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Veteran hitters primed to lead Anglers’ resurgence

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

FIVE TO WATCH

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

NOTABLE

  • Zack Burdi has followed in his brother’s footsteps at Louisville and Chatham – and in his radar gun readings. With Nick now in the Twins organization after being selected in second round of last year’s draft, Zack had the top fastball velocity in the Cape League last summer and assumed closer duties for the Cardinals this spring.

  • Chatham has had quite a few North Carolina aces in town over the years, and Zac Gallen joins the crew this season. Gallen struck out 74 in his sophomore season.

  • Thomas Jankins of Quinnipiac was the New England Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year last summer when he set a new league record in ERA at 0.40.

  • James Mulry had a tough season with Northeastern but he’s a Cape League veteran, having posted a 3.89 ERA for Harwich last year.

  • Chatham has the makings of a strong, sophomore-led offense with players on the heels of big seasons. No seasons were bigger than those of a pair of Wake Forest players who will head to Veterans Field. Will Craig earned ACC Player of the Year honors after hitting .382 with 13 homers and teammate Nate Mondou wasn’t far behind, with a .338 average and 10 homers.

  • LSU’s Jake Fraley hit .265 and stole 11 bases for the Anglers last summer. His potential has drawn praise from LSU coach Paul Mainieri since the start of his career and you would think he’s poised for a big summer.

  • The list goes on of solid offensive options, but the best news for the Anglers? Just one player – Fraley – is on a College World Series team.

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    PITCHERS

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

    CATCHERS

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

    INFIELDERS

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

    OUTFIELDERS

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

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    A Red Wilson Night

    Patrick Mazeika's three-run homer gave Chatham a lead in Tuesday's slugfest.
    Patrick Mazeika’s three-run homer gave Chatham a lead in Tuesday’s slugfest.

     

    Yarmouth’s Red Wilson Field has the shortest fences in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Home runs are more common there, and in turn, big run totals flow a little more easily.

    And every once in a while, the floodgates really open.

    Last night at Red Wilson, Chatham and Y-D combined for six home runs, 31 hits and 30 runs in a 16-14 Chatham victory. The 30 combined runs is the most in a Cape League game since 2010, when Y-D beat Orleans 23-10 in a playoff game . . . at Red Wilson Field. Two teams also hit 30 in the 2010 regular season, when Harwich beat Y-D 16-14 . . . at Red Wilson Field. (Two totals near 30 – a 17-12 game last year and a 16-10 game in 2012 – also happened in Yarmouth).

    Red Wilson’s latest show belonged to the Anglers, who scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning and stopped the slugfest in the bottom half. With the sun setting on the three-hour, 20-minute game, it was called after eight.

    Chatham hit two home runs and Y-D hit three. Chris Shaw (Boston College) had one of the blasts for Chatham as part of a big night. He went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and an RBI. Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) hit the other home run for the Anglers on his way to a 1-for-2, four-run, three-RBI game.

    The Anglers trailed 13-11 going into the eighth, but exploded immediately. Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) led off with a double and A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) traded places with him on an RBI double. After a base hit by Shaw, Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) doubled in the tying run. Y-D went to its bullpen, but Mazeika greeted reliever Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer) with a three-run homer, the biggest and the final blow in the night’s power surge.

    Kyle Davis (USC), who’s been one of the best relievers in the league this summer, came on to try and close the door for Chatham. Though even he couldn’t escape without giving up a run – his second of the year – Davis stranded two runners when he ended the game with a strikeout. Davis got the save for Zack Burdi (Louisville), who had gotten out of a jam in the seventh.

    Simmons and Landon Cray (Seattle) had three hits each for Chatham, while Murray and Mazeika drove in three runs apiece. Chatham has now scored the second-most runs in the league after ranking in the middle of the pack before last night.

    Y-D got two home runs from Hunter Cole (Georgia), plus one each from Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) and Ryan Hissey (William & Mary).

     

    Hyannis 14, Cotuit 2

    The Harbor Hawks weren’t at Red Wilson Field but may as well have been in the late innings of a 14-2 victory over Cotuit at Lowell Park. Leading 3-0 into the seventh, Hyannis scored 11 runs over the final three innings. The Harbor Hawks (9-4) have now scored the most runs in the league and are 3-0 against rival Cotuit (6-7). Bobby Melley (Connecticut), who was hitting .250 coming in after a huge spring for the Huskies, broke out with a 4-for-4, four RBI night. Kyle Survance (Houston) homered and drove in two, Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Jarret DeHart (LSU) had two RBI. Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana), pitching without a big lead, went six scoreless innings with three strikeouts for his third win in as many starts.

     

    Bourne 5, Orleans 2

    Making his ninth career Cape League start, Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) turned in perhaps his best performance as the West-leading Braves (10-3) topped Orleans (5-8). Kellogg went six scoreless innings, striking out four and scattering six hits. Thomas Hatch (Oklahoma State) and Lucas Laster (Mississippi State) finished off the win. Kellogg’s battery mate and ASU teammate Brian Serven homered for the Braves. Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) and Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) added two hits each.

     

    Harwich 4, Wareham 1

    The Mariners remained even with Bourne for the best record in the league thanks to a victory over Wareham. Michael Boyle (Radford) allowed just an unearned run in 5.1 innings for the win. Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) struck out four in 2.2 innings of relief and Seth McGarry (Florida Atlantic) pitched a perfect ninth for his first save. Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) homered to lead the offense, while Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) had three hits from the top of the lineup. Barrett owns a six-game hitting streak and is batting .400 on the year.

     

    Falmouth 8, Brewster 3

    The Commodores (5-7-1) snapped a five-game winless streak with a victory over Brewster (5-8). Steven Duggar (Clemson) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the offense, which hadn’t scored more than five runs since June 15. Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) added three RBI, while Trever Morrison (Oregon State) and Conner Hale (LSU) had two hits each. Matt Eureste (San Jacinto North) went 1-for-4 and continues to lead the league in hitting with a .414 average. On the mound for Falmouth, Matt Hall (Missouri State) turned in one of the team’s best starts of the summer, striking out five in seven scoreless innings. Hall is now tied for the league lead in strikeouts.

     

    What to Watch

    A good pitching match-up is lined up in Orleans, where the Firebirds send Brett Lilek (Arizona State) to the mound against Harwich’s James Mulry (Northeastern). Lilek, a standout this spring, struck out six in four scoreless innings in his first Cape League start. Mulry has a 1.39 ERA in two starts.

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    Anglers Sticking With What Works

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    chathamAfter a few rough years, the Chatham Anglers built the team they’d been looking for in 2013. It didn’t yield a championship – as Orleans ousted the Anglers on its way to the championship series – but I think if you asked anyone in the Chatham organization what they’re hoping for in 2014, they’d gladly take another season just like last year’s.

    The Anglers have certainly set the stage.

    The blueprint of mixing in stars with solid college players who might not be on the hype train worked well last year and is in play again this year. The Anglers don’t have a lot of guys who are on College World Series contenders, they aren’t likely to lose many players to Team USA, they don’t have all their eggs in a few college teams’ baskets and they have a lot of veterans.

    They have another team that should be mostly together from day one, and like last year, there’s been steady production from the future Anglers in the spring, with some stars doing big things, as well.

    Mix in five players who were part of last summer’s ride, and you’ve got a team that should contend again.

     

    THE SKINNY

    Manager: John Schiffner
    Last Year: 26-17-1; Lost in East Division Finals
    Returning Players: 5
    Juniors: 5
    Sophomores: 16
    Freshmen: 7

     

    NOTABLE

  • Landon Lassiter is probably Chatham’s top returning player. An on-base percentage master, Lassiter has been a key part of North Carolina’s lineup for two years now and fits in very well with the way the Anglers want to play.

  • Blake Butera is not Chatham’s top returning player, after hitting .196 last summer, but he too fits in well. When you hit below .200 but you start 34 of 44 games, you’re doing something right. As a junior with Cape League experience, he’ll be an anchor this year.

  • Louisville freshman Zack Burdi will follow his brother Nick’s footsteps to Chatham, where Nick lit up radar guns in 2012. Zack hasn’t gotten a ton of opportunities this year, but his brother took that path, too, posting an ERA over five in his first year in Louisville. He then had a breakout summer with Chatham, and Zack will be looking for the same.

  • San Diego sophomore P.J. Conlon grew up in California but was born in Northern Ireland. First player from Northern Ireland in the Cape? Entirely possible.

  • LSU freshman Jake Fraley has burst onto the scene in Baton Rouge, leading the team in hitting after starting the year on the bench. His meteoric rise prompted LSU head coach coach Paul Mainieri to say, ““I honestly believe we’re watching the evolution of maybe the next great LSU baseball player.” High praise.

  • Louisville’s Kyle Funkhouser – a returning Angler – will be perhaps the top incoming pitcher in the league, but he has also been invited to Team USA.

  • USC’s Kyle Davis would seem to have the inside track at the closer position. He’s saved nine games this spring.

  • Kennesaw State’s Jordan Hillyer has had a solid spring on the mound and has a Cape League idol to look up to. His battery mate with the Owls is most often Max Pentecost, the 2013 Cape League MVP.

  • Chris Shaw hit .196 for Boston College last year but became the Eagles best hitter in his sophomore season and should be poised for big things this summer.

  • Garrett Williams was a top 100 draft prospect last year but told teams not to draft him, because he planned on going to Oklahoma State. He hasn’t had a great debut with the Cowboys, but his track record certainly makes him a player to watch.
  • I thought Pat Mazeika might be one of the top hitters on the Cape last summer, but he played only briefly for Cotuit. He’s bound for Chatham this year with the same potential.

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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Kyle Funkhouser
    2. Jake Fraley
    3. Pat Mazeika
    4. Garrett Williams
    5. Chris Shaw

     

    PITCHERS

    Zack Burdi – RHP – 6’3 195 – Louisville – Freshman
    Jeff Burke – RHP – 6’5 220 – Boston College – Sophomore
    *Andrew Chin – LHP – 6’1 181 – Boston College – Junior
    P.J. Conlon – LHP – 6’0 175 – San Diego – Sophomore
    Paul Covelle – RHP – 6’0 195 – Franklin Pierce – Sophomore
    Kyle Davis – RHP – 6’0 190 – Southern California – Sophomore
    *Kyle Funkhouser – RHP – 6’3 213 – Louisville – Sophomore
    Jeff Gelinas – RHP – 6’4 200 – Maine – Freshman
    Bryan Goossens – RHP – 6’3 195 – Siena – Sophomore
    Jordan Hillyer – RHP – 6’1 205 – Kennesaw State – Sophomore
    Lucas Long – RHP – 6’1 185 – San Diego – Junior
    Max Tishman – LHP – 6’1 210 – Wake Forest – RS Freshman
    Mike Wallace – RHP – 6’5 165 – Fairfield – Sophomore
    Garrett Williams – LHP/OF – 6-2 195 – Oklahoma State – Freshman
    * – returning player

     

    Zack Burdi – RHP – 6’3 195
    Louisville
    Freshman

    The brother of former Angler flamethrower Nick Burdi, Zack is following in his brother’s footsteps at Louisville and will do the same in Chatham this summer. In his freshman year, he has seen action in 11 games and sports a 4.66 ERA.

    Jeff Burke – RHP – 6’5 220
    Boston College
    Sophomore

    Burke was among the busiest pitchers on the Eagles club last year, making 24 appearances with an ERA over five. He has moved into the weekend rotation this year and has yet to put up great numbers. Burke has a 5.04 ERA.

    Andrew Chin – LHP – 6’1 181
    Boston College
    Junior

    A fifth-round pick out of high school who redshirted after Tommy John surgery, Chin recaptured some of his form in an up-and-down summer with the Anglers last year. He’s been steadier this spring, going 5-2 with a 3.10 ERA, no easy task as a weekend starter in the ACC.

    P.J. Conlon – LHP – 6’0 175
    San Diego
    Sophomore

    Conlon won nine games and led the Toreros in ERA while pitching in a swing role last season. He slid into the weekend rotation this season and has had a decent campaign, going 7-2 with a 4.35 ERA. He ranks second on the team in strikeouts with 60.

    Paul Covelle – RHP – 6’0 195
    Franklin Pierce
    Sophomore

    After a strong freshman season in the Franklin Pierce bullpen, Covelle spent most of 2014 as a starter with solid results. He had a 3.62 ERA and struck out 56 in 59.2 innings.

    Kyle Davis – RHP – 6’0 190
    Southern California
    Sophomore

    Davis had an ERA over five as a reliever last spring but has left any struggles he had in the dust this season. Pitching as the Trojans’ closer, Davis has saved nine games and leads the team with a 1.33 ERA. He has struck out 43 in 47.1 innings.

    Kyle Funkhouser – RHP – 6’3 213
    Louisville
    Sophomore

    Funkhouser struck out 21 in 13 innings of relief for the Anglers last summer and was picked by Perfect Game as the Cape League’s 14th-best prospect. It was a sign of things to come. Pitching in the Cards’ weekend rotation this year, Funkhouser has emerged as an ace. He’s 12-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 99.1 innings. Funkhouser has been invited to Team USA.

    Jeff Gelinas – RHP – 6’4 200
    Maine
    Freshman

    Joining the Maine-to-Chatham pipeline, Gelinas heads south off a solid freshman campaign. He posted a 3.86 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 51.1 innings while pitching as both a starter and a reliever.

    Bryan Goossens – RHP – 6’3 195
    Siena
    Sophomore

    Goossens headed to Siena after a strong Massachusetts high school career. He had a pretty good debut season and moved to the weekend rotation this year, but has hit some struggles. He has a 5.90 ERA.

    Jordan Hillyer – RHP – 6’1 205
    Kennesaw State
    Sophomore

    A 20th-round pick out of high school, Hillyer pitched well in 10 appearances last spring. He grabbed a spot in the weekend rotation this year and has continued to pitch well, going 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA. He ranks second on the team in strikeouts. Hillyer pitched last summer in the NECBL, where Perfect Game tabbed him as the league’s 22nd-best prospect.

    Lucas Long – RHP – 6’1 185
    San Diego
    Junior

    After transferring from Arizona, Long spent last season at a junior college then pitched in two games for Orleans last summer. In a San Diego uniform this spring, Long leads the team in strikeouts with 62 in 71 innings and has a 2.43 ERA. He has started eight games and come out of the bullpen in 12 others.

    Max Tishman – LHP – 6’1 210
    Wake Forest
    RS Freshman

    A native of Boston, Tishman took a redshirt in his first year at Wake Forest. This season, he has made 26 appearances, second on the team, and has a 5.47 ERA.

    Mike Wallace – RHP – 6’5 165
    Fairfield
    Sophomore

    A New Jersey native, Wallace has had two very steady seasons as a starter for the Stags. He had a 3.39 ERA last year and has kept it in the same range this year at 3.32. He leads Fairfield in strikeouts with 54.

    Garrett Williams – LHP/OF – 6-2 195
    Oklahoma State
    Freshman

    Baseball America rated Williams the 15th-best high school prospect in the country for last year’s draft, but he told MLB clubs he was headed to Oklahoma State. In Stillwater, he has started seven games and made nine relief appearances, posting a 5.12 ERA but striking out 47 in 38.2 innings. At the plate, he has hit .222 in 16 appearances.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    *Blake Butera – UTIL – 5’9 175 – Boston College – Junior
    Nick Collins – C – 6’2 240 – Georgetown – Sophomore
    Kevin Fagan – OF – 6’0 195 – Stetson – Sophomore
    Jake Fraley – OF – 6’1 195 – LSU – Freshman
    Garrett Hampson – INF – 6’1 175 – Long Beach State – Freshman
    Jake Jefferies – INF – 6’1 195 – Cal. State Fullerton – Sophomore
    Justin Jones – INF – 5’11 180 – UNLV – Freshman
    *Landon Lassiter – INF – 6’1 188 – North Carolina – Sophomore
    Pat Mazeika – C/OF/1B – 6’3 210 – Stetson – Sophomore
    Ty Moore – OF – 6’0 190 – UCLA – Sophomore
    *A.J. Murray – 1B/OF – 6’1 215 – Georgia Tech – Junior
    *Hunter Redman – C – 6’0 190 – Texas Tech – Junior
    Chris Shaw – 1B/OF – 6’3 250 – Boston College – Sophomore
    Kal Simmons – IF – 6’1 190 – Kennesaw State – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     

    Blake Butera – UTIL – 5’9 175
    Boston College
    Junior

    Butera hit only .196 last summer for the Anglers, but he was a key piece to the puzzle nonetheless, playing in 34 games. He’s had a solid season in Chestnut Hill, hitting .269.

    Nick Collins – C – 6’2 240
    Georgetown
    Sophomore

    Collins led the Hoyas in batting average as a freshman and was even better this season. On his way to All-Big East honors, Collins hit .351 with a .421 OBP, two homers and 38 RBI, while splitting time between catcher and designated hitter. He was Perfect Game’s 14th-best prospect in the Cal Ripken League last summer.

    Kevin Fagan – OF – 6’0 195
    Stetson
    Sophomore

    Fagan earned Atlantic Sun All-Freshman honors last year and followed that up with a solid sophomore season. He hit .279 with a .372 OBP. He also made seven appearances on the mound and had a 2.51 ERA.

    Jake Fraley – OF – 6’1 195
    LSU
    Freshman

    The rare top-level baseball star from Delaware, Fraley headed south to LSU and has had a big impact in his freshman season. After seeing spot duty early on, Fraley has forced his way into the lineup by hitting a team-best .382 with three homers and 29 RBI.

    Garrett Hampson – INF – 6’1 175
    Long Beach State
    Freshman

    A Nevada high school standout, Hampson has had a strong debut with the Dirtbags. He leads the team in hitting at .316 and ranks third in OBP with a .354 mark. He’s also stolen eight bases.

    Jake Jefferies – INF – 6’1 195
    Cal. State Fullerton
    Sophomore

    The son of former Major Leaguer Gregg Jefferies, Jake was a 34th-round pick out of high school. He had a good freshman season with the Titans then starred in the Northwoods League last summer, hitting .358 and ranking 17th on Baseball America’s prospect list. Jefferies has hit a big sophomore slump this season, though, as he’ hitting just .147.

    Justin Jones – INF – 5’11 180
    UNLV
    Freshman

    A product of national baseball powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Jones has been a steady contributor for two seasons for the hometown Runnin’ Rebels. After hitting .287 last year, he’s at .281 this year with three home runs.

    Landon Lassiter – INF – 6’1 188
    North Carolina
    Sophomore

    Lassiter was a 16th-round pick out of high school and he hit .358 last year on his way to Freshman All-America honors. He hit .250 in 22 games for the Anglers last summer. His average is down to .300 this year but his OBP is still impressive at .417.

    Pat Mazeika – C/OF/1B – 6’3 210
    Stetson
    Sophomore

    Mazeika led the Atlantic Sun in hitting last year on his way to Freshman of the Year honors and a host of Freshman All-America accolades. After playing briefly for Cotuit last summer, he’ll head to Chatham off another strong campaign. Mazeika hit .354 with two homers and 18 doubles.

    Ty Moore – OF – 6’0 190
    UCLA
    Sophomore

    Moore hit .219 for the CWS champion Bruins as a freshman then hit .203 in the NECBL last summer. This year, he’s taken a step forward, ranking second on the team with a .293 batting average and leading in extra-base hits.

    A.J. Murray – 1B/OF – 6’1 215
    Georgia Tech
    Junior

    Murray burst onto the scene for Tech last season when he hit .271 after playing in just 12 games as a freshman. After a short stint with the Anglers last summer, Murray has continued to play well for the Yellow Jackets. He’s hitting .280 with four homers.

    Hunter Redman – C – 6’0 190
    Texas Tech
    Junior

    Redman spent the 2013 season in the junior college ranks then made some noise in 12 games with the Anglers last summer. In his first season in Lubbock, Redman has hit .269.

    Chris Shaw – 1B/OF – 6’3 250
    Boston College
    Sophomore

    Shaw flashed some pop last spring with six home runs, but they were six of only 27 hits, as he batted .165 in his freshman year. This season, everything has caught up to the power. Shaw leads the Eagles with a .329 average, six home runs and 45 RBI. The big sophomore year comes after a breakout campaign in the NECBL, where Shaw hit five homers and was named the league’s ninth-best prospect by Perfect Game.

    Kal Simmons – IF – 6’1 190
    Kennesaw State
    Sophomore

    Simmons had a great freshman year, hitting .290 and playing a solid shortstop en route to first-team all-conference honors. He’s hitting .277 this year.