all-stars: west division

A player-by-player look at the 2007 Cape Cod Baseball League all-star game, which will be held Saturday, July 28 at 6 p.m. in Wareham. All stats mentioned below are as of July 21.

WEST STARTERS

C – Josh Phegley – Wareham
Freshman
Indiana
5’11” 195
.293, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .707 OPS

Phegley joins Harwich’s Cole Figueroa as the only two freshmen starters in the all-star game. Phegley has started 20 games behind the plate for the Gatemen and has been consistent throughout. Phegley is coming off a so-so year with Indiana, when he hit just .232 without a home run.

1B – Shane Peterson – Hyannis
Sophomore
Long Beach State
6’0″ 185
.340, 1 HR, 17 RBI, .888 OPS

Peterson has been one of the top hitters in the league, putting up 11 extra-base hits to go with his high average while playing both at first base and in the outfield. He also has an OBP of .407, 67 points higher than his batting average. As a sophomore at Long Beach, Peterson hit .327.

2B – Kevin Hoef – Bourne
Sophomore
Iowa
6’2″ 195
.350, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .782 OPS

Hoef has played exclusively at third base for Bourne but slides over to second for the all-star game. Second base is probably the best fit for Hoef anyway, considering his lack of power. But that’s not taking anything away from him. Hoef has hit for average since the day he arrived and he hasn’t let up. Just as impressive as his average though, is his on-base percentage of .469, which is near the top of the league. As a sophomore for Iowa, Hoef hit .300.

3B – Conor Gillaspie – Falmouth
Sophomore
Wichita St.
6’1″ 200
.356, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 1.165 OPS

Gillaspie is neck-and-neck with Y-D’s Gordon Beckham for the best all-around numbers on the Cape, and Gillaspie’s batting average might put him over the top. He leads the league in that spot, is third in home runs, third in doubles, fourth in on-base percentage, and first in slugging percentage. Gillaspie has also flashed a good glove at third, where he’s made just two errors in 20 games. This spring for Wichita, Gillaspie hit .325 with six home runs. The year before, the left-handed hitter was a freshman all-american after posting a .352 batting average.

SS – Reese Havens – Cotuit
Sophomore
South Carolina
6’1″ 195
.299, 2 HR, 13 RBI, .797 OPS

Havens is one of the most well-thought of prospects on the Cape and after a somewhat slow start, he’s really coming around and putting up the stats to match his tools. Havens is an all-star starter for the second consecutive year. Last summer, he finished with a .266 average. This spring for the Gamecocks, Havens hit .274.

LF – Aja Barto – Falmouth
Sophomore
Tulane
6’5″ 225
.298, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .783 OPS, 13 SB

Barto brings a lot of size and ability to the table and he is delivering this summer. His .298 average is solid, and despite 38 strikeouts, he has a .398 on-base percentage. Barto has also stolen 13 bases, flashing unusual speed for a guy who’s 6’5″ and 225 pounds. This is a much better summer for Barto than ’06, when he played for Falmouth and hit .216. For Tulane, Barto hit .269 this spring.

CF – Ben Guez – Bourne
Sophomore
William & Mary
6’0″ 175
.272, 3 HR, 23 RBI, .813 OPS

Guez was a temporary player when the summer began, but he did so well early on that he earned himself a permanent spot — and now he’s an all-star. Guez has nine extra-base hits and a solid 23 RBI, which ties him for third in the league. Guez also has a .386 on-base percentage. This spring for William & Mary, Guez hit .270.

RF – Matt Hague – Falmouth
Junior
Washington
6’3″ 225
.321, 2 HR, 16 RBI, .888 OPS

Hague arrived on the Cape after his junior year looking to improve his status, and I’d say he’s done it. The big outfielder/first baseman is near the top in several offensive categories, this after a big spring at Washington where he hit .353 with 13 home runs. Hague was an 11th-round pick in ’07, but it appears he’ll be coming back for his senior year and aiming higher. It has been reported that Hague is transferring to Clemson for his final season.

DH – Dan Brewer – Hyannis
Sophomore
Bradley
6’0″ 180
.330, 4 HR, 18 RBI, .936 OPS

Brewer wasn’t on many leaderboards a few weeks ago, but he has caught fire of late and turned into one of the best hitters in the West division. Playing mostly in the outfiled while filling in on the infield, Brewer has 12 extra-base hits in 29 games and also has six steals. For BRadley this spring, Brewer hit .313 with 20 steals.

RHP – Aaron Crow
Sophomore
Missouri
6’2″ 201
3-1, .64 ERA, 25 K in in 28.1 IP, .75 WHIP

Three of Crow’s Falmouth rotation-mates could have been mentioned this spot, but Crow is the clear choice to start the game — he’s been the most dominant pitcher on the Cape from day one. He has allowed just two earned runs and only 16 hits in 28.1 innings. He has struck out 25 and walked just five. According to Derek at capeprospects.com, Crow has a 93-96 mph fastball, which establishes him right there as one of the top arms in the league. Crow has put up the numbers to match, too, which is all the more impressive. This spring for Missouri, Crow was a workhorse, throwing 117.2 innings and finishing with a 3.59 ERA.

WEST RESERVES

C – Robert Stock – Cotuit
Freshman
USC
6’3″ 190
.261, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .755 OPS

Stock has long been one of the top prospects in the country and he made waves last year when he skipped his senior year of high school to enroll at USC. It was certainly an adjustment, and Stock hit just .253. It’s been a similar adjustment on the Cape, but Stock has continued to hold hiw own and probably hasn’t done much to change his status. He has six extra-base hits and has struck out just eight times in 69 at-bats. Stock has also been used out of the bullpen and has three saves.

IF – James Darnell – Hyannis
Sophomore
South Carolina
6’2″ 195
.256, 6 HR, 18 RBI, .888 OPS

Darnell played last summer on the Cape and hit just .246. His average isn’t way up from there this summer, but his power numbers are. He ranks second in the league in home runs. Darnell was South Carolina’s leading hitter this spring, posting a .331 average with 19 home runs.

OF – Josh Satin – Bourne
Junior
California
6’2″ 190
.263, 4 HR, 20 RBI, .824 OPS

Satin played for Orleans last summer and is back this year with Bourne. He has flashed a little more power and also has a .390 on-base percentage, more than 120 points higher than his batting average. Satin hit .287 for Cal this spring.

RHP – Kyle Gibson – Falmouth
Freshman
Missouri
6’5″ 183
1-0, 1.06 ERA, 37 K in 34 IP, .88 WHIP

Gibson joins Orlean’s Brad Boxberger as the only freshmen pitchers in the all-star game, and Gibson surely deserves it. Though he has somehow recorded only one decision, he has put up dominant numbers. In six starts, he’s allowed just four earned runs and he’s posted 37 strikeouts to go with just six walks. With a projectible frame, Gibson will continue to make scouts take notice. This spring, Gibson didn’t put up a great ERA (4.12) but he did strike out 77 in 67.2 innings.

RHP – T.J. Hose – Bourne
Junior
East Carolina
6’0″ 186
3-2, 1.27 ERA, 26 K in 28.1 IP, 1.07 WHIP

Hose wasn’t on the Bourne roster at the beginning of the season, so he’s sort of come out of nowhere. But he’s definitely somewhere now. Hose has been one of the top starters for the first-place Braves and his numbers match up against any starter in the league. This spring for ECU, Hose finished with a 3.97 ERA.

LHP – Wade Miley – Wareham
Sophomore
SE Louisiane
6’2″ 195
1-5, 1.86 ERA, 46 K in 48.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP

Miley has been the hardest working starter on the Cape, leading the league in innings pitched. And though he has little to show for it in his record, he still gets a well-deserved all-star nod. He is second in the league in strikeouts. This spring for SE Louisiana, Miley had a 3.86 ERA.

RHP – Josh Lindblom – Cotuit
Sophomore
Purdue
6’5″240
4-0 , 3.29 ERA, 29 K in 27.1 IP, 1.33 WHIP

Lindblom has the build of a power pitcher and he has put up decent numbers in a relif role. I don’t know for sure with Lindblom, but I’m guessing his spot on the team has to do with scouts wanting to see him, because there are surely relievers with better numbers. Lindblom played for Tennessee his freshman year before transferring to Purdue, where he had a 4.13 ERA, mostly as a starter. He struck out 51 and walked just 10.

LHP – Christian Friedrich – Falmouth
Sophomore
Eastern Kentucky
6’3″ 208
3-1, 1.86 ERA, 42 K in 29 IP, 1.31 WHIP

Friedrich is another piece of Falmouth’s dominant starting rotation, with his strikeouts being the biggest part of his repertoire. He leads the league in that category, and he’s been pretty unhittable, allowing just 20 hits in 29 innings. Friedrich is a big prospect by all accounts, and he is certainly delivering. For Eastern Kentucky, Friedrich had a 2.09 ERA and struck out 101 in 81.2 IP.

RHP – Chris Hicks – Wareham
Sophomore
Georgia Tech
6’3″ 205
0-0, .59 ERA, 16 K in 15.1 IP, .73 WHIP, 7 SV

Hicks has been the closer for Wareham and has saved seven of the team’s 12 wins. He has posted a lot of strikeouts in limited opportunities, and more impressive, he’s walked just one. Hicks struggled for Georgia Tech this spring, finishing with a 7.29 ERA, but he’s been very good this summer.

RHP – Jordan Flasher – Bourne
Sophomore
George Mason
5’11” 165
2-0, 1.72 ERA, 19 K in in 15.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 5 SV

Flasher isn’t the biggest guy in the world, but that doesn’t stop him from being a dominant closer. He saved 14 games for George Mason and led the team in ERA this spring. He’s picked up where he left off on the Cape, with solid all-around numbers.

RHP – Tyler Stohr – Hyannis
Sophomore
North Florida
6’2″ 205
0-0, 2.08 ERA, 14 K in 13 innings, 1.46 WHIP, 5 SV

Stohr has put up good numbers in the closer’s role for Hyannis, a welcome change for the sophomore. For North Florida this spring, Stohr had a 7.46 ERA out of the bullpen. He’s been more than reliable this summer.

RHP – Luke Burnett – Falmouth
Sophomore
Louisiana Tech
6’8″ 260
2-1, 4.86 ERA, 28 K in 16.2 IP, 1.42 WHIP, 3 SV

Burnett’s ERA leaves something to be desired, but his size and his fastball do not. At 6’8″, he’s one of the tallest players in the league, and he has the power arm to go with his big body. The 28 strikeouts are all the more impressive when you take into account his six walks. Burnett has worked exclusively out of the pen for Falmouth after starting for La. Tech, where he went 5-8 with a 4.93 ERA.

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