Young talent leads Commodores

Falmouth missed the playoffs last season but has a talented team ready for a return trip.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Luken Baker
2. Brady Puckett
3. J.J. Matijevic
4. Bryce Montes de Oca
5. Brady Singer

NOTABLE

The Falmouth roster no longer includes the guy who stole all the headlines in the preseason. Missouri State All-American Jake Burger is on the Team USA roster. But there’s plenty of talent left . . .

A late addition who stands as a good replacement for Burger is TCU freshman Luken Baker. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year came in highly touted and has been a force at the plate and on the mound. He’s also at his best right now, coming off four home runs in the Big 12 Tournament.

Baker is one of 12 freshmen on the roster – a high number – but there’s quite a pedigree for a lot of them. Florida’s Brady Singer was the highest unsigned high school pick in the draft last year, Tyler Holton and Cole Sands grabbed spots in the Florida State rotation right off the bat, and Josh Watson leads a powerful TCU team in home runs.

The Commodores will have some veterans to lean on around the youth. J.J. Matijevic was a breakout star for the Commodores last summer and is one of the few returning Cape League all-stars. Stephen Villines and Evan Skoug are also slated to be back after a good summer.

Brady Puckett, who’s penciled in as the opening night starter for the Commodores, had a fantastic sophomore season en route to Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year honors. He’s also 6-foot-8.

Cadyn Grenier didn’t have a great first season at Oregon State but has the credentials. He was a 21st-round pick who was mentioned as a possible first-round pick last year.

Dallas Baptist continued its emergence as a baseball power this year and will send three players to Falmouth.

In addition to Baker’s success at TCU, Falmouth has Skoug and Watson hitting in the middle of the Frogs’ order.

Missouri’s Bryce Montes de Oca, another 6-foot-8 pitcher, lit up the radar gun last summer as he continued a comeback after Tommy John surgery in high school. Unfortunately, he was shut down after .1 inning this year and had surgery, but this indicates he starts rehab in June, so he may still pitch for Falmouth.

PITCHERS

Jake Bird – SO – UCLA – Had solid freshman season before struggling to ERA over six this season
Seth Elledge – FR – Dallas Baptist – One of the nation’s leaders in saves, racked up 14 with 1.61 ERA, 31 Ks in 28 innings
Glenn Otto – SO – Rice – Busy reliever for Owls tallied eight saves and struck out 76 in 71.2 innings
Brett Gilchrist – FR – Dallas Baptist – Two-sport standout struggled in first year with DBU, finishing with 14.54 ERA in 10 appearances
Tyler Holton – FR – Florida State – Two-way player having more luck on mound in first year, with 2.92 ERA, team-best 78 Ks
Cole Sands – FR – Florida State – Went 6-6 with 4.21 ERA in weekend rotation for Seminoles, striking out 46 in 66.1 innings
Tyler Jones – SO – Wichita State – Pitched out of the bullpen for Shockers, finishing with 6.18 ERa, 35 Ks in 39.1 innings
Turner Larkins – SO – Texas A&M – Working as a starter and reliever for Aggies, has 2.82 ERA, 35 Ks in in 38.1 innings
Brady Singer – FR – Florida – Highest unsigned high school pick in the 2015 draft, has 4.95 ERA in relief for Gators
Corbin Martin – SO – Texas A&M – Has struck out 33 in in 26.1 innings pitched out of bullpen for Super Regional-bound Aggies
Stephen Villines – SO – Kansas – Standout closer for Jayhawks and Falmouth last summer had 5 SV, 2.13 ERA this year
Bryce Montes de Oca – SO – Missouri – Flamethrower who flashed potential with ‘Dores last year pitched just .1 inning this year
Kyle Nelson – SO – UC Santa Barbara – Standout reliever on Gauchos’ first-ever Super Regional squad has 2.08 ERA, 84 Ks in 69.1 IP
Thomas Ponticelli – FR – San Francisco – Grabbed Saturday starter role as a freshman and finished with 5.94 ERA with 44 Ks
Brady Puckett – SO – Lipscomb – Six-foot-eight righty earned A-Sun Pitcher of the Year after going 9-2, 2.93 ERA, 101 Ks in 107.2 IP
Bo Tucker – SO – Georgia – Posted 3.71 ERA and three saves while striking out a batter an inning out of Georgia bullpen

CATCHERS

Matt Duce – FR – Dallas Baptist – Delivered strong debut for regional club, batting .321 with 4 HR, 30 RBI
J.J. Matijevic – SO – Arizona – Finished third in Cape League in AVG last year and batted .289 with 4 HR in sophomore season
Evan Skoug – SO – TCU – Major run producer for Frogs batting .290 with 9 HR, 50 RBI, team-best 30 XBH

INFIELDERS

Luken Baker – FR – TCU – Projected as one of the top frosh in the nation and hasn’t disappointed — .382 with 8 HR, 54 RBI plus 1.70 ERA
Tristan Gray – SO – Rice – Returning Commodore hit .295 with five homers for Owls this spring
Dane Myers – SO – Rice – Also a pitcher, hit .264 with two home runs and saved seven games out of Owls bullpen
Cadyn Grenier – FR – Oregon State – Highly touted freshman struggled a bit in debut, hitting .240
Deacon Liput – FR – Florida – 39th round pick out of high school has started all but one game for Gators and is hitting .277 with 13 SBs
Matt McLaughlin – SO – Kansas – Started every game for Jayhawks and hit .256 with two homers

OUTFIELDERS

Ryan Chandler – SO – Rice – Reigning CUSA Freshman of the Year followed with .270 sophomore season, adding 2 HRs, 20 RBI
Michael Gigliotti – SO – Lipscomb – Hit .302 and stole 15 bases a year after strong debut season with Lipscomb
Trevor Larnach – FR – Oregon State – Scuffled with the bat in first season in Corvallis, finishing with average under .200
Josh Watson – FR – TCU – Hitting .282 and leading the Horned Frogs in home runs with 11 in first season

July 30, 2015July 30, 2015

Serving Notice

Tyson Miller struck out 11 and allowed just an unearned run as Brewster beat Orleans.

The Orleans Firebirds will likely win the East Division title and could still finish with the same 31-12-1 record as the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, the benchmark for great Cape teams in the last 15 years. But the last two nights have hinted that, regardless of where they finish, the Firebirds won’t have an easy time of it in the postseason.

After tying Orleans Tuesday, second-place Brewster beat the Firebirds 4-1 Wednesday behind a fantastic pitching performance by Tyson Miller (California Baptist). The Whitecaps, who clinched a playoff spot with the win, are now eight points back of Orleans with four games left for both teams, meaning there’s a chance they could finish in a tie. Brewster has the second-best record in the league at 23-16-1.

Miller set the course for Wednesday’s win. The 6’4 righty – who struck out 85 for D-II California Baptist this spring – had his best start in what was already a solid summer. In fact, given the opponent, it was perhaps the Cape League’s best start of the summer. Miller allowed just an unearned run on three hits in eight innings and struck out 11. He didn’t walk a single batter. Orleans managed just one extra-base hit for the game.

Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) pitched the final inning for the save.

If you had predicted a pitcher to dominate Wednesday’s game, Orleans starter Eric Lauer (Kent State) would have been the choice. Lauer came in with a 1.47 ERA and leads the league in strikeouts. Brewster touched him up for three early runs and chased him after three innings.

Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 2-for-4 with his 15th double of the season, while Robbie Tenerowicz (California) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Four other Whitecaps drove in runs and Brewster finished with nine hits.

Brewster has now earned a tie and a win while facing Orleans co-aces Mitchell Jordan and Lauer. Granted, the Whitecaps were shut-out by Jordan before coming through against the bullpen. And Lauer wasn’t at his best. But still – those guys don’t typically get beat. The loss was Lauer’s first. Tuesday’s game was the first one Jordan has pitched in that Orleans didn’t win.

Orleans will take another crack at a division crown tonight — and they won’t have to play Brewster again in the regular season. If the last two days are any indication, they may meet again when postseason baseball comes around.

Y-D 9, Wareham 1

Y-D broke open a 2-1 game with seven runs in the eighth inning and cruised past Wareham to keep pace in the race for the last two East playoff spots. The Red Sox are now 20-20 and still hold a one-game lead on Harwich for fourth place. Gio Brusa (Pacific) had two doubles and three RBI to lead the way Wednesday. Cole Billingsley (South Alabama), Tommy Edman (Stanford) and Mike Donadio (St. John’s) chipped in two hits each. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) won his league-best seventh game with 6.2 strong innings. He gave up one run on five hits and struck out eight. The big news for Wareham – and the league – in the loss was that Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) has reached the plate appearance mark necessary to qualify for the batting title. He also went 3-for-4, pushing his league-best average to .439. With just four games remaining, Calica has as good a shot as anybody in recent years to become the Cape League’s first .400 hitter since 1990.

Hyannis 5, Cotuit 2

Hyannis improved to 5-0 against rival Cotuit this year thanks to a 5-2 victory at McKeon Park. With everybody else in the West losing Wednesday, the Harbor Hawks also inched closer to a division title. They now have a five-point edge on second-place Bourne. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) starred in relief Wednesday, striking out eight of the 16 batters he faced in four shutout innings. Bulldog teammate Vance Tatum started and went 4.1 innings. Austin Hays (Jacksonville) and Blake Tiberi (Louisville) each had three hits to pace the offense. Tristan Hildebrandt (Cal State Fullerton), a late roster reinforcement, went 2-for-3 in his seventh game as a Harbor Hawk. Hyannis scored three of their five runs off Cotuit ace Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech), who had allowed a total of four earned runs on the year before Wednesday. Cotuit fell to 16-24 but remains in a tie for third place with Wareham, five points ahead of last-place Falmouth.

Chatham 3, Falmouth 2

The aforementioned Commodores were on the verge of snapping a six-game losing streak but Chatham erased a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the eighth and won 3-2. Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) and Aaron Knapp (California) singled to start the eighth inning rally. A groundout brought one run home before an error on an overthrow from third base plated two more. Armed with the lead, Andre Scrubb (High Point) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) tossed a scoreless inning each to finish it off. Knapp had two hits to lead the Chatham offense. Heath Quinn (Samford) homered for Falmouth. Turner Larkins (Texas A&M) went 6.1 scoreless innings but was left with a no-decision after Chatham’s rally. The Anglers improved to 22-18 and have a magic number of two for clinching a playoff spot.

Harwich 3, Bourne 1

Harwich remained in the mix for an East playoff berth with a 3-1 victory over Bourne. The Mariners are one game back of Y-D for the fourth and final postseason spot. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one run in 4.1 innings and struck out six. Relievers Joe Ravert (La Salle) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) followed with 2.1 scoreless innings apiece, with Schellenger earning the win. Adam Pate (North Carolina) went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead an eight-hit attack. Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) and Johnny Adams (Boston College) knocked in one run each.

What to Watch

Flame-throwing reliever Zach Burdi (Louisville) is scheduled to make a start as Chatham hosts Y-D and Brandon Bailey (Gonzaga), with both teams in the thick of the East playoff race. In Hyannis, division leaders will meet when the Harbor Hawks host Orleans.

July 8, 2015July 8, 2015

Something Brewing

Nico Giarratano and Brewster have won four of six to move into third place.

The Cape League’s best hitting team was shut-out 1-0 in its final June game. Since the calendar flipped to July, one run has not been enough to beat the Brewster Whitecaps.

Powered by its fourth double-digit hit game in its last six, Brewster not coincidentally won the fourth time in six games Tuesday, 9-4 over Y-D. In the victories, the Whitecaps have racked up 57 hits, bringing their league-best batting average to .273.

They’re still only one game over .500 and behind two teams in the East, but it’s pretty clear at this point that the Whitecaps can hit. They are not near the top in extra-base hits, but what they lack in pop, they make up for in sheer volume.

In Tuesday’s win, the Whitecaps totaled 16 hits. Every player in the lineup had at least one. Five players had multi-hit games. And there was a little pop – two doubles and two home runs.

Cassidy Brown (Loyola Marymount) – who’s emerging as the top offensive catcher on the Cape – went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI. He’s riding a seven-game hitting streak.

Robbie Tenerowicz (California) went 2-for-4 and hit his fourth home run of the summer. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) added a double and scored three runs. Nick Senzel (Tennessee), who’s been red-hot, had his second straight three-hit night, scored three runs and knocked in two. Senzel is now second in the league in hitting.

Brewster’s pitching numbers have remained in the middle of the pack for much of the summer, but all the offense certainly helps the cause. Alec Rash (Missouri) gave up two runs in three innings Tuesday before a strong relief performance by Anthony Arias (Fresno State), who struck out 10 and gave up two runs in five innings.

Orleans 11, Falmouth 2

If Brewster is the league’s best hitting team, Orleans is its most powerful. The Firebirds hit two more runs – bringing their league-best total to 17 – in an 11-2 victory over Falmouth. Sean Murphy (Wright State) hit his third in a 3-for-5 night while Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) smacked his second. Murphy also tripled. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) added three hits and two RBI for the Firebirds. Five pitchers had no trouble making the lead stand up, with Tanner Tully (Ohio State) picking up the win in relief. Falmouth’s Turner Larkins (Texas A&M) allowed just an unearned run in five innings but Orleans broke through against the Falmouth bullpen. The Firebirds have won three in a row and are now 17-6.

Chatham 4, Bourne 3

With Orleans and Brewster winning, Chatham also kept pace thanks to a victory over Bourne. The Anglers scored four runs in the first two innings and held onto the lead from there. Brandon Miller (Millersville) got the win in relief while Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) pitched two innings for his fourth save. Jake Fraley (LSU) went 2-for-4 and is batting .350 since his late arrival in Chatham. Aaron Knapp (California) also had two hits. Chatham is now 13-11, which is suddenly the third-best record in the league.

Hyannis 4, Harwich 1

The Harbor Hawks were getting a push from Wareham in the West standings for a while there, but with their second straight win and Wareham’s third straight loss, they now have a seven-point cushion at the top. Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) and Aaron Civale (Northeastern) worked in tandem for the second time in as many Tatum starts. Tatum gave up one run in 5.2 innings and Civale went 3.1 innings without allowing a hit, bringing his ERA to 0.54. The Hyannis offense was led by Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast), who surged back to the top of the batting average leaderboard with a 3-for-4 night. He also hit his first home run. Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) added three hits for the Harbor Hawks.

Cotuit 2, Wareham 1

Cotuit may not have great starting pitching depth, but the Kettleers have officially found themselves an ace. Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) tossed seven shutout innings, striking out five and giving up five hits, as Cotuit edged Wareham. Woodcock now has a 0.99 ERA and has gone at least 5.2 innings with no more than one run allowed in his last three starts. Justin Dunn (Boston College) grabbed the save Tuesday. Jackson Klein (Stanford) had an RBI single and Brody Weiss (UCLA) had a sacrifice fly to bring in two runs in the fifth, which was all the offense Cotuit needed. The Kettleers moved ahead of Falmouth for fourth place in the West.

What to Watch

Several of the league’s best arms are slated to be on the mound tonight. Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) goes for Hyannis in Falmouth. Matt Krook (Oregon) starts for Wareham in Chatham. Eric Lauer gets the ball for Orleans at home against Cotuit.

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015

Falmouth rebuilds after title trip

A veteran Falmouth team led by two-time batting champ Kevin Newman made a run at its first Cape League title since 1980 last summer but fell short against a red-hot Y-D team in the title series. The veterans are gone – with just one player set to return – but the Commodores will be looking for another run in 2015.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Andrew Benintendi
2. Mitch Longo
3. Heath Quinn
4. Jon Duplantier
5. Keaton McKinney

NOTABLE

Rice’s Jon Duplantier was highly-touted as a freshman but missed all of this season with an injury. If he’s healthy, the summer could be a springboard for him.

The Commodores have three pitchers who saved at least eight games this spring. Zach Jackson had the most impressive numbers to go with the saves total, striking out 80 batters in only 52 innings pitched.

Jackson’s Arkansas teammate, Keaton McKinney, was projected to be a top-five round pick out of high school, but signing demands and a strong commitment to Arkansas kept him out of the early rounds. He jumped right into the weekend rotation this year and posted a 3.21 ERA.

Both catchers on the Falmouth roster will make the trip bring Big 12 award credentials with them. Michael Tinsley was a second-team all-conference pick and Evan Skoug made the all-freshman team.

Maryland has been one of the stories of the NCAA Tournament so far, and Brandon Lowe has led the offense. The redshirt sophomore is batting .333 with nine homers and 53 RBI.

Mitch Longo earned MAC Player of the Year honors at Ohio University and will likely anchor Falmouth’s outfield this summer.

Boomer White was a key part of Falmouth’s run to the championship series last year and will be back in the fold this year. He’ll also be chomping at the bit, after sitting out this spring due to NCAA transfer rules.

Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi will be perhaps the best hitter coming to the Cape, but don’t count on him making it. A breakout year has pushed the draft-eligible sophomore into the first round of a lot of mock drafts.

PITCHERS

Jon Duplantier – SO – Rice – Big right-hander had promising freshman year but was sidelined in 2015
Morgan Earman – SO – Arizona – 21st-round pick in 2013 pitched in 10 games as a freshman but was limited to 2 IP this year
Zach Jackson – SO – Arkansas – Dominant reliever for two years saved 8 games this spring with 80 K in just 52 IP
Cobi Johnson – FR – Florida State – Late-round pick out of high school has high ERA but has struck out a batter an inning
Turner Larkins – FR – Texas A&M – Solid starter in debut season had 3.96 ERA, 43 Ks
Keaton McKinney – FR – Arkansas – Ranked in nation’s top 100 high school players last year, McKinney went 6-1 with 3.21 ERA in debut
Sean McLaughlin – JR – Georgia – Injured last year, returned to weekend rotation this year and had 4.67 ERA with 57 Ks
Alex Phillips – SO – San Jacinto – Baylor commit struck out 72 in 68 innings this season
Wyatt Short – SO – Ole Miss – Lefty closer saved 10 games this year with 1.38 ERA
Bo Tucker – FR – Georgia – Finished busy freshman year with 2.03 ERA out of the bullpen
Stephen Villines – SO – Kansas – Ranked second in Big 12 in saves with 13, to go with 3.40 ERA

CATCHERS

Evan Skoug – FR – TCU – Late-round pick in 2014 was Big 12 all-freshman honoree after hitting .282 with team-best 43 RBI
Michael Tinsley – SO – Kansas – Second-team all-Big 12 pick hit .337 with three homers, 39 RBI

INFIELDERS

Tate Blackman – FR – Ole Miss – 20th-round pick out of high school struggled as a freshman, finishing at .197
Tristan Gray – FR – Rice – Standout Texas high schooler had solid debut with Rice, hitting .247 with 10 extra-base hits
Brandon Lowe – SO – Maryland – Freshman All-American in 2014 has been terrific in 2015: .333, 9 HR, 53 RBI
J.J. Matijevic – FR – Arizona – Boston’s 22nd-round pick in 2014 hit .238 in first year as a Wildcat

OUTFIELDERS

Andrew Benintendi – SO – Arkansas – National player of the year candidate hit .390 with 18 HR, but is draft-eligible
Mitch Longo – SO – Ohio – MAC Player of the Year hit .357 with 7 homers, 49 RBI
Heath Quinn – SO – Samford – Freshman All-American stayed hot in sophomore year, with .340 average, 14 home runs
Boomer White – SO – Texas A&M – Returning Commodore sat out this spring after transferring from TCU
J.B. Woodman – SO – Ole Miss – Built on good freshman year with .274 average, 7 home runs