Chatham Anglers
Manager: John Schiffner
2010 Record: 20-22-2
The way they started the season, the 2010 Chatham Anglers looked like a force to be reckoned with. They’re middle of the order was raking, and the pitching was on target. The Anglers won five of their first six games.
But the great season didn’t materialize. Chatham started sliding then had a stretch where it lost 15 of 17 games. After its promising start, Chatham ended up finishing in last place in the East and didn’t make the eight-team playoffs.
The Anglers will be pushing for a bounce back with a lot of new faces — and the franchise’s typical stable of talent.
Zack Jones, Chris Munnelly, Beau Amaral and Stephen Perez return from last year’s team. They were all contributors but not the driving forces. I imagine they’ll be counted on a little more this year.
Thankfully for Chatham, it looks like there’s a nice influx of talent coming. Tim Cooney, Buck Farmer, Dominic Leone and Hudson Randall are impressive-looking starters in top-notch leagues. With Jones, Florida reliever Steven Rodriguez and UCLA freshman standout Nick Vander Tuig in the bullpen, that looks like a strength as well.
In the lineup, Chatham figures to get a lot from Pac-10 Player of the Year Tony Renda, WCC Co-Player of the Year Kris Bryant and Clemson standout Richie Shaffer.
All in all, I don’t know that the Anglers have as much pop or prospect hype as they did last year. But we saw how that worked out — this recipe could be okay too.
Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 4
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 19
Freshmen: 7
Notable
Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Hudson Randall
2. Buck Farmer
3. Kris Bryant
4. Tim Cooney
5. Richie Shaffer
Pitchers
Tim Cooney – LHP – 6’3 195 – Wake Forest – Sophomore
Trae Davis – RHP – 5’11 208 – Baylor – Freshman
Buck Farmer – RHP – 6’4 227 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
Jeff Gibbs – RHP – 6’5 200 – Maine – Sophomore
Tucker Healy – RHP – 6’1 195 – Ithaca – Junior
Eric Jaffe – RHP – 6’4 230 – UCLA – Freshman
*Zack Jones – RHP/IF – 6’2 200 – San Jose State – Sophomore
Dace Kime – RHP – 6’4 213 – Louisville – Freshman
Matt Koch – RHP – 6’3 205 – Louisville – Sophomore
Dominic Leone – RHP – 5’11 185 – Clemson – Sophomore
*Chris Munnelly – RHP – 6’3 185 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Cody Penny – RHP – 6’3 195 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Hudson Randall – RHP – 6’3 185 – Florida – Sophomore
Steven Rodriguez – LHP – 6’2 225 – Florida – Sophomore
Nick Vander Tuig – RHP – 6’3 190 – UCLA – Freshman
Tim Cooney – LHP – 6’3 195
Wake Forest
Sophomore
Cooney pitched a lot as a freshman in 2010 but had some struggles, finishing with an ERA above five. It was a completely different story this year as Cooney earned second-team All-ACC honors with a huge sophomore season in Wake’s rotation. Cooney finished 7-3 with a 3.01 ERA. In 98.2 innings, he struck out 91 and walked only 18.
Trae Davis – RHP – 5’11 208
Baylor
Freshman
Davis was a three-sport stand-out and one of the top prospects in texas coming out of high school. He struggled a bit in his first year with the Bears, posting a 6.75 ERA while striking out 18 and walking 18.
Buck Farmer – RHP – 6’4 227
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
Farmer was a late-round draft pick out of high school and had a solid first season as a reliever for the Yellow Jackets. He then went to the Coastal Plain League last summer and was named the league’s second-best prospect by Baseball America. This spring, Farmer took a big leap. Moving into the weekend rotation, he went 11-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 106 strikeouts. He was named second-team all-ACC.
Jeff Gibbs – RHP – 6’5 200
Maine
Sophomore
Gibbs has had two solid seasons for the Black Bears and will be trying to make a splash on a bigger stage this summer. As a freshman, Gibbs had a 3.94 ERA and led the team in strikeouts. This year, he went 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA and struck out 69 in 76.1 innings.
Tucker Healy – RHP – 6’1 195
Ithaca
Junior
A native of Needham, Mass., Healy is a two-time all-conference pick for Ithaca. Last year, he posted a 1.17 ERA and struck out 47 in just 30 innings. This year, his ERA climbed to 5.00, but he still struck out 28 in 18 innings.
Eric Jaffe – RHP – 6’4 230
UCLA
Freshman
Jaffe was a 19th-round pick of the Red Sox last year but opted to attend California. He then transferred to UCLA and was declared eligible for this year, but didn’t see any action for the Bruins.
Zack Jones – RHP/IF – 6’2 200
San Jose State
Sophomore
A 24th-round pick out of high school, Jones was voted the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2010. He then headed to Chatham, where he posted a 2.33 ERA in 11 relief appearances. Pitching as the Spartans’ closer again this spring, Jones saved 10 games, posted a 3.98 ERA and struck out 53 in 43 innings.
Dace Kime – RHP – 6’4 213
Louisville
Freshman
Kime was drafted in the eighth round out of high school then delivered a strong first season in Louisville’s bullpen. Kime made 15 appearances, posted a 3.96 ERA and struck out 25 in 25 innings of work.
Matt Koch – RHP – 6’3 205
Louisville
Sophomore
A late-round pick in 2009, Koch has been solid throughout his two years with the Cardinals. Last year, he had a 3.27 ERA. This year, he started 11 games and went 5-5 with a 3.48 ERA.
Dominic Leone – RHP – 5’11 185
Clemson
Sophomore
Leone is a native of Norwich, Conn., so he’ll be coming close to home this summer. And he’ll be coming in off a very good season. A weekend starter, Leone went 6-2 with a 3.70 ERA. In 65.2 innings, he struck out a team-best 72.
Chris Munnelly – RHP – 6’3 185
North Carolina
Sophomore
After a so-so freshman season, Munnelly came to Chatham and quietly put up some of the best numbers on the Anglers’ staff. He ended up with a 1.71 ERA and 22 strikeouts. This spring, Munnelly has gone 6-5 with a 4.11 ERA 57 strikeouts in 70 innings.
Cody Penny – RHP – 6’3 195
North Carolina
Sophomore
Penny has pitched out of the bullpen in his first two years with the Tar Heels. This year, he’s made 22 appearances and has a 5.62 ERA, to go with 18 strikeouts in 16 innings.
Hudson Randall – RHP – 6’3 185
Florida
Sophomore
Randall has been steadily dominant for the Gators in his second season in Gainesville. Emerging as the Friday starter, Randall has gone 9-3 with a 2.38 ERA. Though he has only struck out 54 in 102 innings, he has displayed masterful control, walking just 10 in those 102 innings.
Steven Rodriguez – LHP – 6’2 225
Florida
Sophomore
After a strong freshman season in Florida’s bullpen, it’s been more of the same this year for Rodriguez. While making a team-high 27 appearances, Rodriguez has put up a 1.44 ERA and has struck out 34 in 31.1 innings of work.
Nick Vander Tuig – RHP – 6’3 190
UCLA
Freshman
Vander Tuig had first-round credentials out of high school but was coming off Tommy John surgery and slipped to the 39th round in last year’s draft. UCLA was the beneficiary. Vander Tuig grabbed the closer’s role for the Bruins and never let go, recording nine saves and a 2.90 ERA. He also struck out a batter an inning.
Position Players
*Beau Amaral – OF – 5’10 185 – UCLA – Sophomore
Kris Bryant – 3B – 6’5 210 – San Diego – Freshman
Alex Calbick – IF/OF – 6’0 190 – Maine – Freshman
Matt Conway – 1B – 6’7 231 – Wake Forest – Sophomore
Evan Marzilli – OF – 5’11 175 – South Carolina – Sophomore
Darrel Matthews – OF – 5’8 160 – California – Sophomore
*Stephen Perez – IF – 5’11 182 – Miami – Sophomore
Dane Phillips – C – 6’1 192 – Oklahoma State – Sophomore
Tony Renda – IF – 5’9 170 – California – Sophomore
Matt Roberts – C – 6’1 185 – North Carolina – Freshman
Joe Sever – IF – 5’11 187 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Richie Shaffer – 1B/3B – 6’3 205 – Clemson – Sophomore
J.T. Watkins – C – 5’11 190 – Army – Junior
Beau Amaral – OF – 5’10 185
UCLA
Sophomore
The son of former big leaguer Rich Amaral, Beau will be back for a second summer in Chatham. Last year, he hit .232 for the Anglers. This spring, he was one of UCLA’s top hitters, finishing at .299 with two homers, 29 RBI and a .404 on-base percentage.
Kris Bryant – 3B – 6’5 210
San Diego
Freshman
Bryant was highly-touted coming out of high school and was drafted in the 18th round. He hasn’t disappointed at San Diego. After hitting .365 with nine home runs and a .482 OBP, Bryant was named the WCC Co-Freshman and Co-Player of the Year.
Alex Calbick – IF/OF – 6’0 190
Maine
Freshman
Calbick came to Maine all the way from British Columbia and had a solid first season. He started all but one of the team’s games, hit .280 and delivered five home runs.
Matt Conway – 1B – 6’7 231
Wake Forest
Sophomore
Conway shined as a freshman for the Demon Deacons, hitting a team-best .382 with six homers. He didn’t have quite as much success average-wise this year, finishing at .256, but he hit six home runs again and ranked second on the team with 38 RBI.
Evan Marzilli – OF – 5’11 175
South Carolina
Sophomore
Marzilli grabbed a starting spot for the Gamecocks last season and had a big hand in the team’s run to the College World Series title. This year, he’s been a key from day one. Marzilli is hitting .302 with three homers and 30 RBI as South Carolina tries to get back to Omaha.
Darrel Matthews – OF – 5’8 160
California
Sophomore
Matthews batted .259 as a freshman and had similar production this season, finishing with a .267 average and nine extra-base hits.
Stephen Perez – IF – 5’11 182
Miami
Sophomore
Perez was considered one of the top freshmen in the country a year ago and had a solid first season for Miami. He struggled in Chatham, though, finishing the summer with a .162 batting average. This spring, he hit .262 with 12 doubles and 31 RBI.
Dane Phillips – C – 6’1 192
Oklahoma State
Sophomore
Phillips was a 49th-round pick out of high school then delivered a strong first season for the Cowboys, hitting .337 with three home runs. It was more of the same this year, with Phillips hitting .339 with four homers and 32 RBI. He also had 16 doubles and a Big 12-high eight triples.
Tony Renda – IF – 5’9 170
California
Sophomore
After delivering one of the best freshman seasons in school history last year, Renda took home Pac-10 Player of the Year honors this year. He finished the season with a .335 average, three home runs, 14 doubles and a team-best 41 RBI. He also stole nine bases.
Matt Roberts – C – 6’1 185
North Carolina
Freshman
Roberts was a 38th-round pick out of high school. He hasn’t seen a ton of action for the Tar Heels and has hit .211 so far.
Joe Sever – IF – 5’11 187
Pepperdine
Sophomore
As a freshman in 2010, Sever led the Waves in batting average before delivering a strong summer in the Northwoods League. This year, he was solid again, hitting .279 with a team-best six home runs.
Richie Shaffer – 1B/3B – 6’3 205
Clemson
Sophomore
Shaffer was a 25th-round pick out of high school and made a splash last year at Clemson despite battling injuries. He hit .323 with seven homers. This year, Shaffer wasn’t hampered by much of anything. He hit .315 with a team-best 13 home runs and 55 RBI. He tied for second in the ACC in home runs.
J.T. Watkins – C – 5’11 190
Army
Junior
Watkins has been Army’s starting catcher since day one. As a freshman, he hit .256 then last year bumped it to .320. This year, he hit .298 with two homers and 27 RBI.