2011 Early Look: Falmouth Commodores

Falmouth Commodores
Manager: Jeff Trundy
2010 Record: 21-22-1

I don’t often start these previews with a focus on one particular area. So much can change that it’s usually fruitless to make predictions about pitching or hitting success. But I’m feeling dangerous today, and Falmouth’s pitching staff makes the risk look a lot smaller.

It wasn’t too long ago that Falmouth had the most dominant pitching staff in the league, with future first-round picks Aaron Crow, Kyle Gibson and Christian Friedrich leading the way. I don’t know if this staff can come close to that one, but among all the teams I’ve looked at so far for 2011, the Commodores have the best-looking staff.

It even starts with another lefty named Christian — Christian Jones from Oregon, who was a Cape League All-Star last year and is one of my very early favorites for Cape League Pitcher of the Year in 2011. Fellow sophomores Ty Blach, Tyler Duffey, Sean Hagan and Andrew Heaney had solid springs, while a freshmen Kent Emanuel, Marco Gonzales and John Simms look like future stars.

That’s a pretty good starting point for Falmouth. Plenty of Cape League teams are looking for college relievers to become solid Cape League starters. At the very least, Falmouth has a leg up on that.

The offense looks pretty good, as well, with Jeremy Baltz, Barrett Barnes and Ross Heffley leading the way. Heffley, in particular, will be an interesting player to watch. He’s a junior and he’s a bit undersized, but he also hit .419 and was a first-team All-American this season.

How will the summer develop? It’s hard to say, as always. Who would have thought Falmouth would finish a game under .500 last year and still finish in second place in the West? You can insert whatever cliche you want here. They all apply. At this point, though, I think you can count on Falmouth doing some pitching.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 3
Seniors: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen: 10

Notable

I mentioned Christian Jones as a potential pitcher of the year, and he’s got a couple of things going for him. One, he’s very good. Two, he’s been to the Cape before. And three, his Oregon team didn’t make the NCAA tournament, meaning Jones should be ready to go from day one.

Andrew Aizenstadt is the rare senior on a Cape League roster. He’s had a nice career at Babson, and I’m guessing he’ll be trying to catch someone’s eye this summer.

In addition to its production, one of the big things that stands out about the Falmouth pitching staff is the number of left-handers. The Commodores have six of them, and they’ve all been very good this spring.

North Carolina has had some great pitchers over the years, and Kent Emanuel seems to fit the mold. A big freshman lefty, he’s been very impressive this spring for a very good team.

It’ll be interesting to see what Falmouth does with Georgia Tech freshman DeAndre Smelter. He’s a two-way talent whose future may be dictated by his 95-mph fastball. But I imagine he’d be pretty valuable at the plate and on the field too.

Gonzaga’s Marco Gonzalez is another two-way star, and he’s had more success thus far than Smelter. Gonzales was the Co-Freshman and Co-Player of the Year in the West Coast Conference, sharing both honors with San Diego’s Kris Bryant.

You’ll definitely want to keep an eye on Rice freshman pitcher John Simms. He’s been used in a swing role by the Owls but could be poised to be a top Cape League starter this summer.

Jeremy Baltz and Barrett Barnes were two of the top freshmen in the nation last year. Neither quite duplicated the numbers this year, but I would still expect big things.

I mentioned Heffley above. Coming off a huge junior season, he’s definitely a player to watch. Two years ago, a junior with Cape League experience — Kyle Roller — was the league MVP. The way Heffley hit this season, I wouldn’t put a similar leap past him.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Christian Jones
2. Ross Heffley
3. Kent Emanuel
4. Marco Gonzales
5. John Simms

Pitchers

Andrew Aizenstadt – RHP – 6’5 185 – Babson – Senior
Ty Blach – LHP – 6’1 200 – Creighton – Sophomore
Tyler Duffey – RHP – 6’3 210 – Rice – Sophomore
Adam Duke – RHP – 6’1 185 – Oregon State – Freshman
Josh Easley – RHP – 6’3 172 – North Carolina State – Sophomore
Kent Emanuel – LHP – 6’4 205 – North Carolina – Freshman
Marco Gonzales – LHP/OF/1B – Gonzaga – Freshman
Sean Hagan – LHP – 6’6 225 – St. John’s – Sophomore
Andrew Heaney – LHP – 6’2 174 – Oklahoma State – Sophomore
*Christian Jones – LHP – 6’2 205 – Oregon – Sophomore
Taylor Sandefur – RHP – 6’2 245 – Western Carolina – Sophomore
John Simms – RHP – 6’3 210 – Rice – Freshman
DeAndre Smelter – RHP/OF – 6’3 225 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Andrew Smith – RHP – 6’2 185 – North Carolina – Freshman
Nathan Thornhill – RHP – 6’1 178 – Texas – Freshman

Andrew Aizenstadt – RHP – 6’5 185
Babson
Senior

Aizenstadt comes to Falmouth from Division III Babson, where he’s been very good. This season, Aizenstadt went 4-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 56.1 innings.

Ty Blach – LHP – 6’1 200
Creighton
Sophomore

Blach led Creighton in ERA as a freshman, and he’s taken things to an even higher level as a sophomore. Blach is 10-2 with a 2.72 ERA. In 96 innings, he has struck out 93 and walked only 28.

Tyler Duffey – RHP – 6’3 210
Rice
Sophomore

Duffey has been a workhorse in his first two years with the Owls, and he’s had a lot of success along the way. After pitching in 26 games as a freshman, Duffey has made 29 appearances this year. He’s got an 8-1 record, a 2.50 ERA and an eye-popping 72 strikeouts in only 57.1 innings pitched.

Adam Duke – RHP – 6’1 185
Oregon State
Freshman

The top player in Utah, Duke was a 16th-round pick in last year’s draft. He’s missed much of his freshman season in Corvallis with injury and has made just four appearances.

Josh Easley – RHP – 6’3 172
North Carolina State
Sophomore

Easley went 10-2 as a freshman at Weatherford College before transferring to NC State. He’s posted an ERA over six in his first season with the Wolfpack, but he has also struck out 53 in 44.1 innings.

Kent Emanuel – LHP – 6’4 205
North Carolina
Freshman

Emanuel was a 19th-round pick out of high school and has looked like a future star in his first season with the Tar Heels. As a regular in the weekend rotation, he’s gone 7-1 with a 2.62 ERA. In 89.1 innings, he has struck out 79. All in all, those are some of the best numbers by any freshman pitchers in the country. A few days ago, he shut out Maine in an NCAA Regional game.

Marco Gonzales – LHP/OF/1B – 6’1 185
Gonzaga
Freshman

Gonzales was a 29th-round pick out of high school and has become an immediate star at Gonzaga. After shining both at the plate and on the mound in his freshman year, Gonzales was named WCC Co-Freshman of the Year and Co-Player of the Year. He was at his best on the mound, where he went 11-2 with a 2.57 ERA and 90 strikeouts. At the dish, he hit .291 with 14 RBI.

Sean Hagan – LHP – 6’6 225
St. John’s
Sophomore

Hagan has been a starter and a reliever for the Red Storm this spring, and he’s been pretty good in both roles. Hagan is 7-2 with a 4.05 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 66 innings of work. Hagan had similar numbers as a freshman, with 53 strikeouts and a 4.85 ERA.

Andrew Heaney – LHP – 6’2 174
Oklahoma State
Sophomore

Heaney was a 24th-round pick out of high school then led Oklahoma State in wins as a freshman last year. This season, he went 7-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched. Heaney was on Falmouth’s roster last year but didn’t make it to the Cape.

Christian Jones – LHP – 6’2 205
Oregon
Sophomore

After a solid freshman campaign for the Ducks, Jones came to Falmouth last summer and had a very good season, posting a 2.36 ERA and earning a spot in the All-Star Game. He’ll be back this summer as one of the top returning pitchers in the league. This spring, Jones went 7-2 with a 3.24 ERA. In 77.2 innings, he struck out 73.

Taylor Sandefur – RHP – 6’2 245
Western Carolina
Sophomore

Sandefur has had some struggles at Western Carolina — he finished with an ERA above eight this year — but he is firmly on scouts’ radar thanks to his performance last summer. Pitching in the Valley League, Sandefur went 7-0 with a 2.26 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 60 innings, numbers that earned him the league’s Pitcher of the Year award. He was also named the Valley’s second-best prospect by Baseball America.

John Simms – RHP – 6’3 210
Rice
Freshman

Simms was one of the top high-school prospects in Texas a year ago but was considered a tough sign and went in the 39th round. He came in to Rice with plenty of hype and he has made good on it. Pitching as both a starter and reliever, Simms has gone 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 62.1 innings of work.

DeAndre Smelter – RHP/OF – 6’3 225
Georgia Tech
Freshman

Smelter was a standout in multiple sports in high school, and he was considered one of the most athletic draft prospects in the nation a year ago. He ended up going in the 14th round but stuck with his commitment to Georgia Tech. A two-way player, Smelter has hit only .222 this season but he’s been outstanding as a reliever. In 15 innings pitched, he hasn’t allowed an earned run.

Andrew Smith – RHP – 6’2 185
North Carolina
Freshman

Smith hasn’t been in the rotation like his freshman teammate Emanuel but he’s made a big impact out of the bullpen. In 22 appearances, he’s posted a 2.92 ERA and has struck out better than a batter an inning. Smith was a 40th-rounder out of high school.

Nathan Thornhill – RHP – 6’1 178
Texas
Freshman

Thornhill has made a big impact as a freshman reliever for the Longhorns this year. In 19 appearances, he’s posted a 1.69 ERA. HE has struck out 30 and walked only 5 in 32 innings of work. Opponents have hit .197 against him.

Position Players

Jeremy Baltz – OF – 6’3 205 – St. John’s – Sophomore
*Barrett Barnes – OF – 6’1 195 – Texas Tech – Sophomore
Chase Butler – 3B – 5’10 202 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Eric Garcia – SS/RHP – 5’11 175 – Missouri – Sophomore
Ross Heffley – INF – 5’8 175 – Western Carolina – Junior
Spencer Kieboom – C – 6’0 210 – Clemson – Sophomore
Jack Marder – UTIL – 6’0 185 – Oregon – Sophomore
Jake Rodriguez – C/INF – 5’8 190 – Oregon State – Freshman
Shane Rowland – C – 5’10 180 – Miami – Freshman
*Kyle Von Tungeln – OF – 6’0 175 – Texas Christian – Sophomore
Max White – OF/INF – 6’1 203 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
Jantzen Witte – 3B/SS – 6’1 195 – Texas Christian – RS Sophomore

Jeremy Baltz – OF – 6’3 205
St. John’s
Freshman

Baltz was perhaps the top freshman in the nation a year ago when he hit .396 with 24 home runs. Like a lot of college hitters, he slowed down a bit this year, but has still turned in a productive campaign. He’s hitting .311 with six homers and a team-best 58 RBI. He also has a .443 on-base percentage.

Barrett Barnes – OF – 6’1 195
Texas Tech
Sophomore

Barnes was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year last season when he hit .341 with 14 homers. He then played for Falmouth and finished with a .223 batting average. This spring, Barnes saw his average fall to .290 but he still hit 10 home runs and 15 doubles.

Chase Butler – 3B – 5’10 202
Georgia Tech
Freshman

Butler was a three-sport star in high school. He hasn’t had the chance to play a lot in his freshman season with the Yellow Jackets, and has hit .207 in 30 games.

Eric Garcia – SS/RHP – 5’11 175
Missouri
Sophomore

Garcia had a solid freshman campaign for the Tigers last season, and it was more of the same this year. Garcia hit .264 with two homers and 25 RBI.

Ross Heffley – INF – 5’8 175
Western Carolina
Junior

Heffley might be a familiar name to Cape League fans — he played in 34 games for Orleans in 2009. This year, he’ll be returning to the Cape as one of the top hitters in the country. Heffley was recently named a first-team All-American after hitting .419 with 11 home runs, 18 doubles and 65 RBI for the Catamounts. He ranked seventh in the nation in batting average.

Spencer Kieboom – C – 6’0 210
Clemson
Sophomore

Kieboom hit .263 in limited duty last year but has pushed himself into a regular role this season. Kieboom is hitting .287 with 28 RBI.

Jack Marder – UTIL – 6’0 185
Oregon
Sophomore

A 30th-round pick out of high school, Marder hit .249 as a freshman last year. This season, he struggled a bit more, finishing with a .209 average, though he remained a mainstay in the lineup.

Jake Rodriguez – C/INF – 5’8 190
Oregon State
Freshman

Rodriguez was an 11th-round pick out of high school. He was injured for part of his freshman season, but has come back to hit .270 with a home run.

Shane Rowland – C – 5’10 180
Miami
Freshman

Rowland was a top catching prospect coming out of high school and got picked in the 36th round. He’s been a regular for the Hurricanes this year but has struggled with the bat, hitting .179 in 47 games.

Kyle Von Tungeln – OF – 6’0 175
Texas Christian
Sophomore

Von Tungeln hit .236 as a freshman then was a solid contributor for the Commodores last summer. This spring, he’s hit .274.

Max White – OF/INF – 6’1 203
Oklahoma
Sophomore

White was a Freshman All-American last year when he cranked 15 home runs and hit .293. He was pretty steady this year, too, finishing with a .292 average and three home runs while getting limited to only 36 starts.

Jantzen Witte – 3B/SS – 6’1 195
RS Sophomore
Texas Christian

After hitting .374 last year, Witte has continued to emerge this season as one of TCU’s top players. He’s hitting .325 with four homers, 44 RBI and a team-high 20 doubles.