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How Good was Kevin Newman?

Kevin Newman hit .375 and .380 in two summers on Cape Cod.
Kevin Newman hit .375 and .380 in two summers on Cape Cod.

 

Obviously, the answer to the headline’s question is “really good.” He made history after all, becoming the first player to ever win two Cape Cod Baseball League batting titles.

But I wondered – how much better was he?

To delve into that question, I decided to look at batting average for two-year Cape Leaguers. There are probably about 20 players every year that are on their second tour of the Cape, and many have gone on to great things (Buster Posey being Exhibit A). I figured there’d be a fair amount of guys who batted over. 300 for two years.

There were not.

Since 2000, Newman is one of just three players who have hit above .300 (with enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title) in two consecutive years.

The other two are Alex Blandino of Yarmouth-Dennis and Warner Jones of Wareham. Blandino hit .308 in 2013 and .312 in 2012. Jones – who played a remarkable 87 regular-season games – hit .303 for the Gatemen in 2004 and .344 in 2003.

Posey? Try .281 and .289.

Richard Martin Jr, the guy who was second to Newman this year? He was at .364 – and .193.

Colin Moran? Nope – .314 and .289.

Grant Green, the one I was expecting off the top of my head? A great .348 year but it was after he hit .291.

Matt Murton, a Cape League great? He did hit those numbers, but his .400 batting average in 2002 came in just 16 games.

The list goes on, but I think you get the point. Newman did something remarkable. And if you want to compare him to Blandino and Jones – the only guys in this class with him – then they probably shouldn’t be in the same class. Newman is the only player since 2000 to hit higher than .312 in two consecutive years. And he was way higher.

 

Notes

  • A leftover thought from the championship series: the buzz in the crowd when Phil Bickford came into the game was reminiscent of a Saean Manaea or Andrew Miller appearance. Everybody I was sitting near in the stands – even the most casual fans – knew who Bickford was. They’d turn to the person next to them and say, ‘Watch this guy.’

  • It also struck me that Bickford has the profile of a guy who is becoming an endangered species on Cape Cod: the highly-drafted power arm with little left to prove. From Gerrit Cole to Tyler Beede, the trend has been for those types of players to go with Team USA or take summers off. You can’t blame them. But it’s sure nice to see a blazing fastball from a former first-round pick on a Cape League mound.

  • Iowa catches up with Blake Hickman after his summer on the Cape, where the two-way player focused exclusively on pitching.

  • Arizona Desert Swarm gives some love to Kevin Newman.

  • The YES Network aired a terrific little piece on the Cape League. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth a watch.

  • Baseball America wraps up All-Star games across the minor leagues, with plenty of familiar names. Among the best performances, former Hyannis Harbor Hawk Adam Brett Walker was the MVP of the Florida State League All-Star Game. Walker has 24 home runs this season.

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    Some Things Never Change

    Brian Serven puts a tag on a Cotuit runner in Wednesday's game.
    Brian Serven puts a tag on a Cotuit runner in Wednesday’s game.

     

    The wedding and honeymoon were pretty much perfect. What did I miss?

    Two weeks of an eight-week Cape League season is a pretty good chunk of time. I feel like I went on a field trip that not everybody went on, and now that I’m back to school, it’s tough to get my bearings.

    Then again, some things don’t seem to be changing.

    Bourne continued to dominate the West last night with a 12-4 win over Cotuit, its third in a row. In the East, Harwich and Orleans remain at the top of the standings, although there was finally a change in order with a 4-3 extra-innings win by Orleans last night that put the Firebirds into first place.

    Bourne has the best record in the league at 23-11-1. In their current three-game streak, they’ve allowed four runs in each game and have scored plenty more, capped by last night’s win over Cotuit. Samuel Kmiec (Winthrop) delivered a strong start, allowing one run in 5.1 innings. He’s won two starts in a row after a rough start to the season.

    The offense backed Kmiec with 15 hits. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida), Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) led the way with three hits apiece. Allemand and Mark Laird (LSU) each had two RBI.

    Over in Harwich, first place in the East finally changed hands, as Orleans beat Harwich 4-3 in 11 innings. The game was tied 2-2 until the Firebirds pushed two runs across in the top of the 11th, one on a wild pitch and the other on a Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) RBI single. Harwich got within a run in the bottom of the 11th on a Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) RBI double, but Orleans reliever Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) retired two of the league’s best hitters – Anthony Hermelyn (Virginia Tech) and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) – to end the game.

    Stone allowed one run in two innings for the win. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) delivered four huge innings of scoreless relief to keep the game tied. Harwich’s Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) played the same role as Dalbec, with 4.1 scoreless innings.

    Orleans is now 21-13-2 while Harwich dropped to 20-13-2.

     

    Y-D 8, Chatham 4

    One big difference since I last checked in two weeks ago: the Y-D Red Sox. Y-D beat Chatham 8-4 last night for its ninth win in its last 11 games. The Red Sox are now 20-15, just a two points out of second place and four points out of first. A balanced offensive attack led the way against Chatham standout Kyle Davis (USC), with five players knocking two hits each. Davis, typically a reliever, came in with a 1.35 ERA but was touched up for seven runs in four innings. Jesse Jenner (San Diego) had two hits and two RBI to lead the charge. Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) went 2-for-3 for his 12th multi-hit game of the summer. On the mound for Y-D, Cody Poteet (UCLA) allowed two earned runs in five innings. Three relievers combined on four scoreless innings. Chatham got three hits from Nick Collins (Georgetown). The loss was the Anglers’ fourth in a row.

     

    Hyannis 3, Wareham 0

    Blake Hickman (Iowa) delivered his second consecutive impressive start and Hyannis overcame dominant Wareham pitching to shut out the Gatemen. Hickman had gone seven scoreless innings in his previous start, a 3-0 win over Brewster. This time, he went 6.1 scoreless frames, striking out five and allowing four hits. Ryan Perez (Judson) followed Hickman to the mound and picked up a save with 2.2 shutout innings. Wareham’s Kyle Cody (Kentucky) and Sean Adler (USC) combined for six perfect innings, but Hyannis broke through for three runs in the seventh. John La Prise (Virginia) led the offense with a hit and two RBI.

     

    Falmouth 7, Brewster 3

    The Commodores remain comfortably in second place in the West after rebounding from a loss to Bourne Tuesday with a win over Brewster. Conner Hale (LSU) hit his fourth home run while Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) had two hits and three RBI. Jake Madsen (Ohio) added three hits and two RBI. Alex Young (TCU) struck out seven and gave up two runs in five innings. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) got the win in relief. Scott Kingery (Arizona) and Luke Lowery (East Carolina) both homered for Falmouth.

     

    What to Watch

    Three games on tap tonight, including a good one in Yarmouth, where the red-hot Red Sox take on West-leading Bourne.

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    Big Arms

    Nick Halamandaris makes a play at first earlier this season.
    Nick Halamandaris makes a play at first earlier this season.

     

    Pitchers have certainly held their own in the Cape League this season, but there haven’t been a ton of dominant performances. Before Saturday’s games, the league’s strikeout leader was a relief pitcher.

    But on opposite ends of the Cape Saturday, two pitchers added a little dominance to the equation.

    In Falmouth, Wareham’s Kyle Cody (Kentucky) struck out six in seven shutout innings as the Gatemen beat Falmouth 4-0. In Orleans, Kolton Mahoney (BYU) struck out 11 in six innings as the Firebirds beat Y-D 6-3.

    Scouts and people who have seen Cody in the past have been waiting for a performance like this. Despite the fact that he pitched only nine innings for Wareham last summer, Perfect Game still picked him as the Cape League’s 30th-best prospect.

    The 6-foot-7 righty had pitched 4.1 innings this summer, but broke out with the big performance on Saturday. He allowed three singles, walked one and threw 67 of 91 pitches for strikes.

    Scott Effross (Indiana) followed him to the hill and followed suit, striking out four in two scoreless innings to finish off the shutout. The Wareham offense got RBI from Jake Little (Memphis) and Nick Halamandaris (California).

    In Orleans, Mahoney has been strong all summer, having gone six scoreless innings in his last start. The 23rd-round pick this year also tossed a no-hitter for BYU this spring.

    Last night, he allowed one hit through five scoreless innings before Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) smacked a game-tying, three-run home run in the sixth. But after the home run, Mahoney struck out the final two batters he faced and his offense rallied immediately with a run in the bottom of the sixth to put him in line for the win. The 11 strikeouts put Mahoney in the league lead with 24 on the year.

    Kyle Twomey (USC) and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) relieved Mahoney and finished off the victory. Edwin Rios (Florida International) and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) both homered to lead the Firebirds offense.

     

    Cotuit 3, Harwich 1

    Cotuit also got a pretty good pitching performance as Logan James (Stanford) allowed one run in five innings with six strikeouts. Adam Whitt (Nevada), who’s been one of the best relievers in the league, struck out seven batters in just 2.2 innings. Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) picked up a save with 1.1 scoreless innings. The Kettleers got an RBI each from Jake Fincher (NC State) and Jeremy Taylor (East Tennessee State). The Kettleers have won two in a row and are now at .500 with an 8-8 mark.

     

    Hyannis 6, Bourne 2

    The Harbor Hawks got solid pitching, steady offense and five stolen bases in a victory over West-leading Bourne. The Harbor Hawks are now 10-6, just one game back of the Braves. Blake Hickman (Iowa) allowed two runs and struck out four in five innings. He left with the lead, and reliever Marcus Brakeman (Stanford) kept it thanks to four scoreless frames. David Houser (Tennessee) led the offense with two hits and three RBI. Austin Slater (Stanford) also had two hits. For Bourne, Harrison Bader (Florida) homered.

     

    Brewster 5, Chatham 4

    Wade Wass (Alabama) hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to give Brewster its first lead of the game, and the Whitecaps held on from there to win 5-4. The homer was part of a three-hit, four RBI night for Wass, who was batting just .179 coming into the game. Braden Bishop (Washington) and Kevin Martir (Maryland) added two hits each for the Whitecaps. Andrew Naderer (Grand Canyon) struck out five in in three innings of relief and Evan Hill (Michigan) pitched a scoreless ninth.

     

    What to Watch

    Orleans, winners of three straight, is now in second place in the East and will visit first-place Harwich tonight at 5:30 p.m. Bobby Poyner (Florida) starts for Orleans, with Jared Poche’ (LSU) going for Harwich.

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    A Little Spark

    Reilly Hovis tossed three scoreless frames in Orleans' victory on Friday.
    Reilly Hovis tossed three scoreless frames in Orleans’ victory on Friday.

     

    For most of the summer, I’ve been thinking Orleans looked like one of the best teams in the league without really looking like it. The Firebirds lead the league in home runs and extra-base hits, and their pitchers have allowed the fewest hits in the league. But on the flip side, they only rank fourth in runs scored and batting average, and their pitchers have walked the most batters in the league.

    That’s a recipe for the ups and downs the Firebirds have had, but there have been more ups lately. With last night’s 7-3 victory over Wareham, Orleans moved one point back of Chatham for second place in the East.

    Trevor Megill (Loyola Marymount) and Nathan Bannister (Arizona) continued to join forces for what amounts to solid starts. Megill, recovering from Tommy John surgery, went two innings. Bannister followed with four, allowing two runs. Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) then sealed the deal with the best performance of the night, striking out four in three scoreless innings.

    At the plate, the Firebirds broke open a 3-3 game with two runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth. An error brought the go-ahead run home in the eighth, and Geoff DeGroot (Rutgers) followed with an RBI single. In the ninth, David Thompson (Miami) smacked a two-run single to make it 7-3.

    Thompson went 2-for-5 and is now seven for his last 13. DeGroot and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) also had two hits.

    Wareham fell to 4-11 with the loss, but Willie Calhoun (Arizona) continued to be a bright spot for the Gatemen. He went 4-for-5 with two doubles, giving him a league-high 11 for the year. Last season, the league leader in doubles finished with 14.

     

    Falmouth 5, Y-D 1

    Like Orleans, Falmouth also won its third straight, improving to 7-7-1 on the year with a 5-1 victory over Y-D. Jake Madsen (Ohio), who didn’t have an extra base hit coming into the game, went 3-for-4 with three doubles. Nicholas Ramos (Indiana) had two hits and two RBI and Trever Morrison (Oregon State) had a triple and two RBI. On the mound, Casey Mulholland (South Florida) delivered his best start of the summer, allowing just an unearned run on three hits in six innings of work. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon), who had terrific numbers this spring, pitched a scoreless inning, as did Travis Stout (Jacksonville State) and Kevin Mooney (Maryland). Florida Gulf Coast standout Michael Murray made his third start for Y-D and allowed two earned runs in 6.2 innings.

     

    Cotuit 6, Hyannis 2

    Cotuit doesn’t have much in the way of starting pitching on its staff, and coming into Friday, only once all season had a starter gone more than four innings. With the Kettleers riding a two-game losing streak, Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave his team what it needed. Fiori allowed one run in five innings with seven strikeouts as the Kettleers (7-8) topped Hyannis (9-6). Trey Wingenter (Auburn) and Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) combined on four innings of relief as Cotuit allowed just four total hits. At the plate, Cotuit got a home run from Logan Taylor (Texas A&M), plus RBI from Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco), Jake Fincher (NC State) and Dalton Dulin (Mississippi). Hyannis had been 3-0 against rival Cotuit this season.

     

    Bourne 8, Brewster 2

    Coming off their first home loss of the season, Bourne didn’t take another one, topping Brewster 8-2 to improve to 11-4, tied for the best mark in the league. Making his first start, Josh Rogers (Louisville) gave up just an unearned run in five innings. He struck out four and gave up three hits. His teammate Jacob Sparger (Louisville) followed with three scoreless frames and John Gorman (Boston College) pitched the final inning. Brett Sullivan (Pacific) led the offense with three hits, while Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) and Billy Fleming (West Virginia) had two hits and two RBI each.

     

    Harwich 10, Chatham 4

    The Mariners continued to match Bourne for the league’s best record with a 10-4 victory over Chatham. Jason Inghram (William & Mary), Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) and Robby Kalaf (Florida Internatinal) limited a Chatham an offense that had scored 29 runs in its last two games. Both Evans and Kalaf have yet to allow a run this summer. Anthony Hermelyn (Oklahoma) paced the Harwich offense with four hits and two RBI while Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) had three hits and two RBI. Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) had two hits and now owns an 11-game hit streak.

     

    What to Watch

    Ms. Right Field Fog and I will be in Hyannis tonight as the Braves come to McKeon Park for a 6 p.m. start. Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State), who allowed one run in five innings in his first start, gets the ball for the Braves. Hyannis will go to big righty Blake Hickman (Iowa), one of the top prospects in the Northwoods League last summer.

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    Harbor Hawks Have the Pieces

    stock_hyannis13

     

    HyannisHawks_150.gifWhen Hyannis won the Western Division title in 2011, it ended a long drought. The next two years saw the Harbor Hawks at opposite ends of the spectrum, but they’ve been steadier than their record would indicate. For two straight years, they’ve had the league’s best pitching prospect – Sean Manaea in 2012 and Jeff Hoffman in 2013 (not to mention Kyle Freeland) – and they seem to bring in good crops of talent every year.

    I would expect more of the same this year. If there isn’t a top-notch pitching prospect, there are at least some very good weekend starters and some big bullpen arms. The position players group features some steady sophomores to go with talented freshmen, plus a host of guys who have been part of successful seasons this spring.

    The Harbor Hawks have the pieces for another good year.

     

    THE SKINNY

    Manager: Chad Gassman
    Last Year: 25-17-2; Lost in West semifinals
    Returning Players: 1
    Juniors: 1
    Sophomores: 21
    Freshmen: 5

     

    NOTABLE

  • I don’t remember a whole lot of Florida State guys playing in Hyannis, but the Harbor Hawks have two this year and I think they’ll represent the Seminoles well. Freshman pitched Alec Byrd and freshman infielder/outfielder Ben DeLuzio were both highly-touted recruits. Byrd didn’t pitch a ton this year so could be poised for an emergence this summer, while DeLuzio – a third-round pick out of high school – was a mainstay in the Noles’ lineup as a freshman.

  • Hyannis has had good luck with Central Michigan players, and Nick Deeg is the latest to make the trip. As a freshman this year, Deeg ranked third on the team in strikeouts. The leader? Former Harbor Hawk Jordan Foley.

  • Ian Gibaut burst onto the scene at Tulane last year with 12 saves.

  • Iowa’s Blake Hickman will be an interesting player to watch this summer. A 20th-round pick out of high school, he reportedly chose college in part because he wanted to catch. But his future may be on the mound, where he gave scouts a brief look in the Northwoods League last summer and earned a spot on the league’s top prospects list.

  • Southeastern Louisiana pitcher Tate Scioneaux is about as experienced a sophomore as you’ll find in college baseball. A weekend starter since his freshman year, he’s racked up over 200 collegiate innings.

  • Two Virginia pitchers will head to Hyannis with very different resumes, but similar potential. Cameron Tekker has seen limited action for the Cavs but starred in the NECBL last summer. Brandon Waddell was the Friday starter as a freshman and has continued to be a huge part of the rotation this year.

  • Austin Listi has hit 19 homers in two seasons at Dallas Baptist, about as good a two-year stretch as anybody in the 2014 Cape League has had.

  • It looks like this team has the potential to be very fast on the bases. Five players stole at least 14 bases this spring.

  • Three Harbor Hawks will head to the Cape on the heels of history-making seasons with college teams that aren’t typical powerhouses. Kyle Survance led Houston to a Super Regional, Blake Trahan did the same for Louisiana-Lafayette (and the Ragin’ Cajuns are still alive as of Monday), and Carl Wise powered College of Charleston to just its second-ever Super Regional.

  • Last summer, UConn’s Bobby Melley – a Barnstable native – was the hometown kid getting a brief look in Hyannis. This year, he’s coming in off a huge season that established him as one of the best college players in New England.

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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Bobby Melley
    2. Brandon Waddell
    3. Alec Byrd
    4. Blake Trahan
    5. Cam Gibson

     

    PITCHERS

    Marcus Brakeman – RHP – 6’1 185 – Stanford – Sophomore
    Alec Byrd – LHP – 6’3 180 – Florida State – Freshman
    Nick Deeg – LHP – 6’5 210 – Central Michigan – Freshman
    Matt Denny – LHP – 6’1 215 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
    Dylan Dwyer – LHP – 6’1 170 – Kentucky – Sophomore
    Peter Fairbanks – RHP – 6’6 205 – Missouri – Sophomore
    Ian Gibaut – RHP – 6’3 215 – Tulane – Sophomore
    Blake Hickman – RHP/C/1B – 6’5 210 – Iowa – Sophomore
    Matthew Margaritonda – RHP – 5’10 185 – Marshall – Junior
    Tate Scioneaux – RHP – 6’2 185 – Southeastern Louisiana – Sophomore
    Joseph Shaw – RHP – 6’4 240 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
    Cameron Tekker – RHP – 6’3 185 – Virginia – Sophomore
    Brandon Waddell – LHP – 6’3 180 – Virginia – Sophomore

     

    Marcus Brakeman – RHP – 6’1 185
    Stanford
    Sophomore

    A Florida high-school star, Brakeman has been a key reliever for the Cardinal in each of the last two seasons. This year, he pitched in 15 games with a 3.86 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 32 innings.

    Alec Byrd – LHP – 6’3 180
    Florida State
    Freshman

    Byrd was a 37th-round pick out of high school and eased into the Seminoles pitching staff as a freshman. In nine appearances, he had a 3.68 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 14.2 innings. Byrd was the Miami Herald’s Pitcher of the Year as a high school senior, no easy task, so this is a guy who should break out as he gets more opportunities.

    Nick Deeg – LHP – 6’5 210
    Central Michigan
    Freshman

    A Michigan high-school star, Deeg jumped right into the Central Michigan weekend rotation and had a decent debut. In 14 starts, he went 5-4 with a 4.08 ERA. He struck out 64 in 81 innings

    Matt Denny – LHP – 6’1 215
    Ole Miss
    Sophomore

    Denny had a good freshman season as a reliever, striking out better than a batter an inning and finishing with an ERA just a shade over two. He’s made 15 appearances for the Super Regional bound Rebels this season and has a 4.20 ERA.

    Dylan Dwyer – LHP – 6’1 170
    Kentucky
    Sophomore

    Dwyer acquitted himself well in 14 relief appearances as a freshman then helped his team win the championship in the Perfect Game Collegiate League. He pitched more as a starter in 2014 and finished with a 5.46 ERA. He struck out 47 in 56 innings.

    Peter Fairbanks – RHP – 6’6 205
    Missouri
    Sophomore

    A second-generation Missouri Tiger, Fairbanks had an ERA over five in limited duty as a freshman last year. He made eight starts and 19 total appearances this season and finished with a 4.33 ERA. He was at his best in the SEC play, where he dropped his ERA to 3.86.

    Ian Gibaut – RHP – 6’3 215
    Tulane
    Sophomore

    Gibaut earned a host of All-American accolades last year after he saved 12 games as a freshman, while striking out 38 in 40.2 innings and posting a 2.66 ERA. He was limited by injury this year but did well when he had a chance, putting up an ERA under two in 10 appearances.

    Blake Hickman – RHP/C/1B – 6’5 210
    Iowa
    Sophomore

    Hickman was a 20th round pick of his hometown Chicago Cubs out of high school but headed to Iowa, where he hit .220 as a freshman but didn’t pitch. Over the summer, he flashed his potential on the mound in the Northwoods League, where he was tabbed by Perfect Game as the circuit’s seventh-best prospect largely because of what he showed in six innings on the hill. This spring, he did two-way duty, hitting .217 and continuing to pitch well with a 3.94 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 34.1 innings.

    Tate Scioneaux – RHP – 6’2 185
    Southeastern Louisiana
    Sophomore

    Scioneaux became a weekend starter from day one last year and led the team in innings pitched. He was a workhorse again this season, pacing the squad with 110 innings and pitching well throughout. He had a 3.02 ERA with 77 strikeouts.

    Joseph Shaw – RHP – 6’4 240
    Dallas Baptist
    Sophomore

    A 40th round pick out of high school, Shaw led Dallas Baptist in ERA as a freshman reliever last year. He also totaled four saves. Shaw was even a little better this year, finishing with a 2.94 ERA in 26 appearances.

    Cameron Tekker – RHP – 6’3 185
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    Tekker has seen very limited action in two years at Virginia, making four appearances as a freshman and only five so far this season. But Tekker shined in the NECBL last summer and was named the league’s 10th-best prospect by Perfect Game. He is eligible for this year’s draft.

    Brandon Waddell – LHP – 6’3 180
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    Unlike his teammate Tekker, Waddell has been very busy in Charlottesville. He was the Cavs’ Friday starter as a freshman last year and has been part of a dynamic weekend rotation this year. Heading into Super Regionals, Waddell is 8-3 with a 2.73 ERA.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Jarret DeHart – OF – 6’2 205 – LSU – Freshman
    Ben DeLuzio – SS/OF – 6’1 185 – Florida State – Freshman
    Donnie Dewees – OF – 6’3 180 – North Florida – Sophomore
    Cam Gibson – OF – 6’3 185 – Michigan State – Sophomore
    Sam Haggerty – INF – 5’11 175 – New Mexico – Sophomore
    David Houser – C – 6’1 220 – Tennessee – Sophomore
    John La Prise – INF – 6’3 180 – Virginia – Sophomore
    Austin Listi – IF/OF – 6’0 200 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
    *Bobby Melley – 1B/C – 6’3 210 – Connecticut – Sophomore
    Arden Pabst – C/IF – 6’4 200 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
    Joe Purritano – 1B/OF – 6’1 200 – Dartmouth – Sophomore
    Kyle Survance – OF – 6’1 180 – Houston – Sophomore
    Blake Trahan – SS – 5’9 175 – Louisiana Lafayette – Sophomore
    Carl Wise – INF – 6’2 210 – College of Charleston – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     

    Jarret DeHart – OF – 6’2 205
    LSU
    Freshman

    DeHart was a highly-touted high school player in New Jersey. After going undrafted, he headed to LSU but played in only 10 games. It was reported in May that he’ll be transferring.

    Ben DeLuzio – SS/OF – 6’1 185
    Florida State
    Freshman

    Deluzio was a third-round pick of the Phillies last year, the 80th overall selection, but opted to head to Tallahassee. He had a steady debut with the Seminoles, hitting .281 with a .371 OBP and stealing 16 bases.

    Donnie Dewees – OF – 6’3 180
    North Florida
    Sophomore

    Dewees had a big freshman year for North Florida, earning all-conference honors after hitting .347. He was limited to 12 games this spring.

    Cam Gibson – OF – 6’3 185
    Michigan State
    Sophomore

    The son of former Major Leaguer and current Diamondbacks manager Kurt Gibson, Cam followed his father’s footsteps to Michigan State and has had two solid years. He hit .315 this year, with two homers, 14 extra base hits and 16 stolen bases. Gibson played in the Northwoods League last summer, where he was rated the second-best prospect by Perfect Game.

    Sam Haggerty – INF – 5’11 175
    New Mexico
    Sophomore

    Haggerty was the Mountain West’s Co-Freshman of the Year last season and he followed up the big debut with an even better sophomore season. Haggerty hit .340 with a .420 on-base percentage and he delivered 13 extra-base hits. He also stole 14 bases.

    John La Prise – INF – 6’3 180
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    La Prise played in only 19 games as a freshman. He has worked his way into more playing time this year, starting 37 of the team’s 60 games and he leads the team in hitting with a .383 average.

    Austin Listi – IF/OF – 6’0 200
    Dallas Baptist
    Sophomore

    Listi hit nine home runs as a freshman last year and continued to flash some of the best pop in the Missouri Valley Conference again this year. He hit .285 this year, had an on-base percentage of .380 and slugged .477. He led the team with 10 homers and had 24 extra-base hits. He tied for third in the conference in home runs.

    Bobby Melley – 1B/C – 6’3 210
    Connecticut
    Sophomore

    A native of Barnstable, Melley got a cup of coffee with the hometown Harbor Hawks last year, but will likely make a much bigger impression this summer. Emerging as one of the top players in the American Athletic Conference, Melley hit .359 with a .475 OBP and a .502 slugging percentage, while cracking four home runs.

    Arden Pabst – C/IF – 6’4 200
    Georgia Tech
    Freshman

    Pabst was a high school star in California and headed East for Tech. He started 38 games in his freshman year and hit .217.

    Joe Purritano – 1B/OF – 6’1 200
    Dartmouth
    Sophomore

    Purritano hit .343 last year en route to Ivy League Freshman of the Year honors. This season, he hit .265 with three home runs.

    Kyle Survance – OF – 6’1 180
    Houston
    Sophomore

    A freshman All-American last year, Survance was a big reason why Houston had one of its best-ever seasons this year. Survance hit .308 with a .411 OBP and stole 31 bases, which put him among the top 10 nationally. When Houston knocked off LSU to win the Baton Rouge Regional a few weeks ago, Survance was named Regional MVP.

    Blake Trahan – SS – 5’9 175
    Louisiana Lafayette
    Sophomore

    Trahan has had a huge season in helping lead the Ragin’ Cajuns to the brink of the College World Series. The shortstop is hitting .359 with a .459 OBP. He’s also stolen 14 bases.

    Carl Wise – INF – 6’2 210
    College of Charleston
    Sophomore

    Wise also led a big year for his college club as Charleston made a Super Regional. Wise hit .295, slugged .419 and led the team in RBI by a wide margin with 54.