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All-Star Trio

Michael Gigliotti is hitting .322 and will start the All-Star Game.
Michael Gigliotti is hitting .322 and will start the All-Star Game.

 
I’ve been looking for the right moment to do a post about Falmouth’s three standouts from Lipscomb, but I probably didn’t need to wait.

For Michael Gigliotti, Jeffrey Passantino and Brady Puckett, there have been plenty of good moments.

Gigliotti has starred with the bat since day one while Passantino and Puckett have led the way for the Commodores’ pitching staff. Wednesday, Gigliotti homered and Passantino pitched four solid innings in a 4-2 win over Harwich.

Lipscomb, which plays in the Atlantic Sun conference and is located in Nashville, hasn’t had a huge Cape presence over the years. Before the current trio, I could only find two Cape Leaguers from the school in the past 10 years: pitcher Hunter Brothers, who also played for Falmouth, and current Major League catcher Caleb Joseph, who split time with Falmouth and Cotuit in 2007.

Lipscomb went 31-27 this spring, but the foundation being laid by the Cape trio this summer could mean good things next year. Gigliotti, Passantino and Puckett each earned an all-star nod. That means Lipscomb is tied with ACC powerhouse Virginia for the most Cape League all-stars. Cape success has always been a good indicator for small programs on the rise. Stony Brook comes to mind as the most emphatic example.

For now, the Lipscomb trio is just focused on leading the way for Falmouth.

Gigliotti hit his first home run of the summer in Wednesday’s win and is now batting .322, good for fifth in the league. He’s also in the top 10 with nine stolen bases and is riding a four-game hit streak.

Passantino gave up one run in four innings Friday, the first earned run he had allowed since his first start of the summer. When your ERA goes up after giving up one run in four innings, you know you’re doing something right. Passantino continues to lead the league in ERA with a 0.75 mark. He has struck out 33 and walked just three, and opponents are hitting .132 against him. Passantino will start for the West in Saturday’s All-Star Game.

Puckett would have also been a good choice to start the All-Star Game. He’s 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA.

Falmouth also got home runs from Joshua Watson (TCU) and Willie Burger (Penn State) in Wednesday’s win. The team improved to 20-12 – best in the West – and owes a big thanks to the trio from Lipscomb.

 

Y-D 5, Hyannis 1

With Harwich losing, the Red Sox’ win over Hyannis sent them into sole possession of first place in the East. Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) struck out seven and pitched 4.2 scoreless innings despite issuing six walks. Hyannis stranded six runners against him. Pat Vanderslice (St. Joseph’s) followed with 2.1 scoreless frames and earned the win. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) led the offense with his second home run of the summer. Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hyannis got a home run from Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) but couldn’t rally from an early 5-0 deficit.

Orleans 8, Brewster 6

The Firebirds rallied from a 4-1 deficit and outlasted Brewster in an eight-inning affair at Stony Brook Field. Adam Haseley (Virginia) went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI to lead the big offensive day for Orleans. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) added two hits and two runs scored and Garrett Benge (Oklahoma State) delivered his first Cape League RBI. Kevin Smith (Georgia) put a momentary stop to the back-and-forth with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, which earned him the win. Smith struck out six of the 14 batters he faced. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) gave up a run in the eighth but escaped further trouble to earn the save. Orleans improved to 16-16-3 with the win and has a five-point edge on fourth-place Brewster.

Wareham 3, Bourne 2

The Gatemen have risen the ranks in the West in part because of success against Bourne and it continued Wednesday. Wareham improved to 4-0-1 against the Braves this season with a 3-2 win. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the eighth and Alex Destino (South Carolina) drove in what would prove to be an important insurance run with a double. Bourne scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on an Evan Mendoza (NC State) RBI groundout but got nothing else off Wareham closer Jake Matthys (Angelo State), who earned his fifth save. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) allowed one run in three innings for the win after starter Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) went five scoreless innings. Wareham improved to 16-14-3 while Bourne fell to 14-17-2.

Chatham 2, Cotuit 1

Chatham won its second straight and moved within one point of fourth place in the East while handing Cotuit its fourth consecutive loss. Two solo home runs by the Anglers bested Cotuit’s one solo shot. Patrick Mathis (Texas) did the honors in the fourth inning with his fourth homer of the summer. Sean Bouchard (UCLA) broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with his first home run, and that was all the offense Chatham would need. Andrew Karp (Florida State) allowed one run in six innings for the win. Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh) and Moises Ceja (UCLA) combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Quinn Brodey (Stanford) hit the home run for Cotuit, his third.

 

What to Watch

Coming off his best start – six shutout innings against Harwich – Colton Hock (Stanford) tries to get Cotuit out of its skid as Y-D comes to town.

 

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New Beginnings

Tim Susnara's RBI single broke a scoreless tie in the 11th as Cotuit topped Harwich.
Tim Susnara’s RBI single broke a scoreless tie in the 11th as Cotuit topped Harwich.

 
Cotuit is the hottest team in the league and its win Friday over Harwich means another hot team has knocked the Mariners from their perch at the top of the league.

The Kettleers beat Harwich 2-0 in 11 innings for their fourth straight win. They’re now 9-3-1 since their 2-14 start.

Friday’s win was their second this week over Harwich. The Mariners – with the league’s best record since a hot start – are still playing pretty well, with a 5-3-2 mark in their last 10. But Y-D has won three in a row, and Friday’s 8-4 victory over Falmouth means the Red Sox now have the best record in the league at 18-11. Y-D and Harwich are still tied atop the East, thanks to two ties for the Mariners.

Cotuit and Harwich were locked in a scoreless tie for 10 innings before a somewhat unlikely rally for the Kettleers, given who they were facing. But Quinn Brodey (Stanford) greeted standout Harwich closer Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Tim Susnara (Oregon), who had come on as a pinch-hitter earlier in the game, lined a base hit up the middle to score Brodey with the first run of the game.

Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) followed with a double and Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer) knocked in a run with a single.

Cotuit reliever Ryan Rigby (Mississippi State) kept Harwich off the board for one more inning, sealing the shutout win. Taylor Lehman (Penn State) had gone 2.2 scoreless innings in relief of starter Colton Hock (Stanford), a power arm who had his best start of the summer with six shutout frames.

Hunter Williams (North Carolina) went seven scoreless innings for Harwich but didn’t factor in the decision.

Meanwhile, Y-D’s win in a 5 p.m. game was already in the books. The Red Sox pounded 14 hits and used a five-run sixth inning – with four of the runs unearned – to blow the game open. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) homered while Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) had two hits and two RBI. Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) earned the win in relief and Sam Delaplane (Michigan State) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings for the save.

Y-D has won three straight and is 18-6 since opening the season 0-5.

 

Brewster 9, Hyannis 7

League home run leader Matt Davis (VCU) parlayed his time on the Cape into a pro contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Without him, Brewster kept slugging, getting 15 hits to edge past Hyannis. Bryce Jordan (LSU) went 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot and is hitting .420. Ryan Gridley (Mississippi State) homered and drove in two while Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had two hits and two RBI. Hunter Martin (Tennessee) allowed three runs in 6.1 innings for the win. Hyannis rallied for four runs in the ninth, but Jacob Wloczewski (Binghamton) and Max Herrmann (Rutgers) got out of trouble to seal the victory.

Wareham 6, Bourne 3

On a seven-game winless streak since a July 4 win over Bourne – a string that included two ties – the Gatemen beat Bourne again to snap the skid. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Robert Metz (George Washington) drove in two runs and Cole Freeman (LSU) had two hits and two runs scored. Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) added a home run. Hogan Harris (Louisiana-Lafayette) earned the win in relief before Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) and Jake Matthys (Angelo State) combined for 2.2 scoreless innings to finish it off. Wareham improved to 13-13-3. Bourne, which got a home run from Connor Wong (Houston), fell to 13-15-1.

Orleans 5, Chatham 3

Orleans built a 5-0 lead and held off a late run by Chatham for a 5-3 win. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs to lead the Firebirds offense, while Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) hit his second homer of the summer. Riley Adams (San Diego) added two hits and two RBI and now has 11 hits in his last eight games. Six different pitchers carried the load for the Firebirds, with Chandler Day (Vanderbilt) and Kevin Smith (Georgia) tossing three innings apiece of one-hit, shutout ball. Chatham rallied on a Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) two-run double in the ninth, but Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) came on to get the final out with the tying run at the plate.

 

What to Watch

Good pitching matchup in Falmouth where Brady Singer (Florida) goes for the Commodores against Charlie Barnes (Clemson) of Hyannis. Singer has gone six and five scoreless innings in his two Cape League starts. Barnes went five scoreless in his last outing.
 

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Matching shutouts

Brady Puckett tossed six shutout innings in Falmouth's win.
Brady Puckett tossed six shutout innings in Falmouth’s win.

 
At the Cape League’s annual workout at Fenway Park, hitters are on center stage, taking batting practice and running timed sprints. The pitchers don’t get to do as much.

Back on the Cape, a few pitchers put the spotlight back on themselves.

Led by Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), three Falmouth Commodores one-hit Bourne in a 1-0 win. Charlie Barnes (Clemson) set the stage for a similar result in Hyannis, as he and two teammates shut-out Harwich 1-0.

Puckett delivered another in a string of terrific starts for Falmouth. The 6-foot-8 rising junior right-hander had a great spring at Lipscomb. He allowed three runs in four innings in his first Cape League start but has been lights out since — 23 innings, one earned run, 10 hits. Take away the first start, and his ERA would be 0.39. As it is, it’s still at 1.33.

Friday, Puckett allowed one hit in six shutout innings for the second time in his last three starts. He doesn’t strike out a lot of guys — his five Friday were a season-high — but it’s clearly working. The only hit he allowed was a single.

Relievers Brac Warren (Oregon) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) didn’t allow a hit after Puckett departed.

Bourne got strong pitching of its own from A.J. Moore (Kennesaw State) but Falmouth broke through in the seventh on a J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) double and a Joshua Watson (TCU) triple.

Falmouth improved to 14-10 and remained in first place in the West.

As for Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks out-pitched Harwich, no easy task. Barnes came in with a 5.30 ERA thanks to two starts in which he gave up four runs in less than five innings. He had also turned in two strong outings and was even better this time. Barnes allowed three hits and struck out five in five shutout innings.

James Harrington (New Mexico) followed with three perfect innings and Garrett Cave (Florida International) closed the door in the ninth to take over the league lead in saves with six.

Harwich got seven strong innings from Hunter Williams (North Carolina), but just like Falmouth, Hyannis got a run in the seventh to make the difference. An RBI groundout by Cody Henry (Alabama) did the trick.

Hyannis ran its record to 11-13.
 

Y-D 8, Orleans 6

After Tuesday’s games, Yarmouth-Dennis and Orleans were tied for second place in the East. With back-to-back matchups between the teams going to Y-D, the Red Sox now have a four-point edge on the Firebirds for second place. A rally from a 6-5 deficit in the eighth sent the Red Sox to the latest win. Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) had a two-run double to power the rally. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) and Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched a scoreless inning each once Y-D grabbed the lead, with Pall earning his fifth save. The win went to Collin Snider (Vanderbilt), who tossed 2.2 shutout frames after starter Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly) was touched up for six runs – the first runs he had allowed all year. Nolan Brown (TCU) had a home run for the Y-D offense and Corey Dempster (USC) had three hits and two RBI. Orleans got a home run and four RBI from Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) and four hits from Adam Hasely (Virginia).

  • Brewster 2, Chatham 1

    • The Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Chatham. After a string of slugfests, Hunter Martin (Tennessee) gave Brewster a strong start, going six innings and allowing one run. Zac Lowther (Xavier) then rescued the Whitecaps from some trouble in the seventh and went strong to the finish line, going 2.1 hitless innings for the save. Lowther – who has pitched entirely in relief – now leads the league with 28 strikeouts. Brewster got all the offense it needed in the third inning, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) and Nick Dunn (Maryland) coming through with RBI singles. Chatham fell to 11-13, one game ahead of Brewster at 10-14.

    Cotuit 3, Wareham 3

    Wareham took a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, Cotuit tied it in the bottom half and the teams played one more scoreless frame before darkness set in at Lowell Park. Alex Destino (South Carolina) had an RBI single to give Wareham the lead in the ninth before Quinn Brodey (Stanford) came back with an RBI single in the bottom half. Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) followed with a scoreless tenth for the Kettleers and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) did the same for Wareham, leaving the winning run at first base. Brodey had two hits to lead Cotuit, while Robert Metz (George Washington) had three for the Gatemen.

     

    What to Watch

    The only reigning CWS champion on a Cape League roster makes his debut as Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina) starts for Cotuit against Brewster. Bilous had a 4.43 ERA in his freshman campaign and made one start in Omaha.
     

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    Catching Fire

    Brian Miller had three hits as Orleans won its fourth straight game.
    Brian Miller had three hits as Orleans won its fourth straight game.

     
    All of a sudden, the best team in the league since day one has somebody hot on its tail.

    Harwich lost 4-2 to Chatham for its third straight defeat last night. In the meantime, Orleans shut out Hyannis 4-0 for its fourth straight win. The Firebirds are now just a game back of the Mariners for first place in the East.

    Orleans was 7-8 when its win streak began, and the streak has followed a pretty classic good baseball formula – three runs or fewer allowed in each game, at least nine hits and only two errors total across the four-game stretch.

    The pitching was at its best in Saturday’s win. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge), who has allowed a run or less in each of his four starts, went five strong innings, giving up four hits and striking out three. The bullpen then held up its end of the bargain in dominant fashion. Eli Morgan (Gonzaga), Zach Willeman (Kent State) and Zach Logue (Kentucky) didn’t surrender a hit in teaming up for the final four innings.

    At the plate, Keegan McGovern (Georgia) hit his second home run in the win streak, a pinch-hit solo shot in the eighth. Brian Miller (North Carolina) drove in the other three runs for the Firebirds with a 2-for-5 night. Riley Adams (San Diego), Justin Jones (Georgia State) and Will Golsan (Ole Miss) scored a run apiece.

    Success on the mound and at the plate in the win streak has put Orleans in third place in both team ERA and team batting average – making them the most balanced team in the league by that measure. A few more wins, and the Firebirds could become the best in the league by another measure.

     

    Y-D 3, Falmouth 1

    The Red Sox aren’t far behind Orleans for label of hottest team in the league. They topped Falmouth for their third straight win Saturday, rallying from a 1-0 deficit with a run in the seventh and two in the ninth despite finishing with only four hits. Mikey Diekroeger (Stanford) knocked an RBI single to tie the game in the seventh. In the ninth, Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) delivered an RBI double to plate the go-ahead run. Matthew Whatley’s (Oral Roberts) sacrifice fly made it 3-1, and Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched the bottom of the ninth for his third save. Cal State Fullerton standout Connor Seabold earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief in his Cape League debut. Diekroeger and Toffey had two hits each, the only hits for the Red Sox. Y-D is 10-9, over .500 for the first time this season. Falmouth got a home run from Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and six innings of one-hit, shutout ball from Florida freshman standout Brady Singer before the Red Sox rallied.

    Chatham 4, Harwich 2

    Losers of four straight, Chatham knocked off first-place Harwich with runs in the seventh and eighth innings to break a 2-2 tie. Stuart Fairchild’s (Wake Forest) third hit of the night plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Patrick Mathis (Texas) hit his second home run of the summer in the eighth for a little insurance, and Moises Ceja (UCLA) tossed a scoreless ninth for his third save. That made a winner out of Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh), who struck out five of the 10 batters he faced in 2.2 scoreless frames. Starter Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) also pitched well, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings. Chase Pinder (Clemson) had three hits and an RBI for the Anglers and Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) also knocked in a run. For Harwich, Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out five in 4.2 innings and leads the league in Ks with 26. Austin Filiere (MIT) had two hits and two RBI.

    Bourne 2, Brewster 1

    Bourne stopped a two-game slide and remained in first place in the West with a win over Brewster. An RBI single by Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Mangum, the SEC batting champ, finished 3-for-4, raising his average to .392. Connor Wong (Houston) and David MacKinnon (Hartford) added two hits each. Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt) allowed one run in five innings and left with the game tied. Doug Norman (LSU) earned the win in relief and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) picked up his third save with his fourth consecutive scoreless outing. Brewster got seven strong innings from Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State), who took the hard-luck loss. Nick Dunn (Maryland) had two hits.

    Wareham 3, Cotuit 2

    Friday, Cotuit won a one-run game for the first time in seven tries. Saturday, Wareham returned the favor, dropping the Kettleers to 1-7 in one-run games with a 3-2 victory at Spillane Field. Three runs in the third inning were all the Gatemen needed as three pitchers combined on a solid showing. Ethan Small (Mississippi State) went four scoreless innings for the win and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) escaped trouble in the eighth and tossed a perfect ninth to finish off the win. Colton Shaver (BYU) upped his league-best RBI total to 20 and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) also drove in a run. For Cotuit, Colton Hock (Stanford) allowed two earned runs in six innings. Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) homered and Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had two hits.

    What to Watch

    Today brings the openers in the two-game home-and-home holiday sets. As has been the case throughout the year, Harwich and Brewster looks an intriguing match-up. Two-time Cape League Pitcher of the Week Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) gets the ball for the Mariners today against Brewster’s high-powered offense.

     

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    Anything you can do…

    Hunter Williams delivered a strong start on opening night, the first of many for the Mariners so far
    Hunter Williams delivered a strong start on opening night, the first of many for the Mariners so far

     
    It’s tough to say which unit has been the most impressive for the undefeated Harwich Mariners. Is it the starting rotation, with five guys delivering strong debuts? Or is it the bullpen and its two runs allowed in five games?

    The Mariners don’t have to choose – it’s all working just fine together.

    Harwich improved to 5-0 Tuesday with a 5-2 victory over Orleans, and pitching again set the stage. Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s) allowed one run and struck out five in six innings of work. Brad Bass (Notre Dame), Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) went the final three innings, with Rodliff allowing the only other run.

    McAuliffe became the fifth consecutive Harwich starter to earn a win. As little as wins matter as a statistic, they do reflect in this case that Harwich’s starters are pitching well and pitching deep into games – something that doesn’t always happen in the Cape League, especially at this point in the year.

    Hunter Williams (North Carolina) and Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) each went five innings. McAuliffe, Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) and B.J. Myers (West Virginia) went at least six innings in their first start.

    The four runs Naughton allowed in his start are the most surrendered by a Harwich starter.

    And when the starters have passed the baton on to the bullpen, the numbers have been even better. In 15 innings, Harwich relievers have allowed a total of two runs. Bass, Schellenger, Matthew Minnick (Mercyhurst), Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) and Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville) are all proud owners of 0.00 ERAs.

    Of course, there’s also been plenty of support for the Harwich arms. The Mariners lead the league in runs scored (in one extra game than eight of the league’s teams). Tuesday, the Mariners made the most of seven hits and capitalized on four Orleans errors. Trey Harris (Missouri) and Ryan Brown (College of Charleston) knocked in a run apiece. Tyler Kirkpatrick (Marist) scored two runs.

    At 5-0, the Mariners are a quarter of the way to last season’s win total, when they missed the playoffs.
     

    Bourne 7, Cotuit 5

    Bourne is also unbeaten, moving to 4-0 with a victory over still-winless Cotuit. The Kettleers scored five runs in the seventh in rallying from a 4-0 deficit, but the Braves responded with a run in the eighth and two in the ninth. A sacrifice fly by Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) tied the game in the eighth. Willy Yahn (Connecticut) tripled in Connor Wong (Houston) in the ninth and scored on a David MacKinnon (Hartford) sac fly. The rally made a winner out of reliever Keith Weisenberg (Stanford), with Conner O’Neil (Cal State Northridge) notching the save. Bourne starter Brady Miller (Western Oregon), who struck out 89 in the D-II ranks this spring, had a big Cape debut with six shutout innings and seven strikeouts. For Cotuit, the five-run seventh inning was a good sign for a team that had scored only four runs coming into the game. Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) had two hits and two RBI to lead the Kettleers.

  • Falmouth 5, Hyannis 0

    • The Commodores authored the third shutout of the Cape League season and improved to 3-1 while dropping Hyannis to 0-5. Jacob Godfrey (Arizona State) went five innings for the win, scattering five hits and striking out two. Four relievers went an inning each to finish off the shutout. At the plate, Falmouth got two-hit games from Kevin Merrell (South Florida), Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb), Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and Michael Cantu (Texas). Merrell is hitting .529 with at least one hit in every game.

  • Chatham 4, Y-D 3

    • Defending champ Y-D also is still in search of its first victory after a lead Chatham built in the sixth held up for a 4-3 win. Patrick Mathis (Texas) did all the damage in the key inning for the Anglers, smacking a three-run homer to put the Anglers ahead 4-1. Y-D answered with two in the bottom of the sixth but would get no closer. Chatham starter Tom Cosgrove (Manhattan) gave up one run in five innings before getting charged with the two in the sixth. Matt Pidich (Pittsburgh) ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts. His college teammate Isaac Mattson went the final two innings for the save. Y-D was led by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton), who knocked in two.

  • Wareham 3, Brewster 2

    • The Gatemen managed only three hits but turned them into three runs as they improved to 3-1 with a victory over Brewster. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) and Jonathan Engelmann (Michigan) drove in runs for the Gatemen on a groundout and a fielder’s choice. Robert Metz (George Washington) scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch. Anthony Herron, Jr. (Jefferson College), a 34th-round draft pick last week and a Missouri State commit, started and went four shutout innings in his Cape debut. Ryan Selmer (Maryland) earned the win in relief and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) recorded a three-inning save. For Brewster, Ryan Feltner (Ohio State) allowed two earned runs in 5.1 innings but took the loss. Jacob Wloczewski (Binghamton) struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

    What to Watch

    Four makeup games from Saturday’s rainouts are on tap. Keep an eye on the proceedings at Doran Park, where Bourne will start another D-II standout after Brady Miller’s strong performance Tuesday. Ty Cohen struck out 98 in 90.1 innings for Florida Tech and gets the ball against Chatham.
     

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    Wareham ready to go

    wareham
     
    Wareham has a talented team on deck that has a chance to be close to a finished product early on.
     

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Colton Shaver
    2. Alex Destino
    3. Jake Walters
    4. Gunner Leger
    5. K.J. Harrison
     

    NOTABLE

  • The Gatemen have a new head coach, as Jerry Weinstein takes over for Cooper Farris. Weinstein has an extensive resume in the college and professional ranks, most recently serving as the Rockies’ developmental supervisor.

  • Wareham didn’t have a fantastic season last year, but it did include Andrew Calica hitting over .400. As individual accomplishments go, that will be tough to top.

  • Lots of players — hitters and pitchers — coming off big springs and ticketed for Wareham. The best news for the Gatemen? There may not be many detours. The Gatemen have six players in Super Regionals, less than a lot of Cape League teams. There’s also only one current Team USA invite on the roster.

  • Robert Garcia, Gunner Leger and Jake Walters could make a pretty strong top of the rotation for the Gatemen. All three were the top starters for their teams and put up terrific numbers.

  • Pepperdine’s Ryan Wilson saved six games this spring and struck out well over a batter an inning. Definitely a potential closer for the Gatemen.

  • Alex Destino is listed as a pitcher/first baseman on the Wareham roster, but has only pitched one inning for South Carolina this year. It wil be interesting to see if he gets any time on the mound. Given his offensive success, he wouldn’t have to be a two-way guy to contribute. Destino has 10 home runs as the Gamecocks head to Super Regionals.

  • Seven of the 14 hitters on the Wareham roster hit at least eight home runs this spring. That’s no small feat in the world of college baseball.

  • The highest total belongs to D-II Azusa Pacific’s Adrian Tovalin, who blasted 22 of them. He was one of the national leaders in D-II.

  • Wareham has quite a trio of catchers, all of whom hit around .300. And Colton Shaver and Harrison Wenson could be the best offensive catchers on the Cape. Shaver has 23 home runs in two years at BYU and Wenson hit eight for Michigan this spring.

  • K.J. Harrison won the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year honor for Oregon State last year and followed it with a pretty strong sophomore season. His teammate, Nick Madrigal, is the one Team USA invite.

  • Wake Forest was a powerful offensive team in the ACC this spring, and Gavin Sheets did much of the damage with nine home runs.

  • Luke Bonfield is off to Wareham after playing for Y-D last summer. He’s coming off a good spring for Arkansas.

    •  

    PITCHERS

    Jeff Bain – SO – California – Has pitched well in swing role for two seasons, finishing with 3.43 ERA, 32 Ks in 42 innings this year
    Brett Conine – FR – Cal State Fullerton – Pitched mostly in relief and had 5.10 ERA in 15 appearances with 24 strikeouts in 30 IP
    Robert Garcia – SO – UC Davis – Made 11 relief appearances before shining in starting role, finishing with 2.73 ERA, 78 Ks, .208 OBA
    Ty Harpenau – FR – Texas Tech – Mid-week starter and reliever has 6.85 ERA, 32 Ks for Super Regional bound Texas Tech
    Anthony Herron – JR – Jefferson College – Missouri State commit had 1.76 ERA, 89 Ks in 66.2 IP in junior college ranks
    Gunner Leger – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year starred as Friday starter this year, with 2.26 ERA, 81 Ks
    Casey Mize – FR – Auburn – Had solid season in bullpen and mid-week rotation, finishing at 3.52 with 59 Ks in 69 IP
    Zachary Pop – SO – Kentucky – One of Northwoods top prospects last year had 5.21 ERA this spring in relief and mid-week starts
    Ryan Selmer – RS SO – Maryland – Led team in appearances and saved four games with 4.50 ERA
    Ethan Small – FR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 20 Ks in 10.1 IP, though ERA is high thanks to two rough outings
    Nick Sprengel – FR – San Diego – Went 5-7 with 5.92 ERA as starter and reliever but fanned 70 in 65.1 innings
    Jake Walters – SO – Alabama – Top starter for Tide finished with 2.67 ERA, 84 Ks in 84.1 innings
    Ryan Wilson – SO – Pepperdine – Started three games before taking on closer’s role and finished with six saves, 0.63 ERA
     

    CATCHERS

    Joey Bart – FR – Georgia Tech – 27th-round pick out of high school started 41 games as a freshman and hit .296
    Colton Shaver – SO – BYU – Hit 13 homers as a frosh and didn’t slow down much this year, batting .335 with 10 long balls, 57 RBI
    Harrison Wenson – JR – Michigan – Johnny Bench Award semifinalist hit .289 with team-high 8 HR and 56 RBI
     

    INFIELDERS

    Alex Destino – SO – South Carolina – One of top prospects in Coastal Plain League last year hitting .325 with 10 HR, 59 RBI
    Cole Freeman – SO – LSU – JUCO transfer hitting .324 while starting every game in first season with Tigers
    Preston Grand Pre – SO – California – Batted .290 with five steals and .349 OBP while manning second base for Golden Bears
    K.J. Harrison – SO – Oregon State – PAC 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 saw average dip a bit to .265 but still hit 10 HR, 28 XBH
    Nick Madrigal – FR – Oregon State – 17th-round pick, highly-touted recruit hit .333, made only five errors at second base in debut
    Gavin Sheets – SO – Wake Forest – Finished second on the team behind All-American Will Craid with .326 average, nine homers, 45 RBI
    Adrian Tovalin – SO – Azusa Pacific – Had huge year for D-II Cougars, hitting .365 with 22 home runs
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Luke Bonfield – SO – Arkansas – Hit .211 in 27 games for Y-D last summer and batted .304 with eight home runs this spring
    Carl Chester – SO – Miami – Grabbed full-time spot this year and is hitting .338 with 2 HR and team-high 16 steals
    Jonathan Engelmann – SO – Michigan – Hit .257 as a sophomore in 39 games
    Austen Wade – SO – TCU – Saw limited action last year before emergence this season has led to .307 AVG, 25 RBI, 13 SB