowski – RHP – 6’1 220 – Hofstra – Junior
Michael Murray – RHP – 6’2 210 – Florida Gulf Coast – Sophomore
Drake Owenby – LHP – 6’3 210 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Mike Shawaryn – RHP – 6’4 210 – Maryland – Freshman
Josh Staumont – RHP – 6’2 205 – Azusa Pacific – Sophomore
Dillon Tate – RHP – 6’2 185 – UC Santa Barbara – Sophomore
George Thanopoulos – RHP – 6’1 190 – Columbia – Sophomore
Henry Van Zant – RHP – 5’11 192 – Bowdoin – Junior
Doug Willey – RHP – 6’2 205 – Franklin Pierce – Junior

Bryan Bonnell – RHP/1B – 6’5 200
UNLV
Sophomore

Bonnell was a two-way player as a freshman but has focused on pitching since. He had a decent summer in the Northwoods League last year and built on it in his sophomore season with the Runnin’ Rebels. Pitching in the weekend rotation, Bonnell had a 2.90 ERA. He struck out only 48 but was a workhorse with 114.2 innings.

Walker Buehler – RHP – 6’1 160
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

A 14th-round pick out of high school, Buehler pitched in a swing role as a freshman with pretty good results then vaulted into a weekend rotation spot this year. Buehler has a 2.39 ERA for the Commodores, who are headed for the College World Series. He has struck out 102 in 94 innings.

Parker Bugg – RHP – 6’6 218
LSU
Freshman

Baltimore’s 34th-round pick last year, Bugg opted for the college ranks and made an immediate splash in Baton Rouge. The righty had a 2.75 ERA in 26 appearances. He saved two games and struck out 29 while walking just five in 36 innings.

Bubba Derby – RHP – 5’10 185
San Diego State
Sophomore

Derby saved 10 games on his way to Freshman All-America honors last year. He moved into the weekend rotation this season and didn’t miss a beat, posting a rotation-best 3.08 ERA while striking out a team-high 100 in 105.1 innings of work. Last summer, he led the Cal Ripken League in ERA and strikeouts and was picked as the circuit’s second-best prospect by Perfect Game.

Kevin Duchene – LHP – 6’1 220
Illinois
Sophomore

Duchene won nine games and lost only one as a freshman last year, and he didn’t tail off much as a sophomore. The lefty went 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA, striking out 35 in 55 innings pitched.

Zac Favre – RHP – 6’3 217
Central Florida
Sophomore

A high school standout in Jacksonville, Favre had been a dynamic reliever for two years running in Orlando. He had a 3.28 ERA last year and dropped it to 2.64 this season. He struck out 29 in 30.2 innings.

Justin Jacome – RHP – 6’6 215
UC Santa Barbara
Sophomore

Jacome was the Gauchos’ Saturday starter for most of his freshman season and had a 3.89 ERA. In limited action in the West Coast League, Jacome made an impression and was named the ninth-best prospect in the league by Perfect Game. He shined as a starter again this spring, going 8-2 with a 2.61 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 79.1 innings.

Tyler Jay – LHP – 6’1 170
Illinois
Sophomore

Jay had a good debut in the Fighting Illini bullpen last year and parlayed it into the closer spot this season. He excelled in that spot, saving 10 games with a 1.94 ERA. He struck out 47 in 41.2 innings.

Nick Kozlowski – RHP – 6’1 220
Hofstra
Junior

Pitching in a swing role the last two years, Kozlowski was a steady contributor. He moved to the weekend rotation this year and put up a 4.45 ERA. He struck out 44 in 62.2 innings.

Michael Murray – RHP – 6’2 210
Florida Gulf Coast
Sophomore

Murray had a good freshman season and a so-so summer in the Northwoods League. This year changed everything as Murray emerged as one of the best pitchers in the nation. He went 13-1 with a 1.85 ERA and struck out 79 while walking just 14 in 107 innings. He was one of the national leaders in starters’ ERA, and for much of the year, his ERA was under one. He was the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year and is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

Drake Owenby – LHP – 6’3 210
Tennessee
Sophomore

Owenby has been a valuable reliever throughout his time in a Vols uniform. This year, he had a 3.20 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25 innings. Last summer, Owenby was picked by Perfect Game as the third-best prospect in the California Collegiate League.

Mike Shawaryn – RHP – 6’4 210
Maryland
Freshman

Shawaryn was a 32nd-round pick of the Royals last year. In College Park, he vaulted directly into the weekend rotation and was a big reason why the Terps made a Super Regional. Shawaryn went 11-4 with a 3.12 ERA and struck out 72 in 92.1 innings.

Josh Staumont – RHP – 6’2 205
Azusa Pacific
Sophomore

Staumont led the NAIA Golden State Athletic Conference in strikeouts as a freshman at Biola University. He transferred to D-II Azusa Pacific for this year and picked up where he left off, striking out a team-high 89 in 80.2 innings. He had a 4.24 ERA.

Dillon Tate – RHP – 6’2 185
UC Santa Barbara
Sophomore

Tate didn’t do much as a freshman but grabbed the closer’s job this year and saved 12 games. He struck out 46 in 43.1 innings and earned Big West second team honors.

George Thanopoulos – RHP – 6’1 190
Columbia
Sophomore

After a decent freshman season, Thanopoulos didn’t pitch in 2013. He returned to action this year with a bang, going 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA and striking out 40 in 52 innings.

Henry Van Zant – RHP – 5’11 192
Bowdoin
Junior

Van Zant has bounced around the bullpen and the rotation for Bowdoin, but has had success in every spot. This year, in three starts and five relief appearances, he had a 1.95 ERA and struck out better than a batter an inning.

Doug Willey – RHP – 6’2 205
Franklin Pierce
Junior

Willey has had three big seasons out of the Franklin Pierce bullpen, culminating with a 12-save campaign in 2014. He posted a 1.95 ERA this year and struck out 31 in 39 innings.

POSITION PLAYERS

Joey Armstrong – UTIL – 5’11 195 – UNLV – Sophomore
Rob Fonseca – 1B – 6’2 205 – Northeastern – Junior
Michael Foster – INF – 6’0 190 – Northeastern – RS Sophomore
Nico Giarratano – INF – 5’11 182 – San Francisco – Freshman
Jason Goldstein – C – 6’0 200 – Illinois – Sophomore
Ryan Hissey – C – 6’0 180 – William & Mary – Sophomore
Vincent Jackson – OF – 6’5 205 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Josh Lester – INF – 6’2 200 – Missouri – Sophomore
Ryan Lukach – OF – 6’2 205 – Hartford – RS Sophomore
Brennon Lund – OF – 5’11 185 – BYU – Freshman
Andre Mercurio – OF – 5’9 175 – San Jose State – Junior
John Nogowski – INF – 6’1 210 – Florida State – Junior
John Razzino – OF – 6’2 190 – Franklin Pierce – Junior
A.J. Simcox – INF – 6’3 180 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Andrew Stevenson – OF – 6’0 177 – LSU – Sophomore
*D.J. Stewart – OF – 6’0 230 – Florida State – Sophomore
Xavier Turner – INF – 6’2 220 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Mike Vigliarolo – INF – 6’1 225 – St. Louis – Junior
Donnie Walton – INF – 5’10 174 – Oklahoma State – Junior
* – returning player

Joey Armstrong – UTIL – 5’11 195
UNLV
Sophomore

Armstrong hit .324 as a freshman then earned all-star honors in the Texas Collegiate League, where Perfect Game had him as the league’s 22nd-best prospect. He hit .302 this season with a .388 OBP and also cracked four home runs.

Rob Fonseca – 1B – 6’2 205
Northeastern
Junior

A .300 career hitter with 14 homers, Fonseca missed the 2014 spring season with an injury. Prior to the injury, he was a preseason all-CAA pick.

Michael Foster – INF – 6’0 190
Northeastern
RS Sophomore

Foster had a big redshirt freshman campaign last year and picked up where he left off in 2014, hitting .299 with three homers, while stealing 18 bases. He also made 12 appearances on the mound and saved five games.

Nico Giarratano – INF – 5’11 182
San Francisco
Freshman

Giarratano grabbed a starting spot with the Dons as a freshman this season and held his own. He hit .242 with 11 extra-base hits.

Jason Goldstein – C – 6’0 200
Illinois
Sophomore

One of the top high school catchers in the country, Goldstein earned Big 10 All-Freshman honors last year before really turning it on this year. He hit .316 with four homers, 15 extra-base hits and 28 RBI. He won a Northwoods League title with the Madison Mallards last summer and was named the league’s 15th-best prospect – and its top catching prospect – by Perfect Game.

Ryan Hissey – C – 6’0 180
William & Mary
Sophomore

Hissey started 62 games as a freshman last year and earned CAA all-rookie honors. He was even better this year, hitting .313 from the catcher’s spot with eight home runs and 39 RBI.

Vincent Jackson – OF – 6’5 205
Tennessee
Sophomore

Jackson was a 23rd-round pick of the Yankees out of high school. He hasn’t put up huge numbers yet at Tennessee – hitting .290 last year and .234 this year – but he was the 22nd-best prospect in the Northwoods League last year, according to Perfect Game.

Josh Lester – INF – 6’2 200
Missouri
Sophomore

A 30th-round pick out of high school, Lester was an SEC All-Freshman selection in 2013. As the Tigers’ everyday shortstop this year, Lester hit .237.

Ryan Lukach – OF – 6’2 205
Hartford
RS Junior

Lukach had a good freshman season way back in 2011 before an injury cost him his sophomore season. After returning to form last year, Lukach hit .296 this year and tied for the team lead with five home runs.

Brennon Lund – OF – 5’11 185
BYU
Freshman

Tabbed by Perfect Game in the preseason as the top freshman in the West Coast Conference, Lund didn’t disappoint. He hit .303 for the Cougars and stole 11 bases.

Andre Mercurio – OF – 5’9 175
San Jose State
Junior

Mercurio has had three solid seasons for the Spartans, posting a career batting average of .290 with a .367 OBP. He hit .280 this year and stole five bases.

John Nogowski – INF – 6’1 210
Florida State
Junior

Nogowski built on two decent years by becoming one of the Seminoles’ best hitters this season. He finished with a .307 average, a .431 OBP, five homers and 49 RBI. The Athletics selected him in the 34th round last week.

John Razzino – OF – 6’2 190
Franklin Pierce
Junior

After transferring in from the Community College of Rhode Island, the R.I. native has lit up the basepaths for the Ravens. He stole 13 bases as a sophomore then broke a school record and ranked third in the nation with 45 this season. He was caught only eight times. Razzino also batted .264.

A.J. Simcox – INF – 6’3 180
Tennessee
Sophomore

One of the top prep shortstops in the nation in 2012, Simcox slipped to the 32nd round because of his strong commitment to Tennessee. The Vols are thrilled to have him. He’s been the team’s starting shortstop for two years and hit .270 this year with 13 stolen bases. Last summer, he starred in the Alaska League and was named the third-best prospect by Perfect Game.

Andrew Stevenson – OF – 6’0 177
LSU
Sophomore

Stevenson hit under .200 as a freshman in Baton Rouge but starred in the Northwoods League over the summer, hitting .363 with 15 extra-base hits. Perfect Game ranked him the league’s 21st-best prospect. This spring, he was a new man for the Tigers. He led the team with a .335 batting average.

D.J. Stewart – OF – 6’0 230
Florida State
Sophomore

Stewart has been invited to Team USA, and with good reason. He’s had two big seasons, plus a good summer for Y-D last year. For FSU this season, he led the team with a .351 batting average, seven home runs, a .471 OBP and 50 RBI.

Xavier Turner – INF – 6’2 220
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

A 34th-round pick of the Red Sox out of high school, Turner headed to Vandy, where he earned Freshman All-America honors last year. He’s hitting .282 this year with a .349 OBP and 15 stolen bases.

Mike Vigliarolo – INF – 6’1 225
St. Louis
Junior

Vigliarolo became the first Billiken to win Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors when he took the top prize last year after hitting .341. He kept it up this year, hitting .328 with seven homers and 25 extra-base hits. Though he did not repeat as Player of the Year, he earned first-team all-conference honors.

Donnie Walton – INF – 5’10 174
Oklahoma State
Junior

A Big 12 All-Freshman pick in 2013, Walton followed up his strong debut with another good season in 2014. He hit .310 with a .407 OBP and cracked three home runs.