Scouts had an eye on Brewster last year. Pitcher Tom Windle and outfielder Aaron Judge were both among the first 11 prospects in Baseball America’s list of the league’s best.

But like Hyannis with Cape superstar Sean Manaea, the Whitecaps couldn’t put it all together and missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

As the Whitecaps get set for the 2013 season, they welcome in a team that could cut a similar profile. Florida State sophomores Luke Weaver and Brandon Liebrandt have as much ace potential as any incoming pitchers in the league, while Trevor Mitsui returns after hitting five home runs last year. The rest of the club is much like most Brewster teams have been the last few years – no superstars but some good potential.

The Whitecaps just hope the result is more in line with what they’re capable of.

 

THE SKINNY

Manager: John Altobelli
Last Year: 17-26-1; Missed playoffs
Returning Players: 3
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 19
Freshmen: 4

 

NOTABLE

Proven, big-school starting pitchers are becoming a scarcer and scarcer commodity on the Cape every year, but Brewster has a pair that are as good as anybody in Florida State sophomores Luke Weaver and Brandon Liebrandt. Weaver pitched for Brewster last summer and didn’t have a great season but has turned into one of the best sophomore pitchers in the nation this year. Liebrandt was also on the Brewster roster last year but didn’t play. He’s also been very good in the FSU weekend rotation.

Weaver in particular sticks out as perhaps the Cape’s best incoming pitcher. He ranks 10th in the nation in strikeouts, tops among 2013 Cape Leaguers, and he has an ERA under two for the Seminoles.

Brewster has a third Seminole in sophomore infielder Jose Brizuela, and he’ll be coming in off a big season as well. Brizuela ranks second on the team in batting average.

Brewster has a pitcher named Zach Morris. Saved by the Bell fans, I’m working on some jokes. I can’t promise they’ll be good.

On the subject of baseball, Zach Morris is sitting out this year at Maryland after transferring from Cincinnati. He had a solid freshman year with the Bearcats and I imagine he’ll be chomping at the bit to take the mound again.

Brewster has had some success with players from Memphis in recent years, most notably Drew Martinez, a .359 hitter in 2010. The Whitecaps will look for more from the pipeline with Dylan Toscano and Tucker Tubbs slated to come to town.

Frankie Vanderka was one of the heroes of Stony Brook’s Cinderella run to the College World Series last year. He pitched a three-hitter in game three of the Super Regional against powerhouse LSU. This season, Vanderka didn’t get an opportunity to match those heroics, but he still shined and earned first-team America East honors. He also was a workhorse, ranking second in the nation in complete games.

Trevor Mitsui didn’t have the prospect buzz of Brewster teammates Ryon Healy and Aaron Judge last summer, but he hit more home runs than Healy and the same amount as Judge. He’s a very solid returning player.

Minnesota is another Brewster pipeline team that doesn’t show up on a lot of other CCBL rosters. Connor Schaefbauer represents the Gophers this year and should do it well. He hit .289 in his freshman year.

 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Luke Weaver
2. Brandon Liebrandt
3. Frankie Vanderka
4. Jose Brizuela
5. Boo Vazquez

 

PITCHERS

Tanner Chleborad – RHP – 6’5 190 – Washington State – Sophomore
Trey Cochran-Gill – RHP – 5’11 189 – Auburn – Sophomore
Justin Kamplain – LHP – 6’0 170 – Alabama – Sophomore
Jonathan Keller – LHP – 6’1 220 – Alabama – Sophomore
Brandon Liebrandt – LHP – 6’4 205 – Florida State – Sophomore
Zach Morris – LHP – 6’5 225 – Maryland – Sophomore
Matt Pirro – RHP – 6’1 200 – Wake Forest – Sophomore
*Evan Rutter – RHP- 6’3 190 – Rice – Sophomore
Corey Taylor – RHP – 6’2 235 – Texas Tech – Sophomore
Dylan Toscano – RHP – 6’5 205 – Memphis – Sophomore
Frankie Vanderka – RHP – 6’2 205 – Stony Brook – Junior
*Luke Weaver – RHP – 6’2 170 – Florida State – Sophomore
Matt Withrow – RHP – 6’3 200 – Texas Tech – Freshman
* – returning player

 
Tanner Chleborad – RHP – 6’5 190
Washington State
Sophomore

Chelborad has been a weekend starter since day one. After turning in a 4.24 ERA this year, he struggled this season and finished with a 6.92 ERA.

Trey Cochran-Gill – RHP – 5’11 189
Auburn
Sophomore

Cochran-Gill had a solid freshman season as a reliever for the Tigers in 2012, then pitched well in the Valley League, where he was named the sixth-best prospect by Baseball America. This season, he remained in the bullpen and was solid again, posting a 3.02 ERA

Justin Kamplain – LHP – 6’0 170
Alabama
Sophomore

Kamplain was pretty good in a swing role as a freshman. His ERA rose to 4.77 this year, but some of his peripherals were better. He struck out 50 in 54.2 innings and opponents hit just .223 against him.

Jonathan Keller – LHP – 6’1 220
Alabama
Sophomore

Keller had a similar freshman season to that of his teammate Kamplain, but he struggled this year. His ERA rose from 3.74 last year to 5.23 this year. He did strike out 56 in 53.1 innings, but he walked 28 and saw opponents hit .293 against him.

Brandon Liebrandt – LHP – 6’4 205
Florida State
Sophomore

Liebrandt had a tremendous freshman season last year, jumping into the weekend rotation and leading the team in strikeouts. He has kept it up this year for the Super Regional bound Seminoles, going 10-4 with a 3.44 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 89 innings.

Zach Morris – LHP – 6’5 225
Maryland
Sophomore

Morris started his college career at Cincinnati and led the Bearcats in ERA and innings pitched as a freshman. He then transferred to Maryland, where he sat out this year in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.

Matt Pirro – RHP – 6’1 200
Wake Forest
Sophomore

Pirro held his own in 10 appearances as a freshman. He moved into the weekend rotation with mixed results this year, finishing 3-6 with a 5.52 ERA. Pirro walked more batters than he struck out.

Evan Rutter – RHP- 6’3 190
Rice
Sophomore

Rutter didn’t see much action in his freshman year with the Owls but turned in a solid summer in Brewster, striking out 36 in 29.2 innings out of the bullpen. He has made 11 appearances this season and owns a 3.86 ERA.

Corey Taylor – RHP – 6’2 235
Texas Tech
Sophomore

Taylor starred in the junior college ranks last year, helping lead Cisco College to the NJCAA World Series. He had a tough transition to the D-I ranks, finishing his first year in Lubbock with a 7.18 ERA.

Dylan Toscano – RHP – 6’5 205
Memphis
Sophomore

Toscano was healthy for only half of his freshman year last season but pitched well when he was, finishing with a 3.05 ERA. He pitched in eight games this season and had a 3.44 ERA.

Frankie Vanderka – RHP – 6’2 205
Stony Brook
Junior

Vanderka led the Seawolves in ERA last year and excelled on the biggest stage in the team’s run to Omaha. This year, he emerged as a bona fide ace, going 8-4 with a 2.80 ERA.

Luke Weaver – RHP – 6’2 170
Florida State
Sophomore

A 19th-round pick out of high school, Weaver struggled in his freshman season and had an ERA over five for Brewster last summer. This year, though, he has turned it completely around. On his way to second team All-ACC honors, Weaver has gone 7-2 with a 1.95 ERA and a team-best 114 strikeouts against just 17 walks in 92.1 innings pitched. He tied for ninth in the nation in strikeouts and ranked 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Matt Withrow – RHP – 6’3 200
Texas Tech
Freshman

Withrow came from the high school ranks, but like his teammate Taylor, he also struggled in his debut with Texas Tech. Withrow finished with a 5.90 ERA, though he did rank third on the team in strikeouts with 52.

 

POSITION PLAYERS

David Armendariz – OF – 6’1 210 – Cal Poly – Junior
Austin Bailey – INF – 5’10 170 – San Diego – Sophomore
Braden Bishop – OF – 6’1 190 – Washington – Freshman
Jose Brizuela – INF/OF – 6’0 200 – Florida State – Sophomore
P.J. Jones – C – 5’9 186 – Washington State – Sophomore
Chris Mariscal – INF – 5’11 175 – Fresno State – Sophomore
*Trevor Mitsui – 1B – 6’5 220 – Washington – Sophomore
Kyle Overstreet – INF – 6’1 195 – Alabama – Freshman
Connor Schaefbauer – INF – 6’1 175 – Minnesota – Freshman
Ford Stainback – INF – 5’11 170 – Rice – Sophomore
Tucker Tubbs – INF – 6’4 199 – Memphis – Sophomore
Boo Vazquez – OF – 6’4 200 – Pittsburgh – Sophomore
* – returning player

 
David Armendariz – OF – 6’1 210
Cal Poly
Junior

Armendariz was a second-team All-Big West pick as a sophomore. He was solid again this year, hitting .271 with three homers and 23 RBI.

Austin Bailey – INF – 5’10 170
San Diego
Sophomore

Bailey hit .273 as a freshman and was a solid performer again this year for the Toreros. He finished with .301 average and 28 RBI.

Braden Bishop – OF – 6’1 190
Washington
Freshman

A 36th-round pick of the Braves last year, Bishop started 29 games in his debut season with the Huskies. He batted .270 with 13 RBI.

Jose Brizuela – INF/OF – 6’0 200
Florida State
Sophomore

Brizuela was a late-round pick out of high school. He started all but one game as a freshman and didn’t have the best year, but like his teammates Liebrandt and Weaver, he has surged as a sophomore Brizuela is hitting .325 with four homers and 43 RBI.

P.J. Jones – C – 5’9 186
Washington State
Sophomore

Jones has had two solid seasons with the Cougars. He hit .303 as a freshman last year. This season, he finished with a .276 average.

Chris Mariscal – INF – 5’11 175
Fresno State
Sophomore

Mariscal has been the Bulldogs’ shortstop since day one last year. He hit only .238 as a freshman, but bumped it up to .302 this season and also hit two home runs. He played summer ball in Alaska last year and hit .256 for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots.

Trevor Mitsui – 1B – 6’5 220
Washington
Sophomore

Mitsui hit .308 as a freshman and .262 this year. In between, he had some flashes of brilliance in Brewster last summer. Mitsui hit .298 for the Whitecaps with five home runs and 26 RBI.

Kyle Overstreet – INF – 6’1 195
Alabama
Freshman

One of the top high school players in Alabama a year ago, Overstreet started every game of his first season in Tuscaloosa and delivered a solid performance. He hit .271 with 37 RBI

Connor Schaefbauer – INF – 6’1 175
Minnesota
Freshman

Schaefbauer ranked fourth on the Gophers in hitting with a .279 average as a freshman this season. The former South Dakota high school star also drove in 18.

Ford Stainback – INF – 5’11 170
Rice
Sophomore

Stainback was a Conference USA all-freshman pick last year and has followed it up with another good season this year. Playing shortstop and batting leadoff, Stainback has hit .293 with 24 RBI.

Tucker Tubbs – INF – 6’4 199
Memphis
Sophomore

After holding his own as a freshman, Tubbs emerged this season as one of the Tigers’ top hitters. He finished at .327 with a team-best four home runs, and he drove in 32.

Boo Vazquez – OF – 6’4 200
Pittsburgh
Sophomore

One of the top high school prospects in Ohio in 2011, Vasquez starred last year in his first with the Panthers, hitting .327 and slugging .440. He had another strong campaign this year, batting .337 with two homers and 30 RBI.