freshman watch: hitters

I always like to keep an eye on players who come to the Cape after their freshman seasons. I do this because, in a league dominated by sophomores, any freshmen who earn invites are typically the cream of the crop. Invites go out before their freshmen seasons begin, so they're given the nod based on reputation. Only those who are highly-touted get the call.

For the freshmen, themselves, a big summer on the Cape can mean big things. In a way, it sets them on a path. If they sustain their level of play, they'll stay on that path and eventually hit paydirt.

So to keep an eye on these young stars, I've put together a leaderboard for the freshmen. First, the hitters.

PLAYER	COLLEGE	CAPE TEAM	AVG
Cole Figueroa	Florida	Harwich	.325
Sean Ochinko	LSU	Y-D	.321
Josh Phegley	Indiana	Wareham	.309
Addison Johnson	Clemson	Chatham	.299
Kyle Seager	North Carolina	Chatham	.289
Grant Green	USC	Y-D	.284
Robert Stock	USC	Cotuit	.279
Blake Dean	LSU	Wareham	.276

Figueroa is following up a great spring with an even better summer. The shortstop was named to Freshman All-America teams from several different publications after hitting .332 with 11 home runs. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder only has one home run this summer, but his average and his .423 OBP are very impressive. Figueroa was a ninth-round pick out of high school, and is surely headed for the higher rounds in a few years.

Ochinko was a catcher and a first baseman for LSU, and he's pulling the same duty for Y-D. He's played 20 games at first and five behind the plate. His slugging percentage (.543) is among the best in the league.

Phegley has made a big splash, as well. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound catcher has split time behind the plate with Bryan Garrity, and he's made the most of his time. In 22 games, he's hitting .309 with five extra base-hits. For a catcher, that's great, and for a freshman catcher, it's even better.