Streaking

Cole Freeman is now leading the league in hitting.
Cole Freeman is now leading the league in hitting.

 
For all the dominant pitching in Harwich, the comeback from a tough start in Yarmouth and the steady performances in Falmouth, the summer’s longest win streak belongs to the Wareham Gatemen.

A 4-3 victory in 10 innings over Brewster Tuesday night was the seventh victory in a row for the Gatemen. Sitting at 13-14-3 before the streak began with losses in four of their last five, the Gatemen have stormed to complete control of second place in the West and cemented their spot as one of the league’s top four teams. They’re now 20-14-3.

The drama of Tuesday’s one-run, extra-inning victory was nothing new. Five of the seven victories in the streak have been one-run games. Wareham has had a knack for winning those games with late pushes and solid performances by the bullpen.

Much of Tuesday’s game had the streak in jeopardy. Brewster scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and watched ace Zac Lowther (Xavier) strike out eight in 6.2 scoreless innings.

Wareham didn’t get on the board until the ninth inning but made up for lost time. Singles by Joey Bartosic (George Washington) and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) and a walk to Dominic Miroglio (San Francisco) loaded the bases with nobody out. Colton Shaver (BYU) brought a run home with a groundout and an error on a ground ball by Alex Destino (South Carolina) allowed the tying runs to score.

The Gatemen then took the lead in the 10th on three straight singles and a sacrifice fly by Miroglio. Jake Matthys (Angelo State), who had already pitched a scoreless ninth, did the same in the bottom of the 10th to seal the comeback win for the Gatemen.

Bartosic had three hits to lead the offense and Sheets had two. Freeman also had two and officially qualified for the batting title, a race that he now leads with a .387 mark. Freeman has been a key to the win streak, batting leadoff and getting 10 hits.

In addition to Matthys, Wareham got shut-down relief work before the comeback from Dalton Horton (TCU) and Clayton Gelfand (Chico State).

 

Harwich 7, Orleans 5

Joe Dunand (NC State) is emerging as a league MVP candidate and his latest big game helped lead Harwich to a key win over Orleans. Dunand went 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI and is on a six-game hitting streak, bumping his average to .373. He ranks second in the league in hitting, tied for sixth in home runs and is fifth in RBI — the only player to dot all three leaderboards. Dunand’s RBI double in the third started a comeback from an early 3-1 deficit and Harwich went on to the victory. Coupled with a Y-D loss, the win means the Mariners and Red Sox are locked in a first-place tie in the East. Ernie Clement (Virginia) added three hits and two runs scored for Harwich and Jonathan India (Florida) had two hits and scored twice. The top three hitters in the order — India, Clement and Dunand — scored six of the team’s seven runs. Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s) got the win in relief and Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to close out the win. Orleans, which dropped its fourth in a row and fell to 16-20-1, got a home run from Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt).

Falmouth 7, Hyannis 3

The Commodores trailed 1-0 from the first inning through the sixth but blasted their way to a late rally and a win over Hyannis with three runs in the seventh, three in the eighth and one in the ninth. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had an RBI single, Willie Burger (Penn State) a sac fly and Tristan Gray (Rice) an RBI double to key the first rally and the Commodores were off and running. Gray finished with two hits to lead the charge and Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) added an RBI. The late surge made a winner out of Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), who allowed a run for the first time since July 1 and responded with six scoreless innings to keep it a 1-0 game. Justin Lewis (Kentucky) struck out eight in six innings for Hyannis.

Bourne 3, Cotuit 2

The Braves went to 5-0 against Cotuit this season and pushed the Kettleers closer to the brink of playoff race elimination with a comeback win at Lowell Park. Trailing 2-0 in the eighth, the Braves got three straight singles ahead of an error, a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to grab the lead. Sean Leland (Louisville) and Brendon Little (North Carolina) pitched a scoreless inning each to keep the Braves in front and seal the win. Willy Yahn (Connecticut) and Connor Wong (Houston) led the Bourne offense with two hits each. Cotuit, which lost its second straight and fell to 12-24-1, got four good innings from standout freshman Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina).

Chatham 5, Y-D 4

The Anglers knocked off the East’s best and moved within one game of fourth-place Brewster with a dramatic comeback from four runs down in the ninth. Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) got the Anglers within two on a two-run single with one out in the ninth. Y-D made it two outs, but Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) smacked a three-run homer on a 2-2 count to give Chatham its first lead of the game. It was the first homer of the summer for Fairchild, who came in hitting .242. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) and D.J. Artis (Liberty) added hits to the rally for Chatham, which had notched just one hit before the ninth inning. Moises Ceja (UCLA) pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth inning to complete the comeback win. For Y-D, Chatham’s comeback spoiled a dominant start from Jared Janczak (TCU), who went six scoreless innings.
 

What to Watch

Falmouth and Y-D, owners of the best two records in the league, square off at Arnie Allen Diamond at 6 p.m. All-star Brendan King (Holy Cross), who hasn’t allowed a run since June 24, goes for Falmouth against Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina), who has gone 13.1 scoreless innings over his last two starts.
 

Back in Red

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Chatham released Texas Tech standout Tanner Gardner Monday after a brief stay on the Cape. His time included a dramatic walk-off home run that gave the Anglers a win in his debut.

Tuesday, the Anglers found another Red Raider with a flair for the dramatic.

Orlando Garcia (Texas Tech) hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth as Chatham beat Brewster 4-3. The win snapped a five-game losing streak and an eight-game winless streak that included one tie. Chatham’s last win was July 6 – when Gardner hit his walk-off.

The Anglers trailed 3-0 in the early going before pushing two runs across in the fifth. They still trailed in the ninth when three straight singles allowed them to tie the game. Stuart Fairchild’s (Wake Forest) base hit brought the tying run home.

Garcia came up next and fell behind in the count 1-2. He fouled two pitches off then smacked a single to right field to score Simon Matthews (Georgetown) with the winning run.

Garcia came in hitting .109 since his arrival July 2, after he had hit .265 for the Red Raiders. The walk-off gave him his first RBI of the summer.

John Aiello (Wake Forest) added an RBI for the Anglers and Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) went 3-for-4. Starter Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) allowed three runs in five innings. Three relievers allowed just one hit over the final four innings.

Brewster got two hits from Brent Rooker (Mississippi State). Zac Lowther (Xavier) struck out eight in five innings and remained in the league lead with 45 on the year.

The win was a big one for Chatham, which would have fallen five points behind Brewster for the final playoff spot with a loss.

 

Y-D 1, Orleans 0

The Red Sox continue to be at their best against Orleans, finishing the regular season series 5-1 and continuing to get some breathing room in the standings as a result. The lone run of the game scored in the bottom of the 10th inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton). Kevin Smith (Maryland) had started the frame with a single then moved to second on a stolen base and third on a wild pitch. Two walks then loaded the bases. The rally made a winner out of Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine), who had pitched a scoreless top of the 10th. That followed two innings from Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) and a strong start by Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina), who delivered a second straight scoreless outing. For Orleans, Jason Morgan (North Carolina) went six scoreless frames. Y-D improved to 20-12 and has matched Falmouth for the best record in the league. The Red Sox remain tied for first place in the East with Harwich, who is 19-11-2. Orleans fell to 15-16-1.

 

What to Watch

Back to a full slate of games today and should be an interesting match-up in Harwich when Falmouth comes to town. League ERA leader Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) goes for the Commodores against Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s), who has a 2.16 ERA.

 

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.
 

Back in Town

J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.
J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.

 
J.J. Matijevic came back to the Cape with a bang.

An all-star last summer and probably the top returning player currently on a Cape League roster, Matijevic (Arizona) made his season debut on the Fourth of July and smacked a two-run homer that sent Falmouth to a 2-0 win over Cotuit.

Matijevic finished third in the league in hitting last summer, batting .333 with four home runs. He hit .287 with four homers this spring and was a key part of Arizona’s runner-up finish in the College World Series.

He wasted little time returning to Falmouth after Thursday’s final game in the CWS championship series. Monday, he was in the starting lineup for the Commodores, batting second and playing first base.

His homer in the fifth inning – after a Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) walk – was all the offense Falmouth needed. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just two hits and fanned seven in seven shutout innings. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) finished the shutout with a scoreless inning each.

Tristan Gray (Rice) added two hits for the Commodores and Joshua Watson (TCU) – another late arrival from Omaha – also had two.

Falmouth and Cotuit split their holiday series, with the Commodores improving to 11-10 after Monday’s win.

 

Wareham 2, Bourne 1

A holiday sweep of Bourne has Wareham alone in first place in the West. The Gatemen rode strong pitching and an opportunistic offense to their third consecutive victory and their second in a row over the Braves. Zachary Pop (Kentucky) gave up one run in five innings in his second start of the summer and Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette) was again dominant in relief. Leger, who has made two starts and two relief appearances, has given up three hits in 11 innings with 15 strikeouts this season. Monday, he surrendered one hit in three scoreless innings and struck out four. Casey Mize (Auburn) followed Leger and pitched the ninth for the save. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 to lead the offense and his RBI single in the second – following an error – staked Wareham to a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Bart scored what proved to be the winning run on a passed ball, making both of Wareham’s runs unearned. That made for a hard-luck loss for Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) who struck out eight and six innings and now leads the league in strikeouts.

Harwich 11, Brewster 7

For the first time all season, an opponent scored more than five runs against Harwich – and the Mariners won anyway. They racked up 20 hits – which might be a league-season high – and broke a 7-7 tie with a grand slam in the top of the eighth for a slugfest win over Brewster. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington), back after a stint at Team USA trials, came through with the grand slam after a single and two walks loaded the bases. It was Feight’s first homer of the summer. Austin Filiere (MIT) also homered and drove in two, Antoine Duplantis (LSU) had two hits and two RBI and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) had three hits each. Harwich raised its team batting average from .246 to .260. Brewster had plenty of offense of its own, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) going 4-for-4 with two RBI, Matt Davis (VCU) getting three hits and Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) driving in three runs. It was the fourth straight loss for Brewster.

Chatham 6, Orleans 3

The longest win streak in the league met its end at Veterans Field as Chatham topped Orleans 6-3. The Anglers took a lead in the fifth, added to it in the seventh and held off a push by Orleans. Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) struck out eight and allowed just an unearned run in 5.2 innings for the win. Austin Magestro (UNC Wilmington) notched a four-out save. Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) and Jordan Romero (LSU) led the Anglers at the plate with two hits and an RBI apiece. Chase Pinder (Clemson), Sean Bouchard (UCLA) and Patrick Mathis (Texas) drove in one run each. Orleans – which had won five in a row – got a home run from Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) but only six hits on the day.

Hyannis 8, Y-D 5

The second-longest win streak in the league also came to an end as Hyannis stopped Y-D’s four-game heater. The Harbor Hawks broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth on a Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) RBI double and a two-run single by Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee). Garrett Cave (Florida International) ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless ninth for the save. That made a winner out of James Harrington (New Mexico), who tossed three perfect innings of relief. Hudgins was one of four Harbor Hawks with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-3, Dylan Busby (Florida State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Trey Truitt (Mercer) went 2-for-5. Y-D got two hits and two RBI from J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara).

 

What to Watch

The best pitching staff in the league will try something a little different in the rotation as dominant reliever Austin Bain (LSU) makes his first start when Harwich hosts Bourne. Bain has 12 strikeouts in seven scoreless relief innings this summer.
 

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.

 

Anglers have depth, experience

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After a solid summer, Chatham is poised for a repeat as it welcomes in a team that’s older than most in the Cape League.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. J.B. Bukauskas
2. James Karinchak
3. Tanner Gardner
4. Chase Pinder
5. Nick Meservey

 

NOTABLE

  • The Anglers’ web roster includes everybody right now – temps and full contracts – so be prepared for a lot of names, some of which might not be around all summer.
  • I wrote last summer about the North Carolina aces that Chatham has had over the years. They have another one lined up in J.B. Bukauskas, though it remains to be seen if he’ll pitch on the Cape at all after accepting a Team USA invite.
  • Several teams on the Cape this summer will play with two or three rising seniors on the roster. Chatham has 20 of them listed on the roster right now. Some of them are on temporary contracts, but even in terms of full contract guys, the Anglers are very old by Cape League standards. They’ll risk losing some to the draft, but could be a veteran team if all pans out.
  • Chatham lost a couple of big names from its initial roster. Seattle’s Tarik Skubal was dominating the WAC before a season-ending injury. UC Irvine’s Keston Hiura, a Perfect Game Summer All-American last year in the West Coast League, hit .358 with seven homers but is no longer on the Anglers roster.
  • Tanner Gardner hit over .400 for much of the year at Texas Tech. He’s now at .376 as the Red Raiders head to the Super Regionals, having earned all-Big 12 honors.
  • Bryant and Boston College are part of a banner year for New England college baseball, with the Bulldogs earning Top 25 love and a No. 2 seed in a regional and the Eagles still alive in Super Regionals. The Anglers will give several of those teams standouts a chance to build on the success, with four Eagles and a Bulldog ticketed for Chatham. The best of the bunch are Bryant ace James Karinchak and BC standout freshman Jacob Stevens.
  • The Anglers have two returning catchers in BC’s Nick Sciortino and Richmond’s Kyle Adams. Neither had a lot of success with the bat last year but can provide a pretty good foundation behind the plate.
  • Chatham was set to have to players from Seattle. With Skubal’s injury, they’re down to one – but he’s a good one. Nick Meservey earned WAC Pitcher of the Year honors and could be a potential ace for the Anglers.
  • The ACC batting champ wasn’t freshman star Seth Beer or former Angler Will Craig or likely top-five pick Corey Ray. It was Pittsburgh’s Charles LeBlanc, who hit .405 and is bound for Chatham.
  • Chatham has made a concerted effort to find some small-school guys hungry to success on the Cape in recent years. Several fit the mold this year, including Joe Tietjen of UNC Asheville, Matt Vernon of Appalachian State and D.J. Artis of Liberty. All had big springs and will be eager to prove themselves this summer.
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    PITCHERS

    Reagan Bazar – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Towering righty (6-7, 250) had 1.93 ERA in nine relief appearances for Ragin’ Cajuns
    Kale Breaux – JR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances out of bullpen, with 19 Ks
    J.B. Bukauskas – SO – North Carolina – Turned in breakout sophomore season with 3.10 ERA, team-best 111 Ks in 78.1 innings
    Moises Ceja – JR – UCLA – Led Bruins in ERA with 2.60 mark in 25 relief appearances and fanned 23 in 27.2 innings
    Tanner Chock – JR – Presbyterian – Struck out 72 in 86 IP, 4.60 ERA for Blue Hose, who had program’s best-ever showing in Big South
    Tom Cosgrove – SO – Manhattan – Turned in breakout sophomore season for Jaspers with 3.70 ERA, 80 Ks in 90 IP
    Tony Dibrell – SO – Kennesaw State – After solid NECBL showing last year, tallied 4.64 ERA while striking out 66 in 54.1 IP this spring
    Christopher Farish – RS SO – Wake Forest – After redshirt and injury-limited year, made 35 appearances and struck out 35 in 28 innings
    Michael Fitzgerald – RS JR – Northeastern – Saved 11 games and struck out 32 in 38.2 innings, while leading team in appearances
    Jason Foley – JR – Sacred Heart – Went 4-4 with 5.68 ERA and fanned 47 in 58.2 innings
    Trevor Gay – SO – North Carolina – Led Charlotte in appearances last season before transferring to North Carolina, where he sat out this year
    Caleb Gilbert – FR – LSU – Has 5.04 ERA in 25 appearances, mostly out of the pen, to go with 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings
    Lincoln Henzman – JR – Louisville – Standout reliever for Super Regional-bound Cards has 4.50 ERA, 27 Ks in 24 innings
    Reed Howell – SO – Appalachian State – Led team in appearances by wide margin and posted 3.83 ERA with 37 Ks in 49.1 innings
    James Karinchak – JR – Bryant – NEC Pitcher of the Year for breakout Bryant team went 12-3 with 2.00 ERA, 112 Ks in 94.2 innings pitched
    Andrew Karp – SO – Florida State – Has 7.43 ERA in eight relief appearances for Seminoles
    Erikson Lanning – FR – Texas Tech – In midst of Up-and-down freshman season with 2-3 record, 5.91 ERA, 27 Ks
    Simon Matthews – JR – Georgetown – Moved into weekend rotation and went 5-4 with 2.45 ERA and 59 Ks in 95.1 IP
    Isaac Mattson – SO – Pittsburgh – Followed strong debut in Panthers bullpen with more of the same this year – 3.71 ERA, 31 Ks
    Nick Meservey – JR – Seattle – WAC Pitcher of the Year posted 2.32 ERA, 79 Ks in 81.1 innings
    Matt Pidich – RS SO – Pittsburgh – New Jersey native had good numbers in limited action last year, did not pitch this season
    Parker Rigler – JR – Kansas State – JUCO transfer served as weekend starter, went 4-9, with 4.89 ERA and 73 Ks in 77.1 IP
    Jacob Stevens – FR – Boston College – Has burst onto the scene for upstart Eagles, going 4-3, 2.14 ERA, team-best 68 Ks

     

    CATCHERS

    Kyle Adams – SO – Richmond – Back for second year in Chatham off breakout sophomore season – .321, three homers, 33 RBI
    Joseph Freiday – SO – Virginia Tech – Former Massachusetts Gatorade POY hit .226 with three homers while splitting time behind plate this year
    Alex LeFevre – RS JR – Connecticut – Transfer from junior college ranks hit .283 in part-time role for Huskies
    Jordan Romero – JR – LSU – JUCO transfer is tied for the team lead in home runs with nine and hitting an even .300
    Nick Sciortino – JR – Boston College – Returning Angler hit .169 last summer but has been solid this spring with .277 AVG
    Gunnar Troutwine – SO – Wichita State – Hit .278 and led Shockers with seven home runs in sophomore campaign
     

    INFIELDERS

    John Aiello – SO – Wake Forest – Hit only .226, but nearly half of 44 hits went for extra bases
    Sean Bouchard – JR – UCLA – Finished second on team with .295 AVG and chipped in two homers and 36 RBI
    Orlando Garcia – SO – Texas Tech – Batting .261 with seven home runs for Super Regional-bound Red Raiders
    Cam Hanley – JR – Northeastern – Hit .247 while starting 24 games for Huskies
    Charles LeBlanc – SO – Pittsburgh – Native of Canada won ACC batting title at .405, drove in 46 and stole seven bases
    Hunter Lee – SO – High Point – Started every game and hit .295 with 30 RBI
    David MacKinnon – JR – Hartford – Earned spot with Wareham last summer and hit .292 then batted .392 with 4 HR for Hawks
    Jake Palomaki – JR – Boston College – Infield and leadoff stalwart hitting .265 with team-high 19 stolen bases
    Jeremy Vasquez – SO – Florida – Following good summer in Northwoods by hitting .289 for Gators
    Matt Vernon – JR – Appalachian State – Hit .317 with 8 HR, 42 RBI, all team-bests for Mountaineers en route to all-conference nod
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    D.J. Artis – FR – Liberty – Red Sox 40th-round pick last year had big debut, finishing at .369 with two home runs and 23 stolen bases
    Donovan Casey – SO – Boston College – Hitting .266 with big contributions in postseason and has also pitched some for Eagles
    Matt Cook – SO – Wheaton – Harwich native hit .268 for D-III powerhouse Wheaton
    Stuart Fairchild – SO – Wake Forest – Started every game and hit .293 while ranking second on team in RBI with 47
    Tanner Gardner – SO – Texas Tech – One of nation’s top batting average guys all year, now at .376 with 3 HR, 18 2B, 43 RBI
    Brock Lundquist – SO – Long Beach State – Followed up all-conference freshman year by hitting .315 with three home runs
    Patrick Mathis – SO – Texas – Hit .297 with six home runs for Longhorns
    Chase Pinder – JR – Clemson – Brother of former Angler Chad, hitting .294 with 11 home runs for Super Regional club
    Joe Tietjen – JR – UNC Asheville – Earned second-team all-Big South honors by hitting .344 with 10 homers, 55 RBI