early look: cotuit

COTUIT KETTLEERS
Manager: Mike Roberts
Last Season: 14-27-3

Cotuit was right in the thick of things through the early part of last summer, but when things went south, they went way south. The Kettleers hit the skids in July and went on a 12-game losing streak. In a 44-game season, that’s extremely difficult to recover from. They ended up finishing last in the Western Division, the first time since 2004 that they didn’t make the playoffs.

Clearly, the Kettleers had a lot of things go wrong. The biggest one was this: aside from Reese Havens, Cotuit didn’t have any stars. A couple of hitters had good seasons but didn’t truly separate themselves. A few pitchers showed flashes but didn’t deliver on a consistent basis.

That’s why it’s a little bit surprising that Cotuit’s 2008 roster has probably the fewest hyped players of any roster in the league.

But hype doesn’t always make stars, and sometimes, the best Cape League teams are the ones that are solid, not necessarily spectacular. If the Kettleers have success this year, that’s probably how they’ll do it.

One player returns from last year – Robert Stock – and he’s the one with the most hype. He gives the Kettleers a solid foundation and he should one of the top two catchers in the league this summer.

Aside from that, Cotuit’s a little tough to read. Mike Leake would give them a bona fide ace, but he was on Team USA’s initial invites list, meaning he probably won’t be in Cotuit this summer. Tyler Ladendorf could be a star at the plate, but he’s likely to get drafted in the early rounds this June.

But if being solid is the name of the game, the Kettleers could be in good shape. They have twice as many sophomores as freshmen so they’ll be a veteran team, and on top of that, a majority of their hitters are turning in great college seasons.

For now, I don’t know if that’s enough to put Cotuit in the same breath as some of the teams with loaded rosters like Wareham. But come summer, the Kettleers could very well be right there.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen : 8

Notable

• As I mentioned above, Arizona State’s Mike Leake is a Team USA invitee, and losing him would be a big blow to the pitching staff. Leake is 7-1 with a 3.45 ERA for the Sun Devils this spring.
• If Leake indeed goes with Team USA, Florida State’s Matt Fairel is a likely choice to take the torch. Fairel is 9-1 for the Seminoles with a 2.84 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 76 innings.
• Fairel, Mario Hollands, Casey Gaynor, and Zach von Tersch look like the top candidates to grab spots in the starting rotation
• Drew Stoern, Steve Richards and Daniel Wolford have all been putting up great numbers out of the bullpen this spring
• I wrote a lot below about JUCO player Tyler Ladendorf. The gist is he’s really good, he might get drafted very high and if he makes it to the Cape, he’ll be an interesting player to watch.
• I’m curious to see what Robert Stock can do this year. Last summer, he was the youngest player on the Cape by far and hit a wall late in the season. As he tries to ramp things up for the 2009 draft, you can expect big things.
• Outfielders Tyler Holt (Florida State), Brett Jackson (Cal) and Jeff Schaus (Clemson) are all hitting well over .300 for their college teams.
• In case you start wondering, the Evan Crawford slated to play shortstop for the Kettleers is not the same Evan Crawford who pitched last summer for Harwich

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Mike Leake
2. Robert Stock
3. Tyler Ladendorf
4. Matt Fairel
5. Mario Hollands

Pitchers
Paul Applebee – LHP – 6’3 185 – UC-Riverside – Sophomore
Seth Blair – RHP – 6’1 195 – Arizona State – Freshman
Brandon Cumpton – RHP – 6’1 190 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Matt Fairel – LHP – 6’3 200 – Florida State – Sophomore
Casey Gaynor – RHP – 6’2 215 – Rutgers – Sophomore
Mario Hollands – LHP – 6’5 205 – UC-Santa Barbara – Sophomore
Mike Leake – RHP – 6’0 160 – Arizona State – Freshman
Steve Richards – LHP – 5’11 160 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Trent Rothlin – RHP – 6‘1 185 – Clemson – Freshman
Drew Storen – RHP – 6’1 165 – Stanford – Freshman
Zach Von Tersch – RHP – 6’5 215 – Georgia Tech – Sophomore
Daniel Wolford – RHP – 6’2 210 – California - Sophomore


Paul Applebee – LHP – 6’3 185
UC-Riverside
Sophomore
Applebee saw very limited action as a freshman for the Highlanders, but he has emerged this season as one of the team’s top pitchers. In 12 appearances – five starts – he has a 4.25 ERA to go with 30 strikeouts and eight walks.

Seth Blair – RHP – 6’1 195
Arizona State
Freshman
Blair was the top player in Illinois as a high school senior and he took his talents to the desert after being drafted in the 47th round. So far, he’s been used both as a starter and as a reliever. He has a 7.82 ERA in 14 appearances.

Brandon Cumpton – RHP – 6’1 190
Georgia Tech
Freshman
Cumpton had a tremendous high school career in Evans, Ga., and has seen a lot of action for the Yellow Jackets in this his freshman season. So far, he has a 6.21 ERA in 10 appearances.

Matt Fairel – LHP – 6’3 200
Florida State
Sophomore
After a solid freshman campaign that saw him work mostly out of the bullpen, Fairel has made the transition to the rotation, and he has made it well. With an 8-1 record and a 2.81 ERA, he has become the Seminoles’ top starting pitcher, as well as one of the top starters in the ACC.

Casey Gaynor – RHP – 6’2 215
Rutgers
Sophomore
Gaynor started all season as a freshman and has become Rutgers’ best starter this year. Despite a 1-4 record, he has a 3.32 ERA with 39 strikeouts and nine walks in 40.2 innings. As a side note, Gaynor was a member of the Tom’s River, N.J., Little League team that won a world championship in Williamsport. Former Scarlet Knight and Chatham A Todd Frazier was also on that team.

Mario Hollands – LHP – 6’5 205
UC-Santa Barbara
Redshirt Freshman
A highly-touted lefthander, Hollands red-shirted in his first year on campus but has moved into the weekend rotation this year and has been solid. In 10 starts, he has a 3.12 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 60 innings.

Mike Leake – RHP – 6’0 160
Arizona State
Sophomore
Leake turned in a very impressive freshman season last year and he hasn’t shown any signs of a sophomore slump. In 11 starts, Leake has a 7-1 record, a 3.29 ERA, and 68 strikeouts against 12 walks. Last summer, he stayed in Arizona and played in a collegiate league there. He should make a big splash this summer on the Cape.

Steve Richards – LHP – 5’11 160
Arkansas
Sophomore
Richards put up some decent numbers as a freshman but has become Arkansas’ best reliever this season. In 13 appearances – all out of the bullpen – the lefty has a 3.27 ERA with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 22 innings.

Trent Rothlin – RHP – 6‘1 185
Clemson
Freshman
Rothlin was a late-round draft pick out of high school but hasn’t quite found his footing yet for the Tigers. In seven appearances, he has a 9.69 ERA. According to Clemson’s official site, Rothlin battled injuries in the fall ball season.

Drew Storen – RHP – 6’1 165
Stanford
Freshman
Hailing from Brownsburg, Ind., Storen made the long trek to Palo Alto and it’s been worth the trip, based on his performance so far. Storen has been pretty dominant coming out of the bullpen. In 18 appearances, he has four saves, a 2.97 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 10 walks in 33 innings.

Zach Von Tersch – RHP – 6’5 215
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
Von Tersch is an imposing figure on the mound and he has the numbers to match this season. After posting an ERA over 10 last year, he has moved into the rotation this season and has a 3.44 ERA in 10 starts.

Daniel Wolford – RHP – 6’2 210
California
Sophomore
A transfer from Long Beach State, Wolford has been a key piece of No. 6 Cal’s bullpen. He has a 4.62 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 33 innings of work.


Position Players
Joey Lewis – C – 6’4 215 – Georgia – Sophomore
Robert Stock – C/P – 6’1 195 – USC – Sophomore
Kevin Patterson – 1B/C – 6’4 220 – Auburn – Freshman
Evan Crawford – SS – 6’2 160 – Indiana – Sophomore
Jeff Kobernus – 3B/OF – 6’2 190 – California – Sophomore
Tyler Ladendorf – INF/OF – 6’1 205 – Howard College – Sophomore
Dallas Poulk – INF – 6’0 180 – NC State – Sophomore
Robbie Shields – INF – 6’1 195 – Florida Southern – Sophomore
Blair Dunlap – OF – 5’11 185 – UCLA – Junior
Tyler Holt – OF – 6’0 180 – Florida State – Freshman
Brett Jackson – OF – 6’2 210 – California – Sophomore
Jeff Schaus – OF – 6’1 200 – Clemson – Freshman

Joey Lewis – C – 6’4 215
Georgia
Sophomore
Lewis started 49 games at catcher for the Bulldogs last year and is on a similar pace this season, though he’s also seeing some time at the DH spot. Through 43 games, he’s hitting .259 with three home runs and 21 RBI.

Robert Stock – C/P – 6’1 195
USC
Sophomore
Stock was one of the more interesting stories in college baseball last spring and on the Cape last summer. A highly-touted prospect, he skipped his senior year of high school to enroll early at USC then became the youngest player on the Cape when he signed on with Cotuit. He was an all-star before a late-season slump left his final batting average at .228 Still, Stock is a major prospect and is hitting .311 in this his sophomore season. He also moonlights as a relief pitcher.

Kevin Patterson – 1B/C – 6’4 220
Auburn
Freshman
Patterson was a 24th-round pick out of high school last year after posting a career .392 average in high school. The results haven’t yet been there this season, with Patterson hitting .242. He does have four home runs, and his versatility should be a major asset this summer.

Evan Crawford – SS – 6’2 160
Indiana
Sophomore
Crawford emerged as a dynamic player for the Hoosier last year and he’s only gotten better. After hitting .311 and stealing 18 bases as a freshman, he’s hitting .329 this year, and is already up to 12 steals.

Jeff Kobernus – 3B/OF – 6’2 190
California
Sophomore
Kobernus burst onto the scene last year and earned Freshman All-American honors after hitting .331, good for second best on the team. This season, Kobernus has hit .309 with 16 extra-base hits, and he’s maintained that steady pace despite a position shift. After playing in the outfield last year, he’s become Cal’s starting third baseman this season.

Tyler Ladendorf – INF/OF – 6’1 205
Howard College
Sophomore
Ladendorf is an intriguing player, and he’ll be someone to watch if he actually makes it to Cotuit. Ladendorf plays for Howard College, a junior college in Texas. He’s there largely because he was a draft-and-follow player back in 2006, when he was picked in the 34th round by the Yankees. Leading up to the ’07 draft, he opted not to sign with the Yankees, thus entering the draft again. He was again a 34th-round pick, this time by the Giants, and again he didn’t sign. Since then, his stock has risen significantly. This season for Howard, he’s hitting .552 with 14 home runs and 29 steals in 30 attempts. Last year, he was 65 for 65 in stolen bases. The future is up in the air for Ladendorf, who could go in the early rounds of this June’s draft. Regardless of where he goes, he may end up on the Cape looking to gain some leverage. If he again chooses not to sign after the draft, he has committed to Oklahoma for next year.

Dallas Poulk – INF – 6’0 180
NC State
Sophomore
Poulk made a big splash in his freshman season for the Wolfpack, leading the team with a .394 batting average and earning Freshman All-America honors in the process. He’s seen his numbers drop this year, with the average dipping to .277.

Robbie Shields – INF – 6’1 195
Florida Southern
Sophomore
Shields started 60 games as a freshman and hit .298 with eight home runs. Things have been even better this year, as Shields leads the team with a .354 average and nine home runs while holding down the starting shortstop job.

Blair Dunlap – OF – 5’11 185
UCLA
Redshirt Sophomore
Dunlap hit .300 in his freshman season with the Bruins but missed almost all of last season with an injury. After receiving a medical redshirt, Dunlap has worked his way back but the numbers haven’t yet followed. In 23 games this year, he’s hitting .232.

Tyler Holt – OF – 6’0 180
Florida State
Freshman
Holt has started every game of his freshman season with the powerful Seminoles and has done his part in helping FSU to its lofty rankings. Through 42 games, Holt has hit .320 with three home runs and 27 RBI.

Brett Jackson – OF – 6’2 210
California
Sophomore
Jackson got 19 starts in center field as a freshman last year and didn’t put up great numbers. But changed that tune in the Northwoods League, where he hit .343. So far this season, he’s built on that performance. He’s hitting .329 with an on-base percentage of .436.

Jeff Schaus – OF – 6’1 200
Clemson
Freshman
Schaus hasn’t shown a lot of power, but he has hit early and often with the Tigers. In 44 games, he has a .318 average, second on the team. Schaus was a 35th-round pick out of high school.