Early Look: Harwich

Harwich Mariners
Manager: Steve Englert
2009 Record: 18-25-1

This preview took me about an hour longer than I expected. Just as I was writing the last of the bios, I stopped in at Harwich’s web site and saw some new names on the roster. Seven of them to be exact.

It might be that kind of summer for the Harwich Mariners.

Every year, someone wrestles with extreme amounts of roster turnover. Sometimes it doesn’t work out (Wareham ’08); sometimes it does (Bourne ’09). We’ll see which end of the spectrum Harwich ends up on, because at this point, it does look like the Mariners will have to do some serious shuffling. Six of their players have been invited to Team USA. Several others are on College World Series contenders. A handful are draft eligible.

But know this: that extra hour didn’t bother me much because the seven additions make up a really talented group. If all the changes turn out the same way, the Mariners will be fine.

As it stands now, the Mariners have a large and productive roster, particularly on the offensive side of things. LSU’s Mikie Mahtook is a familiar face for college baseball fans and he’ll be poised to make a run at Cape League top prospect honors if he doesn’t stick with Team USA. Steven Proscia is batting cleanup for the best team in the country, Levi Michael is a Cape veteran who’s having a big sophomore season. Clint Moore is perhaps the best player in Army history; Austin Nola one of the best defensive shortstops in the country. I could go on and on. There’s a lot to talk about.

The pitching staff has some big arms, and the biggest might end up being one you’ve probably never heard of. Division II star Joe Holtmeyer is one of the recent additions. There are some strong sophomore prospects in the fold, as well as a couple of highly-touted freshman.

It’s a good mix. But like those Wareham and Bourne teams from the past few years and countless others before them, success will hinge on a lot more than what happens on the field. That’s true of any Cape team, but it rings even truer for a team like this.

But I didn’t mind a little extra work tonight. As they work to sort everything out — and return to the glory of their 2008 championship — I’m sure the Harwich staff won’t mind either.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 2
Juniors: 5
Sophomores: 23
Freshmen: 5

Notable

Only two players are back for the Mariners, and one — Matt Price — is a draft-eligible sophomore. Still, with 23 sophomores and only five freshmen, the Mariners are a veteran club.

The term five-tool player gets thrown around a lot, but when you see Mikie Mahtook play, you’re seeing a true five-tool guy. He’s got it all.

LSU’s College World Series run last season was sparked in part by the emergence of three freshmen — Mahtook, Austin Nola and Matty Ott. All three are on the Harwich roster this summer, as well as the Team USA invite list.

Virginia’s rise to national prominence has had a pretty big impact in Harwich. Last year, the Cavaliers sent some big guns Harwich’s way and they’re doing it again this year with Steven Prosica and John Hicks. Both are having strong sophomore seasons.

The Mariners have two players whose brothers played in the Cape League. Tyler Pill’s brother Brett played for Orleans in 2005. Braden Kapteyn’s brother Wade played for Bourne in 2007.

As I mentioned above, you probably haven’t heard of Joe Holtmeyer. I hadn’t, but his is a name I’m not going to forget. Holtmeyer pitches for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and might be the first player from that school to ever play on the Cape. I think he’ll represent pretty well. Holtmeyer led Division II in strikeouts with 152, and he compiled them in just 87.1 innings. That means he struck out 1.75 batters per inning, which is unheard of. Obviously the level is different, but just for a reference point — not to compare in any way — Stephen Strasburg struck out 1.79 per inning last year. So keep an eye on Holtmeyer. It’ll be interesting to see how he does against the nation’s best.

Braden Kapteyn and Andrew Leenhouts were both summer standouts in other leagues last year, and they’ve been pretty impressive in their sophomore seasons. Northeastern’s Leenhouts has put up really good strikeout numbers.

This roster is so big that it’s tough to get a handle on the Harwich offense, but I think it’s going to be really good. The three new position players — Stewart Ijames, Taylor Motter and Max White have some of the best numbers on the team, and the team was already pretty stacked.

The Harwich outfield could be really special. Taylor Dugas and Mahtook are two of the best players in the SEC. Ronnier Richardson and Brian Goodwin are two of the most athletic freshmen in the country. Ijames is a power bat and Aaron Conway almost broke the Northwoods League stolen base record last summer.

I don’t remember many players from Army making it to the Cape, but Clint Moore looks like the perfect ambassador, in more ways than one. Not only has Moore had an outstanding career on the field, he was a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award, a prestigious honor given to the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete. It’s based on success as well as leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism.

Harwich could have a dynamic bullpen if things fall right. Daniel Burawa is a flamethrower for St. John’s while freshman Lex Rutledge has been dominant as Samford’s closer. Ott was one of the nation’s best closers last season.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Mikie Mahtook
2. Steven Proscia
3. Joe Holtmeyer
4. Stewart Ijames
5. Levi Michael

Pitchers

Daniel Burawa – RHP – 6’3 215 – St. John’s – Junior
Dylan Floro- RHP – 6’2 180 – Cal State Fullerton – Freshman
Sean Gilmartin – LHP – 6’2 192 – Florida State – Sophomore
Joe Holtmeyer – RHP – 6’3 230 – Nebraska at Omaha – Sophomore
Pierce Johnson – RHP – 6’2 165 – Missouri State – Freshman
Braden Kapteyn – RHP – 6’4 220 – Kentucky – Sophomore
Andrew Leenhouts – LHP – 6’3 190 – Northeastern – Sophomore
Will Locante – LHP – 6’0 190 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Kyle McKenzie – RHP – 6’0 165 – Tulane – Freshman
Adam Morgan – LHP – 6’1 180 – Alabama – Sophomore
Matty Ott – RHP – 6’1 184 – LSU – Sophomore
*Matt Price – RHP – 6’2 163 – Virginia Tech – Sophomore
Tyler Pill – RHP – 6’1 180 – Cal State Fullerton – Sophomore
Matt Ramsey – RHP – 5’10 208 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Nick Routt – LHP – 6’4 198 – Mississippi State – Sophomore
Lex Rutledge – LHP – 6’1 185 – Samford – Freshman
Ryan Sharpley – RHP – 6’4 210 – Notre Dame – Junior
Mike Wright – RHP – 6’5 185 – East Carolina – Sophomore

* – returning player
(Stats as of May 23)

Daniel Burawa – RHP – 6’3 215
St. John’s
Junior

Burawa started his career at Suffolk County Community College in New York. He transferred to St. John’s and didn’t see any action last year, but he has shined this season. Pitching as the Red Storm’s closer, he has eight saves with a 2.41 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 18.2 innings. One report I read says Burawa has run his fastball up to 95 this season.

Dylan Floro – RHP – 6’2 180
Cal State Fullerton
Freshman

Floro was projected to go as high as the second round in last year’s draft, but he lasted until the 20th and stuck with his commitment to Fullerton. The Titans are happy to have him. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen as a freshman, Floro leads the team with a 2.79 ERA. He’s 5-0 with 40 strikeouts in 58 innings. He has issued just five walks all season.

Sean Gilmartin – LHP – 6’2 192
Florida State
Sophomore

Gilmartin was one of the best freshman pitchers in the country a year ago when he went 12-3 with a 3.49 ERA. He was initially on Cotuit’s roster last year but ended up playing briefly as a position player in the NECBL instead. This spring, Gilmartin is 6-6 with a 4.63 ERA. In 83.2 innings, he has struck out 86. He’s also hitting .405 in 42 at-bats. He’s a Team USA invitee.

Joe Holtmeyer – RHP – 6’3 230
Nebraska at Omaha
Sophomore

Pitching for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a Division II program, Holtmeyer earned first-team All-American nods with an amazing season. He went 9-2 with a 2.89 ERA, but most impressively, he struck out 152 and walked just 35 in 87.1 innings. He led Division II in strikeouts by a pretty wide margin. Holtmeyer’s fastball has reportedly been clocked in the mid-90s.

Pierce Johnson – RHP – 6’2 165
Missouri State
Freshman

The Rays liked Johnson enough to make him a 15th-round pick last year despite the fact that he saw limited innings in his senior season because of a broken hand. Johnson opted to attend Missouri State anyway. He has pitched as a starter and a reliever and currently has a 7.15 ERA. He has struck out almost a batter an inning, but he’s walked almost as many as he has struck out.

Braden Kapteyn – RHP – 6’4 220
Kentucky
Sophomore

Kapteyn was part of a talented recruiting class that arrived in Lexington last year, and he’s flashed as much potential as any member of that class. A two-way player, Kapteyn hit .319 as a freshman and had some success pitching out of the bullpen. Over the summer, he really broke out in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. On his way to being named the league’s top prospect by Baseball America, Kapteyn hit .319 with four home runs and went 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA and a remarkable 72 strikeouts in 47.1 innings. He’s hitting .294 this year and has a 4.09 ERA.

Andrew Leenhouts – LHP – 6’3 190
Northeastern
Sophomore

Leenhouts had a strong first season for the Huskies, posting a 2.37 ERA out of the bullpen. Over the summer, he was named the Atlantic Collegiate League’s sixth-best prospect by Baseball America. This spring, it’s been easy to see why scouts thought so highly of him. Leenhouts is currently 3-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.

Will Locante – LHP – 6’0 190
Tennessee
Sophomore

Locante made the second-most appearances by a freshman in school history last year, and though his ERA ended up over six, he struck out 31 in 21 innings. This season, Locante leads the team in appearances again and has a 7.36 ERA.

Kyle McKenzie – RHP – 6’0 165
Tulane
Freshman

A Boston native who attended Thayer Academy, McKenzie was ranked as the top prospect in Massachusetts last year. Baseball America had him labeled as eighth-to-10th round talent, but with his commitment to Tulane, he didn’t go until the 30th round. McKenzie has pitched mostly in relief for the Green Wave this year and it’s been a bit of a struggle. He has an 8.47 ERA.

Adam Morgan – LHP – 6’1 180
Alabama
Sophomore

Morgan was much better as a starter last year than a reliever, posting a 2.96 ERA in nine starts and an ERA over 12 in four relief appearances. He’s starting full-time this season with mixed results. He’s currently 5-4 with a 6.38 ERA. He has struck out 58 in 72 innings, but he’s also given up 95 hits.

Matty Ott – RHP – 6’1 184
LSU
Sophomore

Ott exploded onto the college baseball scene last year when he became LSU’s closer and set a school saves record for the eventual CWS champion Tigers. He ended up with a 2.68 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. He earned several All-America nods and was also named SEC Co-Freshman of the Year. The numbers in Ott’s second season haven’t been as good. He’s got 11 saves but also a 6.64 ERA.

Matt Price – RHP – 6’2 163
Virginia Tech
Sophomore

Price had some ups and downs as a freshman pitching in the weekend rotation last year, but he followed that with a solid summer for the Mariners. He ended up with a 2.97 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. This year, Price has gone 7-3 with a 4.50 ERA. In 80 innings, he has struck out 76 and walked only 23. He’s a draft-eligible sophomore.

Tyler Pill – RHP – 6’1 180
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore

Pill followed in the footsteps of brother Brett and made an immediate impact at Fullerton last year. Stepping into a gap in the weekend rotation, Pill set school freshman records in wins, shutouts and winning percentage. This season, Pill is 4-4 with a 3.36 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. He also sees regular action for the Titans when he’s not on the mound and he’s currently hitting .347 with five home runs. Pill has been invited to Team USA.

Matt Ramsey – RHP – 5’10 208
Tennessee
Sophomore

Like his teammate Locante, Ramsey hasn’t been lights out in his relief career, but he’s put up impressive strikeout numbers along the way. Last year, he fanned 44 in 36.1 innings. This year, he’s brought his ERA down to 4.28 while striking out 43 in 35.2 innings. Ramsey was a 46th-round pick out of high school.

Nick Routt – LHP – 6’4 198
Mississippi State
Sophomore

Routt was a weekend starter from day one last season and charted a 4.15 ERA, good enough to earn a few Freshman All-America nods. This season, an injury sidelined Routt for a while. He’s 1-1 with a 6.52 ERA. He has struck out 21 in 19.1 innings.

Lex Rutledge – LHP – 6’1 185
Samford
Freshman

Rutledge was a 26th-round pick out of high school. In the midst of his outstanding freshman campaign, you can bet Samford is happy he didn’t sign. Rutledge has pitched as the team’s closer this spring and he has been impressive. He currently sports a 1.20 ERA to go with 11 saves. In 45 innings, he has struck out 61 and walked only 15.

Ryan Sharpley – RHP – 6’4 210
Notre Dame
Junior

Sharpley made his first Cape League appearance two years ago, when he pitched for Hyannis in 2008. He missed all of last spring, summer and fall with an injury. Sharpley was a top prospect coming out of high school, so the ability is there. This season, while working his way back to full strength, Sharpley has 0-1 with an 8.22 ERA in nine appearances.

Mike Wright – RHP – 6’5 185
East Carolina
Sophomore

Wright didn’t have a great first season with the Pirates but he delivered a solid summer last year in the Coastal Plain League. This spring, the tall righty has gone 2-2 with a 6.35 ERA, but some of his other numbers have been a little more impressive. In 28.1 innings, he has struck out 28 and walked only three.

Position Players

John Hicks – C/1B – 6’2 205 – Virginia – Sophomore
Craig Manuel – C – 6’2 200 – Rice – Sophomore
Pratt Maynard – C – 6’0 210 – North Carolina State – Sophomore
Andrew Ciencin – INF – 6’1 205 – North Carolina State – Sophomore
Dan Evatt – INF – 6’2 – 218 – Baylor – Junior
*Levi Michael – INF – 5’11 175 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Clint Moore – INF – 5’11 190 – Army – Junior
Taylor Motter – INF – 6’1 205 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
Austin Nola – INF – 5’11 185 – LSU – Sophomore
Steven Proscia – INF – 6’2 215 – Virginia – Sophomore
Max White – INF – 6’0 196 – Oklahoma – Freshman
John Wooten – INF – 6’4 197 – East Carolina – Freshman
Aaron Conway – OF – 5’8 170 – Missouri State – Junior
Taylor Dugas – OF – 5’7 165 – Alabama – Sophomore
Stewart Ijames – OF – 6’1 205 – Louisville – Sophomore
Mikie Mahtook – OF – 6’1 196 – LSU – Sophomore
Ronnie Richardson – OF – 5’7 175 – Central Florida – Freshman
Brian Goodwin – OF – 6’0 190 – North Carolina – Freshman

* – returning player

John Hicks – C/1B – 6’2 205
Virginia
Sophomore

As a freshman, Hicks played at several different positions and was a key part of Virginia’s run to the College World Series. He finished with a .307 average and eight home runs. This year, Hicks has settled in at first base for the top-ranked Cavaliers and has been a consistent performer while starting all but two games. He’s currently hitting .297 with seven home runs and 41 RBI.

Craig Manuel – C – 6’2 200
Rice
Sophomore

Manuel had a solid freshman season for the Owls, working his way into a fair mount of playing time and hitting .292. He also excelled behind the plate. This season, Manuel has been in a similar position and is hitting .275.

Pratt Maynard – C – 6’0 210
North Carolina State
Sophomore

Primarily a pitcher in high school, Maynard converted to catcher at NC State and became an intriguing prospect pretty quickly. After hitting .261 as a freshman, he blossomed in the Coastal Plain League, batting .318 with four home runs. Baseball America tabbed him as the league’s third-best prospect. This spring, Maynard has continued his ascendance, hitting .286 with 10 home runs, 11 doubles and 46 RBI.

Andrew Ciencin – 2B/3B – 6’1 205
North Carolina State
Sophomore

Ciencin broke into the starting lineup as a freshman and ended up leading the Wolfpack in batting and slugging. After a solid summer teaming with Maynard on the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League, Ciencin has become a force in the middle of the Wolfpack order this spring. He’s hitting .314 with nine home runs and 19 doubles, and ranks third in the ACC with 68 RBI.

Dan Evatt – INF – 6’2 – 218
Baylor
Junior

After getting picked in the 45th round out of high school in 2007, Evatt redshirted his first season in Waco. Last year, he made his debut and hit .308 for the Bears with seven home runs. This season, Evatt is hitting .213

Levi Michael – INF – 5’11 175
North Carolina
Sophomore

Michael graduated from high school early so that he would be enrolled at North Carolina in time for last season. Young as he was, he managed to hit .290 with 13 home runs as a freshman. After hitting .247 for Harwich last summer, Michael has emerged as an all-conference caliber player for the Tar Heels. He’s hitting a team-best .355 with eight home runs, 13 doubles and 50 RBI.

Clint Moore – SS – 5’11 190
Army
Junior

Moore has become one of the best players in Army baseball history in his three years at West Point. He hit .395 last year with 11 home runs, 18 doubles and 65 RBI, earning several All-American honors. This season, he’s hitting .311 with seven home runs, eight doubles and 33 RBI.

Taylor Motter – INF – 6’1 205
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore

Motter made a big impact for the Chanticleers as a freshman, hitting .286 and starting all but one of the team’s games. This season, Motter has been a mainstay again and he’s putting up better numbers. As a key piece of a powerful lineup, he’s currently hitting .330 with nine home runs, 17 doubles and 42 RBI.

Austin Nola – SS – 5’11 185
LSU
Sophomore

Nola’s insertion into the starting lineup last year at shortstop solidified the defense and had a lot to do with LSU’s run to the national championship. Nola ended up hitting .240 but excelled with the glove. Over the summer, he was named the eighth-best prospect in the Prospect League by Baseball America. This year, he’s hitting .316 with five home runs, 12 doubles and 46 RBI. In the field, he’s made six errors all season. Nola has been invited to Team USA.

Steven Proscia – 3B – 6’2 215
Virginia
Sophomore

Proscia hit .333 with 10 home runs as a freshman and was predicted by Baseball America to be a breakout star this season. While his numbers haven’t been eye-popping, all you need to know is that Proscia hasn’t moved from the clean-up spot all year for the No. 1 team in the country. And the numbers have been good: he’s hitting .317 with eight home runs, 16 doubles and a team-best 58 RBI.

Max White – INF – 6’0 196
Oklahoma
Freshman

White was one of the top high school players in Oklahoma and he has lived up to the potential this season in Norman. He’s hitting .321 with 14 home runs, 11 doubles and 39 RBI.

John Wooten – INF – 6’4 197
East Carolina
Freshman

Wooten was a 20th-round pick out of high school last year and he has made an immediate impact in his first season with the Pirates. While starting almost all of ECU’s games, Wooten has hit .311 with nine home runs, 10 doubles and 40 RBI. He was projected to contend for a starting job at first base, but he has settled in at shortstop instead. He’s also been batting cleanup.

Aaron Conway – OF – 5’8 170
Missouri State
Junior

Conway has been pretty steady in his Missouri State career, hitting around .300 and bringing plenty of speed to the table. After stealing 18 bases in the spring of last year, he stole 44 in 47 tries in the Northwoods League over the summer, coming one shy of the league record. This season, Conway is hitting .286 with seven homers, seven doubles and 23 steals.

Taylor Dugas – OF – 5’7 165
Alabama
Sophomore

Dugas hit .352 and earned Freshman All-America recognition last year, but had vaulted to another level this year. As a fixture atop the Crimson Tide lineup, Dugas finished the regular season ranked fourth in the SEC with a .404 batting average. He hit 13 doubles, four triples and a home run and also stole 17 bases. Dugas has been invited to Team USA.

Stewart Ijames – OF – 6’1 205
Louisville
Sophomore

Ijames had a fantastic freshman year in Louisville before an injury cost him his sophomore season. He got healthy in time for the summer, though, and was named the eighth-best prospect in the Coastal Plain League by Baseball America. Back with the Cards this season, Ijames is hitting .344 with 12 home runs, 16 doubles and 57 RBI.

Mikie Mahtook – OF – 6’1 196
LSU
Sophomore

Like his teammate Nola, Mahtook emerged as a freshman and was a key piece of LSU’s championship run. Mahtook is an athletic center-fielder with five-tool potential, and he’s living up to it this season. As one of the top sophomores in the country, Mahtook is hitting .333 with 13 homers, 18 doubles, 46 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Also like Nola, Mahtook is a Team USA invitee.

Ronnie Richardson – OF – 5’7 175
Central Florida
Freshman

Richardson was drafted in the 11th round last year out of high school, largely because of his tremendous speed, which rates as a 70 on the 20-80 scale. He opted not to sign with the Twins and he’s had a solid first season with Central Florida. He’s hitting .297 with four homers, nine doubles, two triples and 12 stolen bases.

Brian Goodwin – OF – 6’0 190
North Carolina
Freshman

Goodwin follows in a long line of talented Tar Heel freshman who’ve come to the Cape over the years. An athletic outfielder, Goodwin was drafted in the 17th round last June and had been projected to go even higher. When he opted not to sign, he became one of the most hyped incoming freshman in the land. In his first season, he’s hitting .293 with seven home runs, 12 doubles and seven triples.