Star-powered Braves Set to Go

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TeamLogo_Bourne2003.jpgThe Bourne Braves have had the Cape Cod Baseball League MVP in two of the last three years and three of the last five. It’s never a guarantee of success – the Braves were a .500 team with last year’s MVP Max Pentecost – but the awards represent the fact that good things are happening in Bourne more often than not these days. And look what Bourne did after its .500 season last year. The Braves made a surprising run to the West finals.

As the 2014 season begins, the Braves are bringing in one of the youngest teams in the league, so there are some unknowns there. But it’s also a talented club, led by a host of proven college pitchers like Ryan Kellogg and Jimmy Herget.

Maybe there’s another MVP in the mix, too. Either way, the Braves are hoping for continued success.

 

THE SKINNY

Manager: Harvey Shapiro
Last Year: 21-21-1; Lost in West finals
Returning Players: 2
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 11
Freshmen: 11

 

NOTABLE

  • Arizona State pitchers Ryan Kellogg and Ryan Burr both have a shot to be among the best pitchers on the Cape this summer. Kellogg returns to Bourne for a second year, off another strong season in Tempe. Burr, who’s also been invited to Team USA, has been a dynamic closer for the Sun Devils.
  • Few pitchers on Cape rosters can boast a better 2014 college season than South Florida’s Jimmy Herget. The righty was one of the top pitchers in the American Athletic Conference, and led South Florida’s conference tourney upset of now Omaha-bound Louisville.
  • Bourne has three Louisville pitchers who have done very well this year. That’s the good news. The bad news from Bourne’s perspective is that the Cards are headed to Omaha, so the future Braves may be late arrivals.
  • Harrison Bader has done nothing but hit in two years with the Florida Gators, leading the team in batting average as a freshman and a sophomore.
  • Mississippi State freshman Gavin Collins was a top-notch catching prospect who slid in the draft last year due to an injury. He had a solid debut in Starkville this season.
  • Bourne has seven freshman hitters. Considering the struggles freshmen often have on the Cape, that could be a challenge, but this crew has a lot going for it. Brett Sullivan had a terrific freshman campaign at Pacific and Stephen Wrenn looks like a star-in-the-making at Georgia.
  • The Braves will have one veteran to anchor the lineup in Mark Laird, who returns for a second year. He’s been a steady player for LSU.
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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Ryan Kellogg
    2. Ryan Burr
    3. Harrison Bader
    4. Brett Sullivan
    5. Mark Laird

     

    PITCHERS

    Ryan Burr – RHP – 6’4 225 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Thomas Hatch – RHP – 6’1 200 – Oklahoma State – Freshman
    Dylan Hecht – RHP – 6’2 195 – UC Santa Barbara – Sophomore
    Jimmy Herget – RHP – 6’3 165 – South Florida – Sophomore
    *Ryan Kellogg – LHP – 6’6 225 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Anthony Kidston – RHP/INF – 6’2 195 – Louisville – Sophomore
    Sam Kmiec – LHP – 6’0 210 – Winthrop – RS Sophomore
    Lucas Laster – LHP – 5’11 175 – Mississippi State – Junior
    Brett Morales – RHP – 6’1 200 – Florida – Freshman
    Josh Rogers – LHP – 6’3 210 – Louisville – Freshman
    Andrew Sopko – RHP – 6’2 200 – Gonzaga – Sophomore
    Jacob Sparger – RHP – 6’5 197 – Louisville – Freshman
    * – returning player

     

    Ryan Burr – RHP – 6’4 225
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    A 33rd-round pick out of high school, Burr grabbed the closer’s role last year and set a school freshman record for saves with 11. Despite pitching out of the bullpen, he ranked second on the team in strikeouts. He continued to pitch as a closer this season, saving 12 games while striking out 56 in 44 innings. Burr has been invited to Team USA.

    Thomas Hatch – RHP – 6’1 200
    Oklahoma State
    Freshman

    According to Baseball America, Hatch was the 95th-best high school prospect in the 2013 draft, and he was selected in the 33rd round. He headed off to Stillwater, where he had some ups and downs as a freshman. Hatch finished with a 5.28 ERA in a swing role.

    Dylan Hecht – RHP – 6’2 195
    UC Santa Barbara
    Sophomore

    Hecht closed for the Gauchos as a freshman last year and picked up nine saves. He played in the West Coast League last summer and was tabbed as the league’s third-best prospect by Perfect Game. Hecht moved off the closer role this season and had an ERA over six in just nine appearances.

    Jimmy Herget – RHP – 6’3 165
    South Florida
    Sophomore

    Herget was thrown into the fire last year when he made his first collegiate start against powerhouse Florida State. He responded with four strong innings and parlayed that into an outstanding freshman season. He was even better this year as he emerged as an ace. Herget had a 1.26 ERA and struck out 90 in 107.1 innings. He earned first-team all-conference honors.

    Ryan Kellogg – LHP – 6’6 225
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    Kellogg was a 12th-round pick out of high school and starred as a freshman in Tempe, putting up a Freshman All-American season that included a no-hitter. In Bourne last summer, Kellogg had an ERA under two in six starts. This spring, he continued to be steady, going 8-3 with a 3.76 ERA and leading the team in innings pitched.

    Anthony Kidston – RHP/INF – 6’2 195
    Louisville
    Sophomore

    Kidston pitched in a swing role last year and saw occasional two-way duty. He has focused exclusively on pitching this spring with good results. Kidston has been the Cardinals’ Sunday starter and hasn’t lost a game, going 9-0 with a 3.54 ERA.

    Sam Kmiec – LHP – 6’0 210
    Winthrop
    RS Sophomore

    Kmiec had a strong freshman season for the Eagles last year and was even better this year, putting up a 2.95 ERA as a weekend starter. In 103.2 innings, he struck out 73 and walked just 17.

    Lucas Laster – LHP – 5’11 175
    Mississippi State
    Junior

    A junior-college transfer, Laster was a valuable member of the Bulldogs’ staff this season as he made four starts and five relief appearances with a 2.60 ERA. He struck out 25 in 34.2 innings.

    Brett Morales – RHP – 6’1 200
    Florida
    Freshman

    Morales was one of the top high-school prospects in the state of Florida last year and was drafted in the 24th round. He had an up-and-down debut with the Gators, putting up an ERA over six in 11 appearances.

    Josh Rogers – LHP – 6’3 210
    Louisville
    Freshman

    A native of New Albany, Ind., Rogers crossed the Ohio River to attend Louisville and has made a splash for the CWS-bound Cardinals. Making nine starts and five relief appearances, Rogers owns a 3.63 ERA and has struck out 47 in 53 innings.

    Andrew Sopko – RHP – 6’2 200
    Gonzaga
    Sophomore

    Sopko was a Montana high school star and was drafted in the 14th round in 2012. He didn’t do much in his first year in Spokane but was named the Alaska League’s 17th-best prospect by Perfect Game last summer. This year, he took the expected leap, putting up a 3.64 ERA as a weekend starter.

    Jacob Sparger – RHP – 6’5 197
    Louisville
    Freshman

    The top prospect in Wisconsin last year, Sparger headed to Louisville and has had a strong debut campaign. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Sparger has a 3.20 ERA and has struck out 26 in 45 innings.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Harrison Bader – OF – 6’1 195 – Florida – Sophomore
    Gavin Collins – C – 5’11 200 – Mississippi State – Freshman
    Jason Delay – C – 6’0 – 180 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
    Bryce Harman – INF – 6’6 220 – East Carolina – Freshman
    Ryan Howard – INF – 6’1 192 – Missouri – Freshman
    Ben Johnson – OF – 6’1 195 – Texas – Sophomore
    *Mark Laird – OF – 6’2 175 – LSU – Sophomore
    Richard Martin Jr. – INF – 5’11 186 – Florida – Sophomore
    Brian Serven – C – 6’0 195 – Arizona State – Freshman
    Brett Sullivan – INF – 6’0 175 – Pacific – Freshman
    Stephen Wrenn – OF – 6’2 180 – Georgia – Freshman
    * – returning player

     

    Harrison Bader – OF – 6’1 195
    Florida
    Sophomore

    Bader was a New York high school star who headed south and promptly led the Gators in hitting last year. After a summer in the Northwoods League, he paced Florida again this year, hitting .335 with two homers, 24 RBI and a a team-best .411 OBP. He also stole 13 bases.

    Gavin Collins – C – 5’11 200
    Mississippi State
    Freshman

    Collins was projected as a top-five round pick before an injury cost him his senior season in high school. His loss was Mississippi State’s gain as Collins hit the college ranks with a .304 batting average and one home run.

    Jason Delay – C – 6’0 – 180
    Vanderbilt
    Freshman

    A Georgia high school star, Delay gradually worked his way into the starting catcher’s job at Vanderbilt this year. He finished with a .272 average and 13 RBI.

    Bryce Harman – INF – 6’6 220
    East Carolina
    Freshman

    Harman was a basketball and baseball standout at his Virginia high school and was a 27th-round draft pick last year. At East Carolina, he hit .244 but blasted a team-high seven home runs and had a .338 OBP.

    Ryan Howard – INF – 6’1 192
    Missouri
    Freshman

    Howard jumped right into the starting lineup in his freshman year in Columbia and acquitted himself well. He hit .302 and knocked in 20 runs.

    Ben Johnson – OF – 6’1 195
    Texas
    Sophomore

    Johnson didn’t have a great freshman year but is in the midst of an honorable mention All-Big 12 season this year. He’s hitting .271 for the Omaha-bound Longhorns and he leads the team with six home runs.

    Mark Laird – OF – 6’2 175
    LSU
    Sophomore

    Laird grabbed a starting job in the LSU outfield last year and hit over .300. He then hit .292 with Bourne last summer. This year, he batted .291 for the Tigers and stole 10 bases.

    Richard Martin Jr. – INF – 5’11 186
    Florida
    Sophomore

    Martin was a 38th-round pick out of high school and saw regular duty for the Gators last year. He played for Falmouth in the Cape League last summer and struggled to a .193 average. This spring, he was back on the horse, hitting .266 with 13 extra-base hits and 18 stolen bases.

    Brian Serven – C – 6’0 195
    Arizona State
    Freshman

    Serven started 45 games for the Sun Devils as a freshman this season and held his own. He finished with a .249 batting average to go with three homers and 27 RBI.

    Brett Sullivan – INF – 6’0 175
    Pacific
    Freshman

    Sullivan joined older brother Tyler in the Pacific lineup this season and made himself right at home with a huge debut. Sullivan hit a team-best .357, smacked four home runs, hit a team-best 24 extra-base hits and drove in a team-high 40 runs.

    Stephen Wrenn – OF – 6’2 180
    Georgia
    Freshman

    Wrenn was drafted in the 27th round last year by his hometown Braves but opted to stick with his commitment to Georgia. He started 55 games as a freshman and hit .254 with 20 RBI. He set a school record for an outfielder with a perfect fielding percentage.