buster posey is good, etc.

The best catcher on the Cape last summer was Florida State's Buster Posey, who helped power Yarmouth-Dennis to another league championship. He was good: .281 AVG, 3 HR, 19 RBI, .736 OPS.

I didn't know he was this good.

Posey has put up some numbers this spring for the Seminoles that could best be desrcibed as ridiculous. In 42 games, he's hit .465. He has 11 home runs and 49 RBI, and a total of 31 extra-base hits. His OPS is 1.380.

I know college numbers are far different than Cape League numbers, but even in that realm, those statistics are astounding.

And plenty of people are astounded.

This ESPN story from earlier this month highlights Posey's remarkable junior season.

"I'll be shocked if he doesn't go in the first five picks," said FSU assistant Mike Martin Jr. "I'll tell anybody that will listen: Having been with him for three years, he's Jason Varitek behind the plate and he's Derek Jeter as a hitter. I really believe that. He's that good."

Catcher is always a premium position come June. Players who can stay at the position and hit become very hot commodities. Witness the 2006 draft, when four catchers who played on the Cape were first-round or supplemental round picks.

I figured Posey would fall into the same category, but his stock has gone through the roof thanks to his incredible spring. We may be talking Matt Wieters territory when all is said and done.

Pretty good for a guy who didn't even catch until his sophomore season at FSU.

Don't Forget About Beckham

If Posey is the '07 Cape Leaguer making the biggest impression this spring, his Y-D teammate Gordon Beckham isn't far behind.

The Georgia shortstop, who would have been the MVP of the league last season if not for Conor Gillaspie, has picked up right where he left off. As of April 27, he was hitting .427 with 20 home runs, 48 RBI and an OPS of 1.421.

With that combination of power and average, Beckham is making a serious case for national player of the year honors. Regardless of what happens there, Beckham will surely join Posey near the top of the June draft.

Notes

• When I put together the Right Field Fog Top 25 back in January, I knew it wouldn't really reflect a college team's actual strength, just its strength on the Cape the previous summer. I still thought strong teams would be strong, though, but in the case of USC, I was wrong. I had the Trojans ranked No. 1 because of their hitting and pitching balance, but they've struggled to a 20-22 record. Former Cape Leaguers Tom Milone and Grant Green have been great -- Milone has a 2.89 ERA and Green is hitting .391 -- but not much else has gone right for the Trojans. Shows what I know.

• Chatham and Harwich, the last two teams to put up rosters, finally did get them up. Perhaps the most exciting -- and least surprising -- roster inclusion is Matt Harvey in Chatham. Harvey was drafted in the third round last year out of high school in Connecticut but opted to attend North Carolina, immediately making himself one of the top freshmen in the nation. It's no surprise, then, that he's signed on with a Cape team, and even less of a surprise that he's in Chatham. The A's and the Tar Heels have had quite the pipeline working the last few season, and the minute Harvey didn't sign, it became a foregone conclusion that he'd be in Chatham. Let's hope he does indeed make it. With a 2.13 ERA this spring, he's lived up to the hype and may be a prime candidate for Team USA. But young and highly touted UNC pitchers Andrew Miller and Alex White have made it to the Cape in past years, so that could be working in Chatham's favor. Definitely something to watch.

a couple of programming notes

I finally got another early look posted, so check below for that one. It's Falmouth. They look pretty good, but with three of these done, Wareham still looks like the best team.

I'm going to be picking up the pace on these early looks so that all of them will be done by June. Cotuit is coming next. Unfortunately, the first two don't include this season's college stats, so I might add in some updates here and there. I will make a note of it if I do.

When all the early looks are done, I plan to put together a big season preview that will include the 50 players I'm excited to see, made up of the five from each team.

Also, from now until the start of the season, I'm going to post a weekly notes column in addition to the early looks. I'll be shooting for Tuesday nights on those.

Only 47 days, people. I'm excited.

early look: falmouth (finally)

FALMOUTH COMMODORES
Manager: Jeff Trundy
Last Season: 22-22
Roster

At times last season, the Falmouth Commodores were great. Other times, they weren’t.

I guess a 22-22 record kind of tells that story.

The bottom line was that the Commodores turned out pretty good, blowing past Bourne in the West finals before falling to Y-D in the league championship series. In any other year, Falmouth might have won the league, but this time around, Y-D was just too strong.

Still, it was a season to remember for Falmouth, and not just because of the playoff run. The Commodores also boasted an incredible collection of top-shelf talent, headed by the duo from Missouri, Aaron Crow and Kyle Gibson.

Crow was dazzling all summer and could have won the pitcher of the year award as well as the top prop prospect award, which he did take home. In all, Crow was one of the best stories of the summer, and he could end up being the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft.

Gibson could pull off the same feat in 2009. The tall righty emerged as the top freshman pitcher on the Cape last summer and with his projectable frame, he’s being labeled as one of the top prospects for the ’09 draft.

Falmouth’s pitching staff also included likely ’08 first or second-rounders Christian Friedrich, Luke Burnett and Shooter Hunt. As if that wasn’t enough, Falmouth also had the league’s top hitter in third baseman Conor Gillaspie, who turned in a historic offensive season and earned league MVP honors. Not to mention David Adams, the best second baseman in the league.

As Falmouth gets set for the summer of ’08, they can only hope to have a similar collection of talent, but they will be starting in a good spot. Gibson, who’s been great this spring for Missouri, will be back in the fold, as will Oregon State shortstop Joey Wong, who helped anchor Falmouth’s infield last year. Two players who played for different Cape teams last summer – Diego Seastrunk and Andrew Clark – will be in Falmouth this year with a chance to make a big impact.

After that, it’s all unknowns. The Commodores have some hyped freshman like Hunter Morris and Tommy Toledo, as well as some dynamic sophomores in Tem Fedroff and A.J. Pollock.

They may be unknown, but this time last year, Aaron Crow wasn’t exactly a household name either.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 3 (and two from other teams)
Sophomores: 16
Freshmen : 12

Notable

• The Commodores have a large number of highly-touted players who are struggling this spring. No time like the summer to turn it around.
• Falmouth’s Oregon State connection – four Beavers on the roster – is certainly a good one to have, but with the Beavers and a lot of their top players struggling this year, it looks a little different than the past few years
• Kyle Gibson arguably will be the top returning player on the Cape this summer
• Falmouth has eight freshman pitchers, and as of now, Nate Striz and Tommy Toledo stand out the most, based on college numbers
• Striz looks like a potential closer candidate
• Jorge Reyes was the MVP of the College World Series last year but has hit the skids this season. A definite bounce-back candidate this summer.
• Auburn’s Hunter Morris may enter the Cape League summer as the most-hyped freshman in the league, and if college is any indication, he’ll live up to it
• Fearless prediction: Notre Dame’s A.J. Pollock finishes the summer as one of the top five hitters in the league
• Diego Seastrunk may not be far behind
• You could also put Tim Fedroff in that group, meaning the Commodores have a pretty good stable of offensive players

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Kyle Gibson
2. Hunter Morris
3. Tim Fedroff
4. Nate Striz
5. Diego Seastrunk

Pitchers
Chad Bettis – RHP – 6’0 174 – Texas Tech – Freshman
Rex Brothers – LHP – 6’0 185 – Lipscomb – Sophomore
*Preston Claiborne – RHP – 6’3 225 – Tulane – Sophomore
Evan Danieli – RHP – 6’7 230 – Notre Dame – Freshman
*Kyle Gibson – RHP – 6’5 180 – Missouri – Sophomore
Nate Karns – RHP – 6’3 210 – Texas Tech – Sophomore
Dan Klein – RHP – 6’3 190 – UCLA – Freshman
Travis Lawler – RHP – 6’2 170 – Florida – Freshman
Aaron Loup – LHP – 6’0 185 – Tulane – Sophomore
Jorge Reyes – RHP – 6’5 175 – Oregon State – Sophomore
Tanner Robles – LHP – 6’4 200 – Oregon State – Freshman
Nate Striz – RHP – 6’2 237 – North Carolina – Freshman
Nick Tepesch – RHP – 6’5 219 – Missouri – Freshman
Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 185 – Florida – Freshman
Ben Tootle – RHP – 6’0 170 – Jacksonville St. – Sophomore
* returning player

(Note: The player's name is linked to his school bio.)

Chad Bettis – RHP – 6’0 174
Texas Tech
Freshman
Bettis was an eighth-round pick out of high school in Lubbock last year, but opted to stay home and pitch for his hometown Red Raiders. So far in his freshman season, he has made eight starts and is 3-3 with a 5.21 ERA. The stellar control he flashed in high school – 109 strikeouts against 11 walks his senior year – hasn’t yet carried over. He has 28 strikeouts and 22 walks this season.

Rex Brothers – LHP – 6’0 185
Lipscomb
Sophomore
Brothers made a name for himself last year when he turned in a solid season and earned Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year honors. He hasn’t had quite as much success this season, having gone 2-3 so far with a 5.66 ERA.

Preston Claiborne – RHP – 6’3 225
Tulane
Sophomore
Claiborne is one of three returning players returning for their second summer in Falmouth, and he should see an expanded role after putting up a 3.22 ERA in 11 relief appearances last summer. Claiborne has toyed with being a two-way player in the past but is focusing exclusively on pitching this spring for Tulane. In 13 appearances out of the bullpen, he has a 5.14 ERA.

Evan Danieli – RHP – 6’7 230
Notre Dame
Freshman
Danieli headed into his freshman season with the Irish as an intriguing prospect, but he hasn’t yet put up the numbers to match, with a 7.43 ERA in four appearances. Danieli was a 33rd-round pick out of high school but would have gone much higher if not for his strong commitment to Notre Dame.

Kyle Gibson – RHP – 6’5 180
Missouri
Sophomore
Gibson entered his first summer on the Cape as a relative unknown but became one of the league’s best pitchers and emerged as one of the top prospects for the 2009 draft. When he returns for his second summer, he’ll have scouts watching his every move. So far this spring, Gibson hasn’t disappointed and is 6-0 with a 2.63 ERA.

Nate Karns – RHP – 6’3 210
Texas Tech
Sophomore
A transfer from North Carolina State, Karns brought big credentials with him to Lubbock. He was a 10th-round pick out of high school and had a 2.67 ERA in eight starts for the Wolfpack last year. It’s been a different story this year though. In eight starts, Karns is 1-6 with a 10.12 ERA.

Dan Klein – RHP – 6’3 190
UCLA
Freshman
Klein was a 24th-round pick out of high school and came into the UCLA program as a highly-touted recruit. He’s posted some solid numbers so far (13 strikeouts, one walk) but his ERA is hovering around seven, thanks largely to the 25 hits he’s allowed in 15 innings.

Travis Lawler – RHP – 6’2 170
Florida
Freshman
One of the best pitchers in Texas high school ball last year, Lawler was picked in the 34th round of the draft. With Florida so far this season, Lawler has a 2-0 record with a 5.09 ERA in three starts and 10 total appearances

Aaron Loup – LHP – 6’0 185
Tulane
Sophomore
Loup pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman for the Green Wave and he’s moved into a starting role this year, with mixed results. He’s 2-3 in seven starts with a 5.09 ERA. Loup pitched last summer in the Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League, and was named the league’s top prospect by Baseball America.

Jorge Reyes – RHP – 6’5 175
Oregon State
Sophomore
Reyes made headlines as a freshman last year when he emerged as the ace of the staff and lifted Oregon State to its second consecutive College World Series title. He was also the CWS Most Outstanding Player. But Reyes has hit a rough patch this spring, posting a 6.38 ERA in eight starts for the Beavers, who have likewise struggled to a 16-12 record.

Tanner Robles – LHP – 6’4 200
Oregon State
Freshman
A tall lefty with loads of potential, Robles was a 14th-round pick out of high school, but still opted to head to Corvallis. He’s lived up to the hype so far, with a 3.50 ERA and a .150 batting average against in five appearances.

Nate Striz – RHP – 6’2 237
North Carolina
Freshman
A fifth-round pick of the Twins, Striz came to North Carolina as one of the highest unsigned picks in the 2007 draft. Working exclusively out of the bullpen, he hasn’t disappointed. In 16 appearances, Striz has two saves, an ERA of 1.00 and 22 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Nick Tepesch – RHP – 6’5 219
Missouri
Freshman
Tepesch was Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the Year in his senior season and though he stood little chance of cracking the Tigers’ deep pitching rotation, he has pitched well out of the bullpen. In 12 appearances, he has a 4.20 ERA.

Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 185
Florida
Freshman
Based strictly on draft position last year, Toledo is the best of Falmouth’s talented crop of freshman pitchers, and his numbers are there to match. A third-round pick out of high school, Toledo has a 4-3 record with a 3.38 ERA in eight starts, all that despite walking one more than he’s struck out.

Ben Tootle – RHP – 6’0 170
Jacksonville St.
Sophomore
Tootle was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference All-Freshman team last year. This season, he has a 5.18 ERA but 51 strikeouts in 48.2 innings of work.


Position Players
Trevor Coleman – C – 6’1 210 – Missouri – Sophomore
Michael Thomas – C – 6’4 220 – Southern – Freshman
Andrew Clark – 1B – 6’2 215 – Louisville – Sophomore
Brian Fletcher – INF – 6’1 185 – Auburn – Freshman
Hunter Morris – INF – 6’4 205 – Auburn – Freshman
Garret Nash – 2B – 5’10 170 – Oregon State – Freshman
Kevin Nolan – INF – 6’2 196 – Winthrop – Sophomore
A.J. Pollock – 3B/OF – 6’1 200 – Notre Dame – Sophomore
Diego Seastrunk – INF – 5’10 180 – Rice – Sophomore
*Joey Wong – INF – 5’10 160 – Oregon State – Sophomore
Gabe Cohen – OF – 6’2 205 – UCLA – Sophomore
Tim Fedroff – OF – 5’11 191 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Ryan Jones – OF – 6’0 185 – Wichita State – Sophomore
* returning player

Trevor Coleman – C – 6’1 210
Missouri
Sophomore
Coleman posted an impressive freshman season last year, so impressive that he was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after hitting .282 with nine home runs. This season, his average has remained about the same but he has yet to hit a home run through 35 games.

Michael Thomas – C – 6’4 220
Southern
Sophomore
Thomas plays catcher for Southern, and I know absolutely nothing else because Southern’s web site is terrible.

Andrew Clark – 1B – 6’2 215
Louisville
Sophomore
Clark played last year at Ole Miss before transferring to Louisville. Despite not finishing the year at Ole Miss, Clark did come to the Cape, but only played 10 games for Bourne. Still, Clark is a solid left-handed bat with a lot of upside, and this year for the Cardinals, he’s hitting .342 with three home runs.

Brian Fletcher – INF – 6’1 185
Auburn
Freshman
One of two Auburn freshmen on the Falmouth roster, Fletchers has stepped into a starting role for the Tigers and has done well. In 39 games, he’s hitting .299 with three home runs. He has played mostly in the outfield.

Hunter Morris – INF – 6’4 205
Auburn
Freshman
The left-handed hitting first baseman was a second-round pick (84th overall) last year, making him the highest unsigned high schooler in the draft. He hasn’t disappointed in his freshman season. He’s leading the Tigers with a .362 batting average, 10 home runs and 40 RBI. Morris may be one of the leading candidates for SEC Freshman of the Year honors.

Garret Nash – 2B – 5’10 170
Oregon State
Freshman
Nash wasn’t too far behind Morris in last year’s draft, where he ended up being a fourth-round pick. He stuck with Oregon State, and so far this season, he’s hitting .296 with one home run.


Kevin Nolan – INF – 6’2 196
Winthrop
Sophomore
Nolan, a New Hampshire native, will return to New England for the summer in the midst of a solid career at Winthrop. After starting all season as a freshman, mostly at shortstop, Nolan has become the team’s top hitter this year. His average stands at .337 and he has 13 doubles.

A.J. Pollock – 3B/OF – 6’1 200
Notre Dame
Sophomore
Pollock was an all-Big East pick as a freshman and excelled in the NECBL last summer, where he was fourth in the league with a .348 batting average. This season, he leads the Irish with a .397 batting average and 33 RBI. He’s played mostly in the outfield after starting at third last year.

Diego Seastrunk – INF – 5’10 180
Rice
Sophomore
After a good freshman season for the Owls, Seastrunk never quite got his feet under him on the Cape last summer, hitting .243 in limited time for Y-D. That was partially due to a late arrival from the College World Series, but even if he’s late again this summer, don’t expect a repeat performance. He’s leading the Owls in hitting this year with a .363 average.

Joey Wong – INF – 5’10 160
Oregon State
Sophomore
Wong made a big impact on the national champion Beavers as a freshman, and made his presence felt on the Cape as well. His arrival stabilized Falmouth’s lineup last summer, and he ended up hitting .252 while playing an outstanding defensive shortstop. This season, Wong is hitting .263 for Oregon State.

Gabe Cohen – OF – 6’2 205
UCLA
Sophomore
Cohen was named a Freshman All-American by Baseball America last year after hitting .345. He also was Co-Newcomer of the Year in the Pac 10. This season hasn’t been quite so good, with Cohen hitting just .220 through 32 games. He does have seven home runs.

Tim Fedroff – OF – 5’11 191
North Carolina
Sophomore
Fedroff started from day one last year and finished second on the team in batting average. He’s picked up right where he left off this season and has put up All-American type numbers. Through 42 games, he has a .398 average and nine home runs.

Ryan Jones – OF – 6’0 185
Wichita State
Sophomore
His freshman stats weren’t very good, but Jones has turned things around completely in his sophomore season. With a regular starting gig, he’s hit .340 with two home runs.

early look: bourne

BOURNE BRAVES
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
Last Season: 25-17-2

Last year, I printed out every team’s roster right as the season began. Things always change, of course, so if a team updated its roster online, I would print it out. If a team didn’t, I would write in the new names on the original print-out.

And there was a lot of ink on the Bourne roster. Of the 23 players on the original roster, only 15 of them became regular contributors. Some never made it at all and some came but left quickly. Either way, the Braves were scrambling, more so than any other team.

But they did alright.

The Braves finished the regular season with the best record in the Western division thanks largely to contributions from temporary players-turned-regulars like Ben Guez and T.J. Hose and a strong pitching staff headed by Rick Zagone and D.J. Mitchell. Bourne ended up losing in the Western division playoffs, but just being there made it a pretty special season.

The Braves will try to build on last summer with a team that will be, at once, the least experienced and most experienced on the Cape. Least because not a single player returns from last year. Most because 20 of 26 on the current roster will be coming off their sophomore season.

It should make for an interesting dynamic, and judging from the looks of this roster, it should work out just fine. The Braves have a lot of talent, headed by Rice pitcher Ryan Berry, who was supposed to be a Brave before heading for Team USA. Berry may end up being one of the top pitchers in the nation this season.

A big SEC connection should also held the Braves. Ole Miss’ Jordan Henry was the SEC freshman of the year last season, and he’ll be joined by teammate Nathan Baker, one of the conference’s top freshmen. Mississippi State’s Brandon Turner also brings big credentials.

And though there aren’t many freshmen, pitchers Zach Kenyon, Drew Pomeranz and Bob Revesz and outfielder Rafael Thomas look like good ones.


Roster Rundown

Returning players: 0
Sophomores: 20
Freshmen : 6

Notable

• Rafael Thomas may end up being the fastest player on the Cape this summer. At a high school All-American game last year, the Oklahoma State frosh won the fastest-to-first competition in 3.67 seconds. For a reference-point, a “fast” runner gets to first in four seconds or less.
• If you’re not familiar with Ryan Berry, check out his profile. He doesn’t look like a baseball player, but neither does Greg Maddux.
• Nearly a third of the players on the roster hail from SEC schools
• Coastal Carolina’s Nick McCully looks like he could become the Braves’ closer
• The pitching staff is pretty right-hand heavy, and the only four lefties all have the makeup of starters, not relievers
• The Citadel’s Richard Jones looks like the early favorite to be Bourne’s starting catcher, and if he hits like he did his freshman year, he’ll open some eyes
• Zack Kenyon, Drew Pomeranz and Bob Revesz look like quite a trio of freshmen pitchers – all three have projectable size and were drafted out of high school
• Thirteen players will have college teammates with them in Bourne
• The Braves don’t have many freshman, but five of the six were drafted out of high school

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Ryan Berry
2. Jordan Henry
3. Brandon Turner
4. Nathan Baker
5. Richard Jones

Pitchers
Ryan Allen – RHP – 6’2 195 – Missouri – Sophomore
Nathan Baker – LHP – 6’3 205 – Mississippi – Sophomore
Ryan Berry – RHP – 6’1 195 – Rice – Sophomore
Victor Black – RHP – 6’4 190 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
Tyler Blandford – RHP – 6’2 199 – Oklahoma St. – Sophomore
Mike Bolsinger – RHP – 6’2 200 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Ricky Bowen – RHP – 6’3 178 – Mississippi St. – Sophomore
Justin Grimm – RHP – 6’4 170 – Georgia – Freshman
Zach Kenyon – RHP – 6’6 190 – Iowa – Freshman
Nick McCully – RHP – 5’11 180 – Coastal Carolina – Sophomore
Eric Pettis – RHP – 6’2 195 – UC-Irvine – Sophomore
Drew Pomeranz – LHP – 6’5 220 – Mississippi – Freshman
Nate Reed – LHP – 6’3 180 – Pittsburgh – Sophomore
Bob Revesz – LHP – 6’4 190 – Louisville – Freshman

(Note: The player's name is linked to his school bio. If there's no link, that means I couldn't find a bio)

Ryan Allen – RHP – 6’2 195
Missouri
Sophomore
Three Missouri pitchers had tremendous summers on the Cape last year, and Allen will try to follow in their footsteps. Allen pitched in 11 games his freshman year at Missouri, mostly out of the bullpen. He struck out 15 in 14.1 innings.

Nathan Baker – LHP – 6’3 205
Mississippi
Sophomore
Baker was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American after posting a 6-2 record and a 3.94 ERA as a starter for the Rebels. In high school, Baker was rated as one of the top 150 players in the country by Baseball America.

Ryan Berry – RHP – 6’1 195
Rice
Sophomore
Berry wasn’t heavily recruited but he burst onto the scene in his freshman year for Rice, eventually becoming the team’s ace and turning in numbers that put him into All-American categories, not just Freshman All-American categories. He finished the year with an 11-3 record, a 3.01 ERA and 125 strikeouts against just 34 walks. He originally signed on to play for Bourne last summer, but went on to pitch for Team USA.

Victor Black – RHP – 6’4 190
Dallas Baptist
Sophomore
Black was among the top high school pitchers in Texas and was a 41st-round pick in the 2006 draft. Last year at Dallas Baptist, he had a 5-5 record with 4.86 ERA and 91 strikeouts.

Tyler Blandford – RHP – 6’2 199
Oklahoma St.
Sophomore
Blandford was a 34th-round pick out of Daviess County high school in Owensboro, Ky., before enrolling at Oklahoma State. Last year for the Cowboys, he pitched in 11 games and posted a 3.52 ERA. He should step into a bigger role this season.

Mike Bolsinger – RHP – 6’2 200
Arkansas
Sophomore
Bolsinger heads to Arkansas this year after spending his freshman season at Grayson Community College. After high school in Alabama, Bolsinger was a 34th-round draft pick.

Ricky Bowen – RHP – 6’3 178
Mississippi St.
Sophomore
Bowen is expected to be the Bulldogs’ third starter this season. In his freshman year, Bowen pitched in 27 games, all out of the bullpen, and finished the season with a 3.00 ERA in 36 innings pitched. He was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.

Justin Grimm – RHP – 6’4 170
Georgia
Freshman
Grimm hails from Bristol, Va., where he bounced back from an injury his junior season to post a big campaign in his senior year of high school. He went 9-1 with a 1.48 ERA and was drafted in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox.

Zach Kenyon – RHP – 6’6 190
Iowa
Freshman
Kenyon was a ninth-round pick last year but opted to attend Iowa, making himself one of the most highly-touted recruits in Hawkeyes history. The righty from Davenport, Iowa, went 10-2 his senior year of high school. His size alone makes him someone to watch.

Nick McCully – RHP – 5’11 180
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
McCully emerged as Coastal’s closer last year in his freshman season, and he excelled in that role. He finished with a 3.48 ERA. As a two-way player in high school, McCully was a first-team all-state pick in Florida.

Eric Pettis – RHP – 6’2 195
UC-Irvine
Sophomore
In his freshman season, Pettis started seven games but also came out of the bullpen and finished second on the team in total appearances. For the year, he went 4-0 with a 4.53 ERA in helping the Anteaters to the College World Seris.

Drew Pomeranz – LHP – 6’5 220
Mississippi
Freshman
Pomeranz was a preseason All-American heading into his senior year of high school in Collierville, Tenn. The tall lefty was also drafted in the 12th round by the Texas Rangers, so he brings some lofty credentials into his freshman year with the Rebels.

Nate Reed – LHP – 6’3 180
Pittsburgh
Sophomore
Reed was a weekend starter in his first season with the Panthers and he delivered solid numbers. He finished the year with a 4.17 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 82 innings. Reed also gave up a team-low 19 extra-base hits.

Bob Revesz – LHP – 6’4 190
Louisville
Freshman
Revesz is one of two freshman lefties from Louisville set to play on the Cape, joining teammate Dean Kiekhefer, who’s slated to play in Wareham. Revesz is a projectable lefty who should make an immediate impact with the Cardinals and on the Cape.

Position Players
Tyson Blaser – C – 6’2 205 – Iowa – Sophomore
Richard Jones – C – 6’0 210 – The Citadel – Sophomore
Tyler Cannon – INF/C – 6’0 180 – Virginia – Sophomore
Dusty Coleman – INF – 6’2 185 – Wichita St. – Sophomore
Austin Knight – INF – 5’10 170 – Dallas Baptist – Sophomore
Kyle Roller – INF – 6’1 249 – East Carolina – Sophomore
Brandon Turner – INF – 6’0 188 – Mississippi St. – Sophomore
Ross Wilson – INF – 6’1 190 – Alabama – Freshman
Jordan Henry – OF – 6’0 160 – Mississippi – Sophomore
Jamie Johnson – OF – 5’8 185 – Oklahoma – Sophomore
Sean Madigan – OF – 5’11 185 – UC Irvine – Sophomore
Rafael Thomas – OF/INF – 5’8 171 – Oklahoma St. – Freshman

Tyson Blaser – C – 6’2 205
Iowa
Sophomore
Blaser filled a backup role for the Hawkeyes as a freshman, seeing action in 10 games. In high school, Blaser was a two-time all-state pick in Illinois.

Richard Jones – C – 6’0 210
The Citadel
Sophomore
Jones was named a Freshman All-American last year after hitting .335 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI. Those are outstanding offensive numbers for a catcher, so it appears Jones has the potential for big things.

Tyler Cannon – INF/C – 6’0 180
Virginia
Sophomore
Cannon played mostly at shortstop for the Cavaliers in his freshman season and bounced back from a slow start to hit .279 for the year and .294 in conference play.

Dusty Coleman – INF – 6’2 185
Wichita St.
Sophomore
Coleman spent most of his freshman season as the Shockers’ starting shortstop. For the year, he hit .264 with two home runs and 19 RBI. He also had 15 multi-hit games. In high school, Coleman was a two-time all-state selection in South Dakota.

Austin Knight – INF – 5’10 170
Dallas Baptist
Sophomore
Knight started at shortstop from day one for the Patriots and put up a big freshman season. He hit .338, with 12 doubles and 43 RBI. Those numbers were good enough to earn him Freshman All-American honors.

Kyle Roller – INF – 6’1 249
East Carolina
Sophomore
Roller follows in the footsteps of ECU pitcher T.J. Hose, who came to Bourne last year without much hype and ended up being an all-star. Roller, a DH/1B type, hit .306 last year and tied for the team lead in home runs with 11.

Brandon Turner – INF – 6’0 188
Mississippi St.
Sophomore
Turner battled his future Bourne teammate Jordan Henry for SEC Freshman of the Year honors, and though he ended up losing out, he still enters his sophomore season as one of the nation’s top second basemen. Last year, Turner hit .399 with three home runs, 13 doubles and 48 RBI.

Ross Wilson – INF – 6’1 190
Alabama
Freshman
Wilson is perhaps best known for his starring role in the MTV show Two-A-Days, which chronicled a football season at Hoover high school in Alabama, where Wilson was the starting quarterback. Wilson was a two-sport start all the while, though, and ended up signing on to play baseball for the Tide. Wilson’s brother, John Parker, stuck with football and is Alabama’s starting quarterback.

Jordan Henry – OF – 6’0 160
Mississippi
Sophomore
Henry was a Freshman All-American and the SEC Freshman of the Year last season. He hit .376 and was an on-base machine, reaching safely in 62 of 65 games. He’s been named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List for 2008.

Jamie Johnson – OF – 5’8 185
Oklahoma
Sophomore
Johnson played last season at Texarkana Junior College, where he hit .471 with 21 stolen bases. He was a third-team JUCO All-American. Out of high school, Johnson was a 50th-round pick.

Sean Madigan – OF – 5’11 185
UC Irvine
Sophomore
A Ping Freshman All American, Madigan was one of the driving forces behind Irvine’s run to Omaha. He hit .333 for the year, fifth on the team.

Rafael Thomas – OF/INF – 5’8 171
Oklahoma St.
Freshman
Thomas made a strong first impression in the fall for the Cowboys, leading the team in hits and making a case to become an immediate contributor. The speedy outfielder was highly-recruited out of high school in Lufkin, Texas, choosing the Cowboys over Miami, Arizona State and Texas. He was a member of the 2006 USA Baseball Junior National Team and was a 31st-round pick out of high school.

early look: wareham

(This is the first installment in a series of early looks at 2008 Cape League rosters. I'm starting with Wareham and moving from West to East, hopefully posting one every week or so, depending on when remaining unreleased rosters get released. Keep in mind, this is an "early look," so much will change before June 13. If you think any other information should be included, feel free to leave a comment and let me know. Also, these things are going to be extremely long, so consider yourself forewarned.)

WAREHAM GATEMEN
Manager: Cooper Farris
Last Season: 15-29
Roster

Typically thought of as one of the top franchises on the Cape, Wareham had an uncharacteristically bad year in 2007. A slow start set the Gatemen back, and they never really recovered. With several returning players struggling – especially at the plate – Wareham scored the fewest runs in the league. The pitching staff ended up putting up decent numbers when all was said and done, but it was too much of an uphill battle.

The good news for the Gatemen is that several bright spots from an otherwise tough summer are expected back on the Cape in 2008. That list is headed by LSU outfielder Blake Dean and Oklahoma State pitcher Andy Oliver. Both were among the top freshmen in the league. Dean hit .250 with four home runs and 15 RBI, while Oliver went 1-1 on the mound with a 1.41 ERA. He was also among the league leaders in strikeouts with 54.

The lineup should also be bolstered by three returning players who will be looking for more consistency in their second Cape League summers. Both Dustin Dickerson (Baylor) and Russ Moldenhauer (Texas) were highly-touted freshmen who had decent but not great seasons last year. Both will be back, as will catcher Josh Phegley (Indiana), who was putting together an all-star season before punching a dugout wall and breaking his hand.

As for the pitching staff, with Oliver, Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas) and Kendal Volz (Baylor) all back for a second summer, the starting rotation is solid at the top. If Vanderbilt lefty Mikie Minor makes it to the Cape this year after going with Team USA last summer, Wareham’s rotation will be positively fearsome.

We should also keep an eye on what happens with three non-roster invitees – Ike Davis (Arizona St.), Diallo Fon (Arizona) and Riley Boening (Texas). All three have played for the Gatemen in past summers and are major prospects. They’ll likely be high-draft picks in June, but if they don’t go as high as they’d like, they may end up in Wareham looking to raise their stock.

I’m going to shy away from really trying to define teams at this point because so much can and will change, but I will say this. After putting this thing together, I think the Gatemen are flat-out stacked, especially in the freshman class.

Notable

• The Gatemen have seven left-handed pitchers, which kind of seems like a lot
• Also, 13 freshmen seems like a lot
• Wareham has three players from Vanderbilt and three from Texas – two pretty good pipelines
• Oklahoma State’s Andy Oliver was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the league last year but also walked a lot of people
• Andy Oliver was still rated the league’s No. 10 prospect by Baseball America
• Vanderbilt pitcher Mikie Minor was one of the top freshmen in the nation last year, and may develop into one of the top prospects for the 2009 draft
• If both Oliver and Minor make it to Wareham, I can’t imagine there’d be a better pitching duo in the league than that one
• The Gatemen have some freshmen with a lot of hype – both Brandon Workman and Derek Dietrich were third-round picks in the 2007 draft but opted to attend school; Brett Eibner was a fourth-round pick
• Rice freshman Rick Hague and Tulane freshman Robby Broach aren’t far behind those two in terms of being highly-touted
• Mike Seander may end up being a starter for Duke this year, but he was a closer last year and in the summer, so he could potentially do the same for the Gatemen
• Four of nine spots in Wareham’s lineup could potentially be filled by returnees – Josh Phegley at catcher, Dustin Dickerson at first and Blake Dean and Russ Moldenhauer in the outfield


Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Mikie Minor
2. Andy Oliver
3. Brandon Workman
4. Derek Dietrich
5. Blake Dean

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 7
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen : 13

Pitchers
*Matt Bashore – LHP – 6’3 200 – Indiana – Sophomore
Ben Blanton –LHP – 6’1 195 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Zach Brewster – LHP – 6’0 175 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Robby Broach – RHP/3B – 6’1 195 – Tulane – Freshman
*Dallas Keuchel – LHP – 6’3 200 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Dean Kiekhefer – LHP – 6’0 160 – Louisville – Freshman
Mikie Minor – LHP – 6’4 195 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
*Andy Oliver – LHP – 6’4 210 – Oklahoma St. – Sophomore
Max Perlman – RHP – 6’6 215 – Harvard – Sophomore
Mike Seander – RHP – 6’3 215 – Duke – Sophomore
Josh Slaats – RHP – 6’5 210 – Hawaii – Freshman
*Kendal Volz – RHP – 6’4 225 – Baylor – Sophomore
Brandt Walker – RHP – 6’2 180 – Stanford - Sophomore
Brandon Workman – RHP – 6’5 225 – Texas – Freshman
* returning player

(Note: The player's name is linked to his school bio. If there's no link, that means I couldn't find a bio)

Matt Bashore – LHP – 6’3 200
Indiana
Sophomore
Bashore had a solid freshman season for the Hoosiers, posting a 4.33 ERA and a 4-7 record. He led all starters with 50 strikeouts. Bashore pitched one inning for the Gatemen last year.

Ben Blanton – LHP – 6’1 195
Vanderbilt
Freshman
A late signee with the Commodores, Blanton was one of the top players in Georgia his senior year in Alpharetta. He set the school single-season record in ERA and saves.

Zach Brewster – LHP – 6’0 175
Georgia Tech
Freshman
Brewster was one of the top 50 high school players in the country last year according to Perfect Game Crosschecker. He was also ranked as the No. 74 draft prospect. He had a 1.55 ERA and a school record 127 strikeouts his senior year.

Robby Broach – RHP/3B – 6’1 195
Tulane
Freshman
Broach comes to Tulane as a highly-touted two-way player. At Archbishop Rummel high school in Louisiana, Broach earned All-America honors and was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in the nation. Tulane assistant Mark Kingston spoke glowingly: "His stuff is way beyond his years. He has a fastball that consistently reaches into the mid-90s and a hard breaking curveball. Look for Robby to make an immediate impact on our pitching staff."

Dallas Keuchel – LHP – 6’3 200
Arkansas
Sophomore
After posting a 5.88 ERA for the Razorbacks in his freshman year, Keuchel turned in a solid summer on the Cape. He went 2-4, but had a 3.20 ERA and 46 strikeouts to 14 walks in 59 innings. Keuchel is expected to be a key piece in a rebuilt Arkansas rotation this season.

Dean Kiekhefer – LHP – 6’0 160
Louisville
Freshman
A dominant lefty at Oldham County high school outside Louisville, Kiekhefer is bringing big credentials into his freshman year at Louisville. In his junior season, he went 9-0 with a .24 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 58 innings. He was ranked as the top pitcher in Kentucky his senior season and was drafted in the 37th round by the Cleveland Indians.

Mikie Minor – LHP – 6’4 195
Vanderbilt
Sophomore
A highly-touted recruit two years ago, Minor delivered in a big way last year for the Commodores, going 9-1 with a 3.09 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 90.1 innings. He was the SEC Freshman of the Year and was tabbed as a Freshman All-American by just about everybody. He pitched for Team USA in the summer and went 5-2 with a 1.64 ERA. He struck out 33 and walked just four. A preseason All-American for 2008, Minor was called Vandy’s next great lefthander by coach Tim Corbin. That means a lot considering the Commodores have had David Price and Jeremy Sowers in recent years.

Andy Oliver – LHP – 6’4 210
Oklahoma St.
Sophomore
Oliver didn’t have a spectacular first season for the Cowboys, but he followed with a pretty spectacular first summer on the Cape. Rated as the 10th-best prospect in the league by Baseball America, Oliver was Wareham’s top pitcher. He struck out 54 in 44 innings. Depending on what happens with a few other players, Oliver could end up being the Cape’s top returning pitcher.

Max Perlman – RHP – 6’6 215
Harvard
Sophomore
Perlman was Harvard’s top pitcher in 2007, going 5-1 with a 2.91 ERA. He played for the Vermont Mountaineers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League last summer and was their top pitcher as well. He finished the summer with a 4-3 record and a 1.73 ERA. He struck out 44 and walked just eight in 52 innings. Oddly, he’s not listed on the roster at Harvard as I’m writing this.

Mike Seander – RHP – 6’3 215
Duke
Sophomore
Seander was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Rhode Island two years ago and headed south to pitch for the Blue Devils. He became the team’s closer early on and excelled in that role. He also served as the closer for the Newport Gulls of the NECBL last summer and was an all-star.

Josh Slaats – RHP – 6’5 210
Hawaii
Freshman
A top prospect out of California high school in San Ramon, Calif., Slaats heads to Honolulu with high expectations. The Rainbows have a strong group of returning pitchers, but Slaats may push for a spot in the rotation.

Kendal Volz – RHP – 6’4 225
Baylor
Sophomore
One of the headliners of a highly-ranked recruiting class two years ago, Volz didn’t have a great spring for the Bears and battled some inconsistency for Wareham in the summer as well, finishing with a 4.83 ERA. The fact that he struck out 50 in 50.1 innings speaks to the potential that Volz will be trying to tap this spring and summer.

Brandt Walker – RHP – 6’2 180
Stanford
Sophomore
Walker was a 21st-round pick out of high school in 2006, but had a rough first season for the Cardinal. He ended up not pitching much, and didn’t come to the Cape, even though he was on Wareham’s early roster. I’m not sure if there was an injury there or what, but the Gatemen clearly think highly enough of him to try again.

Brandon Workman – RHP – 6’5 225
Texas
Freshman
Workman was one of the highest unsigned draft choices from the 2007 draft. Texas and Wareham should benefit greatly. Workman was a third-round pick after a high school season in which he struck out 171 and walked only 12 in 76 innings. Named one of the top 10 freshman to watch by Rivals.com, he could end up being one of the nation’s top freshmen pitchers.


Position Players
Cole Leonida – C – 6’2 220 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Buddy Monroe – C – 5’10 185 – Miami – Sophomore
*Josh Phegley – C – 5’10 200 – Indiana - Sophomore
Raynor Campbell – 3B/SS – 5’11 185 – Baylor – Sophomore
*Dustin Dickerson – 1B/OF – 6’4 210 – Baylor – Sophomore
Derek Dietrich – SS/RHP – 6’1 195 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
Rick Hague – SS/2B – 6’2 185 – Rice – Freshman
Jake Lemmerman – SS/2B – 6’2 180 – Duke – Freshman
*Blake Dean – OF – 6’2 195 – LSU – Sophomore
Brett Eibner – OF /RHP – 6’3 195 – Arkansas – Freshman
*Russ Moldenhauer – OF – 5’11 205 – Texas – Sophomore
Connor Rowe – OF – 5’11 180 – Texas – Freshman
Kipp Schutz – OF – 6’4 200 – Indiana - Freshman
Steve Liddle – OF – 6’1 200 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
* returning player

Cole Leonida – C – 6’2 220
Georgia Tech
Freshman
Leonida was an All-American at Grandview high school in Aurora, Colo., where he was also tabbed as the top player in the state. Leonida could compete for the starting job behind the plate this spring for the Yellow Jackets.

Buddy Munroe – C – 5’10 185
Florida
Sophomore
Munroe spent his freshman year at Clemson before transferring to Florida. In high school in Miami, Munroe was an all-state performer and was ranked as the state’s 20th-best prospect by Perfect Game.

Josh Phegley – C – 5’10 200
Indiana
Sophomore
Phegley became a starter immediately for the Hoosiers last year and didn’t have a great season, finishing the year with a .232 average. But he got off to a hot start on the Cape for the Gatemen and was named an all-star. Unfortunately, he injured his hand when he punched a dugout wall in frustration, thus ending his season. He’s all healed up now and poised for a big sophomore season.

Raynor Campbell – 3B/SS – 5’11 185
Baylor
Sophomore
Campbell was one of the Bears’ top hitters as a freshman last season, finishing the year with a .321 average and five home runs. That earned him Freshman All-American honors. He spent the summer playing for Rochester in the Northwoods League.

Dustin Dickerson – 1B/OF – 6’4 210
Baylor
Sophomore
After being a 15th-round pick out of high school and hitting .292 as a freshman for Baylor, Dickerson didn’t have the greatest summer for the Gatemen, finishing with a .215 average, one home run and eight RBI. There’s a pretty good chance he’ll improve on those numbers this summer.

Derek Dietrich – SS/RHP – 6’1 195
Georgia Tech
Freshman
Dietrich was a third-round pick of the Astros in the 2007 draft but opted to enroll at Georgia Tech. His senior year at St. Ignatius high school in Cleveland, Dietrich racked up the honors – All-American, Ohio Player of the Year and the top draft prospect in Ohio. He also played in the prestigious Aflac All-American game in 2006. Dietrich’s career batting average was .425, and he also finished high school with a 4.2 GPA. He’s expected to start immediately for the Yellow Jackets, a program that has produced its fair share of great shortstops.

Rick Hague – SS/2B – 6’2 185
Rice
Freshman
On any other Cape League team, Hague would be the most highly-touted freshman shortstop. On this team, he’s behind Dietrich, but not too far behind. Hague was a 37th-round pick out of high school and will step in immediately for All-American Brian Friday in the Rice infield.

Jake Lemmerman – SS/2B – 6’2 180
Duke
Freshman
Wareham has the monopoly on freshman middle infielders. Lemmerman is slated to be the opening day starter at shortstop for the Blue Devils. He hails from Newport Beach, Calif., where he starred at Corona Del Mar high school.

Blake Dean – OF – 6’2 195
LSU
Sophomore
A late slump meant Dean didn’t finish quite as well as he started, but he still had a solid season for the Gatemen last summer, finishing with a .250 average and four home runs. That came after a great season for LSU, where he hit .316 en route to Freshman All-America honors. He’ll be one of the top returning hitters to the Cape this summer.

Brett Eibner – OF /RHP – 6’3 195
Arkansas
Freshman
Eibner was a fourth-round pick in the 2007 draft, so he joins his future Wareham teammates Dietrich and Workman in the group of top unsigned picks. He was a star at The Woodlands high school in Texas, one of the top programs in the state. In the draft, he was labeled as a pitcher, so that may be where his biggest upside is.

Russ Moldenhauer – OF – 5’11 205
Texas
Sophomore
Moldenhauer was one of the top unsigned picks from the 2006 draft and he turned in a solid freshman season with the Longhorns, earning a starting job and batting .278 with six home runs. Like Dickerson, Moldenhauer had what was undoubtedly a humbling experience on the Cape last summer. He hit .218 without a home run.

Connor Rowe – OF – 5’11 180
Texas
Freshman
Rowe was a top performer at Georgetown high school in Georgetown, Texas, then signed on as part of a strong-as-usual Texas recruiting class.

Kipp Schutz – OF – 6’4 200
Indiana
Freshman (Redshirt)
Schutz was a 26th-round pick out of high school and was making an immediate impact with the Hoosiers last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. He was granted a medical redshirt and will be back this year.

Steve Liddle – OF – 6’1 200
Vanderbilt
Freshman (Redshirt)
Liddle was a star at Franklin high school in Brentwood, Tenn., but red-shirted last year for the Commodores. But the time off didn’t hurt him. He went to the Coastal Plains League and hit .272 with three home runs. He’s expected to make a push for playing time this season.

the right field fog top 25

Long, long ago, I wanted to do a lot of wrap-up things for the ’07 summer, but it’s a little late for that now. So, instead, I’ll do a little bridging of the gap into 2008. College baseball is right around the corner and top 25 rankings are coming out of the woodwork. So I thought I’d throw my own out there, with a twist.

The following are the top 25 teams in the nation, based entirely on the 2007 Cape League season. Essentially, I’m not projecting who will be good in the college ranks as much as I’m ranking the programs according to who had the best summer on the Cape. Obviously, it’s a little skewed toward teams that sent more players to the Cape, but I think it’s kind of an interesting exercise, nonetheless.

So, without further adieu.

THE RANKINGS

1. USC
2. Missouri
3. North Carolina
4. Miami
5. South Carolina
6. California
7. NC State
8. UCLA
9. Arizona
10. Baylor
11. LSU
12. Virginia
13. Vanderbilt
14. Georgia
15. Stanford
16. Oklahoma State
17. Clemson
18. Wichita State
19. Rice
20. Florida State
21. Wake Forest
22. Notre Dame
23. Oregon State
24. Arkansas
25. Texas

TOP 10 BREAKDOWN

1. USC Trojans
Players: 6

In the end, I think this was an easy choice, even with Missouri’s pitching prowess. No other team sent this many players to the Cape and had all of them succeed. The pitchers led the way, with Milone winning the league’s top pitcher award and Cook and Boxberger turning in great summers. Couture was one of the league’s top relievers. Offensively, Green and Stock – both freshmen – were solid everyday contributors.

Hitters
Grant Green – INF/OF – Y-D - .291, 4 HR, 12 RBI, .449 SLG
Robert Stock – C – Cotuit - .228, 4 HR, 20 RBI

Pitchers
Tom Milone – SP – Chatham – 6-1, 2.92 ERA, 46 K, 7 BB
Ryan Cook – SP – Brewster – 4-1, 2.87 ERA, 43 K
Brad Boxberger – SP – Orleans – 1-0, 1.24 ERA, 26 K
Kevin Couture – RP – Chatham – 2-0, .90 ERA, 26 K

2. Missouri Tigers
Players: 5

Not a whole lot of offense, but the pitching far and away makes up for it. Though the Tigers didn’t have a reliever in the mix like USC, their three starters surpass the numbers put up by the Trojans’ three. Crow was the league’s top prospect and could have taken home top pitcher honors as well. Gibson and Zagone were both top-10 pitchers.

Hitters
Jacob Priday – OF – Brewster - .211, 2 HR, 11 RBI
Ryan Lollis – OF – Cotuit - .182, 1 HR, 12 RBI

Pitchers
Aaron Crow – SP – Falmouth – 3-1, .67 ERA, 36 K, .70 WHIP
Kyle Gibson – SP – Falmouth – 2-0, 1.17 ERA, 51 K
Rick Zagone – SP – Bourne – 4-1, 2.09 ERA, 40 K

3. North Carolina Tar Heels
Players: 7

The Tar Heels had almost as many successful players as USC but also had several who struggled. That’s bound to happen when you send this many players. In the end, even without the rough summers factored in, North Carolina’s pitching – with only one starter posting good numbers – didn’t quite measure up. Still, a great summer for the Heels. Federowicz became arguably the league’s top catcher with a late burst and Seager was a solid everyday player. White emerged as one of the top freshmen starters and Catapano and Wooten were shut-down relievers.

Hitters
Tim Federowicz – C – Chatham – .297, 1 HR, 14 RBI
Kyle Seager – 2B – Chatham - .274, 1 HR, 9 RBI
Mike Cavassini – OF – Wareham - .159, 0 HR, 4 RBI

Pitchers
Alex White – SP – Chatham – 2-1, 2.10 ERA, 31 K
Rob Catapano – RP – Orleans – 3-1, .92 ERA, 17 K
Rob Wooten – RP – Chatham – 1-0, 1.77 ERA. 32 K, 14.3 K/9
Adam Warren – SP/RP – Brewster – 0-3, 7.71 ERA, 22 K


4. Miami Hurricanes
Players: 6

So what if there’s no pitching? The Hurricanes climb this high solely because of their hitters – they were the runaway winner for best offensive team. No other program had two players as good as Raben and Alonso, and when you throw in Tekotte and Jackson, you have unprecedented solid depth as well.

Hitters
Yonder Alonso – 1B – Brewster - .338, 4 HR, 25 RBI, .468 OBP
Dennis Raben – OF – Orleans - .298, 6 HR, 35 RBI, .936 OPS
Blake Tekotte – OF – Brewster - .256, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 22 SB
Ryan Jackson – SS – Hyannis - .215, 0 HR, 15 RBI
Mark Sobolewski – 3B – Orleans - .189, 0 HR, 10 RBI
Dave Dinatale – OF – Bourne - .087, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Pitchers
None

5. South Carolina Gamecocks
Players: 5

I had the Gamecocks neck and neck with Cal for this spot but they get the edge because of their star power. Havens was one of the league’s premier hitters and Darnell was one of the top power threats. Crisp put together a solid summer for Chatham, and, on the mound, Cisco and Atwood had good numbers.

Hitters
Reese Havens – SS – Cotuit - .314, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 17 XBH
James Darnell – 3B – Hyannis - .250, 8 HR, 27 RBI
Andrew Crisp – OF – Chatham - .280, 0 HR, 7 RBI

Pitchers
Michael Cisco – SP – Cotuit – 1-5, 3.74 ERA, 29 K
Will Atwood – RP – Orleans – 4-0, 2.25 ERA, 27 K

6. California Golden Bears
Players: 6

A solid all-around summer for the Bears. Cutler, Satin and Cooper won’t get many headlines but they were regular contributors and key parts of their teams. Bennigson was a reliable starter and Gorgen was consistent out of the pen.

Hitters
Charlie Cutler – C/OF – Brewster - .271, 1 HR, 16 RBI
Josh Satin – 1B – Bourne - .255, 4 HR, 22 RBI
David Cooper – 1B/DH – Brewster - .284, 2 HR, 15 RBI
Ryan Hanlon – OF – Brewster - .246, 0 HR, 6 RBI

Pitchers
Craig Bennigson – SP – Orleans – 1-1, 3.14 ERA, 48 K
Matt Gorgen – RP – Bourne – 2-1, 2.25 ERA, 24 K

7. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Players: 5

Maybe it wasn’t a long summer but it was an impressive one for the Wolfpack. Synan was a late addition to Chatham’s roster and became one of the team’s top hitters in the final 16 games. Surkamp was well on his way to becoming one of the league’s top starters when he got a late call to Team USA. As for the guys who were around a little longer, Shunick was a consistent starter for Orleans and Brown was a top-flight reliever.

Hitters
Jeremy Synan – OF – Chatham - .388, 0 HR, 6 RBI
Marcus Jones – OF – Orleans - .219, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Pitchers
Clayton Shunick – SP – Orleans – 1-2, 2.89 ERA, 41 K
Eric Surkamp – SP – Orleans – 2-0, 1.85 ERA, 26 K
Sam Brown – RP – Orleans – 0-3, 2.86 ERA, 26 K

8. UCLA Bruins
Players: 7

The Bruins are this high primarily because of two Chatham teammates, Curtis and Brewer. Curtis was one of the top third baseman in the league and a major presence in the A’s lineup. Brewer was a reliable starter throughout the summer. The rest of the Bruins didn’t do great things, but all were major contributors anyway. Brooks was poised for a big summer, but left early.

Hitters
Jermaine Curtis – 3B – Chatham - .295, 3 HR, 24 RBI
Ryan Babineau – C – Brewster - .223, 1 HR, 13 RBI
Alden Carrithers – 2B – Orleans - .198, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Brandon Crawford – SS – Orleans - .189, 4 HR, 14 RBI

Pitchers
Charles Brewer – SP – Chatham – 2-2, 1.94 ERA, 29 K
Gavin Brooks – SP – Chatham – 0-0, 2.61 ERA, 14 K
Jason Novak – SP – Orleans – 1-1, 4.60 ERA, 15 K


9. Arizona Wildcats
Players: 6

Fon and Steele both played less than half the season but made a big impression nonetheless. Pitching-wise, Colla had a tremendous season as a starter and Perry – though his ERA never dipped down after a slow start – became one of the more dominant pitchers in the league.

Hitters
Diallo Fon – OF – Wareham - .340, 0 HR, 5 RBI
T.J. Steele – OF – Bourne - .311, 0 HR, 4 RBI
Brad Glenn – OF – Brewster - .197, 3 HR, 13 RBI
Jon Gaston – OF – Orleans - .256, 0 HR, 5 RBI

Pitchers
Mike Colla – SP – Brewster – 3-1, 1.67 ERA, 40 K
Ryan Perry – RP – Orleans – 1-2, 4.15 ERA, 30 K

10. Baylor Bears
Players: 7

The Bears had one real standout in Cassavechia, the league’s top closer, and most everybody else was solid. Weems was a tremendous defensive shortstop. In general, I think there was kind of a big drop off from Arizona in the ninth spot to Baylor here and everybody else that comes after.

Hitters
Beamer Weems – SS – Wareham - .257, 0 HR, 11 RBI
Ben Booker – OF – Wareham – .250, 0 HR, 3 RBI
Dustin Dickerson – 1B – Wareham – .215, 1 HR, 8 RBI
Gregg Glime – C – Chatham - .150, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Pitchers
Nick Cassavechia – RP – Y-D – 1-1, 1.07 ERA, 11 SV, 24 K
Cliff Springston – SP – Chatham – 1-2, 2.88 ERA, 19 K
Kendal Volz – SP – Wareham – 1-7, 4.83 ERA, 50 K


ADDITIONAL RANKINGS

Best Pitching

1. Missouri
2. USC
3. North Carolina
4. North Carolina State
5. Virginia

Best Offense
1. Miami
2. South Carolina
3. LSU
4. California
5. UCLA

Best Freshmen
1. USC
2. North Carolina
3. LSU
4. Baylor
5. Texas

Well then

That summer rewind thing I had going apparently got paused, then I got really busy. So that's where I've been. If you were checking and looking for new stuff, I apologize.

I have some new stuff coming soon. I promise. And by next summer, I will be back in gear.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." -- Rogers Hornsby

We can subsitute summer for spring.

I miss you, Cape League.