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More of the Same

Ryne Birk catches a throw as Cotuit's Jeren Kendall slides underneath him in Monday's playoff game.
Ryne Birk catches a throw as Cotuit’s Jeren Kendall slides underneath him in Monday’s playoff game.

 
Cotuit went 0-for-6 against Hyannis in the regular season. If ever the Kettleers were going to break through, game one of their playoff series Monday looked like a pretty good time. They had ace Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) on the hill and the regular-season slate was wiped clean.

But Hyannis simply rolled on.

The top-seeded Harbor Hawks touched up Woodcock for eight runs – five of them earned – and built an 8-0 lead en route to a 10-3 victory at McKeon Park.

Woodcock ranked fourth in the league in ERA, but Hyannis had done a little damage against him in his final regular-season start, scoring three runs in 3.2 innings.

This time, the Harbor Hawks scored three runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third in racing to the early lead. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) pitched six strong innings for the win, allowing just two unearned runs. Zach Girrens (St. Louis) picked up a three-inning save.

Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) and Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) both homered for the Harbor Hawks. Noll added a single and finished with four RBI. Colby Bortles (Ole Miss) and Jake Rogers (Tulane) drove in two runs each, while Bobby Melley (Connecticut) continued his triumphant return with a 3-for-3 night. He was coming off a 4-for-5 performance in the season finale, his first Cape game since June 14.

Cotuit showed some life late with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. Spencer Gaa (Bradley) had two hits and an RBI.

It was too little, too late, just as it has been all season for Cotuit against Hyannis. The Kettleers will have one more chance to change that.
 

Orleans 4, Chatham 1

East top seed Orleans also took care of business in its opener, rallying from an early 1-0 deficit to beat Chatham 4-1. The Anglers struck first and pushed a run across against Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), a pretty rare feat. But Jordan would go the next 5.2 innings without allowing another run. He struck out four. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) and Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) – who apparently is sliding to the bullpen – finished the job. The Firebirds took the lead in the second against Chatham starter Zac Gallen (North Carolina) and added two more runs in the fifth. Kyle Lewis (Mercer), Willie Abreu (Miami) and Nick Zammarelli (Elon) knocked in one run each. Abreu, who went 2-for-3, has a five-game hit streak that includes two home runs, giving Orleans one more dangerous hitter.
 

Y-D 3, Brewster 2

The only upset of the day happened at Stony Brook Field, where No. 3 Y-D rallied against the Brewster bullpen for a 3-2 victory over the No. 2 Whitecaps. Pitching figured to be the key for the Whitecaps – who had the league’s best batting average but the second-worst ERA – and Hunter Martin (Tennessee) gave them exactly what they needed. He went 6.2 shutout innings, keeping Brewster in front 1-0. Anthony Arias (Fresno State) relieved him with two outs in the seventh and got a quick third out but Y-D started the eighth with a single and a walk. The Red Sox then greeted new pitcher Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) with two straight run-scoring singles and a sacrifice fly. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Dallas Carroll (Utah) had the base hits while Mike Donadio (St. John’s) delivered the sac fly. The Whitecaps got one run back in the bottom of the eighth but nothing else. Chad Hockin (Cal State Fullerton) then struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
 

Bourne 7, Wareham 1

The Braves scoed five runs in the second inning and never looked back in a 7-1 victory over Wareham. Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Bourne’s 10-hit attack. C.J. Chatham (Florida Atlantic) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Pete Alonso (Florida) had two hits. Cody Sedlock (Illinois), who opened the season in the Bourne bullpen but transitioned to the rotation for three regular-season starts in July, showed why that was a good move. He went seven innings and gave up just one run, striking out five. Bryan Baker (North Florida) pitched the final two innings.
 

Award Winners

A number of Cape League awards were presented Monday, most notably the MVP and Pitcher of the Year honors.

The MVP went to Brewster’s Nick Senzel, and deservedly so. The Tennessee standout was solid early in the season then got hot and never cooled off. He ended up hitting .364 – second only to Andrew Calica – and led the league in RBI with 33. He is Brewster’s first MVP since J.C. Holt in 2003.

Senzel also took home Top Prospect honors.

Mitchell Jordan, another shoo-in, won Pitcher of the Year honors. Jordan tied a CCBL record with a 0.21 ERA, while going 6-0 for Orleans. He is the second straight Firebird hurler to take top honors. Kolton Mahoney won it last year.
 

What to Watch

Brewster at Y-D, 4 p.m.
Hyannis at Cotuit, 4 p.m.
Bourne at Wareham, 7 p.m.
Orleans at Chatham, 7 p.m.

Orleans will have its other ace, Eric Lauer, on the hill as it tries to finish off a sweep of Chatham at Veterans Field. Lauer finished the regular season as the league leader in strikeouts.
 

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Be Like Mitch

Mitchell Jordan tossed six shutout innings to improve to 5-0.
Mitchell Jordan tossed six shutout innings to improve to 5-0.

 
News flash: Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) allowed an extra-base hit Saturday night.

But it was a return to originally-scheduled programming soon after.

Jordan continued his absolutely dominant summer with six more shutout innings as Orleans beat Brewster 2-0. Jordan – six starts and 33 innings into his Cape League career – still has a 0.00 ERA.

Brewster’s Ryan Peurifoy (Georgia Tech) doubled in the third inning for the first extra-base hit allowed by Jordan this summer. It put runners on second and third, an earned run just 90 feet away. Jordan responded by striking out Brewster’s best hitter, Nick Senzel (Tennessee) to end the inning. He didn’t allow another hit, finishing with six innings of two-hit baseball, to go with nine strikeouts.

This is the time of year back in 2012 that Sean Manaea – who will be the measuring stick for Cape League aces for a long time – started to fully cement an incredible summer, with dominant start after dominant start. Jordan isn’t quite on the same strikeout pace as the former Hyannis star, but as RFF commenter Orville suggested, his overall performance is looking downright Manaean. This is not simply a great beginning or a hot streak – Jordan is having a tremendous summer.

Jordan leads the league in wins with five, strikeouts with 40 and ERA at 0.00. He has given up 11 hits the entire summer, for an opponents batting average of .104. He has gone at least five innings in every start and hasn’t surrendered more than three hits in any of them. He was won five consecutive starts after a no-decision in his summer debut.

Saturday’s win also came at an important time for the Firebirds, who had lost two in a row. They scratched a run across in the first on an error and added one in the ninth on a Willie Abreu (Miami) sacrifice fly.

Two runs were plenty. Brewster’s J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount) had a strong start as well, giving up one run in six innings. But as has been the case all summer, it wasn’t good enough to keep up with Mitchell Jordan.
 

Y-D 8, Chatham 1

Gio Brusa (Pacific) hit two home runs and drove in five, and Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) picked up his fifth win as Y-D stopped Chatham’s four-game winning streak. Brusa, who got off to a slow start in his second summer on the Cape, now has a hit in nine straight games and is batting .286 with four home runs. He hit a three-run shot in the third inning Saturday and added a solo shot in the fifth. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State), Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) and Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) each chipped in two hits, and Y-D scored five earned runs off Zac Gallen (North Carolina), who came in with a 0.00 ERA in three starts. Thomas allowed one run in 5.2 innings for his fifth win in as many tries. With the win, Y-D moved one point ahead of Harwich for fourth place in the East.
 

Bourne 4, Hyannis 1

The Braves have moved into second place in the West, and though they’re still six points back of division leader Hyannis, they’re also 3-0 against the Harbor Hawks after Saturday’s win. Bourne was shut-out for six innings but scored three in the seventh and one in the ninth. Nick Solak (Louisville) and Pete Alonso (Florida) each had two hits and an RBI. Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) also had two hits. Cody Sedlock (Illinois) allowed one run in 5.2 innings of work. Doug Norman (LSU) got the win in relief and Austin Conway (Indiana State) tallied his sixth save. For Hyannis, ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) righted the ship after a tough outing in his last start, going 5.2 scoreless innings.
 

Wareham 2, Cotuit 1

Evan Hill (Michigan) turned in his third great start, going six innings with one unearned run as Wareham edged Cotuit 2-1. Hill, a 6-5 lefty, has now had three starts in which he’s gone at least five innings without giving up an earned run. He also struck out seven on Saturday and gave up only one hit. Ian Hamilton (Washington State) took the baton in the seventh and tossed three scoreless innings to finish off the win. The Wareham offense was sparked by Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara), who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, who has delivered two hits in three straight games.
 

Falmouth 4, Harwich 1

Austin Tribby (Missouri) went six strong innings and the Falmouth offense smacked four doubles in a 4-1 victory over Harwich. Tribby scattered six hits and gave up one run in six innings for the win. Cobi Johnson (Florida State) got the save. Michael Tinsley (Kansas) went 3-for-4 while Heath Quinn (Samford) was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
 

What to Watch

Division leaders Orleans and Hyannis will meet for the third time, this one at Eldredge Park. They have split their first two meetings.
 

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2015 Midseason Awards

The Orleans Firebirds are the best team in the league and is it any wonder? In the Right Field Fog Midseason Awards, the Firebirds take two.

 

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Kyle Lewis, Orleans

kyle lewisLewis was not on the first roster that the Orleans Firebirds posted on their web site earlier this year, but it’s safe to say he was a pretty good addition.

Lewis is hitting .338 with five home runs and 13 RBI while leading the powerful Firebirds to the best record in the league. Lewis ranks second in the league in hitting, first in home runs and second in RBI. He also leads the league in slugging percentage and is eighth in on-base percentage.

At 6’4, 205, he’s the kind of athlete that scouts love, and his production is now right in line with his tools. He grew up playing basketball and baseball and has said that, of the two, he took basketball more seriously. But after giving it up, he’s emerging as a bona fide star who may be in line for Cape League Top Prospect honors, as well.

The big summer represents another major step for a guy who had a breakout sophomore season at Mercer. He hit .367 and smashed 17 home runs on his way to a host of accolades, including Southern Conference Player of the Year honors. He was coming off a decent debut, in which he hit .281 as a freshman. He then had a strong summer in the Great Lakes League before he played briefly for Cotuit at the end of last season, getting two hits in six games.

His return trip has been a little bit better.


IN THE RUNNING

Jacob Noll, Hyannis
Donnie Walton, Y-D
Cavan Biggio, Harwich
Nick Senzel, Brewster
Errol Robinson, Hyannis

 

OUTSTANDING PITCHER

Mitchell Jordan, Orleans

mithell jordanJordan had a good summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League last year then was solid for Stetson as a sophomore.

This has been better than good or solid.

Jordan started on opening night for Orleans and tossed five shutout innings in a 1-0 win over Bourne. He has started five more games since and has gone at least five innings in each one, without allowing a single earned run. That’s right – the guy who’s second in the league in innings pitched also has a 0.00 ERA. He’s 4-0 and leads the league in strikeouts with 31.

Jordan, a 6’2 righty, has simply been untouchable. Opponents are hitting .106 against him, which is a pretty amazing number. To make that number even crazier, he has allowed nine hits and none – NONE – have gone for extra bases.

A lot of pitchers have been very good this summer, but nobody can match up with Jordan.

Good, solid – and pretty spectacular.

IN THE RUNNING

Nick Deeg, Hyannis
Ricky Thomas, Y-D
Zac Gallen, Chatham
Eric Lauer, Orleans
Devin Smeltzer, Hyannis
Jon Woodcock, Cotuit

 

OUTSTANDING RELIEF PITCHER

Andrew Frankenreider, Falmouth

andrew frankenreiderSaves typically trump everything else for this award, but for bullpen work of all kinds, Frankenreider takes the cake.

The Northern Illinois standout has saved three games while sharing Falmouth closer duties with Stephen Villines. Frankenreider has allowed two hits and no runs – earned or unearned – in eight games (11.2) innings. He has also struck out 17, second-best among full-time relievers.

Northern Illinois is not a school that sends many players to the Cape – he’s just the third in school history – but he’s certainly making a good impression after saving nine games for the Huskies in the spring.

Harwich’s Luke Scherzer leads the league in saves – and four other guys have four saves – but Frankenreider has been too good to pass over.

IN THE RUNNING

Luke Scherzer, Harwich
Stephen Villines, Falmouth
Austin Conway, Bourne
Jason Harper, Orleans
Andre Scrubb, Chatham
Thomas Hackimer, Brewster
Aaron McGarity, Chatham
 

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The Tar Heel Ace

gallenThe University of North Carolina churns out some of the best pitchers in college baseball, year after year. And many of them summer in Chatham, from Andrew Miller to Alex White to Matt Harvey.

It’s been a few years, but the Anglers may have found another one.

Tar Heel righty Zac Gallen made his third start of the summer Friday night and delivered his best performance yet. The rising junior struck out eight and allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. Both hits were in the first inning, and he cruised from there. He did all of this against East Division leader Orleans and its fearsome lineup. The Firebirds are second in the league in runs scored, and they lead in extra-base hits.

Gallen had no trouble. After giving up the two singles in the first, he struck out Tres Barrera (Texas) and got Willie Abreu (Miami) to ground out. Later, he walked two in the fourth inning but then struck out the side, part of a stretch in which he fanned five in a row. Even the third time through the order, the Firebirds went quietly, as Gallen worked a quiet sixth.

The Chatham offense made Gallen’s big performance count by touching up Orleans standout Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) for two runs in the first inning and tacking on two more in the sixth against the Firebirds bullpen. Trenton Brooks (Nevada), Cory Raley (Texas Tech), Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Zack Short (Sacred Heart) each knocked in a run to lead the balanced attack.

Orleans scored two runs in the eighth, but Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) cooled off the rally, going the final 1.1 innings for the save.

Chatham moved one game over .500 at 11-10 and is in second place behind Orleans in the East. One of their standout starters, T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) was just released from the roster after reaching his summer innings limit, but the Anglers have quickly found another ace. Gallen hasn’t allowed an earned run in three starts. The Anglers lost the last time he was on the mound, but he went five shutout innings against Hyannis, the other division leader. Gallen is now third in the league in strikeouts, with 23 in just 15 innings.

Gallen is coming off a spring season in which he had a 2.79 ERA with 74 strikeouts in the UNC weekend rotation.

Like the other Tar Heels that came before, he’s giving Chatham some of the best pitching in the league.
 

Hyannis 6, Y-D 2

In a rare feat this summer, the Harbor Hawks didn’t have a stolen base. They lead the league the league with 40 but found another way in beating Y-D. Blake Tiberi (Louisville) gave Hyannis the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-run double. He added a two-run single in the seventh, giving him four RBI on the night. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) added a hit and an RBI, as did David Martinelli (Dallas Baptist). Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) scored two runs and is now tied for the league lead in runs scored with 15. Mike King (Boston College), who began the summer on a temp contract but has since been signed, was solid in four innings of work, giving up one run. Kevin Roy (Columbia) was credited with the win in relief. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State), who had pitched as a starter in his last two outings, came out of the pen and surrendered just one run in 3.1 innings. Hyannis moved to 13-8 and has a two-game lead on Wareham for the top spot in the West. The Harbor hawks have won three straight.
 

Brewster 8, Harwich 1

The Whitecaps won their second straight and pushed their record over .500 at 10-9. After getting shut-out by Hyannis two games ago, the Whitecaps have delivered 28 hits in their last two games. Colin Lyman (Louisville) led the charge Friday, going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) added two hits and two RBI. Jack Meggs (Washington) went 3-for-4, as did Chandler Avant (Alabama). Brewster now leads the league in team batting average. Four pitchers made the big lead stand up, limiting Harwich to five hits. Nick Highberger (Creighton) was credited with the win.
 

Wareham 7, Bourne 4

The Gatemen won their third straight and remained two games back of Hyannis for first place in the West. Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara), the hero of Wednesday’s one-hit win, had a huge night, going 4-for-5 with four RBI. He’s now hitting .524 in seven games since joining the team. Nick Cieri (Maryland) added three hits and two RBI. Starter Evan Hill (Michigan) gave up one run in 4.2 innings. Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona) grabbed his second save. Max McDowell (UConn) homered for Bourne and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) stretched his hitting streak to seven games.
 

Cotuit 8, Falmouth 1

The Kettleers broke a 1-1 tie with five runs in the sixth inning and grabbed a win over Falmouth, pulling even with the Commodores in the West standings, in the process. Jonathan King (Georgia Tech) struck out six and gave up one run in five innings of work before four relievers closed the door. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina), Matt Albanese (Bryant) and Brody Weiss (UCLA) led the offense with two RBI apiece. Kort Peterson (UCLA) had two hits and scored two runs. Both teams are now 7-13.
 

What to Watch

The Hyannis-Y-D match-up at Red Wilson Field looks like a good one. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) makes his second start since his no-hitter against Y-D’s Ricky Thomas (Fresno State), who’s 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA.
 

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No Homers, No Problem

T.J. Nichting had the go-ahead RBI single in Thursday's win.
T.J. Nichting had the go-ahead RBI single in Thursday’s win.

 
On a night when their best hitter was swinging for the fences in Omaha, the Orleans Firebirds scored just one run in the first seven innings of Thursday’s game with Harwich.

But as has been the case all summer, no matter who the Firebirds are without, they’re pretty good. First-place Orleans scored four runs in the eighth to beat Harwich 5-2 at Eldredge Park.

Kyle Lewis – who could make a case to be the league MVP front-runner so far – was competing in the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby. Lewis hit four home runs and couldn’t get out of the first round. (Chatham’s Will Craig had the best showing among Cape Leaguers, finishing as the runner-up to champ Jeff Campbell of North Dakota).

Without Lewis, Orleans was held to four hits through seven innings. Harwich starter Williams Durruthy (Florida International) went four strong innings. Harwich scored two in the fourth and led most of the way.

But in the eighth, a single by Alex Call (Ball State), plus two walks and an error, brought in the tying run. T.J. Nichting (Charlotte) plated the go-ahead run with a single, and the Firebirds tacked on a pair of insurance runs.

Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) came out of the bullpen for the ninth and struck out the side to put the finishing touch on the comeback win. Parker Bean (Liberty) was credited with the victory.

The Firebirds are now 14-5 and have scored the most runs in the league while allowing the fewest.

 

Hyannis 5, Falmouth 1

Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) took over the league lead in strikeouts with another dominant start as first-place Hyannis eased past Falmouth. Deeg allowed just one hit and one unearned run in six innings of work while striking out six. The lefty now has a 0.32 ERA with 27 strikeouts – and just three walks – in 28 innings pitched. Marc Skinner (Troy) and Thomas Burrows (Alabama) followed Deeg to the hill and finished off the win. Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) had a three-run homer to lead the Hyannis attack, while Blake Tiberi (Louisville) had two hits. With Wareham idle, Hyannis moved back ahead by two games in the West standings.
 

Bourne 5, Y-D 3

Bourne rallied from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Red Sox at Red Wilson Field. The Braves touched up Y-D starter Shane Bieber (UC Santa Barbara) for eight hits and three earned runs in six innings. Bieber had tossed seven shutout innings in his last start. Josh Rogers (Louisville) gave up three runs in five innings for the Braves. Austin Conway (Indiana State) got the win in relief. Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) both homered for Bourne. Nick Solak (Louisville) added two hits and two RBI, raising his average to .356, good for second in the league. Y-D got a home run from Stephen Wrenn (Georgia).
 

Brewster 6, Chatham 3

Brewster got the best of Chatham ace T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh), who hadn’t allowed an earned run all summer, touching him up for three runs in four innings. The Whitecaps added three more against the Chatham bullpen, finishing with 14 hits. Robbie Tenerowicz (California) went 2-for-5 with a home run – his third – and three RBI. Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. The top four hitters in Brewster’s order – Colin Lyman (Louisville), Jack Meggs (Washington), Senzel and Tenerowicz – combined to go 9-for-19 with six runs scored. Brewster’s Hansen Butler (North Carolina) got the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. Brewster evened its record at 9-9 and is just two points behind Chatham, who dropped to 10-10.
 

What to Watch

The Cape League kicks off the holiday weekend with the first of two days of home-and-home rivalry tilts. Orleans and Chatham will begin their set at Veterans Field tonight. Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) gets the ball for Orleans as he goes for his league-best fourth win. Zac Gallen (North Carolina), a budding ace for the Tar Heels who went five scoreless with eight strikeouts in his last Anglers start, goes for Chatham.
 

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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.

    •  

    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
     

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    Beating the Best

    Richard Martin Jr. scored what proved to be the winning run as Bourne beat Harwich.
    Richard Martin Jr. scored what proved to be the winning run as Bourne beat Harwich.

     

    Harwich has been the most well-rounded team in the league so far this summer, with the most runs scored in the league and by far the fewest allowed. They’ve also shined in close games, winning two one-run games and two-run three-run games.

    But Bourne gave the Mariners a taste of their own medicine on Friday.

    The Braves scored two runs in the fifth, allowed one in the bottom half of the same inning and then slammed the door, beating Harwich 2-1. It was just the second loss for the Mariners, who dropped to 7-2. Bourne, now 6-3, grabbed hold of first place in the West.

    After getting shut-out through four by Harwich starter Jake Drossner (Maryland) Bourne scored its first run on an RBI groundout by Billy Fleming (West Virginia). Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) then raced home on a passed ball, which would prove to be a huge run.

    Harwich got one back on a Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) RBI single, but Bourne starter Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State) got Skye Bolt (North Carolina) to groundout to end the fifth.

    From there, the Braves bullpen took over, with Thomas Hatch (Oklahoma State) and Joey Strain (Winthrop) combining to allow just one hit over the final four innings. Bergen got the win after striking out seven in five innings. Strain picked up the save.

     

    Orleans 3, Cotuit 0

    Orleans won by shutout for the third time this season in a 3-0 victory over Cotuit. Trevor Megill (Loyola Marymount) went one scoreless frame before Nathan Bannister (Arizona) turned in his second straight four-inning stint of shutout baseball. Bannister was credited with the win. Reilly Hovis (North Carolina), Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) finished out the shutout. David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) led the offense with two hits and an RBI, while Edwin Rios (Florida International) picked up his league-leading ninth RBI.

     

    Brewster 4, Y-D 1

    The Whitecaps topped Y-D for their second straight win, improving to 5-4. Justin Montemayor (Houston) went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Gio Brusa (Pacific) went 2-for-4 and scored two runs, and Josh Vidales (Houston) went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Brewster scored three runs against Y-D starter Michael Murray (Florida Gulf Coast), who was one of the top pitchers in the nation this spring. On the mound for the Whitecaps, Ryan McCormick (St. John’s) allowed just a run on four hits in 5.2 innings.

     

    Wareham 7, Hyannis 5

    Wareham also won its second straight, holding off a late charge by Hyannis for a 7-5 victory. Andrew Knizner (NC State) went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Chris Chinea (LSU) drove in two. The Gatemen have put up double-digit hits in four consecutive games and now lead the league in hits with 89. On the mound, Ryan Olson (San Diego) gave up four runs but only one earned in 4.2 innings. Andrew Zapata (Connecticut) got the win in relief with Scott Effross (Indiana) grabbing the save. Hyannis got a home run from Ben DeLuzio (Florida State).

     

    Chatham 3, Falmouth 3

    The first tie of the Cape League season happened after 12 innings in Falmouth. The Commodores trailed until the eighth, when they took a 3-2 lead. Chatham answered with a run in the top of the ninth and that was it for the scoring. Matt Eureste (San Jacinto North) went 4-for-6 atop the Commodore lineup and now leads the league in hitting with a .500 average. Steven Duggar (Clemson) drove in two runs. Nicholas Cooney (Wesleyan) pitched six strong innings, while Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) kept Chatham off the board for the final three. Chatham’s Zac Gallen (North Carolina) went six shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. Ty Moore (UCLA), A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech), Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) and Landon Cray (Seattle) had two hits each.

     

    What to Watch

    Wareham will visit Orleans as it tries to win its third straight behind perhaps it best pitcher, Kentucky’s Kyle Cody. He struck out six in three innings in his first start. The Firebirds counter with Kolton Mahoney (BYU) who struck out seven in four innings of relief in his only other appearance.