Early Look – RIGHT FIELD FOG

June 11, 2010June 11, 2010

Early Look: Cotuit

Cotuit Kettleers
Manager: Mike Roberts
2009 Record: 20-18-6

I was planning on writing about Cotuit a few weeks ago, but I shuffled the schedule around in the hopes that the roster might take shape a little more. From the time their roster was posted, the Kettleers have seen more changes than any Cape League team. Already, they’ve released the contracts of 11 players. Five more players have been invited to Team USA trials. Eight are playing on Super Regional teams.

So the roster right now is an interesting one, and it hasn’t taken shape like I thought it would. At this point, only 20 players are listed. With just a few days until the start of the season, though, I wasn’t going to hold off on writing it any longer. I figured, hey, at least it won’t take very long.

But here’s where it gets interesting: it took a lot longer than I expected.

The players listed below may just be a nucleus, the beginnings of a team. But it’s one heck of a beginning.

That’s why it took longer. I spent a lot of time writing the bios on these players, because almost all of them demanded a little extra attention. Nick Tropeano and Sonny Gray have had tremendous sophomore seasons on the mound. Brady Rodgers has been just as good as a freshman. At the plate, Paul Hoilman was one of the best players in the country this year and C.J. Cron was right there with him. Zach Cone has a shot to be the league’s top prospect, and Deven Marrero could be the league’s best freshmen.

And it doesn’t stop there. This small nucleus is packed with stars. There isn’t a player on the roster whose numbers make you wonder; these numbers just leave you impressed. I thought that with 20 players, I might have trouble picking out potential stars. I ended up having the opposite problem.

Of course, the uncertainty remains. With a 20-player roster and eight playing in Super Regionals, you’re looking at starting the season with 12 rostered players. I imagine the Kettleers will fill with temporary players, and they’ll probably have to make more adjustments as the summer goes on.

But that nucleus just can’t be ignored. The Kettleers have been very good the last few years, and if they can build a solid team around this group, they should be very good again.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 3
Sophomores: 14
Freshmen: 3

Notable

East Tennessee State’s Paul Hoilman could be this year’s Kyle Roller. The junior was named a first-team All-American this year after hitting .421 with 25 home runs. He also happens to be a great student with medical school aspirations, and he was said to be asking a lot as the draft approached. Projected as high as the fourth round, he lasted all the way until the 49th. He’s on the Cape already, gearing up for a summer that could make a lot of people regret not drafting him. Last year, Roller was a 47th-round pick. Two months later, he was the Cape League MVP.

Zach Cone is the lone returning Kettleer and he’s a good one to have back in the fold, though he has been invited to Team USA trials. Cone hit .243 last summer but showed off some of the best tools in the league. He’s coming off a big sophomore season at Georgia, and is likely to be a high pick next year.

The Kettleers stole a ton of bases last season, and with Cone and Georgia teammate Johnathan Taylor in the fold, they’ll probably do it again this year.

When you subtract the players in Super Regionals, the Cotuit pitching staff currently has four players. Expect some new names to take the mound right off the bat.

Stony Brook’s Nick Tropeano was the top prospect in the Atlantic League last year and he enters the summer with some of the best numbers around. He struck out 106 this season.

Vadnerbilt’s Sonny Gray is a name you’ll hear again and again in discussions about the deep 2011 college pitching crop. Gerrit Cole, Taylor Jungmann and Trevor Bauer are probably a step ahead, but none of those guys are slated for the Cape this year. Gray has been invited to Team USA and Vandy is in a Super Regional, but here’s hoping Gray finds his way to Cotuit.

C.J. Cron joins Hoilman as a conference player of the year. He hit .431 this year for Utah with 20 home runs. If he and Hoilman stay hot this summer, the Kettleers would have a really powerful middle of the order.

Mike Frongello has made 97 appearances in three years at Davidson. Is he tired yet?

I don’t remember many East Tennessee State players on the Cape in past years, but the Kettleers have two: Hoilman and Derek Trent. Wherever the connection came from, I imagine the Kettleers are pretty happy with it. You know about Hoilman and Trent was a first-team all-conference pick.

Before the college season began, Baseball America rated Deven Marerro the 11th-best freshman in the country, and that looks about right. Even though there’s no spot for him on the field, Marrero has forced his way into the Arizona State lineup as a DH and is hitting .397. Once he gets more of an opportunity, look out.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Zach Cone
2. Paul Hoilman
3. Sonny Gray
4. Nick Tropeano
5. C.J. Cron

Pitchers

Matt Andriese – RHP – 6’2 195 – UC Riverside – Sophomore
Mike Frongello – RHP – 6’2 190 – Davidson – Junior
Sonny Gray – RHP – 5’11 180 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Matt Murray – RHP – 6’3 245 – Georgia Southern – Sophomore
Brady Rodgers – RHP – 6’2 175 – Arizona State – Freshman
Nick Tropeano – RHP – 6’4 195 – Stony Brook – Sophomore
Austin Dicharry – RHP – 6’4 195 – Texas – Sophomore

Matt Andriese – RHP – 6’2 195
UC Riverside
Sophomore

Andriese had a solid freshman season then took a big step forward last summer in the West Coast Collegiate League. He went 5-0 with a league-best 0.78 ERA. He was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the second-best prospect. This spring, Andriese didn’t have fantastic numbers but he was an absolute workhorse, pitching 103.2 innings. He ended up going 5-5 with a 4.95 ERA.

Mike Frongello – RHP – 6’2 190
Davidson
Junior

Frongello has been on the mound for Davidson a lot the last three seasons. After appearing 32 times as a freshman, he set a single-season appearance record with 34 last year and made 31 appearances this year, all out of the bullpen. He finished with a 4.50 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 52 innings.

Sonny Gray – RHP – 5’11 180
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Gray came to Vanderbilt with a ton of hype last year and steadily started living up to it as his freshman year went on. After continuing his progression with Team USA last summer, Gray has blossomed this season into one of the top pitchers in the country. He’s 9-5 with a 3.51 ERA as the Commodores head to a Super Regional. In 102.2 innings, he has struck out 110 and walked just 45.

Matt Murray – RHP – 6’3 245
Georgia Southern
Sophomore

Murray was a Southern Conference All-Freshman pick last year when he posted a 4.76 ERA in a lot of action. This year, he went 6-3 with a 6.00 ERA. He struck out 70 and walked 24 in 75 innings.

Brady Rodgers – RHP – 6’2 175
Arizona State
Freshman

Rodgers was not the most highly-touted member of Arizona State’s recruiting class; Jake Barrett probably gets that honor. But Rodgers has made as big an impact as anybody. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen, he leads the Sun Devils with a 1.96 ERA. In 69 innings, he has struck out 66 and walked just 11. Opponents are hitting .190 against him. Rodgers was a 39th-round pick out of high school.

Nick Tropeano – RHP – 6’4 195
Stony Brook
Sophomore

Tropeano wasn’t drafted out of high school, but he turned heads immediately at Stony Brook and was named to the America East All-Rookie Team last year. That was just the beginning. Tropeano dominated the Atlantic League last summer and was rated by Baseball America as the league’s top prospect. This year, he was a bona fide ace for the Seawolves. He went 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA. In 99.2 innings, he struck out 106 and walked only 29. He was named America East Co-Pitcher of the Year.

Austin Dicharry – RHP – 6’4 195
Texas
Sophomore

It’s tough to get innings on the Texas pitching staff, but Dicharry has made the most of his. Though he’s 0-3 in seven appearances, he has a 3.62 ERA. He has struck out 20 in 27.1 innings.

Position Players

James McCann – C – 6’3 215 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Derek Trent – C/OF – 6’1 210 – East Tennessee State – Junior
Caleb Bushyhead – INF – 5’10 170 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
C.J. Cron – 1B – 6’4 230 – Utah – Sophomore
Joey Hainsfurther – INF – 5’11 185 – Baylor – Sophomore
Paul Hoilman – INF – 6’5 240 – East Tennessee State – Junior
Levi Hyams – INF – 6’2 201 – Georgia – Sophomore
Deven Marrero – INF – 6’1 185 – Arizona State – Freshman
Brad Miller – INF – 6’0 200 – Clemson – Sophomore
Johnathan Taylor – OF – 5’8 180 – Georgia – Sophomore
Chad Wright – OF – 5’10 180 – Kentucky – Sophomore
Michael Yastrzemski – OF – 5’10 168 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
*Zach Cone – OF – 6’2 205 – Georgia – Sophomore

James McCann – C – 6’3 215
Arkansas
Sophomore

A 31st-round pick out of high school, McCann was a key part of Arkansas’ run to Omaha last season. This year, he’s hitting fairly well again and showing some pop. McCann is checking in at .283 with nine home runs and six doubles.

Derek Trent – C/OF – 6’1 210
East Tennessee State
Junior

Trent is one of two East Tennessee State juniors on Cotuit’s roster, and both had fantastic seasons. Trent hit .348 with 13 home runs, 17 doubles and 66 RBI. It looks like he played mostly catcher, which makes the offensive numbers a little more impressive. He was named first-team all-conference in the Atlantic Sun.

Caleb Bushyhead – INF – 5’10 170
Oklahoma
Sophomore

Bushyhead didn’t play a lot as a freshman but had a solid summer in the Alaska League last year. With an increased role this year, he’s put up impressive all-around numbers for the Sooners. He’s played in more games than any of his teammates and is hitting .329 with five home runs, 16 doubles and 35 RBI. He has also stolen 12 bases in 19 attempts.

C.J. Cron – 1B – 6’4 230
Utah
Sophomore

Cron is a recent addition to the Cotuit roster, and he’s well-deserving of a spot. After earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors last year, he vaulted into the national consciousness with an enormous sophomore season. He ranked 14th in the nation with a .431 batting average, and he added 20 home runs, 16 doubles and 81 RBI. He was named Mountain West Player of the Year. Cron was a 44th-round pick out of high school. Though he’s listed as a first baseman on the Cotuit roster, he spent a fair amount of time playing catcher this spring, too.

Joey Hainsfurther – INF – 5’11 185
Baylor
Sophomore

After a solid freshman season, Hainsfurther emerged this season as one of the top hitters on the Baylor squad. He finished with a .339 average, two homers, 12 doubles and 48 RBI. Hainsfurther was a 46th-round pick out of high school.

Paul Hoilman – INF – 6’5 240
East Tennessee State
Junior

Hoilman had as good an offensive season as any player on a 2010 Cape League roster. On his way to Atlantic Sun Player of the Year honors, Hoilman hit .421 with 25 home runs, 24 doubles and 84 RBI. He tied for fifth in the nation in home runs, ranked eighth in RBI and checked in at 24th in batting average. It’s the second straight outstanding season for Hoilman, who hit .380 last year with 17 home runs. He was named a first-team All-American this season.

Levi Hyams – INF – 6’2 201
Georgia
Sophomore

Hyams hit .263 as a freshman last year but broke out this season for a big sophomore campaign. He hit .333 with four home runs, 13 doubles and 32 RBI.

Deven Marrero – INF – 6’1 185
Arizona State
Freshman

Marrero hasn’t had a full slate of opportunities to shine this season, but he’s done it anyway — and he’s getting more opportunities. Considered one of the top freshmen in the country, Marrero has seen action in 38 games and has been a regular in the post-season lineup, and with good reason. A 17th-round pick out of high school, Marrero is hitting .397 with six homers, 11 doubles, three triples and 37 RBI. More than a third of his hits have gone for extra-bases and he’s also stolen 10 bases.

Brad Miller – INF – 6’0 200
Clemson
Sophomore

Miller started every game of his freshman season and was as steady as his playing time indicated. He finished with a .273 batting average. After playing with Team USA last summer, Miller has emerged this season as one of the top players in the ACC. He leads the Super Regional host Tigers in hitting with a .365 average. He’s added seven home runs and 18 doubles, and he’s driven in 41 runs.

Johnathan Taylor – OF – 5’8 180
Georgia
Sophomore

Taylor got his freshman season off to a huge start last year. He eventually cooled down and finished with a .309 average and 23 stolen bases. He was on Cotuit’s roster last year but didn’t make it. If he arrives this year, he’ll be coming off a pretty solid sophomore season. He hit .335 with six doubles, three triples and 12 stolen bases.

Chad Wright – OF – 5’10 180
Kentucky
Sophomore

Wright was a revelation last year. He wasn’t the most highly-touted member of Kentucky’s standout freshman class, but he delivered perhaps the best season, hitting .343. This year, Wright hit .316 with two homers, 12 doubles and 12 stolen bases.

Michael Yastrzemski – OF – 5’10 168
Vanderbilt
Freshman

Yastrzemski is the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, and he’s following in the footsteps of his late father, Mike, who also played on the Cape. Yastrzemski was a 36th-round pick out of high school last year. At Vanderbilt, he has seen action in 55 games and is hitting .233 with six doubles.

Zach Cone – OF – 6’2 205
Georgia
Sophomore

A third-round pick out of high school, Cone came to the Cape after a solid freshman season and wowed scouts with his potential. Baseball America rated him the league’s 12th-best prospect. This spring, Cone turned the potential into production for Georgia, hitting .363 with 10 home runs, 12 doubles, seven triples and 53 RBI. He was also a perfect 13-for-13 on stolen base attempts. He has been invited to Team USA trials.

June 10, 2010June 10, 2010

Early Look: Yarmouth-Dennis

Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
Manager: Scott Pickler
2009 Record: 28-15-1

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox were the most successful franchise of the last decade, with three Cape League titles to their name.

This year, they’ll try to start down the same path in the new decade.

The Red Sox have been consistent contenders for quite a while now. They bring in talented players year in and year out, and manager Scott Pickler always seems to get the best out of them. Last season, the Red Sox didn’t make the championship, but they had the best regular-season record in the league.

That was despite the fact that the team didn’t shape up like you would have expected in the preseason. Looking back on last year’s preview, four of the five players I was excited to see never made it to the Cape. But the Red Sox found a way behind a solid offense and a steady pitching staff.

Right now, the team has a similar make-up this year. This isn’t a squad loaded with prospects or guys who had huge college seasons, but the potential is there for these Red Sox to turn into another solid club.

The pitching staff took a hit when UCLA star Trevor Bauer was dropped from the roster. The Red Sox don’t appear to have an ace like Chris Sale last year. They’ll need some big summers.

Offensively, they return only two players, so there may be some growing pains. But guys like Joe Panik, Dusty Robinson and Beau Taylor are sophomores with proven track records.

All in all, I wouldn’t rank the Red Sox among the top two or three teams, on paper.

But if we’ve learned anything in the last decade about Y-D’s ability to put things together, I also wouldn’t count them out.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 2
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 18
Freshmen: 7

Notable

I think the Y-D pitching staff would make a pretty formidable basketball team. At 6’9, Kentucky’s Alex Meyer is the tallest of a really tall bunch. Six more pitchers stand 6’5 or taller. The average height of the staff is around 6’5.

Alex Meyer and Brett Mooneyham should be really interesting to watch. Both were major prospects coming out of high school and both have had their struggles at the college level. The strikeout numbers have been consistently high for both, so it stands to reason that against wooden bats, they’ve got a good shot at putting up better all-around numbers.

Kyle Hansen is the brother of former St. John’s and Harwich star Craig Hansen. While Craig was a fantastic closer, Kyle is making his name as a starter. He had a really impressive freshman year, and could easily become the top freshman pitcher on the Cape.

Hansen’s teammate Joe Panik had the top offensive numbers of any Red Sox player this season. A talented shortstop, Panik hit .380 with nine home runs.

Central Florida’s Beau Taylor heads a solid group of catchers. Ben McMahan has been good at Florida and Matt Watson had a decent freshman season at Boston College. From what I’ve read, Taylor is a bit undersized but he’s put up great numbers all the way along.

Tyler Hanover is not the most heralded member of the LSU contingent that’s headed for the Cape, but he brings the most experience to the table. The sophomore hit .300 and was an all-star for Y-D last year.

Matt Jensen had a great freshman season and big things were expected this year — he was one of the first players invited to Team USA. Injuries hampered him though, and he ended up hitting .270.

LSU star pitcher and Red Sox draftee Anthony Ranaudo is reportedly coming to Cape Cod, but I haven’t heard which team he’ll be playing for. I note this here because Ranaudo pitched for Y-D in 2008, so there’s an established relationship.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Kyle Hansen
2. Joe Panik
3. Dusty Robinson
4. Alex Meyer
5. Brett Mooneyham

Pitchers

D.J. Baxendale – RHP – 6’2 190 – Arkansas – Freshman
Derek Benny – RHP – 6’5 210 – Fresno State – Sophomore
Anthony Desclafani – RHP – 6’2 190 – Florida – Sophomore
Ryan Gibson – LHP – 6’2 227 – Oklahoma – Freshman
Kyle Hansen – RHP – 6’7 195 – St. John’s – Freshman
D.J. Hicks – RHP – 6’5 230 – Central Florida – Sophomore
Cory Mazzoni – RHP – 6’1 189 – NC State – Sophomore
Alex Meyer – RHP – 6’9 220 – Kentucky – Sophomore
Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 235 – Stanford – Sophomore
Tanner Poppe – RHP – 6’6 220 – Kansas – Freshman
Jordan Pries – RHP – 6’1 195 – Stanford – Sophomore
Ali Simpson – LHP – 6’3 170 – Bethune Cookman – Sophomore
Scott Snodgress – LHP – 6’5 215 – Stanford – Sophomore
Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 190 – Florida – RS Sophomore

D.J. Baxendale – RHP – 6’2 190
Arkansas
Freshman

Baxendale was Arkansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year as a high-school senior and he stayed home to play for the Razorbacks. They’re glad he did, and they’ve had no qualms giving him a lot of work. Baxendale leads the team in appearances with 28, all but three out of the bullpen. He has pretty good numbers, too, with a 4.00 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 54 innings.

Derek Benny – RHP – 6’5 210
Fresno State
Sophomore

A 45th-round pick out of high school, Benny made his way into the weekend rotation last season and finished second on the team in strikeouts. It was a struggle this year for Benny, who walked almost as many as he struck out. He finished with an 8.18 ERA.

Anthony Desclafani – RHP – 6’2 190
Florida
Sophomore

DeSclafani was a 22nd round pick out of high school, but he hasn’t quite put it all together yet in Gainesville. After going 6-3 with a 4.98 ERA as a freshman, he’s 2-3 this season with a 6.97 ERA. He has struck out 39 and walked only seven but he’s allowed 58 hits in 40 innings.

Ryan Gibson – LHP – 6’2 227
Oklahoma
Freshman

Gibson was selected in the 48th round of last year’s draft. At Oklahoma, he’s had a really solid freshman season. He’s made 10 starts and two relief appearances and is 5-2 with a 3.76 ERA. He has struck out 40 and walked 23 in 40.2 innings.

Kyle Hansen – RHP – 6’7 195
St. John’s
Freshman

Hansen is the brother of former St. John’s and Cape League star Craig Hansen, who’s now in the Pittsburgh system. Kyle, a 40th-round pick last year with a lot of upside, is making his own name this spring. As the team’s best starter, he went 8-2 with a 3.55 ERA. He struck out 84 and walked 36 in 91.1 innings. His scouting report for the draft last year had his fastball touching 94.

D.J. Hicks – RHP – 6’5 230
Central Florida
Sophomore

Hicks hit .301 as a freshman and also saved three games on the mound on his way to C-USA All-Freshman honors. This spring, he was limited by injury. He played in six games and didn’t make a pitching appearance.

Cory Mazzoni – RHP – 6’1 189
NC State
Sophomore

Mazzoni had an up-and-down freshman year but finished strong and pitched well in the Prospect League, where he struck out 63 in 52 innings. This year, Mazzoni went 7-3 with a 5.20 ERA. He struck out 89 and walked 40 in 91.2 innings.

Alex Meyer – RHP – 6’9 220
Kentucky
Sophomore

Meyer burst onto the prospect scene before his senior year of high school and was mentioned as a first-round pick. With Scott Boras advising him and a strong commitment to Kentucky, he lasted until the 20th round and stuck with the Wildcats. He’s considered perhaps the best recruit in Kentucky history, but the statistics haven’t caught up with the hype at this point. After going 1-4 with a 5.73 ERA last year, he went 5-3 this year with a 7.06 ERA. He did strike out 63 in 51 innings.

Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 235
Stanford
Sophomore

Like Meyer, Mooneyham was a big-time prospect in high school, with some clubs ranking him as the top prep left-hander in the country. He was considered unsignable because of his commitment to Stanford but he still went in the 15th round. For the Cardinal, he hasn’t dominated but he’s shown flashes. He had a 4.14 ERA as a freshman, and teams hit just .204 off him. This year he went 3-7 with a 5.07 ERA, but he also struck out 99 in 87 innings.

Tanner Poppe – RHP – 6’6 220
Kansas
Freshman

Poppe was a three-sport standout and was getting D-I football looks until his fastball and pitching potential pushed him toward baseball. Poppe didn’t put up great numbers for the Jayhawks this year, going 3-4 with a 5.25 ERA and walking more than he struck out, but he has a lot of potential.

Jordan Pries – RHP – 6’1 195
Stanford
Sophomore

Pries became Stanford’s Friday starter as his freshman season unfolded last year. He ended up going 4-4 with a 4.62 ERA. This year, Pries made 15 starts and went 4-4 again with a 4.07 ERA. He struck out 65 in 97.1 innings.

Ali Simpson – LHP – 6’3 170
Bethune Cookman
Sophomore

Simpson made the long trek from his native British Columbia to Bethune Cookman in Florida. He’s had a solid career. His freshman year was outstanding, as Simpson went 9-2 with a 3.23 ERA and 79 strikeouts. This year, Simpson saw his ERA rise to 4.93, but he still struck out almost a batter an inning.

Scott Snodgress – LHP – 6’5 215
Stanford
Sophomore

Snodgress had a decent freshman season but really made waves in the Alaska League last summer when he posted a 2.93 ERA. Baseball America rated him the league’s fourth-best prospect. This year, Snodgress had a 5.59 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 29 walks in 37 innings.

Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 190
Florida
RS Sophomore

Toledo was one of the highest unsigned picks in the 2007 draft and he had a solid freshman season for the Gators. But after that, he missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He returned this year and has made nine appearances. He’s 3-2 with a 4.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.

Position Players

*Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 205 – Florida – Sophomore
Beau Taylor – C – 5’11 195 – Central Florida – Sophomore
Matt Watson – C – 6’0 200 – Boston College – Freshman
Matt Hamlet – INF – 6’0 167 – Boston College – Junior
*Tyler Hanover – INF – 5’6 165 – LSU – Sophomore
Matt Jensen – INF – 5’10 195 – Cal Poly – Sophomore
Joe Panik – INF – 6’2 190 – St. John’s – Sophomore
Tyler Sibley – INF – 5’10 160 – Texas State – Sophomore
Lance Ray – OF/1B – 6’2 200 – Kentucky – Junior
Dusty Robinson – OF – 6’0 205 – Fresno State – Sophomore
Matt Vinson – OF – 6’2 195 – Arkansas – Freshman
Bobby Crocker – OF – 6’3 225 – Cal Poly – Sophomore
Cody Keefer – OF – 6’1 190 – UCLA – Freshman

Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 205
Florida
Sophomore

The Gators have as much catching talent as any team in the country, which makes playing time tough to come by. McMahan has done well in his chances, though. In 34 games, he’s hitting .324 with two home runs and three doubles. McMahan was a 30th-round pick out of high school. He played for Y-D last summer and hit .241 with three homers.

Beau Taylor – C – 5’11 195
Central Florida
Sophomore

Taylor has put up impressive numbers and turned heads at every stop. As a freshman, he hit .335 with four homers and earned C-USA All-Freshman honors. Last summer, he played in the Cal Ripken Sr. League, hit .271 and was named the league’s fourth-best prospect by Baseball America. This year, he hit .354 with seven homers, 16 doubles and 35 RBI and was on the watch list for the Johnny Bench Award, which is presented to the nation’s best catcher.

Matt Watson – C – 6’0 200
Boston College
Freshman

Watson was a 26th-round pick out of high school and he flashed plenty of his potential this spring with the Eagles. He hit only .259 but more than a third of his hits went for extra bases. He finished with seven home runs, eight doubles and two triples.

Matt Hamlet – INF – 6’0 167
Boston College
Junior

Hamlet hit over .300 in his first two years at BC. That average dipped just below .300 to .292 this year, but Hamlet showed some pop with 13 doubles and three homers. He also stole nine bases.

Tyler Hanover – INF – 5’6 165
LSU
Sophomore

Hanover hit .321 as a freshman and helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series championship. When the celebrations were done, Hanover came to the Cape and delivered a solid summer. He hit .300 with two homers and four doubles and he made the all-star team. This year, Hanover hit .332 with two homers and 16 doubles.

Matt Jensen – INF – 5’10 195
Cal Poly
Sophomore

Jensen earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors last season after hitting .375 with nine home runs and 15 doubles. This season, Jensen battled an injury and hit .270 with two home runs, seven doubles and six triples. He has been invited to Team USA.

Joe Panik – INF – 6’2 190
St. John’s
Sophomore

The Red Storm shortstop hit .322 as a freshman and was even better this year. He hit .380 with nine home runs, 17 doubles and four triples. He earned third-team all-conference honors. In Perfect Game’s February preview of the New England/New York college landscape, he was tabbed as the best defender.

Tyler Sibley – INF – 5’10 160
Texas State
Sophomore

Sibley had an outstanding freshman season at Texas State last year, hitting .359 with 10 home runs and earning Freshman All-American honors. His numbers weren’t quite as good this year, but he was still solid. Sibley hit .304 with a homer and 14 doubles.

Bobby Crocker – OF – 6’3 225
Cal Poly
Sophomore

Crocker got 34 starts as a freshman last year and hit .323. He headed to the West Coast League for the summer and hit .292. Baseball America tabbed him as the league’s fourth-best prospect. This season, Crocker was even better. He led the team with a .351 batting average and added three home runs, 15 doubles and 5 triples. He also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts.

Cody Keefer – OF – 6’1 190
UCLA
Freshman

Keefer got a jump on his collegiate career when he hit .292 in the West Coast Collegiate League last year. In his first season in Pasadena, he’s been a big part of UCLA’s success. With the Bruins heading for a Super Regional, Keefer is batting .318 with two home runs and nine doubles.

Lance Ray – OF/1B – 6’2 200
Kentucky
Junior

Ray was a junior-college standout for two years before joining the Wildcats this season and making an immediate impact. He led the team with a .356 batting average and he added 10 home runs, 11 doubles and 34 RBI.

Dusty Robinson – OF – 6’0 205
Fresno State
Sophomore

In his freshman year, Robinson made an immediate splash with the Bulldogs, hitting .319 with 12 doubles. This year, he emerged as a major run producer and power threat. Robinson finished with a .308 average, 16 home runs, 11 doubles and 60 RBI. He ranked fifth in the WAC in home runs.

Matt Vinson – OF – 6’2 195
Arkansas
Freshman

Vinson started the year in competition to grab a starting job. He’s played in 44 games for the Razorbacks, with 21 starts. He’s hitting .209, but almost half his hits have gone for extra bases.

June 3, 2010June 3, 2010

Early Look: Brewster

Brewster Whitecaps
Manager: Tom Myers
2009 Record: 17-22-5

The Brewster Whitecaps haven’t been able to put it all together in recent summers. After finishing third in 2007, they were off the pace in 2008 and 2009. Last year, they tied five games, which had to be more than a little frustrating.

As they try to put it all together this year, the Whitecaps will be starting from a pretty good spot, with a foundation of veterans.

Sort of.

The Whitecaps have just one returning player — talented Miami sophomore Harold Martinez — but there are only four freshmen on the roster. The experience is deepest in the crop of position players, where there’s just one freshman.

In a league where good pitching often beats good hitting, having so many veteran backs should really help the cause. Martinez and Troy Channing figure to lead the offense, but the Whitecaps appear to have a lot of depth. I don’t know how many stars are out there, but based on college seasons, the roster has a lot of solid hitters.

The pitching staff — like almost everybody’s at this point — is a little light on players with a lot of starting experience. But guys like Jake Barrett and Bryce Bandilla look like talented arms who are just waiting to take center stage.

All in all, I like how Brewster’s roster shapes up. The pitching probably won’t be overpowering but if things fall the right away, it should be good enough. And the offense has the experience and some versatility. The Whitecaps have a few power hitters and a few leadoff-type hitters. That could be a good recipe.

In the end, it’ll come down to what it always comes down to: teams have to execute.

If they can do that, the Whitecaps have put themselves in a position to shine.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 22
Freshmen: 4

Notable

Among draft-eligible sophomores who are slated for the Cape in 2010, UC Riverside catcher Rob Brantly might go the highest. (Zack Cox would have been that guy, but he’s a projected top-10 pick and isn’t even on the Cotuit roster anymore). Brantly surged into the prospect landscape with a big summer in the Northwoods League last year. He’s ranked 127 on Baseball America’s Top 200 draft prospects.

Troy Channing had a remarkable freshman season for St. Mary’s last year when he hit .379 with 20 home runs. He was one of those guys who burst onto the scene and wasn’t a huge prospect coming in, which is probably why he wasn’t on a Cape League roster last summer. He’s slated for Brewster and is definitely a player to watch, though he didn’t have quite as big a season this year.

Georgia Tech’s Luke Bard will be the third Bard brother to play on the Cape, joining Daniel (Wareham ’05) and Jared (Brewster ’09). Luke was a 16th-round pick out of high school.

Miami third baseman Harold Martinez was one of the freshman I was most excited about last summer. He ended up hitting .236 for Brewster but flashed some power with four homers. This year, he tied for the ACC lead in home runs with 19.

Baseball America ranked Arizona State’s recruiting class third in the nation heading into the season. At the top of the list was pitcher Jake Barrett, who’s set for Brewster this summer. As I understand it, it was a bit of a surprise that the third-round pick even ended up on campus. He’s been a reliever all spring, but I could see him starting for the Whitecaps.

Brewster could end up with a strong back end of the bullpen much like the one that helped Ole Miss grab a two-seed in a regional. Or exactly like it. Matt Crouse and Brett Huber have been impressive in the late innings for the Rebels and both are ticketed for Brewster.

Mike Palazzone was one of the top prep arms in the 2008 draft, but he has struggled at Georgia. We’ll see if he finds his way on the Cape.

The Whitecaps have four freshmen on the roster. With Brantly a likely high pick, they might be down to three, but that’s still a lot. It’ll be interesting to see how it works out.

Brewster also has a lot of strength on the left side of its infield. Andy Burns, Taylor Featherston and Kirk Singer have been solid shortstops in their careers, while Channing and Martinez should be two of the best third basemen on the Cape.

In Chris Ellison, Drew Martinez and Nathan Melendres, the Whitecaps have three speedy outfielders who have stolen a lot of bases this spring. All three have hit well, too, so they may get some chances to run.

Freshmen don’t always get a chance to make a big impact at Texas. When I started doing research on freshman Cohl Walla, I expected to see decent numbers in spot duty. Instead, the toolsy outfielder has been one of the best hitters on a talented Longhorns squad.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Troy Channing
2. Harold Martinez
3. Jake Barrett
4. Rob Brantly
5. Cohl Walla

Pitchers

Bryce Bandilla – LHP – 6’4 232 – Arizona – Sophomore
Luke Bard – RHP – 6’2 180 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Jake Barrett – RHP – 6’4 235 – Arizona State – Freshman
Adam Conley – LHP – 6’3 178 – Washington State – Sophomore
Matt Crouse – LHP – 6’4 173 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Jake Floethe – RHP – 6’3 205 – Cal State Fullerton – Junior
Andrew Gagnon – RHP – 6’4 190 – Long Beach State – Sophomore
Brett Huber – RHP – 6’2 209 – Ole Miss – RS Freshman
Matt Larkins – RHP – 6’1 225 – UC Riverside – Junior
Austin Lubinsky – RHP – 6’1 195 – Minnesota – Sophomore
Chris Matulis – LHP – 6’5 213 – LSU – Sophomore
Colton Murray – RHP – 6’1 202 – Kansas – Sophomore
Mike Palazzone – RHP – 6’2 183 – Georgia – Sophomore

* – returning player
(Stats as of June 2)

Bryce Bandilla – LHP – 6’4 232
Arizona
Sophomore

Bandilla was a 28th-round pick out of his California high school in 2008. He headed to Arizona and has had a decent go of it so far. He struggled a bit while pitching out of the bullpen last year but he’s been better as a sophomore. He’s made 26 appearances — six starts — and he has a 4.22 ERA to go with 67 strikeouts in 74.2 innings.

Luke Bard – RHP – 6’2 180
Georgia Tech
Freshman

The brother of Major Leaguer — and former Gateman — Daniel Bard and former Whitecap Jared Bard, Luke comes in as a highly-touted freshman. He was a 16th-round pick of the Red Sox last year so he could have played in the same system as his brother, but he opted to stick with Georgia Tech. By some measures, he has struggled this year with an ERA over seven. But he does have 25 strikeouts in 26.2 innings.

Jake Barrett – RHP – 6’4 235
Arizona State
Freshman

Barrett was a third round pick by Tampa last year and he became one of the highest unsigned picks in the country when he opted for Arizona State. Though he hasn’t made a single start for the Sun Devils, he’s been outstanding in a relief role. In 26 appearances, Barrett has a 3.29 ERA with 42 strikeouts and just nine walks in 27.1 innings.

Adam Conley – LHP – 6’3 178
Washington State
Sophomore

Conley didn’t have great numbers last year but he set a school freshman record for appearances. He’s been trotted out just as frequently this year, but with much more impressive results. Pitching as the closer for the regional-bound Cougars, Conley has 11 saves and a 3.13 ERA. In 60.1 innings, he has struck out 41 and walked 17.

Matt Crouse – LHP – 6’4 173
Ole Miss
Sophomore

Crouse played for former Hyannis manager Rick Robinson at Young Harris College last year. He transferred to Ole Miss and has made an immediate impact. Doing a little bit of everything, Crouse has posted a 5-1 record, a 3.12 ERA and an impressive 58 strikeouts in 52 innings.

Jake Floethe – RHP – 6’3 205
Cal State Fullerton
Junior

Floethe was a member of Fresno State’s magical national championship run in 2008. He made eight appearances and led the Bulldogs in ERA last year but transferred to Fullerton after the season. He is sitting out this season per NCAA transfer rules.

Andrew Gagnon – RHP – 6’4 190
Long Beach State
Sophomore

Gagnon has been starting since day one for Long Beach and he turned into the team’s most reliable option this year. After posting an ERA over six as a freshman, Gagnon led all Long Beach starters in ERA this season at 3.28. He struck out 65 in a team-high 93.1 innings.

Brett Huber – RHP – 6’2 209
Ole Miss
RS Freshman

Huber redshirted last year after Tommy John surgery but has come back strong and teamed up with Crouse to give the Rebels a dynamic back end of the bullpen. He has 12 saves, a 2.54 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. Last summer, Huber pitched in the Prospect League and was picked by Baseball America as that league’s third-best prospect.

Matt Larkins – RHP – 6’1 225
UC Riverside
Junior

Larkins had a strong sophomore season while pitching out of the bullpen last year, compiling a 4-2 record and a 3.86 ERA. Larkins pitched almost full-time as a starter this season with mixed results. He finished with a 6-5 record and a 5.34 ERA.

Austin Lubinsky – RHP – 6’1 195
Minnesota
Sophomore

Lubinsky was a solid option out of the bullpen as a freshman and has pitched well for the Big 10 champion Gophers this season. The sophomore has made nine appearances and six starts. He’s 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 26 innings.

Chris Matulis – LHP – 6’5 213
LSU
Sophomore

A 48th-round pick out of high school, Matulis showed flashes of his potential as a mid-week starter last year, finishing with a 4.82 ERA. He hasn’t quite reached the potential as a starter this year. He’s 5-3 with a 5.33 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 54 innings.

Colton Murray – RHP – 6’1 202
Kansas
Sophomore

Murray has put up solid relief numbers at every stop since arriving at Kansas. As a freshman, he made 33 appearances, struck out a batter an inning and finished with a 3.23 ERA. After a strong summer in the NECBL, Murray put up a 4.83 ERA this year with 36 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.

Mike Palazzone – RHP – 6’2 183
Georgia
Sophomore

Palazzone was one of the top prospects in the country as a high-schooler and he was drafted in the 18th round in 2008. He hasn’t put up great numbers at Georgia yet. After going 3-0 with a 5.13 ERA as a freshman, Palazzone moved into the weekend rotation this year. He went 4-6 with an 8.66 ERA.

Position Players

Rob Brantly – C – 6’2 200 – UC Riverside – Sophomore
Mike Dowd – C – 5’9 215 – Franklin Pierce – Sophomore
Tyler Ogle – C – 5’10 180 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
Jeremey Schaffer – C – 6’1 205 – Tulane – Sophomore
Andy Burns – SS – 6’2 190 – Kentucky – Sophomore
Troy Channing – 3B – 6’0 235 – St. Mary’s – Sophomore
Taylor Featherston – SS – 6’1 175 – TCU – Sophomore
*Harold Martinez – 3B – 6’3 200 – Miami – Sophomore
Nathan Melendres – OF – 5’10 185 – Miami – Sophomore
Kirk Singer – IF – 6’2 165 – Long Beach State – Sophomore
Chris Ellison – OF – 6’2 180 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
Derek Jones – OF – 6’0 213 – Washington State – Sophomore
Drew Martinez – OF – 5’10 170 – Memphis – Sophomore
Danny Oh – OF – 5’11 170 – California – Sophomore
Cohl Walla – OF – 6’3 165 – Texas – Freshman

* – returning player

Rob Brantly – C – 6’2 200
UC Riverside
Sophomore

Brantly is one of the top catching prospects in the country but might not make it to the Cape since he’s a draft-eligible sophomore. The top prospect in the Northwoods League a year ago, Brantly had an impressive sophomore season for Riverside. He batted .373 with seven home runs, 18 doubles and 39 RBI.

Mike Dowd – C – 5’9 215
Franklin Pierce
Sophomore

Dowd was the Northeast 10 Co-Freshman of the Year and he delivered a solid sophomore season as well. A native of East Bridgewater, Mass., Dowd hit .312 this season with six home runs, 14 doubles and 33 RBI. He helped Franklin Pierce to the Division II World Series.

Tyler Ogle – C – 5’10 180
Oklahoma
Sophomore

Ogle didn’t see a lot of action last year but excelled when he did get the chance, hitting .545 as a pinch hitter. After a solid summer in the Texas Collegiate League, Ogle has had a productive sophomore season. With the Sooners set to host a regional, Ogle is hitting .303 with seven home runs, nine doubles and 36 RBI.

Jeremey Schaffer – C – 6’1 205
Tulane
Sophomore

Schaffer burst onto the scene in his freshman season with the Green Wave, hitting .311 and ranking sixth in Conference USA with 14 home runs. This season, Schaffer hit .286 and flashed his power potential again, finishing with 12 homers and 52 RBI.

Andy Burns – SS – 6’2 190
Kentucky
Sophomore

Projected as a third-to-fifth rounder out of high school, Burns made his way to the Northwoods League following his senior season and turned some heads. Despite being only 17 and facing much older competition, Burns was named the league’s ninth-best prospect. At Kentucky, he hit .287 with seven home runs as a sophomore. This year, he hit .271 with 11 home runs.

Troy Channing – 3B – 6’0 235
St. Mary’s
Sophomore

Channing had a remarkable freshman season for St. Mary’s last year. He was the WCC Freshman of the Year and was in the conversation for National Freshman of the Year honors after hitting .379 with 20 home runs, 11 doubles and 75 RBI. He came back to earth a little bit this year but still had a strong season. He hit .310 with 15 homers and 54 RBI.

Taylor Featherston – SS – 6’1 175
TCU
Sophomore

Featherston made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting all 58 games and finishing fourth on the team with a .322 batting average. As a sophomore, he’s picked up where he left off. Featherston has been a mainstay and is hitting .328 with six home runs for the regional host Horned Frogs.

Harold Martinez – 3B – 6’3 200
Miami
Sophomore

Martinez came to Miami with a lot of hype and delivered a solid freshman season, hitting .270 with nine home runs. Over the summer, he hit .236 with four home runs for Brewster. This spring, Martinez has done a little more to live up to the hype. He’s hitting .298 and he tied for the ACC lead with 19 home runs. Martinez was a 19th-round pick out of high school.

Nathan Melendres – OF – 5’10 185
Miami
Sophomore

Like Martinez, Melendres made a decent splash as a freshman and has built on his solid campaign this season. The speedy outfielder is batting .297 with six home runs, 11 doubles and 13 stolen bases.

Kirk Singer – IF – 6’2 165
Long Beach State
Sophomore

After getting picked in the 40th round out of high school, Singer hit .317 as a freshman. He hit .315 this season with five home runs, nine doubles and 21 RBI. He stole five bases.

Chris Ellison – OF – 6’2 180
Oklahoma
Sophomore

Ellison had a solid first season in Norman and played last summer in the Alaska League. This season, he has been a key piece to the puzzle for the regional-bound Sooners. Batting leadoff, Ellison is hitting .331 with four home runs, nine doubles, three triples and 28 RBI. He’s reaching base at a .431 clip and he has stolen 21 bases in 24 attempts.

Derek Jones – OF – 6’0 213
Washington State
Sophomore

Jones batted only .223 as a freshman but he did finish with eight home runs. He’s balanced this things out a little more this season. He’s hitting .300 with a team-best 11 home runs, 10 doubles and 40 RBI. He has also stolen nine bases in 11 attempts, so he has a little speed.

Drew Martinez – OF – 5’10 170
Memphis
Sophomore

Martinez was a member of Conference USA’s All-Freshman team after leading the Tigers in hitting with a .309 average. He didn’t lead the Tigers this year, but that’s only because a teammate hit over .400. Martinez finished at .377 with 10 doubles and five triples. He was 19-for-29 on stolen base attempts.

Danny Oh – OF – 5’11 170
California
Sophomore

A high-school star in Washington, Oh had a big role as a freshman for the Bears and hit .303 with seven home runs. He’s had another solid season this year. He’s hitting .307 with two home runs and 11 doubles as Cal heads to a regional.

Cohl Walla – OF – 6’3 165
Texas
Freshman

Walla was the top-ranked member of a strong Texas recruiting class that joined the team this season. A 43rd-round pick out of high school, Walla has had no trouble cracking a lineup — and making an impact — for the powerhouse Longhorns. He’s hitting .332, good for third on the team. He also has eight home runs, 12 doubles and 13 stolen bases.

May 28, 2010May 28, 2010

Early Look: Hyannis

Hyannis Harbor Hawks
Manager: Chad Gassman
2009 Record: 16-26-1

New name, new identity?

We’ll see about that second part. The first part is definitely true. The Hyannis Mets are now the Harbor Hawks. The change comes a year after Major League Baseball instituted merchandising restrictions for copyrighted names. Chatham and Orleans changed their names last year. Hyannis followed suit this year.

On the field, there’s actually a little more stability. Chad Gassman was the third manager in three years when he took over last year, but he’s back at the helm this season.

As for that new identity, the Harbor Hawks are bringing in the kind of group that could help establish it. In recent years, Hyannis has been in the middle of the pack or a little further back. The franchise hasn’t had a winning season since 2003. They were right in the mix in 2007 and 2008 but missed the playoffs. Last year, they never got in gear and finished 16-26-1.

For every Cape League team, the potential is always there to completely turn things around from one year to the next. The first group of Harbor Hawks might have more potential than most: I think this is the most talented roster the team has had since 2007.

It starts with some legitimate top-level prospects: Danny Hultzen and Jackie Bradley Jr. Both were on the roster last year, but only Bradley made it. He showed flashes of brilliance and was one of the top freshman prospects in the league. Hultzen, who just won ACC Pitcher of the Year honors, has a chance to be the top pitcher in the league.

Thankfully for Hyannis, the talent doesn’t stop there. Oklahoma teammates Garrett Buechele and Cam Seitzer are among the top players in the Big 12 this spring. Johnny Ruettiger had a nice summer last year and has been productive for Arizona State. Joey Rickard has had a great freshman season at Arizona.

The bad news is that all the aforementioned standouts other than Hultzen are position players. The pitching staff could have the league’s premier ace in Hultzen, but a lot of guys will have to take things to another level, based on their college numbers.

But maybe some guys who have struggled will forge a new identity, too. If they do, they’ll be helping their team do the same thing.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 5
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 20
Freshmen: 8

Notable

The Harbor Hawks have three players with Major League bloodlines. Garrett Buechele is the son of Steve Buechele; Cam Seitzer’s father is Kevin Seitzer; and Tyler Thompson is the son of Robby Thompson. If all the fathers come for a visit, the crowd would have a pretty awesome infield.

Danny Hultzen was one of those helium guys before the 2008 draft, a player who burst onto radar screens with a jump in velocity and a big senior season. At Virginia, he’s done nothing to fall off the radar. He’s become one of the to pitchers in the country. If you get a chance to see any Virginia postseason games on TV in the coming weeks, it’s a treat to watch Hultzen.

You could have lost track of Jackie Bradley Jr last summer because he didn’t get off to the best of starts. But he ended up hitting .380 with eight extra-base hits in the final 18 games of the season. The way he’s playing this spring, Bradley should be avoid the bad start this year.

As redshirt sophomore, Garrett Buechele will be eligible for the draft this year. I hope he makes it to the Cape, though, because it seems like he’s a guy who could really emerge with a big summer.

It’ll be interesting to see how Hyannis uses Clemson’s Will Lamb. He’s a 6’5 pitcher and first baseman who stole 26 bases in the Coastal Plain League last summer. Whatever he does, scouts will be watching. Lamb was the top prospect in the CPL last year, according to Baseball America.

Is Winthrop’s Matteo D’Angelo the first native of Italy to play on the Cape? I think he might be.

While the pitching staff is a little short on starters with impressive numbers, the Harbor Hawks figure to have some options out of the bullpen. Virginia’s Tyler Wilson is one of the top set-up guys in the nation and he has a solid Cape League track record. South Carolina freshman Matt Price has seven saves with 57 strikeouts in 38 innings.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Danny Hultzen
2. Jackie Bradley Jr.
3. Garrett Buechele
4. Cam Seitzer
5. Johnny Ruettiger

Pitchers

Joey Bourgeois – RHP – 6’2 224 – LSU – Sophomore
*Kevin Brandt – LHP/1B – 6’1 195 – East Carolina – Sophomore
Matteo D’Angelo – RHP – 6’2 198 – Winthrop – Junior
Matt Dermody – LHP – 6’4 190 – Iowa – Freshman
Trent Howard – LHP – 6’2 192 – Central Michigan – Sophomore
Danny Hultzen – LHP – 6’2 190 – Virginia – Sophomore
Will Lamb – LHP/1B – 6’5 185 – Clemson – Sophomore
*Jimmy Messer -RHP – 6’1 195 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Tyler Mizenko – RHP – 6’2 195 – Winthrop – Sophomore
Matt Price – RHP – 6’1 215 – South Carolina – Sophomore
Tyler Ray – RHP – 6’1 180 – Troy – Sophomore
Steven Rodriguez – LHP – 6’3 230 – Florida – Sophomore
Cody Stiles – RHP – 6’2 177 – North Carolina – Freshman
Drew Verhagen – RHP – 6’6 215 – Oklahoma – Freshman
*Tyler Wilson – RHP – 6’2 190 – Virginia – Junior

* – returning player
(Stats as of May 27)

Joey Bourgeois – RHP – 6’2 224
LSU
Sophomore

Bourgeois started his career at LSU-Eunice, a junior-college program. After going 12-2 and striking out 98 in 87 innings, Bourgeois got drafted in the 39th round then took his power arm to Baton Rouge. This season, he’s 4-1 with a 6.52 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 58 innings.

Kevin Brandt – LHP/1B – 6’1 195
East Carolina
Sophomore

Brandt pitched out of the bullpen at the beginning of last season but eventually worked his way into a starting role and ended up with solid numbers. He pitched as a starter and a reliever again for Hyannis last summer and went 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA. With a little more time in the rotation this year, Brandt has gone 3-7 with a 5.28 ERA. He has struck out 68 in 75 innings.

Matteo D’Angelo – RHP – 6’2 198
Winthrop
Junior

A native of Italy, D’Angelo blossomed after a decent freshman year and became a second-team all-conference pick last season. This year, he’s been a fixture in the rotation and is 7-5 with a 4.18 ERA. He has 71 strikeouts in 88.3 innings.

Matt Dermody – LHP – 6’5 200
Iowa
Freshman

Dermody made Iowa high-school history last year when he struck out every batter he faced in a six-inning perfect game. He got drafted by the Pirates in the 26th round but opted to stick with Iowa. He has struggled a bit this spring, with an 8.90 ERA in nine appearances.

Trent Howard – LHP – 6’2 192
Central Michigan
Sophomore

Howard had a strong debut with the Chippewas last season and followed it up with a fantastic summer. He led the Coastal Plain League in ERA at 1.01 and struck out 64 in 53.1 innings. Howard has continued the progression this spring. Pitching mostly in relief, he has gone 4-3 with a 3.52 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 53.2 innings.

Danny Hultzen – LHP – 6’2 190
Virginia
Sophomore

Hultzen came to Virginia as one of the most hyped freshmen in the nation, and he has lived up to every bit of it at every turn. Last season, Hultzen was the No. 1 starter and starting first baseman on a team that made it to the College World Series. He went 9-1 with a 2.17 ERA and hit .327. He’s been atop the rotation again this year and he’s been a big reason why the Cavaliers are one of the top teams in the nation. Focusing more on pitching, Hultzen is 8-1 with a 2.08 ERA. In 86.2 innings, he has struck out 106 and walked only 20. He was recently named ACC Pitcher of the Year.

Will Lamb – LHP/1B – 6’5 185
Clemson
Sophomore

A two-way player, Lamb had a 2.45 ERA in 15 appearances and hit .236 as a freshman. The numbers weren’t much more eye-popping in the Coastal Plain League, but Lamb still turned a lot of heads. After striking out 32 in 30.1 innings and stealing 26 bases, Lamb was named the league’s top prospect by Baseball America. Lamb hasn’t put everything together yet but has a lot of potential. His ERA is 5.31 this spring but he’s hitting a solid .296.

Jimmy Messer -RHP – 6’1 195
North Carolina
Sophomore

Messer was a 44th-round pick out of high school. After a decent freshman season, he came to Hyannis last summer and had an 8.27 ERA in 10 appearances. He has put up better numbers this spring with a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances.

Tyler Mizenko – RHP – 6’2 195
Winthrop
Sophomore

Mizenko grabbed the closer job as a freshman and ended up setting a school record for single-season saves with 14. He hasn’t matched that this year but the surrounding numbers have been just as good: Mizenko has a 3.79 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.

Matt Price – RHP – 6’1 215
South Carolina
Sophomore

Price hasn’t just made an impact for the Gamecocks as a freshman; he’s become a dominant force out of the bullpen. The righty has saved seven games this spring and has a 2.84 ERA. In 38 innings, he has struck out 57 and walked only 15. He was recently tabbed as a second-team all-conference pick.

Tyler Ray – RHP – 6’1 180
Troy
Sophomore

Ray went 7-3 with a 4.60 ERA and earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors last season. This spring, he’s 8-3 with a 5.09 ERA. In 81.1 innings, he had struck out 50 and walked 19.

Steven Rodriguez – LHP – 6’3 230
Florida
Sophomore

Rodriguez was a 48th round pick last year and has become a valuable bullpen arm for the Gators this spring. In 17 appearances, Rodriguez has a 2.22 ERA. He has struck out 24 and walked only four in 24.1 innings of work.

Cody Stiles – RHP – 6’2 177
North Carolina
Freshman

Stiles was picked in the 39th round of last year’s draft but honored his commitment to North Carolina. He’s made seven appearances in his freshman season, with a 4.50 ERA.

Drew Verhagen – RHP – 6’6 215
Oklahoma
Freshman

Standing 6’6, Verhagen certainly has a projectable body, but he’s had limited chances to make an impression this spring. He has pitched in six games. He has a 3.38 ERA and he has struck out 13 in 13.1 innings.

Tyler Wilson – RHP – 6’2 190
Virginia
Junior

Wilson emerged as a standout reliever as a sophomore and he’s been just as good this season. In a team-high 27 appearances, Wilson is 7-3 with a 3.11 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 55 innings. Wilson pitched for Hyannis last year and had a 1.60 ERA with 28 strikeouts and just five walks.

Position Players

Dane Phillips – C – 6’2 195 – Oklahoma State – Freshman
Dan Sheppard – C – 6’0 180 – Iowa – Freshman
Michael Zunino – C – 6’1 210 – Florida – Freshman
Garrett Buechele – 3B – 6’0 200 – Oklahoma – RS Sophomore
Casey McElroy – SS/2B – 5’8 178 – Auburn – Sophomore
Zach Osborne – SS – 5’7 165 – Tennessee – Sophomore
A.J. Pettersen – SS – 5’9 160 – Minnesota – RS Sophomore
Cam Seitzer – 1B/3B – 6’5 205 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
Cody Stubbs – 1B/3B – 6’3 220 – Tennessee – Freshman
Matt Williams – SS – 6’0 165 – Liberty – Sophomore
*Jackie Bradley Jr. – OF – 5’11 180 – South Carolina – Sophomore
Jeff Lusardi – OF – 5’10 180 – Missouri – Sophomore
Joey Rickard – OF – 6’1 175 – Arizona – Freshman
*Johnny Ruettiger – OF – 6’2 190 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Tyler Thompson – OF – 6’1 185 – Florida – Sophomore

* – returning player

Dane Phillips – C – 6’2 195
Oklahoma State
Freshman

Phillips hit almost .700 in his senior year of high school and got the attention of major programs like LSU, Texas and North Carolina. He committed to Oklahoma State and stuck with it after getting drafted in the 49th round. He has had a strong freshman season in Stillwater. Playing mostly at designated hitter, Phillips is batting .337 with three home runs, 14 doubles and 34 RBI.

Dan Sheppard – C – 6’0 180
Iowa
Freshman

Sheppard was a 30th round pick out of high school but honored his commitment to Iowa. He has seen action in 26 games this spring and is hitting .257 with one extra-base hit. Perfect Game ranked Sheppard as the top catching prospect in Illinois last year.

Michael Zunino – C – 6’1 210
Florida
Freshman

One of three top-flight catching prospects on the Florida roster, Zunino has earned a lot of playing time and has made the most of it. With starts in 45 games, Zunino is hitting .273 with eight home runs, six doubles and 35 RBI. Out of high school, he was drafted in the 30th round last year. He was ranked 163 on Baseball America’s top 200 draft prospects.

Garrett Buechele – 3B – 6’0 200
Oklahoma
RS Sophomore

After redshirting in 2008, Buechele earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors last year when he hit .353. He’s been even better this year and has emerged as one of the top players in the Big 12. The son of ex-Major Leaguer Steve Buechele, Garrett is hitting .384 with 13 home runs, 15 doubles and a team-high 59 RBI.

Casey McElroy – SS/2B – 5’8 178
Auburn
Sophomore

Last year, McElroy started at shortstop from day one for the Tigers and finished with a solid .286 average. He was the only infielder to start every game. This season, McElroy is hitting .330 with six home runs, nine doubles and 37 RBI.

Zach Osborne – SS – 5’7 165
Tennessee
Sophomore

Osborne made 54 starts last year, batted .281 and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. A former Little League World Series MVP, Osborne is hitting .286 this year with five home runs, nine doubles and 25 RBI.

A.J. Pettersen – SS – 5’9 160
Minnesota
RS Sophomore

Pettersen earned second-team all-conference honors last year after hitting .353. This season, he’s hitting .290 with two home runs, 12 doubles and 31 RBI. He’s been a key player for a team that won the Big 10 regular-season title.

Cam Seitzer – 1B/3B – 6’5 205
Oklahoma
Sophomore

Like Buechele, Seitzer is the son of a former Major Leaguer (Kevin Seitzer), and he too is tearing it up for the Sooners. A true sophomore with a lot of potential, Seitzer is hitting .328 with a team-best 14 home runs and 51 RBI.

Cody Stubbs – 1B/3B – 6’3 220
Tennessee
Freshman

Stubbs was the Red Sox’ 29th-round pick out of high school last year. In Knoxville, he’s seen action in 46 games and is hitting .241 with three home runs. He was one of the top prospects in North Carolina coming out of high school.

Matt Williams – SS – 6’0 165
Liberty
Sophomore

Liberty has emerged as one of the top teams in the Big South this season, and Williams is a big reason why. After a solid freshman season and a .277 campaign in the Coastal Plain League, Williams has turned into a star this year. He’s hitting .367 with three home runs, 21 doubles and 28 RBI. He has also stolen eight bases.

Jackie Bradley Jr. – OF – 5’11 180
South Carolina
Sophomore

Bradley earned Freshman All-America honors from several publications last year and came to the Cape as one of the top prospects in his class. He struggled early but really picked things up late and ended up hitting .275 with 10 extra-base hits. A player with five-tool potential, Bradley was picked as the league’s 18th-best prospect by Baseball America. He was the fourth-best in his class. This spring, Bradley has been very good for the Gamecocks. He’s hitting .368 with nine home runs, nine doubles and 43 RBI.

Jeff Lusardi – OF – 5’10 180
Missouri
RS Freshman

Lusardi started his career at Arizona State and redshirted. He transferred to Missouri and is sitting out this season, per the NCAA’s new baseball transfer rules. Lusardi is a Missouri native.

Joey Rickard – OF – 6’1 175
Arizona
Freshman

Rickard teamed with fifth-round pick Jeff Malm to help lead Bishop Gorman High School to four consecutive Nevada state championships. A 38th-round pick, Rickard has continued his success at Arizona. He’s hitting .324 with eight home runs, eight doubles and 48 RBI. The RBI total is second on the team, and Rickard has also stolen 13 bases.

Johnny Ruettiger – OF – 6’2 190
Arizona State
Sophomore

Ruettiger pushed for playing time more and more last season and ended up playing a big role for the Sun Devils in the College World Series. On the Cape, Ruettiger turned heads quickly and made the all-star team. He finished the summer hitting .255. This year, Ruettiger is hitting .375 with four home runs, six triples, five doubles and 31 RBI.

Tyler Thompson – OF – 6’1 185
Florida
Sophomore

Thompson hit .235 in a limited role as a freshman but has gotten more chances this year and done a lot with them. In 44 games, Thompson is hitting .276 with two home runs, three doubles and two triples. He also has six stolen bases. Thompson is the son of former San Francisco Giant Robby Thompson.

May 24, 2010May 24, 2010

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.

May 17, 2010May 17, 2010

Early Look: Falmouth

Falmouth Commodores
Manager: Jeff Trundy
2009 Record: 17-24-2

Falmouth has had as many great players as any team in the league the last few years, from Conor Gillaspie and Aaron Crow in 2007, to A.J. Pollock in 2008 and Todd Cunningham in 2009. In fact, a Commodore has won the last three batting titles.

This year, Falmouth has a roster full of players whose college seasons indicate they can be the next great Commodore. As a franchise, Falmouth will just be looking for a different result.

Despite all the individual success, the Commodores didn’t win a Cape League title in the last few years and they haven’t won one since 1980. Even in ’07, when Gillaspie was the top hitter and the pitching staff featured five players who would end up being drafted in the first two rounds, the Commodores couldn’t get over the hump. They lost to a once-in-a-decade Y-D team in the championship.

Last year, the Commodores suffered their first losing season since 2003. The offense was among the strongest in the league, and the pitching staff was in the middle of the pack. But the team never got hot, and the result was a summer without a playoff appearance.

To get back, the Commodores are bringing in a relatively young team, but one that appears to have a pretty high ceiling.

There are no juniors on the roster for now. That will probably change along with some other things — the roster lacks a catcher — but the nucleus of the team as it’s constituted now is young and talented. The pitching staff features Matt Purke, who will be the most hyped freshman pitcher on the Cape in quite a while if he doesn’t go with Team USA. There are four other freshman who look like potential stars, along with a strong group of sophomores. Kyle Winkler, Taylor Wall and Mark Pope all had Cape League success last summer and are poised for more of it after solid college seasons.

As with every team I’ve written about so far, Falmouth’s offense looks very good. I don’t know if that means we’ll see more offensive talent than usual, but whatever the case may be, the Commodores should be able to keep pace. B.A. Vollmuth is probably the league’s top returning prospect among position players, while Matt Skole, K.C. Serna, Kevin Medrano and Nick Martini look like anchors of a potent attack. Barrett Barnes is also there, and he’s one of the top freshman hitters in the country.

It’s enough to make me think the Commodores will be in the mix. If the stars are bright again, all the better.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 8
Juniors: 0
Sophomores: 17
Freshmen: 8

Notable

Matt Purke: you’ve probably heard of him. Last year, he was the 14th overall pick in the Major League draft but he went unsigned and headed to TCU. He’s been among the best freshman pitchers in the country just as you’d expect. He has been invited to Team USA, but he’s a guy who will be eligible for the draft as a sophomore, so a summer of Cape scouting could be a nice draw for him.

Sticking with TCU, Kaleb Merck and Kyle Winkler will also be coming to the Falmouth, though Winkler is another USA invitee. Merck is an undersized flamethrower while Winkler is a polished pitcher through and through. Both should be very good.

Charlie Lowell was one of two highly-touted Wichita State freshmen to come to Falmouth last year. With the other, Jordan Cooper, eligible for the draft as a sophomore, Lowell is currently slated to fly solo this year.

The Commodores have a ton of left-handed pitching and by the looks of it, a ton of good left-handed pitching. Andrew Heaney, Brian Johnson, Christian Jones and Purke are all freshmen with success under their belts. Lowell, Taylor Wall and Nick Maronde are sophomores who have also been good.

Georgia’s Cecil Tanner has walked almost twice as many as he struck out this season, but scouts will be watching him. In the college preseason, I saw lots of mentions of Tanner as one of the top arms in his class. He just needs to figure it out.

I saw Florida’s Brian Johnson pitch on ESPNU and college baseball analyst Kyle Peterson was raving about him. He’s a lefty with a full arsenal.

I wrote last week that Nick Martini could win Falmouth a fourth straight batting title. He certainly could, but he’s not the only one. Missouri State’s Kevin Medrano has proven himself every step of the way and is hitting .417 this year.

B.A. Vollmuth has a legitimate shot to be the top prospect in the league. He hasn’t been invited to Team USA either, so we could get a full summer out of him.

Texas Tech’s Barrett Barnes was not on any top-freshman lists I saw in the preseason, but he’d be way up on a redo. Barnes is one of the top hitters in the Big 12.

Georgia Tech’s Matt Skole has some pop. In two seasons, he has 33 home runs. He’s also hitting .358 this year.

Falmouth has had a lot of success with players from Jacksonville State in Ben Tootle two years ago and Todd Cunningham last year. Outfielder Kyle Bluestein follows in their footsteps. His numbers are not spectacular this year, but they were last year.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Matt Purke
2. B.A. Vollmuth
3. Nick Martini
4. Matt Skole
5. Barrett Barnes

Pitchers

Eric Anderson – RHP – 6’4 210 – Missouri – Freshman
Steven Gruver – LHP – 6’1 200 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Andrew Heaney – LHP – 6’2 164 – Oklahoma State – Freshman
Brian Johnson – LHP – 6’3 225 – Florida – Freshman
Christian Jones – LHP – 6’2 195 – Oregon – Freshman
*Charlie Lowell – LHP – 6’4 234 – Wichita State – Sophomore
Nick Maronde – LHP – 6’3 210 – Florida – Sophomore
Kaleb Merck – RHP – 6’0 200 – Texas Christian – Sophomore
*Mark Pope – RHP – 6’2 203 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
Matt Purke – LHP – 6’4 180 – Texas Christian – Freshman
Matt Summers – RHP/OF – 6’1 205 – UC-Irvine – Sophomore
*Cecil Tanner – RHP – 6’6 223 – Georgia – Sophomore
*Taylor Wall – LHP – 6’2 180 – Rice – Sophomore
Scott Weismann – RHP – 6’0 190 – Clemson – Sophomore
*Kyle Winkler – RHP – 5’11 190 – Texas Christian – Sophomore

* – returning player
(Stats as of May 17)

Eric Anderson – RHP – 6’4 210
Missouri
Freshman

Anderson fits the mold of former Missouri and Falmouth pitcher Kyle Gibson: a tall righty with a lot of potential. If Anderson does what Gibson does in Falmouth — become one of the best in the league — the Commodores will be very happy. Anderson was a 28th-round pick out of high school. He has made nine starts this year and is 1-4 with a 5.74 ERA. He has 31 strikeouts in 42.1 innings.

Steven Gruver – LHP – 6’1 200
Tennessee
Sophomore

Gruver had an up-and-down freshman season but delivered a very strong summer in the Northwoods League. He went 7-1 with a 2.23 ERA for the La Crosse Loggers. This spring, Gruver has been a regular starter for the Vols with mixed results. He’s 4-4 with a 6.62 ERA.

Andrew Heaney – LHP – 6’2 164
Oklahoma State
Freshman

A smooth left-hander with an easy delivery, Heaney was a favorite among scouts and was drafted in the 24th round. His Baseball America scouting report calls him unsignable, and he did indeed stick with his commitment to Oklahoma State. In his first season in Stillwater, he’s gone 5-2 with a 5.22 ERA. In 60.1 innings, he has struck out 50 and walked 23.

Brian Johnson – LHP – 6’3 225
Florida
Freshman

A 27th-round pick out of high school and a top-100 recruit, Johnson wasted no time jumping into Florida’s weekend rotation. He’s been there from the beginning and has made a good first impression. He’s currently 5-2 with a 3.53 ERA. He has 41 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 58.2 innings.

Christian Jones – LHP – 6’2 195
Oregon
Freshman

Jones was the centerpiece of Oregon’s latest recruiting class, and Baseball America called him one of the top incoming freshman pitchers in the nation. Jones has pitched out of the bullpen for the Ducks and has done well so far. In 15 appearances, he’s got a 3.24 ERA to go with 11 strikeouts in 16.2 innings. Jones wasn’t drafted last year but was ranked among the nation’s top 200 prospects.

Charlie Lowell – LHP – 6’4 234
Wichita State
Sophomore

A big lefty who was a 27th-round pick out of high school, Lowell had a strong first season with the Shockers. He had some struggles in his first season with Falmouth, making six appearances with an ERA over six. This spring, he got off to a solid start before being sidelined with forearm tightness. He has yet to return, but he is expected back for the postseason.

Nick Maronde – LHP – 6’3 210
Florida
Sophomore

Maronde was one of the most highly-touted members of a talented recruiting class that arrived in Gainesville for the 2009 season. A 43rd-round pick out of high school, Maronde pitched well as a freshman, checking in with a 4.40 ERA. This season, Maronde has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. In 19 appearances, he’s got a 5.92 ERA. Though he’s walked almost a batter an inning, he does have 32 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.

Kaleb Merck – RHP – 6’0 200
Texas Christian
Sophomore

Merck had a decent freshman season in Fort Worth but he has blossomed this season. Pitching as a reliever, Merck leads the Horned Frogs with a 1.17 ERA in 17 appearances. He has struck out 17 and walked only four in 23 innings. His fastball velocity has apparently gone way up since he moved to the bullpen.

Mark Pope – RHP – 6’2 203
Georgia Tech
Sophomore

Pope was a 17th-round pick out of high school but honored his commitment to Georgia Tech and made an early splash. He became the team’s closer as a freshman and pitched well. For Falmouth over the summer, he pitched in a swing role and had a 2.10 ERA. This year, Pope has moved into the weekend rotation with impressive results. He’s 7-1 with a 4.13 ERA. In 65.1 innings, he has struck out 62 and walked only eight.

Matt Purke – LHP – 6’4 180
Texas Christian
Freshman

Like UCLA’s Gerrit Cole last year, Purke made headlines when he didn’t sign after getting picked in the first round. While Cole was one of the last picks in the first round in 2008, Purke went 14th to the Rangers in ’09 but still opted for TCU. He has lived up to every bit of the hype in his freshman year. He’s currently 10-0 with a 3.62 ERA. In 77 innings, he has 94 strikeouts and 22 walks.

Matt Summers – RHP/OF – 6’1 205
UC-Irvine
Sophomore

Summers has been a two-way player since day one for the Anteaters. He didn’t have a lot of success doing it last year, but the numbers are better this year, at least on offense. Summers is hitting .320 in spot duty. On the mound, he’s 2-2 but his ERA is over nine.

Cecil Tanner – RHP – 6’6 223
Georgia
Sophomore

Tanner’s potential has been touted for some time but he has yet to fully live up to it. He pitched well for Falmouth last summer, posting a 3.28 ERA in 17 appearances. This spring, he’s tied for the Georgia lead in appearances but the results have been inconsistent. He has struck out 23 in 24.2 innings but he has also walked 43, which has a lot to do with the 11.68 ERA.

Taylor Wall – LHP – 6’2 180
Rice
Sophomore

Whether in Houston or Falmouth, Wall has been pretty steady in his college career. A 40th-round pick out of high school, Wall delivered a strong freshman season and a good summer on the Cape, where he posted a 2.62 ERA. He’s taken on a bigger role this year as Rice’s Friday starter and has pitched fairly well. He’s got a 4.44 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 73 innings.

Scott Weismann – RHP – 6’0 190
Clemson
Sophomore

Weismann was an 18th-round pick out of high school then led Clemson in ERA while pitching out of the bullpen last year. A native of Boxborough, Mass., Weismann was on the Falmouth roster this time last year but didn’t end up on the Cape. This spring, Weismann has moved into the rotation and is 5-2 with a 5.17 ERA.

Kyle Winkler – RHP – 5’11 190
Texas Christian
Sophomore

Winkler doesn’t have the classic pitcher’s build but he was a high-school standout who got plenty of attention from scouts. He was solid as a freshman then got an invite to Team USA. He ended up in Falmouth and finished the summer with a 3.62 ERA. This year, he’s been just as much an ace as TCU teammates Purke and Steven Maxwell. Winkler is 8-1 with a 3.52 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 84.1 innings.

Position Players

Barrett Barnes – SS/2B/OF – 5’11 195 – Texas Tech – Freshman
Kevin Medrano – 2B – 6’0 150 – Missouri State – Sophomore
K.C. Serna – SS – 6’0 185 – Oregon – Sophomore
*Matt Skole – 1B/3B – 6’4 228 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
*Jason Stolz – INF – 6’2 195 – Clemson – Sophomore
*B.A. Vollmuth – SS – 6’4 200 – Southern Mississippi – Sophomore
Kyle Bluestein – OF – 6’3 200 – Jacksonville State – Sophomore
Nick Martini – OF – 5’11 193 – Kansas State – Sophomore
Zach Taylor – OF – 6’3 220 – Georgia – Freshman
Kyle Von Tungeln – OF – 6’0 180 – Texas Christian – Freshman

* – returning player

Barrett Barnes – SS/2B/OF – 5’11 195
Texas Tech
Freshman

Those position listings mean Barnes can play pretty much anywhere. If his freshman season is any indication, he’ll do well wherever he is. To say he’s doing well now would be an understatement. Barnes hit two home runs and drove in six runs in his collegiate debut and he hasn’t slowed down. He’s hitting .344 with 12 home runs, 15 doubles, 48 RBI and 11 stolen bases and should be getting serious consideration for Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. Also, it seems he’s playing mostly first base this spring, so add it to the list.

Kevin Medrano – 2B – 6’0 150
Missouri State
Sophomore

Medrano earned Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors when he hit .329 with 40 RBI last year. The numbers have gotten even better since then. Medrano hit .363 in the Southern California League last year and is hitting .417 this spring, to go with three homers, 15 doubles and 15 steals.

K.C. Serna – SS – 6’0 185
Oregon
Sophomore

A key piece of George Horton’s first recruiting class at Oregon, Serna has been a mainstay since he walked on campus. He has already started close to 100 games for the Ducks and he’s starting to hit his stride at the plate. After batting .228 as a freshman, he went to the Northwoods League and hit .314 while setting a Mankato team record with 25 stolen bases. This year, Serna is hitting .321 with 12 steals.

Matt Skole – 1B/3B – 6’4 228
Georgia Tech
Sophomore

Skole showed a lot of pop in his freshman season and finished with a .302 batting average and 17 home runs. His summer in Falmouth was a struggle, though, as he hit .181 with one homer. This spring, Skole picked up where he left off for Tech — and then some. He’s hitting .358 with 16 home runs, 13 doubles and 54 RBI.

Jason Stolz – INF – 6’2 195
Clemson
Sophomore

Stolz started 42 games as a freshman and hit .315 then played in five games with Falmouth over the summer. He has slumped this spring and is hitting .182.

B.A. Vollmuth – SS – 6’4 200
Southern Mississippi
Sophomore

When Vollmuth became a starter for the golden Eagles midway through last season, he began a meteoric rise that hasn’t yet hit its peak. Vollmuth was a key part of his team’s run to the College World Series, and once he arrived on the Cape, he became one of the most talked-about players in the league. He hit .230 for Falmouth but almost half his hits went for extra-bases and he was named the 20th best prospect in the league by Baseball America. This spring, Vollmuth has put it all together and is hitting .380 with 12 home runs, 17 doubles and 57 RBI.

Kyle Bluestein – OF – 6’3 200
Jacksonville State
Sophomore

Bluestein put up eye-popping numbers as a freshman, hitting .393 with nine homers and 21 doubles. He has come back to Earth this year with a .271 average and seven home runs, but clearly the potential is there.

Nick Martini – OF – 5’11 193
Kansas State
Sophomore

After a solid freshman campaign, Martini has blossomed this year into the Big 12’s best hitter. He’s currently batting .429 with two home runs, 16 doubles and 51 RBI. His on-base percentage is .515 and he has stolen 18 bases in 22 attempts. Martini was named the third-best prospect in the MINK League by Baseball America.

Zach Taylor – OF – 6’3 220
Georgia
Freshman

Taylor hails from Statesboro, Ga., and he’s gotten plenty of chances to make a splash at the state school. He has seen action in 41 games and has started 20. He’s hitting .238 with a home run and five doubles.

Kyle Von Tungeln – OF – 6’0 180
Texas Christian
Freshman

Von Tungeln is a speedy center fielder who was considered an impact recruit for the Horned Frogs after a strong high-school career. He has struggled a bit in his first season with TCU, hitting .220 in 36 games. He does have 12 RBI and is 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts.

May 9, 2010May 9, 2010

Early Look: Chatham

Chatham Anglers
Manager: John Schiffner
2009 Record: 21-23

Last summer, the Chatham Anglers started as fast as any team in recent memory, winning eight of their first nine games. The rest of the summer, they won 13 of 35 games and finished below .500. When the season was done, the Anglers were eighth in team batting average and ninth in ERA.

The Anglers wouldn’t mind a repeat of the fast start this summer, and the team they’ll trot out has a lot of similarities to last year’s squad, namely the fact that the roster that shouldn’t be hit too hard by the College World Series or Team USA. That can always help pave the way for a fast start, and right now, the Anglers don’t have a single player with a Team USA invitation, nor are they relying on a large cast from a powerhouse program.

Obviously, though, the Chatham franchise would like to see more than just a fast start.

If there’s a difference this year, it’s the offense. Part-time catcher Mike Murray was the only player who hit over .300 for the Anglers last year. Based on college stats, I think this year’s team has a lot more potential. In Ricky Oropesa and Dan Paolini, the Anglers have two polished sophomore who are having outstanding springs. And the list goes on. Pretty much every position player on the Anglers roster is having a really good spring. If everyone makes it, there’s going to be some serious competition for playing time.

The question, as I see it, is the pitching staff. Logan Verrett is an ace in waiting and several other pitchers are having good springs. But I count seven who really aren’t having good springs. That’s a big chunk, and those guys will need to rebound if the Anglers are going to have success.

I always write the pitching bios first, so I’ll be honest: when I got to the end of that, I didn’t think Chatham was in line for a resurgence. But the offensive players changed my outlook. On paper, I think the Anglers are a little behind Orleans, but that’ll mean nothing in June.

The Anglers haven’t been major players in the league landscape since 2007, when they pushed Y-D pretty hard in the East. I think they could very well be players again in 2010.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 8
Juniors: 3
Sophomores: 21
Freshmen: 5

Notable

There are always players on my Cape League radar screen, guys I’ve followed or read about. Most of the top players are there, but Dan Paolini wasn’t. He’s at Siena and he played in the Great South League last summer, which isn’t a real well-established league. After writing about him today, I have him firmly on the radar. Paolini hit .430 with power as a freshman. This year, he’s at .369 with 22 home runs, a Siena record. He’s likely to be the college home run leader among 2010 Cape Leaguers. All this from a 6’0 second baseman. He’s clearly a breakout candidate.

USC’s Ricky Oropesa has been on the radar and he’s not staying right where he is. The Anglers didn’t get a full summer out of Oropesa last year and he struggled. But he’s doing big things this spring, and I like him as a candidate both for MVP and top prospect.

Logan Verrett is pretty clearly the best pitcher on the Anglers staff right now, both in terms of stats and reputation. He’s one of the best sophomore arms in the country and should be one of the best on the Cape.

Over the years, Chatham has been home to a lot of really good shortstops, going all the way back to Brian Roberts and Seth Davidson and up through Grant Green. This year, the Anglers have two who look capable of carrying the torch. UCLA’s Tyler Rahmatulla played with the Anglers last year and will come back off a really strong sophomore season. Miami freshman Stephen Perez is one of the top prospects in his class.

Speaking of footsteps, the Anglers always seem to have a pitcher or two from Maine. This year, it’s Jeff Gibbs and he could end up as one of the best Black Bears the Anglers have had. He’s having a great freshman campaign.

When the Anglers signed Dan Klein, I imagine they thought of him as veteran arm who would lend a lot of help to the bullpen. Now, Klein may never see Chatham. He’s become one of the best closers in the country and is a top 50 prospect for the draft.

I’ll be really curious to see how Chatham sorts out its infield. They have nine infielders on the roster, and eight of them are putting up good spring numbers.

I feel like I’ve been writing about Erik Goeddel for as long as I’ve been doing this blog. That’s a little bit of an exaggeration but not much of one. He was on Y-D’s roster back in 2008 and on Brewster’s roster in 2009. He has made one Cape League appearance. Injuries have taken a huge bite out of his college career, but he’s still the guy who was one of the top pitchers in his high school class. This spring, he’s healthy and pitching well for UCLA>

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Ricky Oropesa
2. Dan Paolini
3. Logan Verrett
4. Tyler Rahmatulla
5. Stephen Perez

Pitchers

Garrett Davis – RHP – 6’4 195 – North Carolina – RS Sophomore
*Mike Dennhardt – RHP – 6’1 205 – Boston College – Sophomore
Aaron Gates – LHP/IF – 6’1 178 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Jeff Gibbs – RHP – 6’3 180 – Maine – Freshman
Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 185 – UCLA – RS Sophomore
*Patrick Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170 – North Carolina – Junior
Dan Klein – RHP – 6’3 190 – UCLA – RS Sophomore
Greg Larson – RHP – 6’8 215 – Florida – Sophomore
Ken Monteith – RHP – 6’2 205 – Winthrop – Sophomore
Chris Munnelly – RHP – 6’2 170 – North Carolina – Freshman
Hudson Randall – RHP – 6’3 180 – Florida – Freshman
Phil Schreiber – RHP – 6’0 195 – Iowa – Sophomore
*Logan Verrett – RHP – 6’2 180 – Baylor – Sophomore
Joe Zimmerman – RHP – 6’1 205 – New Orleans – Sophomore

* – returning player
(Stats as of May 9)

Garrett Davis – RHP – 6’4 195
North Carolina
RS Sophomore

Davis’ North Carolina career finally got off the ground this season. In 2008, Davis had Tommy John surgery and redshirted. He was still recovering last year and made only nine appearances. Davis has made 14 appearances this season, including seven starts. He’s 3-3 with a 4.73 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. Coming out of high school, Davis was one of the top prospects in North Carolina.

Mike Dennhardt – RHP – 6’1 205
Boston College
Sophomore

Dennhardt will be in his second summer with the Anglers, and he’ll be looking for a bit of a rebound. After starting eight games for Chatham and posting a 2.76 ERA, Dennhardt has struggled this spring. He’s 3-6 with a 6.39 ERA, and he’s surrendered 77 hits in 56.1 innings of work. He had a decent start last time out, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings. Two years ago, Dennhardt was a 17th-round pick out of high school.

Aaron Gates – LHP/IF – 6’1 178
Pepperdine
Sophomore

Gates is a two-way player for the Waves and he had success doing both last summer in the Northwoods League. This spring, he’s done a bit more pitching. In 15 appearances, he has a 5.74 ERA. At the plate, Gates is hitting .214. Out of high school, he was a 33rd-round pick.

Jeff Gibbs – RHP – 6’3 180
Maine
Freshman

Gibbs is a native of Canada and he got drafted by the Blue Jays in the 48th round of last June’s draft. But he opted to head south to Maine, and if his first season is any indication, he’ll be making a name for himself pretty soon. Gibbs vaulted immediately into Maine’s weekend rotation, and he’s been the team’s best pitcher. He’s 5-3 with a 3.84 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.

Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 185
UCLA
RS Sophomore

Injuries forced Goeddel to redshirt in 2008 and he saw only limited action last season. This year, the former top-100 prospect seems to have found his niche in the Bruin bullpen. He’s made 23 appearances and he’s sporting a 3.09 ERA. In 32 innings, he has struck out 37 and walked only 16.

Patrick Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170
North Carolina
Junior

From his role as a mid-week starter with the Tar Heels, Johnson emerged as a valuable member of Chatham’s rotation last summer. He ended up with a 2-1 record and 2.76 ERA. Opportunities have continued to expand this spring for Johnson, who’s pitching in the weekend rotation. He’s currently 4-3 with a 3.76 ERA.

Dan Klein – RHP – 6’3 190
UCLA
RS Sophomore

Before this year, Klein’s career at UCLA had been pretty non-descript. He made seven appearances in 2008 and redshirted in 2009. This season, Klein has been anything but ordinary. In a year that has made him into one of the best closers in the nation, Klein has a 1.11 ERA and eight saves. In 32.1 innings, he has struck out 41 and walked only seven. He hasn’t allowed a home run all season, and opponents are hitting .188 against him.

Greg Larson – RHP – 6’8 215
Florida
Sophomore

Larson might end up being the tallest player on the Cape this summer, and I imagine he’ll draw some attention from scouts. Larson had a 3.45 ERA out of the bullpen for the Gators last year. This season, his strikeout numbers are up and his walks are down but he’s gotten hit a lot harder. Despite 19 strikeouts and three walks, he has an 8.34 ERA.

Ken Monteith – RHP – 6’2 205
Winthrop
Sophomore

A native of New Jersey, Monteith headed south to play for the Eagles. He had a successful freshman campaign while pitching out of the bullpen but he has run into some trouble this year. He’s 0-2 right now with a 12.83 ERA.

Chris Munnelly – RHP – 6’2 170
North Carolina
Freshman

Munnelly has some typical true freshman numbers, with an ERA that’s a little high and a few more hits than you’d like to see. The unusual thing is that Munnelly has gotten a lot of opportunities. He’s made 19 appearances — 15 out of the bullpen — and he’s fourth on the team in innings pitched. While his ERA sits at 5.28, he has struck out 45 in 46 innings.

Hudson Randall – RHP – 6’3 180
Florida
Freshman

Randall is one of two freshmen who have worked their way into the Gators’ weekend rotation. Brian Johnson (Falmouth) has been good and so has Randall. He’s currently 6-2 with a 2.94 ERA. In 64.1 innings, he has 44 strikeouts and 15 walks. Randall was a 46th-round pick last year.

Phil Schreiber – RHP – 6’0 195
Iowa
Sophomore

After pitching in the rotation and out of the bullpen last year, Schreiber has moved into the weekend rotation for Iowa this year with mixed results. In 11 starts, he’s 3-5 with a 5.37 ERA. He has struck out 29 and walked 23. In the Prospect League last summer, Schreiber was very good. He went 6-0 with a 1.30 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.

Logan Verrett – RHP – 6’2 180
Baylor
Sophomore

Verrett came into Baylor with some strong credentials. Not everything matched up perfectly in his freshman year, though: he struck out more than a batter an inning but had an ERA over five. Still, he showed enough to get an invite to Team USA. He didn’t make the final cut but came to Chatham and had a nice summer. This year, he has taken the steps forward you might expect. He’s 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.

Joe Zimmerman – RHP – 6’1 205
New Orleans
Sophomore

Zimmerman averaged almost a strikeout per inning for the Privateers as a freshmen and he led the team in Ks. Things have not gone as well this season. Zimmerman is 0-6 with a 7.79 ERA. In 49.2 innings, he has struck out 19 and walked 16.

Position Players

*Phillip Pohl – C – 6’0 195 – Clemson – Sophomore
*Jacob Stallings – C – 6’4 180 – North Carolina – Sophomore
*Tom Belza – IF/OF – 6’1 185 – Oklahoma State – Junior
Mark Ginther – IF – 6’3 198 – Oklahoma State – Sophomore
*Ricky Oropesa – IF/P – 6’3 225 – USC – Sophomore
Dan Paolini – IF/OF – 6′ 0 195 – Siena – Sophomore
Stephen Perez – IF – 5’11 175 – Miami – Freshman
*Tyler Rahmatulla – IF – 5’10 180 – UCLA – Sophomore
Riley Reynolds – IF – 6’1 200 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Kevin Vance – IF/P – 6’0 205 – Connecticut – Sophomore
Aaron Westlake – 1B – 6′ 3 235 – Vanderbilt – RS Sophomore
Beau Amaral – OF – 5’11 175 – UCLA – Freshman
Brian Humphries – OF – 6’2 195 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Jason Martin – OF – 5’8 165 – San Jose State – Junior
Peter Verdin – OF – 6’0 198 – Georgia – Sophomore

* – returning player

Phillip Pohl – C – 6’0 195
Clemson
Sophomore

Pohl was a 44th-round pick out of high school. He struggled with the bat in his first year at Clemson, then hit .179 in limited duty for Chatham last summer. This year, Pohl is hitting .241 with 17 RBI.

Jacob Stallings – C – 6’4 180
North Carolina
Sophomore

North Carolina has sent quite a few talented catchers to the Cape over the years, and Stallings will try to fit that the mold. He didn’t see a ton of action as a freshmen and didn’t hit that well. He’s had a few more chances this season and he’s hitting .253 with 10 extra-base hits. Stallings played in 13 games for Chatham last summer.

Tom Belza – IF/OF – 6’1 185
Oklahoma State
Junior

Belza is a bona fide Cape League veteran at this point. He played for Y-D in the summer of 2008 and Chatham last year. Along the way, he’s been a steady force and one of the best hitters in the Oklahoma State lineup. After hitting .183 for the Anglers last summer, Belza is batting .289 this spring.

Mark Ginther – IF – 6’3 198
Oklahoma State
Sophomore

Ginther will join Belza, and if he keeps it up, he’ll be coming in off a really good season. He’s hitting at a .324 clip so far, and he leads the Cowboys with nine home runs. He’s also got 15 doubles and 47 RBI. Ginther was a 48th-round pick out of high school.

Ricky Oropesa – IF/P – 6’3 225
USC
Sophomore

Oropesa lived up to the hype as a freshman with the Trojans but he had his struggles on the Cape. If this spring is any indication, that won’t happen again. Oropesa is hitting .354 with 12 home runs, 18 doubles and 47 RBI. He leads the Trojans in just about every offensive category.

Dan Paolini – IF/OF – 6′ 0 195
Siena
Sophomore

Paolini has done nothing but hit at a really high level since arriving at Siena. On his way to MAAC Rookie of the Year honors last season, Paolini hit .430 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI. He hasn’t really dropped off this season. He’s currently batting .369 with 22 home runs and 53 RBI. He has already broken the Siena single-season home run record.

Stephen Perez – IF – 5’11 175
Miami
Freshman

Perez was an 18th-round pick out of high school last year, and he’s been on every list I’ve seen of the best freshman prospects in the nation. He hasn’t had an eye-popping first season, but he is starting every game at shortstop for Miami, so that’s saying something. He’s hitting .275 with five homers, 12 doubles and 28 RBI. He has also stolen 19 bases.

Tyler Rahmatulla – IF – 5’10 180
UCLA
Sophomore

Rahmatulla came to Chatham last summer with some hype but he hit just .101 in 27 games. This year, he’ll bring with him more than hype — he’ll also carry an outstanding spring to build on. Rahmatulla is hitting .354 for the Bruins with five home runs, 14 doubles and 31 RBI.

Riley Reynolds – IF – 6’1 200
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Reynolds hit .332 with 16 doubles for the Commodores last year and his performance earned him an SEC All-Freshman nod. His second season in Nashville hasn’t been as good. Reynolds is hitting .209 this spring.

Kevin Vance – IF/P – 6’0 205
Connecticut
Sophomore

Vance came to Storrs all the way from Solana Beach, Calif. His first season on the East coast was pretty uneventful — he got 39 at-bats for the Huskies and had eight hits. This season, Vance is having a much better time. He’s hitting .355 with six homers, 10 doubles and 31 RBI.

Aaron Westlake – 1B – 6′ 3 235
Vanderbilt
RS Sophomore

Westlake saw some action for Vandy back in 2008, but an injury cost him most of the season and he earned a medical redshirt. In 2009, he made a comeback in a big way, winning the SEC batting title with a .377 average. He then hit .313 with Newport of the NECBL. This year, Westlake is having a solid campaign. He’s hitting .315 with seven homers, 13 doubles and 41 RBI.

Beau Amaral – OF – 5’11 175
UCLA
Freshman

A 45th-round pick out of high school, Amaral has made a big impact in his first season at UCLA. He currently leads the team in hitting with a .356 average. He’s also got two homers and 14 RBI.

Brian Humphries – OF – 6’2 195
Pepperdine
Sophomore

I read a lot of good things about Humphries heading into his freshman season, but he hasn’t quite turned into a star yet. He hit .305 for the Waves last year and started every game in center field. After hitting .264 in the Northwoods League, Humphries has hit .252 this spring, with two homers and 14 RBI.

Jason Martin – OF – 5’8 165
San Jose State
Junior

Martin was a recruited walk-on at San Jose State and he’s undersized. But in three years with the Spartans, he has become one of the team’s best players. This season, he’s hitting .387 with a .442 on-base percentage. San Jose is listed as Martin’s hometown, but his bio also notes that he was born in Worcester, Mass.

Peter Verdin – OF – 6’0 198
Georgia
Sophomore

Verdin saw part-time duty for the Bulldogs last year. This season, he’s been a regular and he’s had a solid year. He’s currently hitting .289 with seven homers, 14 doubles and 26 RBI. He also has 12 steals.

May 3, 2010May 3, 2010

Early Look: Bourne

Bourne Braves
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
2009 Record: 25-17-2

It would be difficult for these Bourne Braves to make their summer as special as last year’s Bourne Braves.

For the first time in franchise history, the Braves won the Cape League championship. They did it in style, with league MVP Kyle Roller and a host of other talented players helping the Braves steamroll through the playoffs.

The most amazing thing was that the Braves did it on the fly. Roller was draft-eligible and wasn’t even on the initial roster. He was the perfect representative for a team that had to make a lot of moves and made all the right ones. As long as it leads to the same ending, I’m sure the Braves staff wouldn’t mind having a little less excitement in that department. If that’s the case, they’ll be bringing a talented group across the bridges.

Team identities don’t often carry over from one summer to the another, and that’ll probably be the case for the Braves, who only have three returning players. But one of them is Pierre LePage, who was one of the leaders on last year’s team. His presence can only help.

Offensively, the Braves have a ton of potential. If he doesn’t go to Team USA, Anthony Rendon will be a shoo-in for the league’s top prospect honor. Players like Zack MacPhee, Ryan Wright, Austin Maddox and Daniel Bowman are also having outstanding seasons at the dish. The pitching staff doesn’t seem to be quite as deep, but Anthony Meo and several other starters have ace potential. And of course, in the Cape League, it’s probably better to have pitching as a question mark than hitting.

All in all, I think the Braves have assembled a team that can certainly compete, just like their predecessors. Since winning nine games in 2006, the Braves have had a winning record every season. I think they’ll keep it up.

Then they’ll shoot for something special.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 3
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 17
Freshmen: 9

Notable

We can begin with Anthony Rendon, who probably deserves a separate category outside the “Five Players I’m Excited to See” grouping below. Because I’m really excited. He might be the best college hitting prospect since Mark Teixeira. It follows that if he makes it to the Cape, he’ll be the hitting prospect in the league since Teixeira. Unfortunately, there is an if at play, thanks to Rendon’s Team USA invite. But I’m really hoping we get to see him. The sophomore class is a talented one and Rendon sits at the head of it. I’ve read some suggestions that if Rendon were eligible for this year’s draft, he might go ahead of phenom Bryce Harper.

On to another Anthony who gets a special mention. Coastal Carolina’s Anthony Meo hails from Cranston, R.I., and for my real job, I covered him many times in his high school days. I can tell you he’s been a success from day one. I still remember his first varsity start. It was the state semifinals, and his team had lost its ace earlier in the playoffs. For a decisive game three of the semis, they gave the ball to Meo, then a wispy sophomore who had never pitched on varsity. He proceeded to throw a complete-game victory, and the rest was history. His team won the championship and the next year, he blossomed as a major prospect and almost threw a no-hitter in that championship. At Coastal, he’s become one of the best sophomore pitchers in the country.

Arizona State’s Zack MacPhee didn’t turn many heads with his statistics when he was in Bourne last summer. I think he will this time around. MacPhee is currently one of the best hitters in the Pac 10.

I think North Carolina’s Mike Morin will be good for the Braves, but his summer might be a little less eventful than last year. Pitching in the MINK League, one of the leagues that allows incoming freshmen to play, Morin earned top prospect honors and pitched so well that he caught the attention of North Carolina coaches. By the time his summer was over, his commitment to a junior college had turned into a commitment to the Tar Heels.

More than any other team with any other player, I think the Braves know what they’re getting in Pierre LePage — and they’ll be thrilled with it. He’s draft-eligible but if he ends up on the Cape, it’ll be his third summer with the Braves. He’s only 5’7 and he doesn’t have home run power, but every team would love to have him. In conversations about the top returning Cape Leaguers, you can’t forget LePage.

Austin Maddox is the early favorite to be the top freshman on the Cape. He was a major prospect coming out of high school but he slid in the draft because of his strong commitment to Florida. He is delivering eye-popping numbers this year.

It’ll be interesting to see who actually plays catcher for the Braves this year. Maddox is listed as a catcher but hasn’t played there much this year. Same for Josh Elander.

The Braves have a wealth of middle infielders, and they’re all good. Ryan Wright and Zack MacPhee are having All-American type seasons, and LePage is a mainstay. Nolan Fontana is having a great freshman year, Sam Mende has been solid in his two years at South Florida and Garrett Cannizaro is a highly-touted freshman. It’s going to be crowded.

This is pretty amazing. Bourne has four players who were the top prospects in other summer leagues last year, according to Baseball America: Morin in the MINK, Mississippi State pitcher Devin Jones in the NECBL, Coastal Carolina outfielder Daniel Bowman in the Valley League and Clemson pitcher Kevin Brady in the Cal Ripken Sr. League.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Anthony Rendon
2. Zack MacPhee
3. Austin Maddox
4. Anthony Meo
5. Ryan Wright

Pitchers

Kevin Brady – RHP – 6’2 190 – Clemson – RS Freshman
Brian Busch – LHP – 6’2 237 – Florida State – Sophomore
Garrett Bush – RHP – 6’5 178 – Auburn – Freshman
*Michael Dimock – RHP – 6’2 177 – Wake Forest – Sophomore
Grayson Garvin – LHP – 6’5 217 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Devin Jones -RHP – 6’3 170 – Mississippi State – Sophomore
Tyler Joyner – LHP – 5’10 182 – East Carolina – Freshman
Anthony Meo – RHP – 6’1 180 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
Mike Morin – RHP – 6’4 180 – North Carolina – Freshman
R.C. Orlan – LHP – 6’0 175 – North Carolina – Freshman
Will Roberts – RHP – 6’4 205 – Virginia – Sophomore
Chance Sossamon – RHP 6’2 185 – Wichita State – Sophomore
Tony Zych – RHP – 6’3 175 – Louisville – Sophomore

* – returning player
(Stats as of May 2)

Kevin Brady – RHP – 6’2 190
Clemson
Sophomore

Brady was a 44th-round pick out of high school but only saw limited action last year before taking a medical redshirt. His injury didn’t hurt him in the summer, though. He posted a 1.53 ERA in the Cal Ripken Sr. League with two complete games and was named the league’s top prospect by Baseball America. He has pitched well as a reliever this spring, with a 3.22 ERA in 12 appearances. He has 25 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.

Brian Busch – LHP – 6’2 237
Florida State
Sophomore

Busch started his freshman campaign in the bullpen before working his way into the starting rotation and delivering a strong season. He finished with a 3.97 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 90.2 innings and earned Freshman All-America honors. This season, Busch is back in the bullpen and he’s currently 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA. In 39.1 innings, Busch has 37 strikeouts.

Garrett Bush – RHP – 6’5 178
Auburn
Freshman

Though he was a starting catcher in high school, Bush became a pitching prospect thanks to some relief appearances and the big arm he showed in those outings. Bush was drafted in the 15th round last year by the Orioles but opted not to sign. He has seen only limited action this year for Auburn, with just four innings pitched.

Michael Dimock – RHP – 6’2 177
Wake Forest
Sophomore

Dimock led the Demon Deacons in strikeouts and innings pitched as a freshman then had a solid summer with the Braves. He made nine appearances, eight out of the bullpen, and had a 3.42 ERA. He struck out 25 in 23.2 innings. This spring, Dimock is 2-7 with a 6.10 ERA. He leads the team in strikeouts with 50.

Grayson Garvin – LHP – 6’5 217
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Garvin was a 45th round pick out of high school but saw limited action with Vanderbilt his freshman year and not much more action with Falmouth last year. Battling elbow pain, Garvin finally learned he had a stress fracture. It kept him out for part of the spring season, but he’s pitched well since returning. In five appearances, he hasn’t allowed an earned run. He has 13 strikeouts and just one walk in 10.2 innings.

Devin Jones -RHP – 6’3 170
Mississippi State
Sophomore

Jones battled injuries and some struggles in his freshman campaign with the Bulldogs, but he left them behind in a great summer. Pitching in the NECBL, Jones had a 2.79 ERA and struck out 35 in 29 innings. Baseball America picked him as the league’s top prospect. This spring, Jones has pitched out of the bullpen with mixed results. He has 24 strikeouts in 21.1 innings but also a 5.48 ERA.

Tyler Joyner – LHP – 5’10 182
East Carolina
Freshman

As one of the top high-school pitchers in North Carolina, Joyner came to East Carolina with some potential, but he hasn’t given himself the chance to live up to it. Joyner made one appearance in the first series of the season before getting suspended indefinitely along with another teammate for a violation of team policy.

Anthony Meo – RHP – 6’1 180
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore

Meo was a high-school star in Rhode Island and a 43rd-round pick in 2008. He has blossomed at Coastal Carolina, earning Freshman All-America honors last year before really emerging this season. At 9-1 with a 1.76 ERA, he’s among the national leaders in ERA. In 61.1 innings, he has struck out 58 and walked 23. Opponents are hitting .229 against him.

Mike Morin – RHP – 6’4 180
North Carolina
Freshman

Morin, a Kansas native, played in the MINK Collegiate League after his senior year of high school and made quite an impression. Baseball America tabbed him as the league’s top prospect and his performance earned him an offer from North Carolina. A 40th-round pick out of high school, Morin has pitched out of the bullpen in his freshman campaign. He’s got a 5.28 ERA but he’s also struck out 33 and walked only 10 in 30.2 innings.

R.C. Orlan – LHP – 6’0 175
North Carolina
Freshman

Orlan was a 44th-round pick out of high school, and he has pitched well in his first season with the Tar Heels. In 15 relief appearances, he has a 3.65 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 12.1 innings.

Will Roberts – RHP – 6’4 205
Virginia
Sophomore

Roberts has pitched as both a starter and a reliever for the Cavaliers this spring. In eight appearances, he has a 3.94 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 29.2 innings. Roberts pitched for Newport in the NECBL last summer and had a 1.00 ERA with 24 strikeouts and only three walks in 27 innings.

Chance Sossamon – RHP 6’2 185
Wichita State
Sophomore

Sossamon pitched as a reliever as a freshman with the Shockers and finished with more strikeouts than innings pitched. This season, Sossamon has made 17 relief appearances. While the strikeout numbers are still good — 25 in 23 innings — Sossamon’s ERA is sitting at 7.83.

Tony Zych – RHP – 6’3 175
Louisville
Sophomore

Zych was a 46th-round pick out of high school and he showed off his mid-90’s fastball in his first season with the Cards, going 6-2 with a 3.25 ERA and earning Freshman All-America honors. Zych pitched well for Team USA last summer but hasn’t had quite as much success this spring. He has struck out 37 and walked only 11 in 37 innings, but he’s also allowed 47 hits. He has an ERA of 6.45.

Position Players

Josh Elander – C/OF – 6’0 205 – TCU – Freshman
Miles Hamblin – C – 6’0 188 – Mississippi – Junior
Austin Maddox – C – 6’3 230 – Florida – Freshman
Garrett Cannizaro – SS/2B – 6’0 185 – Tulane – Freshman
Nolan Fontana – SS/2B – 5’11 190 – Florida – Freshman
*Pierre LePage – INF – 5’8 165 – Connecticut – Junior
*Zack MacPhee – SS/2B – 5’9 180 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Sam Mende – SS – 6’3 195 – South Florida – Sophomore
Anthony Rendon – 3B – 5’11 180 – Rice – Sophomore
Travis Shaw – 3B/1B – 6’4 215 – Kent State – Sophomore
Creede Simpson – INF/OF – 6’1 185 – Auburn – Sophomore
Austin Stadler – 1B/LHP/OF – 6’2 207 – Wake Forest – Sophomore
Ryan Wright – SS – 6’1 198 – Louisville – Sophomore
Daniel Bowman – OF – 6’1 210 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
Kameron Brunty – OF – 6’1 160 – Southern Mississippi – Sophomore

* – returning player

Josh Elander – C/OF – 6’0 205
TCU
Freshman

A high-school standout in Texas, Elander got drafted in the 36th round last year but stuck with his commitment to TCU and is having a fantastic freshman season. He has played in every game and is hitting .383 with two homers, 12 doubles, four triples and 31 RBI. He has also stolen 10 bases.

Miles Hamblin – C – 6’0 188
Mississippi
Junior

Hamblin was an All-American last year at JUCO powerhouse Howard College, where he hit .429 with 17 home runs and helped Howard win the national championship. Hamblin hasn’t had as much statistical success in first season with the Rebels. He’s currently hitting .235, though he does have 11 extra-base hits.

Austin Maddox – C – 6’3 230
Florida
Freshman

Maddox was highly-touted out of high school and he’s becoming one of the nation’s best freshman in his first season in Gainesville. A 37th-round pick who slipped because of signability concerns, Maddox is hitting .350 with 13 home runs, 13 doubles and 50 RBI. He’s among the SEC leaders in all the major offensive categories.

Garrett Cannizaro – SS/2B – 6’0 185
Tulane
Freshman

Cannizaro is following in the footsteps of his brother Andy, who played for Tulane and saw some big league action. Garrett was a 26th-round pick out of high school but stuck with Tulane, where he’s having a pretty solid freshman season. He has started every game and he’s hitting .301 with three home runs.

Nolan Fontana – SS/2B – 5’11 190
Florida
Freshman

Like Maddox, Fontana is having a strong freshman season with the Gators. The numbers might not be as eye-popping, but Fontana has been a spark atop the lineup and is hitting .280 with an on-base percentage of .429. In the field, Fontana has been outstanding. He’s made just one error in 42 games.

Pierre LePage – INF – 5’8 165
Connecticut
Junior

LePage made his first Cape appearance in 2008 as a late-season addition. Given the chance, he has shined ever since. Last summer, he hit .308, stole 17 bases and was one of the driving forces in Bourne’s run to the league championship. This spring, LePage is hitting .316 for Connecticut with 22 steals.

Zack MacPhee – SS/2B – 5’9 180
Arizona State
Sophomore

MacPhee had a good freshman season and a not-so-good summer in Bourne last year. This year, he’s had one of the most dramatic coming-out parties in the nation. He opened up by hitting .727 with six extra-base hits in ASU’s season-opening series. Amazingly, he hasn’t cooled down much. He’s hitting .432 with eight home runs, 5 doubles and 12 triples. He leads the Sun Devils with 51 RBI.

Sam Mende – SS – 6’3 195
South Florida
Sophomore

Mende was an impact player as a freshman, starting every game at shortstop for the Bulls and hitting .319. This season, Mende is hitting .281 with three homers and 18 RBI. Mende was a 40th-round pick out of high school.

Anthony Rendon – 3B – 5’11 180
Rice
Sophomore

I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but everything you read says Rendon is a really special player. This season, he’s right on pace with where you’d think he’d be. He’s hitting .378 with 14 home runs, nine doubles and 49 RBI. Last year, Rendon was probably the top freshman in the country when he hit .388 with 20 homers and 72 RBI. He was slated to play for Bourne and also had a Team USA invite, but he had to take the summer off because of an injury.

Travis Shaw – 3B/1B – 6’4 215
Kent State
Sophomore

Shaw was a 32nd round pick out of high school and had a solid freshman season at Kent State, hitting .331 with seven home runs while bouncing around the diamond. He’s settled into a full-time job this year and is again having success. He’s hitting .314 with 10 homers, 16 doubles and 42 RBI.

Creede Simpson – INF/OF – 6’1 185
Auburn
Sophomore

A native of Auburn, Simpson spent his first collegiate season away from home, at Northwest Florida State College, a junior-college program. He transferred into Auburn this year and has had a solid first season. He’s hitting .306 with three homers, nine doubles and 26 RBI.

Austin Stadler – 1B/LHP/OF – 6’2 207
Wake Forest
Sophomore

Stadler has done it all in his first two years at Wake. As a member of the weekend rotation this year, Stadler is 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 59 innings. At the plate, he’s hitting .278 with two homers. Stadler was a 40th round pick out of high school in 2008.

Ryan Wright – SS – 6’1 198
Louisville
Sophomore

Wright was a consensus Freshman All-America pick last season after hitting .335 with five home runs. This season, Wright has taken things to another level. He’s hitting .364 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles and a team-best 53 RBI. Wright’s big season has earned him an invite to Team USA trials.

Daniel Bowman – OF – 6’1 210
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore

Bowman has been trending upward since the moment he stepped foot on campus. A late-round pick out of high school, Bowman hit .333 with 13 home runs as a freshman then earned top prospect honors in the Valley League after hitting .298 with eight homers. He’s having another strong season this spring, hitting .316 with 10 homers, nine doubles and 34 RBI.

Kameron Brunty – OF – 6’1 160
Southern Mississippi
Sophomore

Southern Miss teammate B.A. Vollmuth got more pub for his summer on the Cape, but back in the spring, Brunty had a debut that was just as impressive. He hit .336 for the Golden Eagles and led the team with 77 hits. This season, Brunty is hitting .293 with seven home runs, 10 doubles and 29 RBI.

April 25, 2010May 3, 2010

Early Look: Orleans

Orleans Firebirds
Manager: Kelly Nicholson
2009 Record: 25-17-2

Bourne became the story of the summer last year when it won its first league championship. How different would the stories have been if not for a Saturday night comeback? In the first game of their semifinal series, Orleans led Bourne 2-0 going into the ninth inning. The Braves promptly scored three runs in their last at-bat and went on to a sweep.

The comeback went into the annals as another piece of Bourne magic, but it also highlighted how close Orleans was to making its own run. It marked the second straight year that Orleans suffered semifinal heartbreak. In 2008, Harwich beat Orleans in that classic 18-inning game.

You can bet Kelly Nicholson and Co., would like to get back over the hump this season, and they’ll bring in a talented group to give it a go.

While the Firebirds only have four returning players — and none who were Cape League stars — I’d call still call them a veteran team, and I think that’s going to be big for them. Right now, there are only four freshmen on the roster, and just one junior. All the rest are sophomores, and sophomores make the Cape League go. They’re the guys with success — and disappointment under their belt — and a Cape League summer is their first real chance to establish themselves as prospects for the next year’s draft. Scouts are watching them more than they’re watching anybody else.

On top of that, I think this is a very good year to have a lot of sophomores.

The college draft crop for this year is a bit thin, but from everything I read, that won’t be the case next year. In the sophomore class, there’s top-shelf talent and there’s depth. Cape League teams will benefit, and Orleans is lined up to benefit more than most.

When I’m writing these Early Looks, I sometimes pencil in the five players I’m excited to see before I dive into research. I do it based on what I already know. I did that with Orleans — then changed four of them. It’s not that those four are struggling — they’re not. It’s just that the Firebirds have a lot of guys who will generate a lot of buzz. From polished bats like Preston Tucker, Steve Selsky and Kolten Wong to big arms like Tyler Anderson, Mitchell Lambson and Alex Panteliodis, the Firebirds have quite a few guys with talent and the college production to match. So far, they haven’t been hit too hard by Team USA, either.

The caveats are always the same, of course. You never know what’s going to happen, who’s going to show up, who’s going to struggle. But I do know this: right now, on April 25, I’m liking what I see.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 4
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 23
Freshmen: 4

Notable

We’ll start with the remarkable story of Josh Poytress. A highly-touted lefty from Fresno State, Poytress arrived in Orleans last summer and, before he ever pitched, started dealing with swelling in his arm. It was eventually identified as a life-threatening blood clot, and Poytress went to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for treatment and surgery. Obviously, he missed the rest of the summer season, but the surgery saved his career and he’s back pitching for Fresno State this spring. He’s expected back in Orleans this summer, and here’s hoping this trip is a lot better. You can read about Poytress’ story on the Beth Isreal web site here.

The Cape League hasn’t had many legitimate two-way players in recent years. Most guys spend the summer focusing on one thing. If Nick Ramirez doesn’t go with Team USA, it’ll be interesting to see what he does. He’s got a big arm out of the bullpen, but he’s also the most powerful hitter in the Titans’ lineup. Either way, he’ll be a fun player to watch.

On the subject of two-way players, I assumed Duke’s Marcus Stroman was more of a shortstop than a pitcher since he stands only 5’9. But from what I’ve read, scouts like him more as a pitcher. He made his first start for Duke this weekend and struck out 10 in a complete game. So yeah, a pitcher.

I keep seeing Ryan Carpenter’s name pop up when I’m looking at prospects stuff, but he hasn’t lived up to his potential quite yet. A tall lefty with a big arm, you can see why scouts are drawn to him. Maybe this summer will be the time when he puts it all together. That wouldn’t surprise me.

Tommy Kahnle was one of those anonymous relievers for Orleans last year, with good but not earth-shattering numbers. I should have been paying more attention. Kahnle was the Division II national tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as a freshman at Lynn University. He’s a big strikeout guy and he could be the next small-school pitcher to make a big Cape League splash.

I don’t think Oregon’s Tyler Anderson will wow anybody with his velocity, but he’s got the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the league. He’s been outstanding this spring, good enough that he’s earned an invite to Team USA.

Go ahead and put Preston Tucker down as my Home Run Derby pick. Too early? Absolutely, but I’ll stick with it. Tucker hit 15 homers as a freshman at Florida and he’s on pace for similar numbers this year. He’s way up there on the list of top incoming hitters, and probably right at the top when you’re talking about power. Definitely a player to watch.

Steve Selsky did not have great numbers for Orleans last summer, but this spring, he has become one of the top players in the Pac 10. If he continues it in the summer, he’ll make the Firebirds very happy.

The Firebirds have two locals on the roster. Jack Leathersich hails from Beverly, and he was the top prospect in the Valley League last year. Elon’s John Brebbia will be even closer to home; he’s originally from Chatham.

I don’t think every Cape League team has an Arizona State Sun Devil, but it kind of seems that way. The Sun Devils have a large and talented crop of sophomores, so the Cape is a natural destination for many of them. Orleans will welcome Mitchell Lambson, Drew Maggi, and Riccio Torrez, all of whom are having great seasons.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’d like to say that I tend to have man-crushes on small, fast center fielders. Kolten Wong, you’re on my list. He was the WAC Freshman of the Year last season and played for Team USA.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Preston Tucker
2. Kolten Wong
3. Nick Ramirez
4. Tyler Anderson
5. Steve Selsky

Pitchers

Tyler Anderson – LHP – 6’3 210 – Oregon – Sophomore
John Brebbia – RHP – 6’1 185 – Elon – Sophomore
Pat Butler – RHP – 6’5 200 – Connecticut – Freshman
Ryan Carpenter – LHP – 6’5 228 – Gonzaga – Sophomore
Will Clinard – RHP – 6’4 228 – Vanderbilt – RS Freshman
Andrew Kittredge – RHP – 6’1 202 – Washington – Sophomore
*Tommy Kahnle – RHP – 6’0 225 – Lynn – Sophomore
Mitchell Lambson – LHP – 6’1 200 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Jack Leathersich – LHP – 6’0 205 – UMass Lowell – Sophomore
Burny Mitchem – RHP – 6’6 260 – Dayton – RS Sophomore
Alex Panteliodis – LHP – 6’2 230 – Florida – Sophomore
Josh Poytress – LHP – 6’1 190 – Fresno State – Sophomore
Nick Ramirez – LHP/1B – 6’3 225 – Cal State Fullerton – Sophomore
Kyle Simon – RHP – 6’5 205 – Arizona – Sophomore
Matt Sisto – RHP – 6’5 230 – Hawaii – Sophomore
Marcus Stroman – RHP/SS – 5’9 180 – Duke – Freshman

Tyler Anderson – LHP – 6’3 210
Oregon
Sophomore

Anderson was one of the best arms in George Horton’s first recruiting class at Oregon, which came to campus last season. Anderson got hit pretty hard as a freshman, but this season, he’s living up to the initial promise. In 10 appearances as the Ducks’ Friday starter, Anderson is 6-3 with a 2.64 ERA. In 61.1 innings, he has 65 strikeouts and 20 walks. He’s emerging as one of the best pitchers in the Pac 10, which is saying something when you look at the arms at UCLA and Arizona State. Anderson is starting to get some national attention too, and he has recently been invited to Team USA.

John Brebbia – RHP – 6’1 185
Elon
Sophomore

Brebbia hails from Chatham, but he’ll be spending most of his time at Eldredge Park this summer in a Firebirds uniform. Brebbia is pitching out of the bullpen as a sophomore for Elon. In 17 games, he has an 8.39 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.

Pat Butler – RHP – 6’5 200
Connecticut
Freshman

Butler is also from a Chatham, but it’s Chatham, N.J. As a freshman with the Huskies this spring, Butler has a 6.75 ERA in six appearances (five starts). Connecticut has sent quite a few young, long-on-potential pitchers to the Cape in recent years, and Butler seems to fit that bill. He was picked in the 41st round out of high school.

Ryan Carpenter – LHP – 6’5 228
Gonzaga
Sophomore

Carpenter has plenty of potential. He was rated as the second-best prospect in the Alaska League last summer, and Aaron Fitt liked him as a breakout star this season. The numbers aren’t there yet, though. Carpenter has 35 strikeouts in 31 innings, but he’s also got a 7.20 ERA, and opponents are hitting .295 off him. Still, he’s a player scouts will be watching closely. He was picked in the 21st round out of high school.

Will Clinard – RHP – 6’4 228
Vanderbilt
RS Freshman

Clinard redshirted last season then had a strong summer in the NECBL. He’ll be back in New England this summer with a strong foundation to build on. So far this season, he has a 3.13 ERA while pitching mostly out of the bullpen. He has 24 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. Clinard was a 37th-round pick out of high school.

Andrew Kittredge – RHP – 6’1 202
Washington
Sophomore

Kittredge pitched mostly out of the bullpen as a freshman last year and was a workhorse, striking out 64 in 71 innings. He followed that campaign with a big summer for the NECBL’s Newport Gulls, earning all-league honors with a 2.43 ERA, 41 strikeouts and just three walks. Kittredge has pitched mostly as a starter this spring, posting a 5.97 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 18 walks.

Tommy Kahnle – RHP – 6’0 225
Lynn
Sophomore

Kahnle made the trek from his native New York to Boca Raton, Fla., and D-II Lynn University. He promptly became one of his team’s most explosive arms. Pitching as a starter and a closer last year, he had an ERA of 4.54 but he struck out 87 in 79.1 innings. He was the closer at the end of the season and he saved Lynn’s victory in the Division II national championship game. He was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Kahnle played with Orleans last summer and had a 2.41 ERA in 15 relief appearances. This spring, he’s starting and he has a 4.57 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 63 innings.

Mitchell Lambson – LHP – 6’1 200
Arizona State
Sophomore

Lambson had a record-breaking freshman season in Tempe. Pitching out of the bullpen, he set a new ASU freshman record for strikeouts with 99 in 83.2 innings. Opponents hit .199 against him and he allowed only 58 hits in those 83.2 innings. This year, Lambson has picked up where he left off. In 23 appearances, he has a 2.70 ERA with 55 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 43.1 innings. Jordan Swagerty has become ASU’s closer, but Lambson is just as big a bullpen weapon.

Jack Leathersich – LHP – 6’0 205
UMass Lowell
Sophomore

Leathersich is a native of Beverly, Mass, and he’s having a pretty good sophomore season for UMass Lowell. He’s made eight starts, and he has a 4.59 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 49 innings of work. Last summer, Leathersich was dominant in the Valley League with 64 strikeouts in 37 innings as a reliever. PG Crosschecker tabbed him as the Valley League’s top prospect.

Burny Mitchem – RHP – 6’6 260
Dayton
RS Sophomore

Mitchem might be one of the biggest guys on the Cape this summer. This season for the Flyers, Mitchem is 4-6 with a 5.52 ERA. He’s given up a lot of hits, but he has also struck out 64 and walked only 14 in 60.1 innings.

Alex Panteliodis – LHP – 6’2 230
Florida
Sophomore

Panteliodis was one of several talented arms in Florida’s big recruiting class a year ago. This season, he has established himself as the best. Pitching in the Friday starter role, Panteliodis is 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA. He has 45 strikeouts and 10 walks.

Josh Poytress – LHP – 6’1 190
Fresno State
Sophomore

As mentioned above, Poytress had a life-threatening blood clot in Orleans last summer, but it was resolved with surgery, and Poytress has made a quick recovery. A 16th-round pick out of high school, Poytress is 5-3 this year for the Bulldogs with a 4.47 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 58.1 innings.

Nick Ramirez – LHP/1B – 6’3 225
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore

Ramirez was a Freshman All-American last year when he hit .287 with 10 homers and put up a 2.61 ERA as a reliever. This season, Ramirez has continued his emergence as one of the best two-way players in the country. On the mound, he’s got a 3.91 ERA, but he’s really shined at the plate. He’s hitting .371 with eight homers, 18 doubles and a team-best 43 RBI. Ramirez has been invited to Team USA.

Kyle Simon – RHP – 6’5 205
Arizona
Sophomore

Simon doesn’t have the strikeout numbers of most of his future Orleans teammates, but he’s still having a strong sophomore season. He’s 6-3 with a 3.79 ERA for the Wildcats. In 71.1 innings, he has 36 strikeouts.

Matt Sisto – RHP – 6’5 230
Hawaii
Sophomore

Hawaii always sends a pitcher or two to the Cape, and Sisto is the representative this year. After a strong freshman season, Sisto has had some struggles this year. He’s 3-4 with a 7.38 ERA.

Marcus Stroman – RHP/SS – 5’9 180
Duke
Freshman

Stroman was a highly-touted two-way talent in high school, and he got drafted in the 18th round by the Nationals. Stroman had a firm commitment to Duke, though, and he stuck with it. Playing both ways for the Blue Devils, Stroman is starting to make a splash. He’s hitting .252 but he’s pitched well out of the bullpen and he was outstanding Friday (April 23) in the first start of his career. He tossed a complete-game, five-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

Position Players

*Matt Koch – C – 6’0 210 – Loyola Marymount – RS Sophomore
Ronnie Shaeffer – C – 6’2 205 – UC Irvine – Sophomore
Jayce Boyd – INF- 6’2 185 – Florida State – Freshman
Drew Maggi – SS – 6’0 180 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Shon Roe – SS – 6’2 200 – Loyola Marymount – Sophomore
*Riccio Torrez – INF – 6’0 195 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Preston Tucker – 1B – 6’0 215 – Florida – Sophomore
Joe Loftus – OF – 6’4 210 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Nick Cox – OF – 6’0 185 – Columbia – Junior
Will Piwnica-Worms – OF – 6’3 195 – Duke – Sophomore
*Steve Selsky – OF – 6’1 205 – Arizona – Sophomore
Kolten Wong – OF – 5’9 190 – Hawaii – Sophomore

Matt Koch – C – 6’0 210
Loyola Marymount
RS Sophomore

Koch suffered an injury before the start of last season and took a medical redshirt. The injury didn’t keep him out of summer ball and he made it to Orleans, where he hit .191 while starting 32 games behind the plate. This season, Koch is hitting .263 with a team-best 10 home runs and 21 extra- base hits.

Ronnie Shaeffer – C – 6’2 205
UC Irvine
Sophomore

Shaeffer was a Freshman All-American last season after leading the Anteaters with a .388 batting average. He’s picking up where he left off this season, emerging as one of the top catchers on the West Coast. He’s hitting .350 with three homers and 21 RBI. Last summer, Shaeffer was an all-league pick in the West Coast League.

Jayce Boyd – INF- 6’2 185
Florida State
Freshman

A 19th-round pick out of high school, Boyd has made an immediate impact in Tallahassee. As a starter at first base and a middle-of-the-order bat, Boyd is hitting .324 with four homers, 10 doubles and 22 RBI.

Drew Maggi – SS – 6’0 180
Arizona State
Sophomore

Maggi grabbed the starting shortstop job midway through last season and never gave it up as he helped spark ASU’s run to the College World Series. He hit .309, stole 21 bases and scored 63 runs, a school freshman record. Maggi has been a big part of ASU’s huge success this year. Batting leadoff, he’s hitting .385 with a .483 on-base percentage and 23 steals.

Shon Roe – SS – 6’2 200
Loyola Marymount
Sophomore

Roe hit .259 as a freshman but has taken things up a notch this season. He’s hitting .283 with 10 extra-base hits and 19 RBI.

Riccio Torrez – INF – 6’0 195
Arizona State
Sophomore

Like Maggi, Torrez is a big part of a sophomore class that’s helped ASU become one of the top teams in the country. Torrez hit .280 as a freshman, and he’s hitting .346 this year with six home runs and 14 doubles. Torrez was a 32nd-round pick out of high school. He was a late arrival to Orleans last year but he made a big impression, hitting .346 with two home runs in 17 games.

Preston Tucker – 1B – 6’0 215
Florida
Sophomore

Tucker served notice last April that he was a player to watch when he set a school record with 11 RBI in a game against Central Florida. He continued to emerge as one of the best freshmen in the country and ended up leading the Gators in the Triple Crown categories. He hit .364, drove in a school-record 85 and crushed 15 homers. Tucker shared SEC Freshman of the Year honors with LSU’s Matty Ott. This season, Tucker is having another outstanding campaign. He’s hitting .345 with seven homers and 31 RBI.

Joe Loftus – OF – 6’4 210
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

After hitting .263 in his freshman season with the Commodores, Loftus headed to Harwich, where he hit under .200 in the kind of summer a lot of freshman struggle through on the Cape. Loftus will make the move to Orleans this summer, and he’s having a pretty strong spring. He’s hitting .268 with five homers. Loftus is a Minnesota native and he was a late-round pick of the Twins out of high school.

Nick Cox – OF – 6’0 185
Columbia
Junior

Cox was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2008 when he hit .355 with 35 steals. He hit .290 last year with 19 steals, but he has only played in 13 games this season because of injuries. Cox hit .293 in the Alaska League last summer.

Will Piwnica-Worms – OF – 6’3 195
Duke
Sophomore

Piwnica-Worms had a solid freshman season, and he’s been solid again as a sophomore. While starting every game, he’s hitting .307 with three homers, 10 doubles and 30 RBI. He played in the Northwoods League last summer.

Steve Selsky – OF – 6’1 205
Arizona
Sophomore

Selsky had a decent freshman season and a decent summer with Orleans last year. This year? A little better than decent. Selsky is hitting .421 with six home runs, 23 extra-base hits, 39 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He leads the Wildcats in all those categories and is a shoo-in to be a first-team all-conference pick.

Kolten Wong – OF – 5’9 190
Hawaii
Sophomore

Wong is a Hawaii native but that didn’t stop scouts from noticing him in high school. In the 2008 draft, he was a 16th-round pick, but he stuck with his commitment to Hawaii, and it’s paying off. Last year, he was picked as a Freshman All-American by several publications and the WAC Freshman of the Year before making Team USA over the summer. This season, Wong is hitting .357 with three homers, 15 extra-base hits, 25 RBI and 10 steals. He has struck out just 10 times in 154 at-bats.

April 18, 2010May 3, 2010

Early Look: Wareham

Wareham Gatemen
Manager: Cooper Farris
2009 Record: 19-19-6

The Wareham Gatemen had a foundation of experienced players last year, perhaps more than any team in the league. Nine players were in their second summers with the team.

At this point, it looks like the Gatemen will have even more experience.

And I think the foundation will be stronger.

While many of the guys who were back last year were a notch below the level of the top prospect, that’s not the case this season. The Gatemen are slated to have 12 returning players. Four of them — Jack Armstrong, Matt Barnes, Alex Dickerson and George Springer — look like stars in the making, the kinds of players who can emerge as the best in the league. When you factor in other returning talents like Blake Monar, Eric Pfisterer, Jordan Swagerty and Zach Wilson, you have a team with a really deep and talented group of sophomores.

It’s always a fine line, though, and the Gatemen will have to hope they can walk it.

As opposed to last year, when the final roster looked a lot like the early roster, Wareham has so much sophomore talent that Team USA could come calling. Already, Barnes and Springer have been invited. I would guess that Armstrong, Dickerson, Swagerty and Wilson could also get the call.

The Gatemen will have to scramble a bit if that happens, but it could be worth the risk. Right now, the Gatemen have a really, really solid nucleus, just with the returning players. Newcomers like Jed Bradley, Tyler Bream, Derek Dennis and Max Muncy make the roster look even better.

It’s the kind of team that could get the Wareham franchise back to where it hasn’t been in a while. Not too long ago, the Gatemen had a reputation as the Yankees of the Cape League, but they haven’t been among the top four teams since 2006.

If things go their way this summer, that drought could come to an end.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 12
Juniors: 4
Sophomores: 16
Freshmen: 8

Notable

I think it’s safe to call Jack Armstrong and Matt Barnes the top returning pitchers in the league. I would expect really big things from both — they’ve put up good numbers and they have the high ceiling to match. If both make it to the Cape, the Gatemen will have themselves a serious one-two punch.

While we’re anointing people, we may as well put Indiana’s Alex Dickerson in the best returning hitter conversation. There are some other candidates and he didn’t have a great summer statistically last year, so I wouldn’t put him in the top spot by himself. But he’s having a fantastic sophomore season and should be one of the favorites for Big 10 Player of the Year honors.

For the second year in a row, Wareham may have a Derek D. starting at shortstop. Derek Dietrich, a Michigan native who’s at Georgia Tech, was there last year. Now Derek Dennis, a Michigan native who stayed home, is ticketed for Wareham. Dennis may not have quite the hype of Dietrich, who was a third-round pick out of high school, but he’s close.

Georgia Tech’s Jed Bradley doesn’t have the Cape League experience of Armstrong and Barnes, but he’s having just as good a sophomore season.

I’ll be interested to see what Joe Flynn can do. The Plymouth native had a storybook high-school career and he’s having a pretty good freshman season at Franklin Pierce. He grew up a Wareham fan.

Eric Pfisterer might be happy to get back to the Cape. He’s struggling right now for Duke. If you remember last summer, he was the story of the season’s first two weeks when he didn’t allow a hit in his first two starts.

I always got the impression last year that Jordan Swagerty was a catcher and part-time pitcher. But he’s the full-time closer for Arizona State this spring, and it’s been a good job change. Swagerty has emerged as one of the top closers in the country.

Wareham has some Major League bloodlines. Tyler Bream and L.J. Mazzilli are the sons of former big leaguers. Jake Davies has a brother in the bigs right now.

Max Muncy is one of the more recent additions to the Wareham roster and he’s showing why he got the nod. Muncy, a freshman, is leading Baylor in home runs and RBI.

If he doesn’t go with Team USA, George Springer will be one of the top two or three athletes in the league for the second year in a row. Like Cotuit’s Zach Cone — the other guy I’d put up there — Springer has five-tool potential.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Jack Armstrong
2. Alex Dickerson
3. George Springer
4. Matt Barnes
5. Zach Wilson

Pitchers

*Jack Armstrong – RHP – 6’7 230 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
*Matt Barnes – RHP – 6’4 185 – Connecticut – Sophomore
*Keith Bilodeau – RHP – 6’4 215 – Maine – Sophomore
Jed Bradley – LHP – 6’4 215 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
Devin Burke – RHP – 6’1 195 – Duke – Freshman
Jake Davies – LHP/1B – 6’0 230 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
*David Fischer – RHP – 6’5 175 – Connecticut – Sophomore
Joe Flynn – RHP – 6’2 210 – Franklin Pierce – Freshman
*Dean Kiekhefer – LHP – 6’0 175 – Indiana – Junior
Andrew McKirahan – LHP – 6’2 190 – Texas – Sophomore
Erik Miller – RHP – 6’3 210 – TCU – Sophomore
*Blake Monar – LHP- 6’2 198 – Indiana – Sophomore
Stephen Perakslis – RHP/2B – 6’0 178 – Maine – Freshman
*Eric Pfisterer – LHP – 6’3 215 – Duke – Sophomore
*Jordan Swagerty – RHP/C/1B – 6’1 185 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Josh Urban – RHP – 6’4 220 – Texas – Freshman
C.C. Watson – LHP – 6’0 200 – Mississippi State – Freshman

* – returning player
(Stats as of April 17)

Jack Armstrong – RHP – 6’7 230
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

With his big frame and big fastball, Armstrong was one of the top freshmen prospects on the Cape last summer. He came to Wareham after not pitching much in his freshman season at Vandy, but he made a quick impression, and not just because of his raw abilities. He also had a strong summer statistically, going 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 35 innings. Baseball America tabbed him as the league’s sixth-best prospect. This spring, Armstrong has moved into the weekend rotation and hasn’t disappointed. While his strikeout numbers aren’t huge — 30 in 44 innings — he’s gone 5-0 with a 3.43 ERA.

Matt Barnes – RHP – 6’4 185
Connecticut
Sophomore

Barnes had a similar profile to Armstrong when he arrived in Wareham after his freshman year, but he didn’t have as good a summer. He went 1-3 with a 4.87 ERA. This spring, though, Barnes has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in the Big East and maybe beyond. So far, he’s 6-0 with a 2.13 ERA. In 42.1 innings, he’s struck out 42 with only eight walks. Barnes has been invited to Team USA.

Keith Bilodeau – RHP – 6’4 215
Maine
Sophomore

Bilodeau had a really strong summer in Wareham last year, posting a 1. 93 ERA on his way to becoming the team’s most reliable reliever. In 12 appearances, he struck out 19. The spring hasn’t been quite as kind to Bilodeau, who has a 7.40 ERA so far.

Jed Bradley – LHP – 6’4 215
Georgia Tech
Sophomore

Bradley got off to a torrid start this spring, striking out 12 in his first outing. He hasn’t really slowed down since. Pitching as Tech’s No. 2 behind Deck McGuire, Bradley has gone 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA. In 44.2 innings, he has struck out 54 and walked only 12. Bradley didn’t have a great freshman season at Tech, but he was picked by Baseball America as the sixth-best prospect in the Cal Ripken Sr. League last summer.

Devin Burke – RHP – 6’1 195
Duke
Freshman

The Gatemen hope Burke can follow in the footsteps of his Duke teammate Eric Pfisterer, who had a big summer last year. Burke hails from Darien, Conn. He’s had some struggles in his first season in Durham, with an ERA over 10 in seven appearances.

Jake Davies – LHP/1B – 6’0 230
Georgia Tech
Sophomore

Davies was a standout reliever as a freshman, posting an ERA under four in 27 appearances. So far this season, Davies has pitched well again, with a 3.12 ERA in 10 appearances. Jake’s brother, Kyle, has pitched in the majors since 2005, and he’s currently with the Royals.

David Fischer – RHP – 6’5 175
Connecticut
Sophomore

Fischer returns to Wareham after pitching out of the bullpen for the Gatemen last summer. He ended up with a 5.06 ERA in 12 relief appearances. This spring, Fischer has only made one appearance for the Huskies.

Joe Flynn – RHP – 6’2 210
Franklin Pierce
Freshman

Flynn is a Plymouth native and he grew up cheering for Wareham. Now, he’ll join the Gatemen after what’s shaping up to be a pretty solid freshman season. Flynn, who was twice named the Boston Globe’s Division II Player of the Year, has gone 4-2 for Franklin Pierce with a 4.30 ERA. He has struck out 44 and walked only 12 in 44 innings of work.

Dean Kiekhefer – LHP – 6’0 175
Louisville
Junior

Kiekhefer is a non-roster invitee for the Wareham since he’s draft-eligible. If he does end up in Wareham, the Gatemen will be getting an experienced arm. Kiekhefer had a 3.44 ERA out of the pen for Wareham last summer. This spring, Kiekhefer has a 4.09 ERA as a member of Louisville’s weekend rotation.

Andrew McKirahan – LHP – 6’2 190
Texas
Sophomore

On a stacked Texas pitching staff, McKirahan has carved out a niche as a reliable bullpen arm this season. In 14 appearances, he’s got a 2.31 ERA and nine strikeouts. Those numbers mark a big jump from last year, when McKirahan had an ERA over five as a freshman.

Erik Miller – RHP – 6’3 210
TCU
Sophomore

Miller was a solid reliever in his freshman year at TCU and he’s been even better this season. In 11 appearances, he has 3.55 ERA with 18 strikeouts.

Blake Monar – LHP – 6’2 198
Indiana
Sophomore

After a solid summer in Wareham last year, Monar was expected to be the Hoosiers’ ace this year, but he’s had his season derailed by an injury. He started the team’s first game in February but hasn’t started another one because of a rotator cuff problem. He’s expected back soon. Here’s hoping he’s ready for the summer, because he’s another sophomore who’s poised to break out.

Stephen Perakslis – RHP/2B – 6’0 178
Maine
Freshman

A native of nearby Abington, Mass., Perakslis has had a decent freshman season in Maine. Though the Gatemen list him as a second baseman, too, he’s been exclusively a pitcher with the Black Bears. While his ERA is high at 5.64, he’s got 41 strikeouts in 44.2 innings.

Eric Pfisterer – LHP – 6’3 215
Duke
Sophomore

Pfisterer got off to an amazing start for Wareham last year, pitching 12 innings without allowing a hit in his first two starts. He ended up with a solid 3.32 ERA and 40 strikeouts on the year. This spring, Pfisterer hasn’t been able to carry over that success. He’s 2-4 with a 7.13 ERA.

Jordan Swagerty – RHP/C/1B – 6’1 185
Arizona State
Sophomore

Swagerty made six appearances on the mound for Wareham last summer and saw action as a hitter in 25 games. This spring, Swagerty has focused mostly on pitching and he’s had some tremendous results. Swagerty is the closer for the Sun Devils and he’s got nine saves to go with a 0.92 ERA. He’s struck out 26 in 19.2 innings.

Josh Urban – RHP – 6’4 220
Texas
Freshman

Urban was a 19th-round pick out of high school last year, but not surprisingly considering their staff, he’s had trouble breaking into regular duty for the Longhorns. Urban has made two appearances and has allowed one earned run. With more opportunity this summer, he could be poised for a breakout season.

C.C. Watson – LHP – 6’0 200
Mississippi State
Freshman

Watson was the Class 4A Player of the Year in Alabama as a high-school senior and he got drafted in the 29th round. He’s had a smooth transition to college ball while pitching mostly out of the bullpen for the Bulldogs. In 10 appearances (two starts), Watson has a 3.00 ERA.

Position Players

*Robert Kral – C – 5’10 190 – College of Charleston- Junior
Josh Ludy – C – 5’9 195 – Baylor – Sophomore
Tyler Bream – 3B/1B – 6’3 205 – Liberty – Sophomore
Derek Dennis – SS – 6’3 175 – Michigan – Freshman
Max Muncy – INF – 6’0 190 – Baylor – Freshman
Jarrud Sabourin – 1B/OF – 6’2 215 – Indiana – Junior
Anthony Toth – SS/2B – 5’11 165 – Michigan – RS Junior
*Zach Wilson – 3B – 6’1 195 – Arizona State – Sophomore
L.J. Mazzilli – SS – 6’0 185 – Connecticut – Freshman
*Alex Dickerson – OF – 6’3 210 – Indiana – Sophomore
*George Springer – OF – 6’3 200 – Connecticut – Sophomore

* – returning player

Robert Kral – C – 5’10 190
College of Charleston
Junior

Kral hooked on with Wareham late last summer, and though he played in only five games, he made a nice impression. This spring, Kral has had a very strong season with Charleston, hitting .348 with 10 homers and 37 RBI. Pretty good for a guy who only played in 15 games as a sophomore.

Josh Ludy – C – 5’9 195
Baylor
Sophomore

Ludy hasn’t seen a ton of action for Baylor, but he’s made the most of the time he’s gotten. In 14 games, he’s hitting .370.

Tyler Bream – 3B/1B – 6’3 205
Liberty
Sophomore

The son of former Major League Sid Bream, Tyler is making his own waves at Liberty, his father’s alma mater. After earning Freshman All-America honors last year, Bream has picked up where he left off this season. He’s hitting .352 with three home runs and 32 RBI.

Derek Dennis – SS – 6’3 175
Michigan
Freshman

A 10th-round pick out of high school last year, Dennis immediately stepped into a starting role with the Wolverines and he has held his own. He’s hitting .275 so far with three home runs. In an early look at the 2012 draft, Baseball America has Dennis as the 13th-best prospect in the country.

Max Muncy – INF – 6’0 190
Baylor
Freshman

Muncy was a 41st-round pick out of high school and is having a very good first season in Waco. While starting all 33 of the Bears’ games, Muncy is hitting .333 and leading the team with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. The 10 home runs are a new Baylor freshman record.

Jarrud Sabourin – 1B/OF – 6’2 215
Indiana
Junior

Another draft-eligible non-roster player, Sabourin will have the Gatemen feeling lucky if he does end up in Wareham. This spring, Sabourin has been the only Hoosier with a better batting average than Alex Dickerson. He’s hitting .445 with six home runs and 34 RBI.

Anthony Toth – SS/2B – 5’11 165
Michigan
RS Junior

Dennis’ double-play partner, Toth has had a strong season in Ann Arbor. He’s currently hitting .322. Toth redshirted in his second season with the Wolverines so this is his fourth year on campus. He could be a real veteran presence for Wareham this summer.

Zach Wilson – 3B – 6’1 195
Arizona State
Sophomore

Wilson was solid in his freshman season and over the summer, when he got off to a hot start then settled in for a .247 average with Wareham. This spring, Wilson — like many of his Sun Devil teammates — has taken things to another level. He’s hitting .404 thus far with 31 RBI and a team-best 14 doubles. Wilson was a 26th-round pick out of high school.

L.J. Mazzilli – SS – 6’0 185
Connecticut
Freshman

Mazzilli is the son of former Major League player and manager Lee Mazzilli. He’s had a decent freshman season in Storrs, hitting .246 with eight extra-base hits.

Alex Dickerson – OF – 6’3 210
Indiana
Sophomore

Dickerson emerged last year as one of the best freshmen in the country when he hit .370 with 14 home runs. He became the first Hoosier to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. With Wareham, Dickerson hit only .224 with three homers and 15 RBI, but I think it’ll be a different story this summer. So far this spring, Dickerson is hitting .430 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI.

George Springer – OF – 6’3 200
Connecticut
Sophomore

Springer showed flashes of his enormous potential last summer when he hit .261 and led Wareham in RBI. This spring, he has put up similar numbers, with a .269 average, nine home runs, 30 RBI and 16 steals. You get the feeling that he still hasn’t quite put it all together, and if he does, look out. He’s already being mentioned as one of the top college bats for the 2011 draft, and he’s been invited to Team USA.