Month: June 2009

HARWICH MARINERS
Manager: Steve Englert
2008 Record: 24-20

The 2008 Harwich Mariners didn’t have a ton of players on leaderboards and didn’t really separate themselves in any of the team statistics.

And yet.

In a season filled with parity, the Mariners were the last team standing. They won the franchise’s first league championship since 1987. They got hot at the right time, won a ridiculous 18-inning game over Orleans in the semis and rode the momentum to the title.

While getting hot was a big part of the run, for sure, Harwich manager Steve Englert wanted everybody to know that it wasn’t the only part. All year, he said his Mariners had tremendous chemistry. In a league with essentially 10 all-star teams, how those teams fit together is as important as anything else. Harwich made things fit perfectly.

The hard part will be doing it again. When you’re building a team at any level, chemistry is a tough attribute to quantify. For a summer league squad, a good place to start is taking players from successful programs. If they fit on a College World Series team, chances are they’ll fit on a lot of other teams, too.

But you can have too much of a good thing, and that might be the case for Harwich in ’09. The thing that stands out right now about Harwich’s roster is this: nine players are on their way to Omaha, not on their way to Harwich. It’s great for them. But it means the first few weeks of the season will be a little hectic in Harwich. Hopefully for the Mariners, that won’t be a defining aspect of the season, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on.

Aside from the Omaha flavor, Harwich has some potential. The starting pitching would get a big lift from Fullerton’s Daniel Renken, who’s got the Team USA-College World Series double whammy. If he doesn’t make it to Harwich, look for big things from guys like Aaron Meade, John Gast, Eric Jokisch, Justin Wright and Chase Reid. Geoff Parker and Glenn Troyanowski have been relievers all spring, and they should play big roles as well.

Five of the nine in Omaha are position players, so the lineup will probably be mixed and matched in the early going. If Bryce Brentz somehow doesn’t go with Team USA, Harwich will have perhaps the best sophomore hitter in the country. There’s enough depth to fill the hole, though, even if he does stick with Team USA. Twelve of Harwich’s 15 position players hit over .300 this year and two who didn’t — Levi Michael and Trent Mummey — hit double-digit home runs. There’s also a veteran flavor to the offense, with four juniors.

As always, we’ll have to wait and see how it fits together, but on paper, the Mariners can make a pretty good case to be called the best team in the East.

They just hope it all fits together at the right time.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 2
Juniors: 4
Sophomores: 21
Freshmen: 4

Notable

• The nine CWS-bound players come from four different teams — North Carolina, LSU, Cal State Fullerton and Virginia. Off the top of my head, I’d call those teams four of the top six who are in Omaha, so we may not see many early exits.
• I should note that, this time last year, Harwich had six players on its roster who were headed to Omaha. I guess that worked out alright.
• I’m hoping Daniel Renken will make it to Harwich and not Team USA. He has been one of the nation’s best sophomore pitchers, and has been particularly good lately. After a Super Regional loss to him, Louisville coach Dan McDonell called Renken the best pitcher his team had faced all year.
• Like a couple of other teams, Harwich doesn’t have a ton of weekend starters, but I think one of them, Aaron Meade, could turn into a potential ace, based on what he did this year. He struck out around a batter an inning for Missouri State and had a 3.39 ERA.
• I’m sure Vandy’s Chase Reid is looking forward to a return to New England. He pitched for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL last year and struck 11 for every batter he walked.
• We’ll see how things shake out with starters and relievers, but Harwich could have some lights-out guys in the bullpen — Daniel Bradshaw, Nate Striz, Geoff Parker and Glen Troyanowski.
• Harwich continues an ’09 league trend that I’ll probably touch on soon: really productive catchers. Anthony Sosnoskie had a great season for Virginia Tech, while Jeff Vigurs put up huge numbers for Bryant. Every team seems to have good offensive catchers, and Harwich should be right there.
• D.J. LeMahieu is certainly a guy to keep an eye on in the coming days. As I’m writing this at 10:00 on Tuesday, he hasn’t been drafted, but he could go in the first few rounds. He’s also in Omaha. From everything I’ve read, he didn’t flash as much power as scouts hoped this year and he also got moved off shortstop. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he’s a prime candidate to head to the Cape and look for some leverage. UPDATE (6/9 10:21 p.m.): He literally got drafted two minutes after I posted this. He goes to the Cubs in the second round, with the 79th overall pick. That’s pretty high. He might not need leverage.
• Virginia has a ton of good hitters this season, and Harwich-bound Phil Gosselin and Dan Grovatt are two of the best.
• Since I’m sure he’ll be with Team USA if he wants to be — he’s not going to get cut — I’m going to do my best to not get over-excited about Bryce Brentz. But I really hope he somehow ends up in Harwich. If you’re not familiar with him, he led the nation in batting average and tied for the lead in home runs.
• Team USA updated its invite list today and Ross Wilson was one of two new additions. He’s coming off a real good sophomore season at Alabama.
• Even without Brentz and Wilson, this offense has the potential to be really good.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Bryce Brentz
2. Daniel Renken
3. D.J. LeMahieu
4. Levi Michael
5. Trent Mummey

Pitchers

Daniel Bradshaw – RHP – 6’1 208 – LSU – Sophomore
Garrett Davis – RHP – 6’4 215 – North Carolina – RS Freshman
*Brian Dupra – RHP – 6’3 205 – Notre Dame – Sophomore
John Gast – LHP – 6’2 215 – Florida State – Sophomore
Mike Gipson – RHP – 6’1 195 – Florida Atlantic – Sophomore
Eric Jokisch – LHP – 6’2 180 – Northwestern – Sophomore
Aaron Meade – LHP – 6’3 185 – Missouri State – Sophomore
Nate Striz – RHP – 6’2 240 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Geoff Parker – RHP – 6’3 240 – Florida State – Sophomore
Matthew Price – RHP – 6’2 165 – Virginia Tech – Freshman
Justin Wright – LHP – 5’9 170 – Virginia Tech – Sophomore
Chase Reid – RHP – 6’3 205 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Daniel Renken – RHP – 6’4 200 – Cal State Fullerton – Sophomore
Glen Troyanowski – RHP – 6’1 165 – Florida Atlantic – Sophomore

Daniel Bradshaw – RHP – 6’1 208
LSU
Sophomore

Bradshaw put up pretty solid numbers as a freshman reliever, and he’s been even better this year for the Omaha-bound Tigers. Nineteen of his 23 appearances have come out of the bullpen, and he’s been one of the team’s best relievers. He’s got a 4-0 record, a 3.38 record and 32 strikeouts against 11 walks in 45.1 innings of work.

Garrett Davis – RHP – 6’4 215
North Carolina
RS Freshman

A North Carolina high school star, Davis didn’t get much of a chance to make a splash last year in Chapel Hill. After two appearances, he had Tommy John surgery and took a redshirt. This season, Davis has made nine appearances, posting a 4.50 ERA.

Brian Dupra – RHP – 6’3 205
Notre Dame
Sophomore

Dupra was a pretty solid reliever for Harwich last summer, posting a 3.40 ERA while tying for the team lead in appearances. His second year at Notre Dame was a struggle. Dupra pitched in the weekend rotation and put up a 7.13 ERA. He struck out 48 and only walked 16, but opponents hit over .300 against him.

John Gast – LHP – 6’2 215
Florida State
Sophomore

Gast was a fifth-round pick out of high school in 2007, but Tommy John surgery kept him out for much of his freshman season at Florida State. He eventually worked his way back and posted a 2.70 ERA in 14 appearances. This season, Gast made 28 appearances with three starts. He ended up with a 5.82 ERA.

Mike Gipson – RHP – 6’1 195
Florida Atlantic
Sophomore

Gipson hasn’t registered great ERA’s in his two years at Florida Atlantic — 6.10 last year and 5.93 this year — but some of his peripheral numbers have been pretty good. He struck out 58 in 62 innings last year and 64 in 71 innings this season.

Eric Jokisch – LHP – 6’2 180
Northwestern
Sophomore

Jokisch was a 39th-round pick out of high school, and he made an immediate impact last year in Evanston. His 8-2 record and 4.17 ERA earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. His seven wins in conference play were the most-ever by a freshman in Big Ten history. This year, Jokisch went 4-7 with a 5.48 ERA.

Aaron Meade – LHP – 6’3 185
Missouri State
Sophomore

Joining former Brewster Whitecaps Buddy Baumann and Tim Clubb in the Missouri State weekend rotation, Meade delivered a fantastic sophomore season. He went 9-2 with a 3.39 ERA and he struck out 89 in 90.1 innings. All his numbers put him just behind Baumann’s pace, and Baumann is projected as a fifth or sixth-round pick this year.

Nate Striz – RHP – 6’2 240
North Carolina
Sophomore

Striz has been one of North Carolina’s best relievers this season. He’s third on the team in appearances and he boasts a 3.42 ERA. He has struck out 27 in 23.2 innings. Opponents have hit just .216 against him, second-best on the team. Striz played for Falmouth last summer, posting a 5.63 ERA in seven relief appearances. Striz was a fifth-round pick out of high school.

Geoff Parker – RHP – 6’3 240
Florida State
Sophomore

A Freshman All-American last year, Parker was a workhorse for the Seminoles this season, and he had a fair amount of success. He led the team with 31 appearances, going 6-2 with a 4.82 ERA. He struck out 65 in 65.1 innings of work.

Matthew Price – RHP – 6’2 165
Virginia Tech
Freshman

Price was a 34th round pick out of high school last year, and he showed some flashes this season in Blacksburg. Though his ERA climbed to 6.90, he struck out 53 in 58.2 innings.

Justin Wright – LHP – 5’9 170
Virginia Tech
Sophomore

As a freshman, Wright worked his way into a starting role and had a great season. This year, he went 7-2 with a 3.95 ERA. He struck out 59 and walked only 17 in 66 innings.

Chase Reid – RHP – 6’3 205
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Reid posted a 4.30 ERA last year for Vandy then became one of the best pitchers in the NECBL last summer. Pitching for the Newport Gulls, he went 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, 55 strikeouts in 38.1 innings and just five walks. This spring, he pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Commodores, finishing with a 4.46 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 10 walks in 34.1 innings.

Daniel Renken – RHP – 6’4 200
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore

Renken was a 35th-round pick out of high school and he turned in a solid freshman season last year. This year, he’s been far better than solid as he has turned into one of the nation’s best pitchers. He has gone 11-2 with a 2.36 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 118 innings. Renken has been invited to Team USA.

Glen Troyanowski – RHP – 6’1 165
Florida Atlantic
Sophomore

Troyanowski served as Florida Atlantic’s closer this season and though he had an ERA above five, he tallied a team-best six saves. He also struck out 50 in 40.1 innings, which gave him the team’s best K/9 ratio. Opponents hit just .234 against him.

Position Players

Anthony Sosnoskie – C – 5’11 193 – Virginia Tech – Junior
Jeff Vigurs – C – 6’0 190 – Bryant – Junior
Stephen Cardullo – IF – 6’0 200 – Florida State – Junior
Phil Gosselin – IF – 6’1 185 – Virginia – Sophomore
Daniel Grovatt – IF – 6’2 187 – Virginia – Sophomore
*D.J. LeMahieu – IF – 6’4 200 – LSU – Sophomore
Levi Michael – IF – 5’10 175 – North Carolina – Freshman
Joe Loftus – IF – 6’4 200 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Stuart Tapley – IF – 5’10 200 – Florida State – Sophomore
Chris Wade – IF – 6’0 160 – Kentucky – Sophomore
Ross Wilson – IF – 5’11 185 – Alabama – Sophomore
Bryce Brentz – OF – 6’0 187 – Middle Tennessee State – Sophomore
Jacob Goebbert – OF – 6’1 205 – Northwestern – Junior
Leon Landry – OF – 6’0 200 – LSU – Sophomore
Trent Mummey – OF – 5’11 185 – Auburn – Sophomore

Anthony Sosnoskie – C – 5’11 193
Virginia Tech
Junior

Sosnoskie has put up consistent numbers throughout his career at Virginia Tech. After hitting .292 as a freshman and .315 as a sophomore, he hit .314 this year with a career-high seven home runs and 51 RBI. He upped his on-base percentage almost 50 points from last year. BA ranked Sosnoskie as the fourth-best prospect in the Southern Collegiate League last year.

Jeff Vigurs – C – 6’0 190
Bryant
Junior

Bryant is making the transition to Division I, and Vigurs has been one of the program’s biggest building blocks. He had a fantastic junior season, finishing with a .389 average, nine home runs, 23 doubles and 70 RBI. He also struck out just 15 times in 203 at-bats. Among players whose teams were reclassifying like Bryant, Vigurs was the nation’s leading hitter and RBI man.

Stephen Cardullo – IF – 6’0 200
Florida State
Junior

Cardullo only played in 12 games as a freshman and only made 10 starts as a sophomore. But his patience was rewarded in a big way this season. As the Noles’ starting shortstop and No. 2 hitter, Cardullo hit .376 with 10 home runs, 20 doubles and 51 RBI. He also had a .479 on-base percentage and stole 20 bases.

Phil Gosselin – IF – 6’1 185
Virginia
Sophomore

Gosselin has been a key part of Virginia’s dynamic offense this season. After hitting .305 as a freshman, he has started every game this season. As the Cavaliers head to Omaha, Gosselin is hitting .314 with six home runs and 63 RBI.

Daniel Grovatt – IF – 6’2 187
Virginia
Sophomore

Along with Gosselin, Grovatt is part of a tremendous sophomore class at Virginia, and among his peers, he has had one of the best seasons. He’s currently hitting a team-best .365 with seven home runs, 50 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

D.J. LeMahieu – IF – 6’4 200
LSU
Sophomore

LeMahieu was one of the most intriguing freshman prospects in the nation last year and he lived up to the hype with a great first season in Baton Rouge. After hitting .290 for Harwich last summer, LeMahieu has hit a team-best .340 for the Tigers this season, with four home runs and 19 extra-base hits. He’s a draft-eligible sophomore and a potential high pick, so that’ll definitely have an impact on his summer plans.

Levi Michael – IF – 5’10 175
North Carolina
Freshman

Six months ago, Michael was in high school. Now he’s the starting second baseman for North Carolina as it heads into the College World Series. Michael graduated from high school in January and immediately enrolled at North Carolina. Though that’s a pretty huge step without much time in between, Michael didn’t miss a beat. He has .298 this season with 13 home runs and 56 RBI.

Joe Loftus – IF – 6’4 200
Vanderbilt
Freshman

Loftus was a 29th-round pick out of high school last year, and he made immediate contributions at Vandy. Emerging as the team’s starting left-fielder, Loftus hit .263 with four home runs and 28 RBI.

Stuart Tapley – IF – 5’10 200
Florida State
Sophomore

Tapley had a fantastic freshman season in Tallahassee, hitting .383, which was good for fifth in the ACC. His average went down a bit this year, but he still had a strong season. He finished at .316 with 13 home runs, 18 doubles and 60 RBI.

Chris Wade – IF – 6’0 160
Kentucky
RS 3Sophomore

Wade led the SEC in doubles last year and earned several Freshman All-America nods. After hitting .228 in the Northwoods League, he batted .314 for Kentucky this season, hitting 10 doubles and six home runs. Wade played shortstop and made only six errors.

Ross Wilson – IF – 5’11 185
Alabama
Sophomore

The brother of Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson, Ross has made his mark on the baseball field. After hitting .295 with 15 home runs as a freshman, Wilson headed to Bourne last summer and hit .218. This spring, he was one of Alabama’s top hitters, finishing at .353 with nine home runs and 47 RBI. Wilson is a late addition to Team USA’s invite list.

Bryce Brentz – OF – 6’0 187
Middle Tennessee State
Sophomore

Based on production this season, it might be safe to call Brentz the nation’s best sophomore. He has been invited to Team USA, so we might not get to see him, but if we do: wow. He led the nation with a .465 batting average and tied for the national lead with 28 home runs. He had 73 RBI. He was also a weekend starter for the Blue Raiders, and he went 5-3 with a 4.57 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 88.2 innings. Brentz was a 30th-round pick out of high school.

Jacob Goebbert – OF – 6’1 205
Northwestern
Junior

Goebbert finished his first two years at Northwestern with a career batting average of .343. It dipped a bit this year down to .280, but he didn’t have a chance to bring it up. Playing against Minnesota this spring, he crashed into the wall at the Metrodome and lacerated a kidney. He missed the rest of the season, but should be ready for the summer.

Leon Landry – OF – 6’0 200
LSU
Sophomore

A 36th-round pick out of high school, Landry made a big impact as a freshman in Baton Rouge, helping lead the Tigers to last year’s College World Series. This season, he’s hitting .305 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. Landry was tabbed by BA as the Cal Ripken Sr. League’s top prospect last summer.

Trent Mummey – OF – 5’11 185
Auburn
Sophomore

Mummey was Auburn’s leadoff hitter this season, but he put up numbers that could play in the middle of just about any order. He hit .289 with 15 home runs, 12 doubles and 42 RBI. His .409 OBP was second among the team’s starters, and he also stole 17 bases.

I think it might be. I realized this tonight as I was (a) doing research for the Harwich early look, (b) watching a Super Regional, (c) keeping tabs on draft rumors and (d) taking a nap. The nap is beside the point, but the other stuff: a perfect representation of a fantastic time of year.

After Thursday, the Cape League season will speed to August like a runaway train, one night of games blurring into the next. Players whose names I’ve already forgotten will become stars. Teams will create identities. Stories will be told. And then, in a blink, it’ll all be over. But now, now we have endless possibilities. We’ll have Omaha soon, too, and that’s always fun to watch. Then you’ve got the draft, where you can look at your buddy who doesn’t know know who Grant Green is and laugh.

So, yeah, this is kind of an awesome week.

I’ll see what I can do to make it a little better. The draft is set to start tomorrow, so I’ll be posting some updates on that. We’ve got a lot of former Cape Leaguers ticketed for the first round. There are also some names on ’09 rosters that could go pretty high.

I will also be trying my hardest to get all the early looks done. I have three left and three days left before the season starts. Perfect timing, if I didn’t have to still write them. I’ll give it a go, and even if they’re not all done by Thursday, they will be very soon. Also, I posted college stats for every player in the league last year, and I am planning on doing that again. That, too, might have to wait a little bit, but it’ll be there.

I’m planning on posting some general preview stuff, too, and I can tell you right now what the angle’s going to be: we’ve got some talent coming. I’ll go into detail later, but I really feel like the overall depth of talent in the league is going to be up from last year.

For now, I think you should check out the Wareham Gatemen twitter page, if you haven’t already. The Gatemen have already played two exhibition games, and that page has some nice updates. If I may make a ridiculously premature proclamation, Alex Dickerson, Ryan LaMarre and George Springer are looking like the best outfield in the league.

Also on the subject of the Gateman, there was a real interesting article on South Coast Today detailing “Life after a legend.”

Finally, I stumbled across some good stuff on PG Crosschecker. They posted mid-season All-American picks for each class in April, and from a Cape League perspective, the freshman and sophomore lists are both worth reading. With so much focus on draft-eligibile players, it’s sometimes hard to get a pre-summer feel for which Cape Leaguers are getting the most attention. This helps.

Alright. That is all I have. Yahoo for baseball. It’s almost here.

BREWSTER WHITECAPS
Manager: Tom Myers
2008 Record: 19-21-4

It’s a year of fresh starts in Brewster, where the Whitecaps welcome a new manager, and potentially, an entirely new roster. Tom Myers, the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at UC Santa Barbara, takes over as manager for Bob Macaluso, who was at the helm for seven years. Myers inherits a team with one player who played in Brewster last year, and that’s Yasmani Grandal, who could end up with Team USA.

But while there’s a shortage of Cape League experience, there’s no shortage of college experience. With only four freshman — two of whom are redshirt freshmen — Brewster appears to have the oldest team in the league.

And a lot of their sophomores will be out to prove something.

Out of all the teams I’ve previewed so far, Brewster had the most players who went through sub-par 2009 seasons. If you read through the bios, you can see it. There are pitchers who were Freshman All-Americans last year and charted ERA’s above five this year. There are hitters who hit over .300 in their first year and dipped well below that this year. If this is really is a year of fresh starts in Brewster, there will be a long list of guys looking for their own. How it turns out for them could say a lot for Brewster’s season.

There are several players who won’t need fresh starts, but a lot of them might not be making it to Brewster, either. Jarrett Parker and Jedd Gyorko, the hitters who had the best seasons, have both been invited to Team USA, and Grandal isn’t far behind those two in terms of ’09 success. It also looks like four players will be in Omaha when the Cape season begins.

So a lot will fall to the players in need of big summers, and it’ll be interesting to see what they deliver.

The pitching staff is a little light on weekend starters, but that was the case this time last year, too, and Brewster ended up having solid starting pitching. Guys like Sean Hoelscher, Matt Lujan and Danny Sandbrink will need bounce-back summers. Guys who had success out of the pen this spring like David Goforth and Tyler Thornburg will also be key.

As for the offense, it looks like the Whitecaps should be stronger there. Even if Parker, Gyorko and Grandal end up with Team USA, there’s a decent nucleus with Mark Canha, Tobias Streich, Tim Ferguson and Harold Martinez.

All in all, I don’t think Brewster has the depth of Cotuit, Bourne or Falmouth, and there are certainly a lot of players who struggled this spring.

But I wouldn’t be shocked to see Brewster have success this year. You never know how the roster will shake out, and the chance for those fresh starts can’t be entirely ignored. If the Cape League is a proving ground, I’ll gladly take a bunch of players with a little extra to prove.

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

Notable

• To get an idea of the how the pitching staff shakes out, take a look at the Five Players I’m Excited to See section, which includes no pitchers. That doesn’t mean there’s no talent. Just that there aren’t many guys who had good numbers this spring. But I’ll say this: in the Cape League, I’d rather have a group of pitchers who struggled than a group of hitters who struggled. Wooden bats change everything.
• One guy who could give Brewster’s staff a big lift is San Diego ace Kyle Blair. People are hearing that he’ll be added to the roster, and that’s good news for the Whitecaps. Blair was a fifth-round pick out of high school and pitched briefly for Chatham last year. He had a 3.13 ERA this year and struck out 62 in 54.2 innings.
• If Blair indeed comes to Brewster, you can bet he won’t be the only addition. The Whitecaps haven’t updated their roster in quite some time, so it will almost certainly look a little different when the season opens.
• Keep an eye on Erik Goeddel this spring. As I wrote below, he has a long track record in the scouting world, but he just hasn’t been able to add to it much because of injury. Depending on how he’s holding up these days, this could be a prime opportunity for Goeddel to re-establsih himself.
• I wouldn’t discount the impact of experience on the Brewster roster. Freshmen often struggle on the Cape. Plenty of sophomores do too, of course, but the extra year can be a big one.
• The fact that Virginia is heading for Omaha means the Whitecaps will be waiting for the services of Jarrett Parker, John Barr and Neal Davis. In the case of Parker, that might not be a bad thing. If the Cavaliers can make a deep run, Parker is less likely to go with Team USA.
• As I wrote the bios, I was getting a little nervous about Brewster’s offense. The players with the best numbers were all Team USA invites. But the list saved the best for last. Mark Canha was Cal’s best hitter this season, hitting for average and power.
• Grandal could potentially be the best catching prospect on the Cape, but even if Team USA takes him, Tobias Streich would be a pretty good consolation prize. He’s one of the best catchers in the Big East.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Jarrett Parker
2. Jedd Gyorko
3. Mark Canha
4. Harold Martinez
5. Yasmani Grandal

Pitchers

Scott Alexander – LHP – 6’2 200 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Sean Bierman – LHP – 6’0 190 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Neal Davis – LHP – 6’6 210 – Virginia – Junior
Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 180 – UCLA – RS Freshman
David Goforth – RHP – 5’11 184 – Ole Miss – RS Freshman
Sean Hoelscher – RHP – 6’3 196 – TCU – Sophomore
Matt Lujan – LHP – 6’1 205 – San Francisco – Sophomore
Casey Schmidt – RHP – 6’3 205 – San Diego – RS Sophomore
Danny Sandbrink – RHP – 6’2 200 – Stanford – Sophomore
Sean Tierney – LHP – 6’5 190 – James Madison – Sophomore
Stayton Thomas – RHP – 5’11 175 – Texas – Sophomore
Tyler Thornburg – RHP/OF – 5’11 175 – Charleston Southern – Sophomore

Scott Alexander – LHP – 6’2 200
Pepperdine
Sophomore

A 37th-round pick out of high school, Alexander has a solid career at Pepperdine. This year, he went 4-5 with a 4.11 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched. Opponents hit .230 against him and he didn’t allow a home run all year. Pepperdine’s web site has a list of summer placements and Alexander isn’t on it, so I’m not sure what the deal is there.

Sean Bierman – LHP – 6’0 190
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Bierman, a late-round pick out of high school, did not have a great first season in Nashville, but his second one was much better. One of the team’s most improved pitchers in the fall, Bierman carried it over to the spring by posting a 4.57 ERA while pitching mostly in relief. He struck out 37 and walked 15 in 43.1 innings.

Neal Davis – LHP – 6’6 210
Virginia
Junior

Davis has been a key part of Virginia’s bullpen the last two seasons. Last year, he posted a 1.58 ERA, second-best among Cavalier relievers. He also had a streak of 27.2 scoreless innings. This year, Davis hasn’t been quite as good, with an ERA of 4.63.

Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 180
UCLA
RS Freshman

Goeddel was on the Y-D roster last summer but didn’t make it, just another part of a lost year for the highly-touted Goeddel. He was originally rated as the second-best pitcher in the class of 2007 by Baseball America, but an injury in his senior season kept him from getting drafted. He then missed all of his freshman season. This spring, Goeddel finally saw some time on the mound, posting a 3.38 ERA in nine relief appearances.

David Goforth – RHP – 5’11 184
Ole Miss
RS Freshman

Goforth has been lights out in his first season in Oxford, putting up a 2.80 ERA while making 25 appearances out of the pen, the second-highest total on the team. He has struck out 36 in 35.1 innings.

Sean Hoelscher – RHP – 6’3 196
TCU
Sophomore

Hoelscher had an ERA over five as a freshman, but his 7-3 record and good strikeout numbers earned him some Freshman All-America nods. This year, Hoelscher has gone 2-2 with a 7.03 ERA. He struck out 22 in 24.1 innings, but walked 20.

Matt Lujan – LHP – 6’1 205
San Francisco
Sophomore

Like Hoelscher, Lujan was a Freshman All-American last year on the strength of a 7-2 record and a 3.17 ERA. His second season with the Dons hasn’t been as good. Lujan finished 5-7 with a 5.74 ERA. He struck out 52 in 80 innings.

Casey Schmidt – RHP – 6’3 205
San Diego
RS Sophomore

Schmidt hasn’t pitched in a college game since 2007, when he went 6-1 with a 3.12 ERA in his freshman season at Creighton. After that, he missed all of 2008 with an injury and transferred to San Diego, where he sat out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Danny Sandbrink – RHP – 6’2 200
Stanford
Sophomore

Sandbrink surged to a strong freshman season in Palo Alto last year, finishing with a 2.81 ERA. This year, he had his share of trouble, going 1-1 with a 7.09 ERA. He struck out 22 and walked 16 in 33 innings.

Sean Tierney – LHP – 6’5 190
James Madison
Sophomore

Tierney, like Schmidt, will be playing this summer after not pitching at all this spring. Tierney transferred from Virginia and sat out this season. At Virginia, Tierney made only two appearances, finishing with a 6.75 ERA. He was a 35th-round pick out of high school.

Stayton Thomas – RHP – 5’11 175
Texas
Sophomore

Thomas was lights-out as a reliever last season, leading the team in appearances and finishing with a 3.82 ERA. He has been even better this year, with a 2.11 ERA and a 4-0 record out of the pen.

Tyler Thornburg – RHP/OF – 5’11 175
Charleston Southern
Sophomore

After making solid contributions in two spots as a freshman, Thornburg became a standout at those spots these season. As a pitcher, he made 16 relief appearances and put up a 3.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. As a hitter, he finished with a .292 batting average and a team-high 12 home runs.

Position Players

*Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210 – Miami – Sophomore
Zach Jones – C – 6’0 185 – Stanford – Sophomore
Tobias Streich – C – 6’0 210 – West Virginia – Sophomore
Lyle Allen – OF/1B – 6’3 210 – Georgia – Sophomore
Tim Ferguson – IF – 6’1 184 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Niko Gallego – IF – 5’11 165 – UCLA – Sophomore
Jedd Gyorko – IF – 5’10 195 – West Virginia – Sophomore
Harold Martinez – IF – 6’3 200 – Miami – Freshman
Tant Shepherd – 3B/OF – 5’11 210 – Texas – Sophomore
Colin Walsh – IF – 6’1 200 – Stanford – Sophomore
Davy Wright – UTIL – 6’1 195 – TCU – Freshman
Stephen Yarrow – IF – 6’4 205 – San Francisco – Sophomore
John Barr – OF – 6’2 190 – Virginia – Sophomore
Mark Canha – OF – 6’2 195 – California – Sophomore
Jarrett Parker – OF – 6’4 205 – Virginia – Sophomore

Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210
Miami
Sophomore

A 27th-round pick out of high school who was projected to go much higher, Grandal split time behind the plate last year but still lived up to much of the hype. Last summer, he played 20 games for Brewster and hit .279. He followed that up with a strong sophomore season, finishing at .299 with 16 home runs and 45 RBI. Grandal has been invited to Team USA.

Zach Jones – C – 6’0 185
Stanford
Sophomore

Jones started every game for Stanford this year but didn’t have a great season at the plate. He ended up hitting .239 with three home runs and 26 RBI. Jones was a 45th-round pick out of high school and hit .249 as a freshman.

Tobias Streich – C – 6’0 210
West Virginia
Sophomore

Last year Streich became just the second freshman to serve as West Virginia’s everyday catcher and he delivered a solid season. This year, he emerged as one of the top catchers in the Big East, hitting .322 with six home runs and 57 RBI.

Lyle Allen – OF/1B – 6’3 210
Georgia
Sophomore

Allen had a good first season at Georgia and by the end of it, he was the starting left fielder for the Bulldogs in Omaha. This year, Allen hit .255 with five home runs and 23 RBI.

Tim Ferguson – IF – 6’1 184
Ole Miss
Sophomore

Ferguson has had to fight for time in each of his first two years in Oxford but he has made an impression, even without an everyday job. After hitting .289 last year, he led the team with a .358 average this year. He also added 12 extra-base hits, 21 RBI and 18 stolen bases.

Niko Gallego – IF – 5’11 165
UCLA
Sophomore

The son of former Major Leaguer Mike Gallego, Niko has put together two pretty good seasons as UCLA’s shortstop. After hitting .317 as a freshman, he hit .279 this season. Though he didn’t hit a home run, he knocked in 27, stole six bases and committed just nine errors.

Jedd Gyorko – IF – 5’10 195
West Virginia
Sophomore

Gyorko was a star as a freshman, finishing with a .409 average and eight home runs. He didn’t miss a beat this season and even out-did himself. He hit .421 with eight home runs, 28 doubles and 58 RBI, all while dealing with the switch from second base to shortstop. That doubles total was second-best in the country. Gyorko has been invited to Team USA.

Harold Martinez – IF – 6’3 200
Miami
Freshman

Like Grandal last year, Martinez will come to Brewster as a highly-touted Miami freshman. Once thought of as a potential first-round pick, Martinez had some struggles in his senior year of high school and slipped to the 19th round. Miami was happy to welcome him to campus, and he delivered a pretty good freshman season. He hit .270 with nine home runs, 11 doubles and 47 RBI.

Tant Shepherd – 3B/OF – 5’11 210
Texas
Sophomore

Shepherd has been a versatile performer since day one, and he hit .357 as a freshman. This year, his average went down to .264 but he did total 17 extra-base hits.

Colin Walsh – IF – 6’1 200
Stanford
Sophomore

Walsh only got nine starts as a freshman on Stanford’s 2008 CWS team, but he was a key player off the bench and he delivered a .323 average. This year, he grabbed a starting job and led the team with a .320 average. He didn’t hit a home run but he did have 11 doubles.

Davy Wright – UTIL – 6’1 195
TCU
Freshman

A high-school standout on the hill and at the plate, Wright was rated as one of Texas’ top 100 prospects, but he only played in one game this season. Perhaps there was an injury. I haven’t been able to find anything.

Stephen Yarrow – IF – 6’4 205
San Francisco
Sophomore

Yarrow didn’t see a ton of action as a freshman but was an honorable mention all-league pick last summer in the West Coast Collegiate League. This year, he hit .277 with a team-best 13 home runs and 44 RBI.

John Barr – OF – 6’2 190
Virginia
Sophomore

Barr had a great 2008 season in Charlottesville, leading the Cavaliers in both batting average and on-base percentage. This year, he is hitting .305 for the Omaha-bound Cavaliers.

Jarrett Parker – OF – 6’4 205
Virginia
Sophomore

Parker didn’t have as good a freshman season as his teammate Barr, but he has been out-of-this-world this season. A surefire All-Conference and All-America pick, Parker has hit .369 with 16 home runs, 42 extra-base hits, 65 RBI and 19 stolen bases. A potential five-tool talent, Parker has been invited to Team USA.

Mark Canha – OF – 6’2 195
California
Sophomore

After a decent but not spectacular freshman season, Canha burst onto the scene this year in a big way. He ended up leading the Bears in every major offensive category. He hit .366, blasted 12 home runs, totaled 17 doubles and drove in 43. He also led the team with a .444 on-base percentage.

The twitter page for Beesball.com, a Georgia Tech baseball web site, is reporting that sophomore shortstop Derek Dietrich will go directly to Wareham this summer, rather than Team USA. The Gatemen twitter page has confirmed the news. Dietrich was on Wareham’s roster last year but played for Team USA. He was again on the invite list this year, but apparently has opted for Wareham.

Team USA has added a few more players to the list with Cape connections: Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers (Bourne) and Texas Tech’s Chad Bettis (Falmouth). That brings the total of invites up to 36, which I think is the final number. If someone replaces Dietrich, then I guess there would be one more.

By my count, 23 of the 36 are on Cape League rosters.

YARMOUTH-DENNIS RED SOX
Manager: Scott Pickler
2008 Record:18-25-1

We all knew it had to end at some point. We didn’t know it would end like it did last year for the Y-D Red Sox.

After winning back-to-back league championships, the Red Sox never got off the ground last summer and finished with the worst record in the Eastern Division. It shouldn’t have been all that surprising. In a summer league with heavy turnover, one year means very little for the next. For a Y-D team with few returnees, that was especially true.

But as unsurprising as it was, I’m guessing it was still jarring for the Y-D camp.

You can bet Scott Pickler and Co. are geared up for a return to form.

Five players are set to come back from last year’s squad and they’ll team up with a deep group of productive sophomores and some highly-touted freshman. Though the four Team USA invites could take some of the luster off, I think right now, the Red Sox are in better position than they were last year.

The pitching staff struggled last year, with Y-D’s best starter posting a 3.43 ERA. If Anthony Ranaudo and Trevor Bauer don’t go to Team USA, you’ve got two potential aces who should be able to better that number. Even if those two are gone, sophomores Chris Sale, Greg Holle, Austin Ross and returnee Tyler Waldron are primed to step in. A couple of big-name freshman, Brett Mooneyham and Michael Palazzone, could also make a big splash.

At the plate, the Red Sox return Josh Rutledge and Andy Wilkins, two players who would have made last year’s Cape all-freshman team, if there was such a thing. For all the big bats ticketed for the Cape this summer, few teams have two hitters coming back with solid Cape League track records like Rutledge and Wilkins. When you mix in great seasons from guys like Austin Wates, Derek Ingui, Mickey Wiswall and Nick Santomauro, with the potential for breakout seasons from freshmen like Ben McMahan and Chase Davidson, you’ve got the makings of a solid lineup.

As is the case for every team, how it all comes together will be the key. In Y-D’s championship seasons, the fact that things came together perfectly was as important to the equation as talent.

The Red Sox will be hoping the 2009 equation can yield a similar product.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 5
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 18
Freshmen: 10

Notable

• I think Anthony Ranaudo was one of my five to be excited about last year, but this year, I’m more excited — and hopeful that he doesn’t go to Team USA. Ranaudo has been a prospect for awhile, but he has truly broken out this season. His strikeout numbers alone — 138 in 102 innings — make him perhaps the top-performing sophomore pitcher in the country. With those numbers in the book and his 6’7 frame, he’ll be one of the most-talked about prospects on the Cape this year if he makes it.
• Ranaudo’s teammate Austin Ross is also set to come to Y-D, and he’s had a great sophomore season as well. Ross is part of a real solid-looking group of starters on the Y-D roster.
• One member of that group is Chris Sale, who looks like a pretty intriguing prospect. A 6’6 lefty, he put up really good numbers for Florida Gulf Coast this season. I’m sure he’s already drawn plenty of attention from scouts, but with a big summer, he’ll get even more looks.
• In Trevor Bauer, Brett Mooneyham and Michael Palazzone, the Red Sox have three highly-touted freshman who are currently on different places in the spectrum. Bauer was still in high school for last year’s draft but graduated early and promptly became the Pac 10 Freshman of the Year. Mooneyham was a major name in last year’s draft and he showed some great flashes this year, with 72 strikeouts in a starting role. Palazzone, another big name for the draft, has sort of been eased in at Georgia, where he didn’t make a single start.
• Come draft time, watch for Mike Belfiore’s name. From what I’ve read, Belfiore has some draft helium, so he’s likely to go pretty early. If he doesn’t sign right away, Y-D will be getting an elite closer.
• Whether Belfiore comes or not, the closer spot should be taken care of. Kevin Rhoderick has been Oregon State’s closer for two years, with a lot of success.
• If Cal State Fullerton keeps rolling in the tournament, that probably increases the chance that Christian Colon would end up with Y-D, rather than Team USA. Go Titans? I think so. I saw Colon with Team USA last summer, and he’s fun to watch.
• Nick Santomauro will be an interesting player to watch. He’s the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, and by all accounts, he can flat-out hit.
• Chase Davidson was a third-round pick last year, but he didn’t have a huge impact in his first year at Georgia. I always like freshman hitters as breakout candidates more than hitters, but a prospect like Davidson could be the exception.
• I wasn’t familiar with the names Mickey Wiswall and Austin Wates before I wrote all this up, but maybe I should have been. Both were big-time performers in the ACC.
• Since I haven’t finished all the previews, I can’t say this for sure, but I think we can pencil in Andy Wilkins as the top returning power hitter in the league.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Anthony Ranaudo
2. Trevor Bauer
3. Andy Wilkins
4. Chris Sale
5. Brett Mooneyham

Pitchers
Trevor Bauer – RHP – 6’1 170 – UCLA – Freshman
*Mike Belfiore – LHP – 6’3 220 – Boston College – Junior
Tyler Burgoon – RHP – 5’10 165 – Michigan – Sophomore
Darrin Campbell – RHP – 6’4 205 – San Diego – RS Sophomore
Danny Coulombe – LHP – 5’11 180 – USA – Freshman
Anthony DeSclafani – RHP – 6’2 175 – Florida – Freshman
Tyler Hess – RHP – 6’5 240 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Greg Holle – RHP – 6’8 225 – Texas Christian – Sophomore
Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 230 – Stanford – Freshman
Michael Palazzone – RHP – 6’3 180 – Georgia – Freshman
*Anthony Ranaudo – RHP – 6’7 235 – LSU – Sophomore
Kevin Rhoderick – RHP – 6’0 190 – Oregon State – Sophomore
Austin Ross – RHP – 6’3 190 – LSU – Sophomore
Chris Sale – LHP – 6’6 185 – Florida Gulf Coast – Sophomore
*Tyler Waldron – RHP – 6’1 190 – Oregon State – Sophomore

Trevor Bauer – RHP – 6’1 170
UCLA
Freshman

Bauer came to UCLA without the post-draft hype of fellow freshman pitcher Gerrit Cole, but that’s mostly because he wasn’t eligible for it: He had just completed his junior year in high school at last year’s draft. Bauer was on pace to graduate from high school early, and he took his baseball career with him, enrolling at UCLA in January after graduating high school in December. Now, he’ll head to the Cape this summer — or Team USA — with his own share of buzz. Bauer ended up with better numbers than Cole in most every category this year, going 9-3 with a team-best 2.99 ERA. He struck out 92 and walked 27 in 105.1 innings, and also finished off four complete games. Those numbers earned Bauer Pac 10 Freshman of the Year honors.

Mike Belfiore – LHP – 6’3 220
Boston College
Junior

Belfiore played for Y-D last year but is listed as a temp this year, probably because he’s likely to get drafted in the early rounds. After striking out 21 and walking just four in 14 innings for Y-D last summer, Belfiore served as BC’s closer and put up great numbers. He saved nine games and struck out 59 in 48.1 innings. Baseball America has him ranked 89th in the country for the upcoming draft.

Tyler Burgoon – RHP – 5’10 165
Michigan
Sophomore

Burgoon pitched in relief for Michigan this season, turning in a 4-2 record, a 4.86 ERA and three saves. He struck out 32 in 37 innings of work. Burgoon was also a reliever last year, when he finished with an identical 4.86 ERA and five saves.

Darrin Campbell – RHP – 6’4 205
San Diego
RS Sophomore

After redshirting his freshman year, Campbell compiled a 4.08 ERA last year while pitching mostly out of the bullpen. He went for more of a swing role this year, with eight of his 14 appearances coming as starts. He finished the year with a 5.16 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.

Danny Coulombe – LHP – 5’11 180
USC
Freshman

Coulombe was a 17th-round pick last year who was considered a tough sign. He did indeed honor his commitment to USC, but an injury kept him out for a good chunk of his freshman year. He finished the year with just four appearances. He struck out 13 in eight innings.

Anthony DeSclafani – RHP – 6’2 175
Florida
Freshman

DeSclafani got picked by the Red Sox in the 22nd round of last year’s draft, but stuck with Florida, where he’s had a decent first season for the Super Regional-bound Gators. Pitching both in relief and in a starting role, DeSclafani went 6-3 with a 4.98 ERA. He struck out 47 and walked 16 in 65 innings.

Tyler Hess – RHP – 6’5 240
Pepperdine
Sophomore

Hess posted good strikeout numbers in his freshman year then was tabbed as the Central Illinois Collegiate League’s top prospect last summer, showing off electric stuff. This year, his ERA was high again for the Waves, but he struck out 29 in 24.2 innings. He also walked 21, which goes a long way in explaining the plus-seven ERA.

Greg Holle – RHP – 6’8 225
Texas Christian
Sophomore

As imposing a presence as there is in college baseball, Holle has turned in two solid seasons in Fort Worth. After posting a 4.50 ERA last year, Holle has gone 5-2 with a 3.89 ERA this year, while pitching mostly as a starter. He has tallied 26 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. Holle was a 35th-round pick out of high school.

Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 230
Stanford
Freshman

Mooneyham was rated by Baseball America as the 78th best prospect in the nation for last year’s draft, but his initial scouting report that he might be considered an impossible sign. On draft day, Mooneyham dropped to the 15th round, where San Diego took a shot. Mooneyham did indeed stick with his commitment to Stanford, and he turned in pretty good numbers this season. He finished with a 6-3 record, a 4.14 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 67.1 innings. On the negative side, Mooneyham walked 54.

Michael Palazzone – RHP – 6’3 180
Georgia
Freshman

Palazzone wasn’t too far behind Mooneyham in the rankings last year, coming into the draft as the nation’s 139th-best prospect, according to Baseball America. He ended up going in the 18th round but opted to head for Georgia. This season, Palazzone pitched exclusively out of the bullpen, and though he finished with a 5.13 ERA, he struck out 43 and walked only 15 in 33.1 innings.

Anthony Ranaudo – RHP – 6’7 235
LSU
Sophomore

An 11th-round pick in 2007, Ranaudo came to LSU with as much hype as any pitcher in the country last year, but he didn’t get much of a chance to show off: an injury limited him to 12 innings last season. After LSU’s postseason run ended, Ranaudo joined Y-D and didn’t have a great summer, finishing with a 6.63 ERA. But this spring, everything has clicked for Ranaudo. With the Tigers heading to a Super Regional, Ranaudo is 9-3 with a 3.09 ERA and 138 strikeouts against 42 walks in 102 innings. That’s the third-highest total in the nation, behind Stephen Strasburg and Mike Leake. Pretty good company. Ranaudo has been invited to team USA.

Kevin Rhoderick – RHP – 6’0 190
Oregon State
Sophomore

Rhoderick was on Y-D’s roster last summer before making Team USA. He didn’t pitch for either team, though, because of an injury. An 18th-round pick in 2007 who earned Freshman All-American honors last year, Rhoderick reprised his role as Oregon State’s closer this year and finished with nine saves. He struck out 33 and walked 15 in 23.2 innings.

Austin Ross – RHP – 6’3 190
LSU
Sophomore

Ross had a very good freshman season while pitching out of the bullpen last year, and over the summer, he was picked as the second-best prospect in the Central Illinois Collegiate League. He got off to fantastic start in LSU’s rotation, and he’s currently toting a 4.94 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 20 walks in 78.1 innings.

Chris Sale – LHP – 6’6 185
Florida Gulf Coast
Sophomore

With his build, Sale certainly carries that projectable tag, and he’s got the production to match in his college career, particularly this season. After putting up big strikeout numbers in a relief role as a freshman, Sale moved into the rotation this year and went 7-4 with a 2.72 ERA. He struck out 104 and walked just 27 in 89.1 innings. Last summer, Sale was ranked by PG Crosschecker as the 12th-best prospect in the Northwoods League.

Tyler Waldron – RHP – 6’1 190
Oregon State
Sophomore

After spending his freshman year at Pacific, Waldron pitched for Y-D last year and had a pretty good summer for himself. He ended up making four starts and four relief appearances and finished the season with a 2.92 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 37 innings. He transferred to Oregon State for his sophomore season and went 6-4 with a 4.15 ERA as a weekend starter. He struck out 70 in 93.1 innings.

Position Players

Micah Gibbs – C/1B – 5’11 200 – LSU – Sophomore
Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 201 – Florida – Freshman
Christian Colon – SS – 6’0 180 – Cal State Fullerton – Sophomore
Chase Davidson – INF – 6’5 225 – Georgia – Freshman
Tyler Hanover – 2B/3B – 5’7 165 – LSU – Freshman
Derek Ingui – 3B/OF – 6’2 200 – Franklin Pierce – Sophomore
*Josh Rutledge – INF – 6’1 190 – Alabama – Sophomore
Jake Schlander – INF – 6’2 190 – Stanford – Sophomore
Austin Wates – INF – 6’1 186 – Virginia Tech – Sophomore
Jerico Weitzel – INF – 5’11 185 – Florida – Freshman
*Andy Wilkins – 1B/3B – 6’1 225 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Mickey Wiswall – INF – 6’1 205 – Boston College – Sophomore
Jonathan Jones – OF – 5’11 185 – Long Beach State – Sophomore
Nick Santomauro – OF – 6’2 205 – Dartmouth – Junior
Steven Selsky – OF/3B – 6’1 200 – Arizona – Freshman

Micah Gibbs – C/1B – 5’11 200
LSU
Sophomore

Gibbs was one of the best freshmen in the country last year and he helped carry the Tigers to Omaha, hitting .322 with two home runs and 35 RBI. Last summer, he went with Team USA and hit .264. This spring, Gibbs has batted .291 with six home runs and 38 RBI.

Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 201
Florida
Freshman

McMahan was one of the top prep catchers in the country last year and he got drafted in the 30th round by the Yankees. He decided to head to Florida, where he hasn’t had much of a chance to make an impact. He has played in only 18 games and has put up three hits.

Christian Colon – SS – 6’0 180
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore

A 10th-round pick out of high school, Colon was ticketed for Orleans last summer, but he joined Team USA instead and was the only player to start every game. A defensive wiz, Colon is getting his bat in gear as well. After hitting .263 for Team USA, Colon has hit .351 this spring with seven home runs and 35 RBI. He has been invited to Team USA again.

Chase Davidson – INF – 6’5 225
Georgia
Freshman

Part of a very highly-touted recruiting class, Davidson made it to campus in Athens despite getting picked in the third round of last year’s draft. A big left-handed swinger with a high ceiling, Davidson wasn’t a regular for the Bulldogs this year. He got 31 starts and hit .231 with three home runs.

Tyler Hanover – 2B/3B – 5’7 165
LSU
Freshman

Hanover was the Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina last year and he has made an immediate impact in Baton Rouge. Starting 52 games, Hanover has hit .315 with four home runs and 44 RBI.

Derek Ingui – 3B/OF – 6’2 200
Franklin Pierce
Sophomore

A native of Sterling, Mass., Ingui started college at the University of Tampa but transferred to Franklin Pierce before last season. He has had two very good years for the Ravens. This season, he hit .356 with nine home runs and 47 RBI. He also legged out seven triples and stole 16 bases.

Josh Rutledge – INF – 6’1 190
Alabama
Sophomore

After posting the second-highest average by a freshman in Alabama history, Rutledge delivered a steady summer with Y-D last year. He ended up hitting .294 with a home run and 10 RBI. He had 12 extra-base hits. This spring, Rutledge hit .305 with five home runs and 44 RBI.

Jake Schlander – INF – 6’2 190
Stanford
Sophomore

For the second year in a row, Schlander started every single one of Stanford’s games and, also for the second year in a row, he finished with a .232 average. He had 14 extra-base hits, and in the field, made just nine errors.

Austin Wates – INF – 6’1 186
Virginia Tech
Sophomore

After hitting .324 as a freshman, Wates put together a fantastic sophomore season. He hit .397, second on the team, with five home runs, 28 extra-base hits and 42 RBI. He also stole 16 bases and got caught just once. Listed as a utilityman on the Hokies’ roster, Wates generally played first base this season.

Jerico Weitzel – INF – 5’11 185
Florida
Freshman

Weitzel was a 27th-round pick out of high school, but like his Gator teammate McMahan, he’s had a tough time grabbing a starting job in Gainesville. Weitzel has started only 15 games, though he has become a regular defensive replacement at third base and has seen action in 54 games. He’s hitting .208.

Andy Wilkins – 1B/3B – 6’1 225
Arkansas
Sophomore

After getting drafted in the 25th round out of high school, Wilkins delivered a real solid freshman season and carried it over to the Cape, where he hit .271 and led Y-D in home runs and RBI. This spring, Wilkins has been Arkansas’ top hitter, with a .329 average, 17 home runs and 51 RBI. All of those are team-bests.

Mickey Wiswall – INF – 6’1 205
Boston College
Sophomore

Boston College’s lineup featured ’08 Y-D star Tony Sanchez, a likely early-round pick in June, but Wiswall wasn’t far behind him in terms of production. While starting at third base, Wiswall hit .320 with 14 home runs, 31 extra-base hits and a team-high 63 RBI. Wiswall is a native of Stoneham, Mass.

Jonathan Jones – OF – 5’11 185
Long Beach State
Sophomore

As a freshman last year Jones posted Long Beach’s second-best average and was honorable mention All-Big West. This season, Jones hit .307 with a home run, 23 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Jones is the nephew of Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard.

Nick Santomauro – OF – 6’2 205
Dartmouth
Junior

Santomauro added another chapter to a great career at Dartmouth by taking home Ivy League Player of the Year honors this spring. He hit .372 for the Big Green with eight home runs and 40 RBI. Last summer, Santomauro hit .286 and was an all-star for the Newport Gulls of the NECBL.

Steven Selsky – OF/3B – 6’1 200
Arizona
Freshman

Selsky was a sought-after recruit and he delivered a great first season for the Wildcats. He finished with a .318 average, seven home runs, 17 extra-base hits and 21 RBI.