Early Look: Harwich

HARWICH MARINERS
Manager: Steve Englert
2008 Record: 24-20

The 2008 Harwich Mariners didn't have a ton of players on leaderboards and didn't really separate themselves in any of the team statistics.

And yet.

In a season filled with parity, the Mariners were the last team standing. They won the franchise's first league championship since 1987. They got hot at the right time, won a ridiculous 18-inning game over Orleans in the semis and rode the momentum to the title.

While getting hot was a big part of the run, for sure, Harwich manager Steve Englert wanted everybody to know that it wasn't the only part. All year, he said his Mariners had tremendous chemistry. In a league with essentially 10 all-star teams, how those teams fit together is as important as anything else. Harwich made things fit perfectly.

The hard part will be doing it again. When you're building a team at any level, chemistry is a tough attribute to quantify. For a summer league squad, a good place to start is taking players from successful programs. If they fit on a College World Series team, chances are they'll fit on a lot of other teams, too.

But you can have too much of a good thing, and that might be the case for Harwich in '09. The thing that stands out right now about Harwich's roster is this: nine players are on their way to Omaha, not on their way to Harwich. It's great for them. But it means the first few weeks of the season will be a little hectic in Harwich. Hopefully for the Mariners, that won't be a defining aspect of the season, but it's certainly something to keep an eye on.

Aside from the Omaha flavor, Harwich has some potential. The starting pitching would get a big lift from Fullerton's Daniel Renken, who's got the Team USA-College World Series double whammy. If he doesn't make it to Harwich, look for big things from guys like Aaron Meade, John Gast, Eric Jokisch, Justin Wright and Chase Reid. Geoff Parker and Glenn Troyanowski have been relievers all spring, and they should play big roles as well.

Five of the nine in Omaha are position players, so the lineup will probably be mixed and matched in the early going. If Bryce Brentz somehow doesn't go with Team USA, Harwich will have perhaps the best sophomore hitter in the country. There's enough depth to fill the hole, though, even if he does stick with Team USA. Twelve of Harwich's 15 position players hit over .300 this year and two who didn't -- Levi Michael and Trent Mummey -- hit double-digit home runs. There's also a veteran flavor to the offense, with four juniors.

As always, we'll have to wait and see how it fits together, but on paper, the Mariners can make a pretty good case to be called the best team in the East.

They just hope it all fits together at the right time.


Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 2
Juniors: 4
Sophomores: 21
Freshmen: 4

Notable

• The nine CWS-bound players come from four different teams -- North Carolina, LSU, Cal State Fullerton and Virginia. Off the top of my head, I'd call those teams four of the top six who are in Omaha, so we may not see many early exits.


• I should note that, this time last year, Harwich had six players on its roster who were headed to Omaha. I guess that worked out alright.


• I'm hoping Daniel Renken will make it to Harwich and not Team USA. He has been one of the nation's best sophomore pitchers, and has been particularly good lately. After a Super Regional loss to him, Louisville coach Dan McDonell called Renken the best pitcher his team had faced all year.


• Like a couple of other teams, Harwich doesn't have a ton of weekend starters, but I think one of them, Aaron Meade, could turn into a potential ace, based on what he did this year. He struck out around a batter an inning for Missouri State and had a 3.39 ERA.


• I'm sure Vandy's Chase Reid is looking forward to a return to New England. He pitched for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL last year and struck 11 for every batter he walked.


• We'll see how things shake out with starters and relievers, but Harwich could have some lights-out guys in the bullpen -- Daniel Bradshaw, Nate Striz, Geoff Parker and Glen Troyanowski.


• Harwich continues an '09 league trend that I'll probably touch on soon: really productive catchers. Anthony Sosnoskie had a great season for Virginia Tech, while Jeff Vigurs put up huge numbers for Bryant. Every team seems to have good offensive catchers, and Harwich should be right there.


• D.J. LeMahieu is certainly a guy to keep an eye on in the coming days. As I'm writing this at 10:00 on Tuesday, he hasn't been drafted, but he could go in the first few rounds. He's also in Omaha. From everything I've read, he didn't flash as much power as scouts hoped this year and he also got moved off shortstop. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he's a prime candidate to head to the Cape and look for some leverage. UPDATE (6/9 10:21 p.m.): He literally got drafted two minutes after I posted this. He goes to the Cubs in the second round, with the 79th overall pick. That's pretty high. He might not need leverage.


• Virginia has a ton of good hitters this season, and Harwich-bound Phil Gosselin and Dan Grovatt are two of the best.


• Since I'm sure he'll be with Team USA if he wants to be -- he's not going to get cut -- I'm going to do my best to not get over-excited about Bryce Brentz. But I really hope he somehow ends up in Harwich. If you're not familiar with him, he led the nation in batting average and tied for the lead in home runs.


• Team USA updated its invite list today and Ross Wilson was one of two new additions. He's coming off a real good sophomore season at Alabama.


• Even without Brentz and Wilson, this offense has the potential to be really good.

Five Players I'm Excited to See
1. Bryce Brentz
2. Daniel Renken
3. D.J. LeMahieu
4. Levi Michael
5. Trent Mummey

Pitchers

Daniel Bradshaw - RHP - 6'1 208 - LSU - Sophomore
Garrett Davis - RHP - 6'4 215 - North Carolina - RS Freshman
*Brian Dupra - RHP - 6'3 205 - Notre Dame - Sophomore
John Gast - LHP - 6'2 215 - Florida State - Sophomore
Mike Gipson - RHP - 6'1 195 - Florida Atlantic - Sophomore
Eric Jokisch - LHP - 6'2 180 - Northwestern - Sophomore
Aaron Meade - LHP - 6'3 185 - Missouri State - Sophomore
Nate Striz - RHP - 6'2 240 - North Carolina - Sophomore
Geoff Parker - RHP - 6'3 240 - Florida State - Sophomore
Matthew Price - RHP - 6'2 165 - Virginia Tech - Freshman
Justin Wright - LHP - 5'9 170 - Virginia Tech - Sophomore
Chase Reid - RHP - 6'3 205 - Vanderbilt - Sophomore
Daniel Renken - RHP - 6'4 200 - Cal State Fullerton - Sophomore
Glen Troyanowski - RHP - 6'1 165 - Florida Atlantic - Sophomore


Daniel Bradshaw - RHP - 6'1 208
LSU
Sophomore

Bradshaw put up pretty solid numbers as a freshman reliever, and he's been even better this year for the Omaha-bound Tigers. Nineteen of his 23 appearances have come out of the bullpen, and he's been one of the team's best relievers. He's got a 4-0 record, a 3.38 record and 32 strikeouts against 11 walks in 45.1 innings of work.

Garrett Davis - RHP - 6'4 215
North Carolina
RS Freshman

A North Carolina high school star, Davis didn't get much of a chance to make a splash last year in Chapel Hill. After two appearances, he had Tommy John surgery and took a redshirt. This season, Davis has made nine appearances, posting a 4.50 ERA.

Brian Dupra - RHP - 6'3 205
Notre Dame
Sophomore

Dupra was a pretty solid reliever for Harwich last summer, posting a 3.40 ERA while tying for the team lead in appearances. His second year at Notre Dame was a struggle. Dupra pitched in the weekend rotation and put up a 7.13 ERA. He struck out 48 and only walked 16, but opponents hit over .300 against him.

John Gast - LHP - 6'2 215
Florida State
Sophomore

Gast was a fifth-round pick out of high school in 2007, but Tommy John surgery kept him out for much of his freshman season at Florida State. He eventually worked his way back and posted a 2.70 ERA in 14 appearances. This season, Gast made 28 appearances with three starts. He ended up with a 5.82 ERA.

Mike Gipson - RHP - 6'1 195
Florida Atlantic
Sophomore

Gipson hasn't registered great ERA's in his two years at Florida Atlantic -- 6.10 last year and 5.93 this year -- but some of his peripheral numbers have been pretty good. He struck out 58 in 62 innings last year and 64 in 71 innings this season.

Eric Jokisch - LHP - 6'2 180
Northwestern
Sophomore

Jokisch was a 39th-round pick out of high school, and he made an immediate impact last year in Evanston. His 8-2 record and 4.17 ERA earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. His seven wins in conference play were the most-ever by a freshman in Big Ten history. This year, Jokisch went 4-7 with a 5.48 ERA.

Aaron Meade - LHP - 6'3 185
Missouri State
Sophomore

Joining former Brewster Whitecaps Buddy Baumann and Tim Clubb in the Missouri State weekend rotation, Meade delivered a fantastic sophomore season. He went 9-2 with a 3.39 ERA and he struck out 89 in 90.1 innings. All his numbers put him just behind Baumann's pace, and Baumann is projected as a fifth or sixth-round pick this year.

Nate Striz - RHP - 6'2 240
North Carolina
Sophomore

Striz has been one of North Carolina's best relievers this season. He's third on the team in appearances and he boasts a 3.42 ERA. He has struck out 27 in 23.2 innings. Opponents have hit just .216 against him, second-best on the team. Striz played for Falmouth last summer, posting a 5.63 ERA in seven relief appearances. Striz was a fifth-round pick out of high school.

Geoff Parker - RHP - 6'3 240
Florida State
Sophomore

A Freshman All-American last year, Parker was a workhorse for the Seminoles this season, and he had a fair amount of success. He led the team with 31 appearances, going 6-2 with a 4.82 ERA. He struck out 65 in 65.1 innings of work.

Matthew Price - RHP - 6'2 165
Virginia Tech
Freshman

Price was a 34th round pick out of high school last year, and he showed some flashes this season in Blacksburg. Though his ERA climbed to 6.90, he struck out 53 in 58.2 innings.

Justin Wright - LHP - 5'9 170
Virginia Tech
Sophomore

As a freshman, Wright worked his way into a starting role and had a great season. This year, he went 7-2 with a 3.95 ERA. He struck out 59 and walked only 17 in 66 innings.

Chase Reid - RHP - 6'3 205
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Reid posted a 4.30 ERA last year for Vandy then became one of the best pitchers in the NECBL last summer. Pitching for the Newport Gulls, he went 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, 55 strikeouts in 38.1 innings and just five walks. This spring, he pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Commodores, finishing with a 4.46 ERA, 38 strikeouts and 10 walks in 34.1 innings.

Daniel Renken - RHP - 6'4 200
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore

Renken was a 35th-round pick out of high school and he turned in a solid freshman season last year. This year, he's been far better than solid as he has turned into one of the nation's best pitchers. He has gone 11-2 with a 2.36 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 118 innings. Renken has been invited to Team USA.

Glen Troyanowski - RHP - 6'1 165
Florida Atlantic
Sophomore

Troyanowski served as Florida Atlantic's closer this season and though he had an ERA above five, he tallied a team-best six saves. He also struck out 50 in 40.1 innings, which gave him the team's best K/9 ratio. Opponents hit just .234 against him.


Position Players

Anthony Sosnoskie - C - 5'11 193 - Virginia Tech - Junior
Jeff Vigurs - C - 6'0 190 - Bryant - Junior
Stephen Cardullo - IF - 6'0 200 - Florida State - Junior
Phil Gosselin - IF - 6'1 185 - Virginia - Sophomore
Daniel Grovatt - IF - 6'2 187 - Virginia - Sophomore
*D.J. LeMahieu - IF - 6'4 200 - LSU - Sophomore
Levi Michael - IF - 5'10 175 - North Carolina - Freshman
Joe Loftus - IF - 6'4 200 - Vanderbilt - Freshman
Stuart Tapley - IF - 5'10 200 - Florida State - Sophomore
Chris Wade - IF - 6'0 160 - Kentucky - Sophomore
Ross Wilson - IF - 5'11 185 - Alabama - Sophomore
Bryce Brentz - OF - 6'0 187 - Middle Tennessee State - Sophomore
Jacob Goebbert - OF - 6'1 205 - Northwestern - Junior
Leon Landry - OF - 6'0 200 - LSU - Sophomore
Trent Mummey - OF - 5'11 185 - Auburn - Sophomore


Anthony Sosnoskie - C - 5'11 193
Virginia Tech
Junior

Sosnoskie has put up consistent numbers throughout his career at Virginia Tech. After hitting .292 as a freshman and .315 as a sophomore, he hit .314 this year with a career-high seven home runs and 51 RBI. He upped his on-base percentage almost 50 points from last year. BA ranked Sosnoskie as the fourth-best prospect in the Southern Collegiate League last year.

Jeff Vigurs - C - 6'0 190
Bryant
Junior

Bryant is making the transition to Division I, and Vigurs has been one of the program's biggest building blocks. He had a fantastic junior season, finishing with a .389 average, nine home runs, 23 doubles and 70 RBI. He also struck out just 15 times in 203 at-bats. Among players whose teams were reclassifying like Bryant, Vigurs was the nation's leading hitter and RBI man.

Stephen Cardullo - IF - 6'0 200
Florida State
Junior

Cardullo only played in 12 games as a freshman and only made 10 starts as a sophomore. But his patience was rewarded in a big way this season. As the Noles' starting shortstop and No. 2 hitter, Cardullo hit .376 with 10 home runs, 20 doubles and 51 RBI. He also had a .479 on-base percentage and stole 20 bases.

Phil Gosselin - IF - 6'1 185
Virginia
Sophomore

Gosselin has been a key part of Virginia's dynamic offense this season. After hitting .305 as a freshman, he has started every game this season. As the Cavaliers head to Omaha, Gosselin is hitting .314 with six home runs and 63 RBI.

Daniel Grovatt - IF - 6'2 187
Virginia
Sophomore

Along with Gosselin, Grovatt is part of a tremendous sophomore class at Virginia, and among his peers, he has had one of the best seasons. He's currently hitting a team-best .365 with seven home runs, 50 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

D.J. LeMahieu - IF - 6'4 200
LSU
Sophomore

LeMahieu was one of the most intriguing freshman prospects in the nation last year and he lived up to the hype with a great first season in Baton Rouge. After hitting .290 for Harwich last summer, LeMahieu has hit a team-best .340 for the Tigers this season, with four home runs and 19 extra-base hits. He's a draft-eligible sophomore and a potential high pick, so that'll definitely have an impact on his summer plans.

Levi Michael - IF - 5'10 175
North Carolina
Freshman

Six months ago, Michael was in high school. Now he's the starting second baseman for North Carolina as it heads into the College World Series. Michael graduated from high school in January and immediately enrolled at North Carolina. Though that's a pretty huge step without much time in between, Michael didn't miss a beat. He has .298 this season with 13 home runs and 56 RBI.

Joe Loftus - IF - 6'4 200
Vanderbilt
Freshman

Loftus was a 29th-round pick out of high school last year, and he made immediate contributions at Vandy. Emerging as the team's starting left-fielder, Loftus hit .263 with four home runs and 28 RBI.

Stuart Tapley - IF - 5'10 200
Florida State
Sophomore

Tapley had a fantastic freshman season in Tallahassee, hitting .383, which was good for fifth in the ACC. His average went down a bit this year, but he still had a strong season. He finished at .316 with 13 home runs, 18 doubles and 60 RBI.

Chris Wade - IF - 6'0 160
Kentucky
RS 3Sophomore

Wade led the SEC in doubles last year and earned several Freshman All-America nods. After hitting .228 in the Northwoods League, he batted .314 for Kentucky this season, hitting 10 doubles and six home runs. Wade played shortstop and made only six errors.

Ross Wilson - IF - 5'11 185
Alabama
Sophomore

The brother of Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson, Ross has made his mark on the baseball field. After hitting .295 with 15 home runs as a freshman, Wilson headed to Bourne last summer and hit .218. This spring, he was one of Alabama's top hitters, finishing at .353 with nine home runs and 47 RBI. Wilson is a late addition to Team USA's invite list.

Bryce Brentz - OF - 6'0 187
Middle Tennessee State
Sophomore

Based on production this season, it might be safe to call Brentz the nation's best sophomore. He has been invited to Team USA, so we might not get to see him, but if we do: wow. He led the nation with a .465 batting average and tied for the national lead with 28 home runs. He had 73 RBI. He was also a weekend starter for the Blue Raiders, and he went 5-3 with a 4.57 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 88.2 innings. Brentz was a 30th-round pick out of high school.

Jacob Goebbert - OF - 6'1 205
Northwestern
Junior

Goebbert finished his first two years at Northwestern with a career batting average of .343. It dipped a bit this year down to .280, but he didn't have a chance to bring it up. Playing against Minnesota this spring, he crashed into the wall at the Metrodome and lacerated a kidney. He missed the rest of the season, but should be ready for the summer.

Leon Landry - OF - 6'0 200
LSU
Sophomore

A 36th-round pick out of high school, Landry made a big impact as a freshman in Baton Rouge, helping lead the Tigers to last year's College World Series. This season, he's hitting .305 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. Landry was tabbed by BA as the Cal Ripken Sr. League's top prospect last summer.

Trent Mummey - OF - 5'11 185
Auburn
Sophomore

Mummey was Auburn's leadoff hitter this season, but he put up numbers that could play in the middle of just about any order. He hit .289 with 15 home runs, 12 doubles and 42 RBI. His .409 OBP was second among the team's starters, and he also stole 17 bases.