Chasing a Title

Andrew Calica is hitting .426 and should soon qualify for the batting title.

Yesterday’s games were the start of a mad dash to the finish in the Cape League, where there won’t be a day off until it’s all over. There’s much to be decided in the standings — and one very interesting race to be decided on league leaderboards.

Wareham’s Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) went 2-for-6 in the Gatemen’s 12-inning, 4-4 tie with Harwich last night. The lefty-swinging outfielder is now batting .426. He has 17 hits in his last seven games. Assuming he stays hot, he looks like the favorite to win the batting title . . . as long as he gets enough plate appearances.

Calica arrived in Wareham two weeks into the season, and though he has been red-hot since the day he stepped foot on the Cape, he has yet to make an official appearance in the race for the league’s batting title. Players need a minimum of 2.7 plate appearances per team game, and Calica has yet to reach that threshold.

But it’s a number he’s steadily catching up to, and if he stays hot over the final week of the season, he could win the batting title and become the first Cape Leaguer to hit .400 since Mark Smith did it for Wareham in 1990.

Calculating plate appearances requires a bit of math (ABs + BBs + HBP + Sacrifices), so feel free to check me on this, but I’ve got Calica for 105 plate appearances as of last night (94 ABs + 6 BBs + 3 HBP + 2 Sacrifices). To qualify right now, through 39 team games, he would need 105.3 plate appearances, so he’s almost there.

If he gets three plate appearances tomorrow – a pretty good bet – he’ll be right on the number of 108 through 40 games. The end-of-season number needs to be 118.8. So Calica needs 14 plate appearances over his final five games to get above that mark.

As for the quest for .400, Calica has as good a chance as anybody I can remember. He’s averaging about 3.6 at-bats per game, which would give him 18 more at-bats this season. If he gets five hits in that span, he’ll finish at .402.

Calica’s performance Tuesday helped Wareham grab a point in the standings with the tie against Harwich. Mark Karaviotis (Oregon) and Connor Beck (TCU) also chipped in two hits, while Andrew Knizner (NC State) homered. The Gatemen trailed 4-3 in the top of the ninth but forced extras on Knizner’s home run.

Harwich got two hits and two RBI from Connor Justus (Georgia Tech). Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to keep the game tied in extras. The Mariners are 17-20-2 and the point they picked up with the tie moves them just two points out of a playoff spot.

Wareham is now 15-22-2 and is tied with Cotuit for third place in the West.

The Gatemen have yet to clinch a playoff spot, so they’ll be pushing hard over the season’s final week. Calica will be leading the charge.

Bourne 5, Y-D 3 (10 innings)

The Harwich-Wareham game was one of three extra-innings affairs on a wild night around the league. With a 10-inning victory over Y-D, Bourne clinched a playoff spot. The Braves are 19-18-2 and have won four in a row. Y-D tied last night’s game with two runs in the seventh inning, but as darkness closed in at Red Wilson Field, Bourne pushed two runs across in the 10th on consecutive bases-loaded walks to Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) and Corey Julks (Houston). Austin Conway (Indiana State) then worked a perfect bottom of the 10th for his league-leading ninth save. Conway still hasn’t allowed an earned run all summer. Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) chipped in a home run for Bourne.

Orleans 6, Brewster 6 (12 innings)

Orleans was on the brink of clinching the outright East Division title, but second-place Brewster touched up the bullpen for four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to force extras. The teams went on to play three more innings before the game was called in a tie. Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) allowed one unearned run in five innings, putting his season ERA at 0.21. The Firebirds staked themselves to a lead, as well, scoring all six of their runs in the first four innings. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit his 10th home run and drove in three, while Daniel Pinero (Virginia) had two RBI. Brewster came to life in the eighth with a Nick Senzel (Tennessee) RBI single, a two-run triple by J.C. Escarra (Florida International) and an RBI groundout by Cassidy Brown (Loyola Marymount). Trailing by one in the ninth, Escarra plated the tying run with a base hit. Eder Erives (Arizona State) came out of the bullpen after that and slammed the door, pitching the final 3.1 innings, but the damage had been done. Had Orleans beaten Brewster, the teams would have been 12 points apart in the standings with five games left. As it is, they’re 10 points apart, which means there’s still a slim chance they could finish tied if Brewster wins its last five and Orleans loses all five.

Cotuit 6, Falmouth 1

The Kettleers won their third straight and gained a little more distance on the fading Commodores in the West Division race. Cotuit broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the sixth inning. Spencer Gaa (Bradley) and Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt) knocked in runs ahead of a two-run single by Will Haynie (Alabama), who finished with three RBI on the day. The rally made a winner out of Nick Lewis (Baylor), who tossed four scoreless innings of relief, striking out three and giving up no hits. Matthew Milburn (Wofford) had given Cotuit a solid start, allowing one run in five innings. Gaa, Kendall, Haynie and Branden Berry (Cal State Northridge) each had two hits to power the Cotuit offense. The Kettleers are now 16-23 and tied with Wareham for third place in the West. Falmouth, which has lost six in a row, is five points back Cotuit and Wareham.

Hyannis 4, Chatham 3

Even with Bourne surging, Hyannis still has a three-point edge at the top of the West thanks to a narrow victory over Chatham at Veterans Field last night. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) went 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the way, while Austin Hays (Jacksonville) had two hits and two RBI. Corey Bird (Marshall) scored two runs. Blake Quinn (Cal State Fullerton) allowed one earned run in five innings for the win. Aaron Civale (Northeastern) struck out five of the nine batters he faced in the two-inning save.

What to Watch

Orleans and Brewster will meet for the second straight night. League strikeout leader Eric Lauer (Kent State) goes for the Firebirds against Tyson Miller (California Baptist), who has a 2.11 ERA for the Whitecaps.

June 28, 2015June 28, 2015

Bourne Identity

A good start is great, but as so many Cape League teams have shown – especially since the playoffs expanded – a great finish is even better. And a bad start can be left completely behind.

The Bourne Braves still have a ways to go before they can think about a big finish, but the bad start has certainly been erased. With a big chunk of players still with their college teams when the Cape season began and some hard-luck losses mixed in, Bourne got off to an 0-6-1 start this summer. Once they got off the skid, they stayed and have won seven of their last nine, emerging as one of the league’s hottest teams.

Saturday, the Braves knocked off West-leading Hyannis 3-0. They were facing Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast), who was fresh off a no-hitter, and they touched him up for 10 hits. On the other side, Ryan Smoyer (Notre Dame) tossed six shutout innings to get the Braves on their way.

Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) led the offense with two hits and two RBI. He’s one of only four players in Saturday’s starting lineup that was also in the opening day starting nine. Those four – Humphreys, Camden Duzenack (Dallas Baptist), Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) and Corey Julks (Houston) – have been solid, and the reinforcements have helped do the rest. Guys like Nick Solak (Louisville) and Pete Alonso (Florida) are major additions that make Bourne’s lineup a whole lot better. Solak is hitting .314. Alonso made his debut Saturday and went 1-for-4 with an RBI, after hitting five homers for the Gators this spring.

Smoyer made his third start Saturday and out-dueled Smeltzer. He didn’t strike out a batter but only allowed four hits in his six scoreless innings. Bryan Baker (North Florida) and Austin Conway (Indiana State) closed out the shutout, with Conway grabbing his third save.

Hyannis remains atop the division at 10-7, but Wareham – and now the red-hot Braves – are right on their tail. The Braves’ bad start seems like a long time ago.

Falmouth 1, Harwich 0

Bourne’s win was one of three Saturday shutouts. Falmouth’s came on the shoulders of four pitchers, with Jack Finnegan (McLennan CC) getting the win in relief and Stephen Villines (Kansas) notching the save when he struck out the side around a single in the ninth. Adam Oller (Northwestern State) started and went five scoreless. The day’s only offense came in the sixth, when Boomer White (Texas A&M) knocked an RBI single. That made Harwich’s Scott Tully (Notre Dame) a very hard-luck loser. He went eight innings, struck out seven and allowed just the one run. Falmouth improved to 7-10 with the win.

Brewster 3, Chatham 0

Brewster had the other shutout, as J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount) and three relievers combined to quiet Chatham’s bats. Busfield, who was a terrific closer for Loyola, continued his transition to a Cape rotation with his third start, and his best yet. He went six and allowed only two hits. Anthony Arias (Fresno State), Trent Paddon (Oregon) and Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) did the rest, with Hackimer recording the save. Chatham starter Daniel Castano (Baylor) gave up only one earned run, but three Chatham errors led to a pair of unearned tallies. Colin Lyman (Louisville) and Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) each had two hits for the Whitecaps.

Cotuit 5, Orleans 4

The Kettleers were on a seven-game skid but stopped despite having to match up with East-leading Orleans. The Firebirds rallied from a 4-3 deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth – setting up more heartbreak for the Kettleers – but this time, Cotuit rallied and pushed the winning run across in the bottom of the ninth on the old walk-off walk by Kort Peterson (UCLA). Brett Stephens (UCLA) and Branden Berry (Cal State Northridge) went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Cotuit offense. Nick Lewis (Baylor) got the win with five strong innings of relief. He struck out five and allowed only the ninth-inning run. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) had two hits and two RBI for Orleans. He now ranks second in the league in hitting, tied for first in home runs and tied for third in RBI.

Wareham 4, Y-D 2

Wareham won its third in a row, moved one game over .500 and got within two points of first place Hyannis. Evan Hill (Michigan) went five shutout innings for the win and Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona) picked up the save. Nick Cieri (Maryland) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) went 2-for-3 with an RBI. The Gatemen continue to lead the league in runs scored with 78 in 17 games.

What to Watch

It’s a battle of division leaders at Eldredge Park when Orleans hosts Hyannis. Kyle Cedotal (SE Louisiana), who had a great spring and has a 0.90 ERA this summer, will start for the Firebirds. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State), who has struck out seven in each of his starts, goes for Hyannis.

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015

Kettleers aim to be in the mix again

After its run to the Cape League championship in 2013, Cotuit slipped to 18-25-1 last season but made the West finals after sneaking into the playoffs. It’s a lesson – the Kettleers are always dangerous, no matter how their team looks. This season should be no different.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Anfernee Grier
2. Jeren Kendall
3. Michael Paez
4. Duncan Robinson
5. Kyle Wright

NOTABLE

You can always count on speed in a Mike Roberts lineup, and there’s no shortage this year. Tulane’s Stephen Alemais stole 27 bases, while Coastal Carolina’s Michael Paez stole 19. Several other guys on the roster were in double digits/

For now, the Cotuit pitching staff doesn’t have a guy with a long, proven track record as a starter, but there are some solid pieces in the fold, led by reigning Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Duncan Robinson.

A pair of freshmen look like potential standout relievers, if they stick with that role this summer. Mitch Stallings of Duke struck out 54 in 45.1 innings, while Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright owns a 1.09 ERA.

Will Haynie headed to Alabama after a strong high school career in Tennessee, but the 6-foot-5 catcher has yet to put it all together with the Tide, hitting under .200 in both his seasons.

If you’re starting from day one at Vanderbilt, you’re doing something right, and outfielder Jeren Kendall certainly is. He has hit .296 and stolen 18 bags for the Commodores this spring. He’ll follow in the footsteps of a number of Vandy outfielders who called Cotuit home in the summer.

Baseball America called Anfernee Grier the best player on a resurgent Auburn team this year, and the athletic sophomore seems primed for a big summer. He was among the SEC’s leaders in hits this season.

PITCHERS

Daniel Brown – SO – Mississippi State – JUCO star with a big fastball struck out 28 in 20.1 relief innings this spring
Justin Dunn – SO – Boston College – Had high ERA last year as a freshman but this season saved 5 games, struck out 46
Nick Eicholtz – SO – Alabama – Had 3.65 ERA, mostly as a starter, in season that was cut short in early May
Bernardo Flores – SO – USC – After limited action as a freshman, struck out 45 in 44.2 innings out of pen this season
Nick Lewis – SO – Baylor – Has been up-and-down in two seasons in Waco, with 4.14 ERA this spring
Duncan Robinson – JR – Dartmouth – Ivy League Pitcher of the Year had 2.62 ERA , 52 Ks & just 12 BB in 65.1 IP
Austin Sexton – SO – Mississippi State – After quiet freshman year, had 3.77 ERA in weekend rotation this season
Mitch Stallings – FR – Duke – Lefty led Blue Devils in appearances as a frosh and struck out 54 in 45.1 innings
Jon Woodcock – JR – Virginia Tech – Veteran southpaw struck out a team-high 69 with 3.73 ERA this season
Kyle Wright – FR – Vanderbilt – Top reliever for Commodores has 1.09 ERA, 53 Ks in 49.1 IP

CATCHERS

Will Haynie – SO – Alabama – Highly-touted catching prospect hit 8 home runs this season but batted just .195
Tim Susnara – FR – Oregon – Late-round pick out of high school hit .223 in first season in Eugene

INFIELDERS

Stephen Alemais – SO – Tulane – All-conference pick hit .312, stole 27 bases this spring
Spencer Gaa – SO – Bradley – Followed solid freshman year with .351 campaign this season
Casey Hughston – SO – Alabama – Emerged as standout this spring, hitting .332 with six homers and 12 stolen bases
Michael Paez – SO – Coastal Carolina – After strong summer in Prospect League, speedster hit .326 with 8 HR, 19 SBs

OUTFIELDERS

Matt Albanese – SO – Bryant – Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year last season hit .319 with 5 HR as a sophomore
Gene Cone – SO – South Carolina – Hit .257, stole 13 bags while starting every game for South Carolina this season
Anfernee Grier – SO – Auburn – Highly-ranked ahead of 2013 draft, followed steady debut with .323 average, 9 SB this year
Keenan Innis – SO – Georgia Tech – After injury cut short his freshman year, hit .314 as a sophomore
Jeren Kendall – FR – Vanderbilt – Wisconsin high school star fitting right in at Vandy, with .296 AVG, 7 HR, team-high 18 SB
Jack Klein – SO – Stanford – Late-round pick in 2013 hit .217 this season
Kort Peterson – SO – UCLA – Became regular contributor as a sophomore, hitting .274 and swiping 15 bags