On January 30 at 4:17 p.m., I printed out an early version of Bourne's 2009 roster, stapled the two pages together and set out looking for stars, for names I recognized. There were quite a few, and several months later, when I started matching those names with college stats, it became clear pretty quickly: a lot of the talent that would cross the bridges in 2009 would be stopping in Bourne -- and, quite possibly, starting down the road to a championship.
But there was a detour.
Actually, a lot of them.
Blake Forsythe and Tyler Holt, two of the best hitters Bourne would have coming in, were invited to Team USA. So were Drew Pomeranz, Cody Wheeler and Alex Wimmers, perhaps the three best pitchers. Anthony Rendon, maybe the best freshman in the nation, would skip the summer with an injury.
The shuffling continued. Wimmers eventually made it but he was Bourne's only Team USA invitee who did. The rest stayed with the national team, and in addition to those guys, six other players changed their summer plans. Five more made only brief appearances with the Braves.
If you've lost count, that's 15 players on a roster of 30.
And that road to a championship? You had to wonder if the Braves would even find the on-ramp.
Two months later, it's safe to say they found it. The Braves clinched their first-ever Cape League championship yesterday in Cotuit, beating the Kettleers 5-1 to sweep the title series.
In doing so, they've turned all those gaps into a back-story, a footnote. They're a defining characteristic, yes, but only because they're gaps that were filled.
And filled perfectly.
Need an ace? There's an unsigned third-round pick named Bryan Morgado.
Need a slugger? Go get a draft-snubbed veteran. Name's Kyle Roller.
A sweet-swinger? Rob Segedin. Team USA alternate, looking for a home.
An infield mainstay? Try Raynor Campbell, 2008 Cape League All-Star.
We could continue to play this game. The list goes on. It's what the Braves had to do.
The amazing thing is how well they did it.
It's like they pulled rabbits out of hats. Bourne magic. Morgado was one of the league's best strikeout artists and an anchor at the top of the rotation. Roller turned into the league MVP, with numbers the likes of which haven't been seen on the Cape in 10 years. Segedin and Campbell were key pieces to the puzzle.
There were speed bumps along the way. It wasn't always a smooth ride. There were the fog-outs and the rainouts, the summer that had no rhythm. At one point in July, the Braves lost five straight games.
But through it all, the replacements like Roller and the mainstays like Pierre LePage jelled into a cohesive and consistent unit. By the end of the season, they were clicking. They won their last five regular-season games.
When their playoff journey began, the Braves hit an early road block. They trailed Orleans 2-0 in the first game of their semifinal series. Through eight innings, they had two hits. One inning -- and one never-to-be-forgotten rally -- later, the Braves had a 3-2 victory and 1-0 lead in the series.
They never looked back.
The Braves smashed Orleans 8-0 to sweep the semis then buried Cotuit 15-5 in a fog-shortened game one. Yesterday, they capped it off with a little of that Bourne magic, winning 5-1 despite getting out-hit 8-5. Pierre LePage drove in two runs, finishing the playoffs with six. He had 14 in the regular season. Kyle Roller had a hit for the fourth straight game. He finished the playoffs with a .500 average and a well-deserved second MVP award.
There were other stars, too. Ben Klafczynski had an up-and-down summer but hit .286 in four playoff games. Chris Wallace, who wasn't on that initial roster but became the starting catcher, also hit .286. Stefen Romero, whose mid-season slump had a lot to do with Bourne's mid-season slump, hit .400 in the playoffs.
And then there was the pitching. In four playoff games, the Braves allowed five earned runs. Four of them came in one game against Cotuit, the game where they scored 15 and didn't need much pitching help. In the other three games, Bourne pitchers allowed one earned run on 16 hits. They struck out 30. Morgado, Wimmers, Seth Maness and Eric Cantrell delivered outstanding starts. And the bullpen that shined all year continued on the same path. Aside from the three runs allowed by the pen in the blowout, Bourne's relievers -- with Logan Billbrough, Justin Poovey and Kevin Munson leading the way -- didn't allow an earned run in 10 innings of work.
All those pieces created a dominant playoff performance. Their motto was "Believe" and they certainly did. The Braves are the third team in a row to sweep through the playoffs and win the title. Y-D won in 2007 as a powerhouse delivering a finishing touch. Harwich in 2008 as an underdog catching fire.
And now Bourne in 2009. As a talented team getting hot? As a hard-working group living up to the promise? As a team, an organization and a town that really wanted this?
All of that, yes, and maybe this: A team that existed not as a blueprint or an expectation, not as a winter picture coming into focus, but only as it was, a team on a baseball field in a perfect rainy summer.
Showing posts with label bourne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bourne. Show all posts
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Early Look: Bourne
BOURNE BRAVES
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
2008 Record: 23-20-1
As I went to write this, prepared to use the typical "talk about last year, transition into this year" form, I realized something. I remember very little about the 2008 Bourne Braves. I'm not sure why this is. They had one of the best hitters, and best stories, in the league in Marc Krauss. They also had Nick McCully, the Pitcher of the Year.
The Braves may have been not-so-memorable last year, but they were also good, winning their last five games to force a tiebreaker with Falmouth. And this year, when I first looked at their roster, I wasn't overly impressed.
Now, I am fairly impressed.
Bourne has put together a talented group. In fact, I'd call it the most talented roster they've had in the last three years. There's a danger there, of course, and four players have already been invited to Team USA, with more rounds of invites left to come. But even if they take some hits in that department, the Braves are going to bring some talent over the bridge. After all, they have 31 players on the roster, so they've got some contingency plans.
It starts with some top-shelf sophomores. Alex Wimmers is one of the top pitchers in the country and Drew Pomeranz isn't far behind, particularly in terms of prospect status. Cody Wheeler has turned into Coastal Carolina's ace this season, ahead of the aforementioned McCully, and he's slated to be in Bourne, too. Dan Mahoney, Seth Maness and Kevin Munson are also big-time arms.
But I think the real strength of this team could be its offense, which has a ton of depth, more than any Cape League team had at this time last year. Blake Forsythe is arguably the top offensive catcher in the country and Anthony Rendon might be the top freshman hitter in the country. Tyler Holt is an average and on-base machine who's got great speed, as well. Ben Klafczynski is an all-american caliber player, as is Scott Woodward, who played for Team USA last year. Ryan Lockwood was the National Freshman of the Year last season, according to several sources. Dominic D'Anna, Paul Karmas, Josh Richmond Stefen Romero are legit college hitters, and middle infielders Pierre LePage, Michael Mooney and Zack McPhee look very good, as well.
If it seems like I just mentioned an entire roster, it's because there's just that many names worth mentioning. Not all of these players will be in Bourne, of course. Forsythe, Rendon, Pomeranz and Wheeler have already gotten the Team USA call, and I wouldn't be surprised if Wimmers and Holt get an invite in the next round.
But there's talent here, even without some of the top-line prospects. It could be an interesting summer in Bourne.
Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 24
Freshmen: 6
Notable
Five Players I'm Excited to See
1. Alex Wimmers
2. Anthony Rendon
3. Blake Forsythe
4. Drew Pomeranz
5. Tyler Holt
Pitchers
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200 - George Washington - Sophomore
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225 - Elon - Sophomore
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204 - UConn - Sophomore
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180 - East Carolina - Sophomore
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185 - Virginia - Sophomore
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231 - Ole Miss - Sophomore
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195 - Florida - RS Freshman
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210 - Oklahoma - Sophomore
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195 - Ohio State - Sophomore
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200
George Washington
Sophomore
Cantrell was a member of the A-10 all-rookie team last year after spending the season as a starter and leading the Colonials in ERA. Cantrell has reprised his starting role this year, with decent results. His ERA is a bit high at 4.66, but he's got 56 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177
Wake Forest
Freshman
Dimock is part of a big group of talented freshman hurlers who arrived in Winston-Salem this year. His first-year numbers haven't been spectacular. Those he's put up decent strikeout totals, he's allowed 72 hits in 56.2 innings. His ERA is 6.83. He's been used as both a starter and a reliever.
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225
Elon
Sophomore
A power arm with some potential, Ferrer has had an interesting sophomore season with the Phoenix. He's got an ERA above five, and yet he's toting an 8-1 record. I'm sure the Elon coaches would like a little more consistency from Ferrer, who has 47 strikeouts and 34 walks, but they'll take the wins.
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
Harrold inherited closer duties for the Seahawks last season and earned Freshman All-America honors from several publications after picking up six saves. Harrold hasn't had quite as much success this year, with just one save in 18 appearances and an ERA over six. He's also made a few starts.
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204
UConn
Sophomore
Mahoney had a rough freshman season with the Huskies, going 0-5 with an ERA around eight. He's been much better this year. Working exclusively out of the pen, Mahoney has posted a 4.68 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25 innings. Last summer, he was named the NECBL's top pro prospect by PG Crosschecker.
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180
East Carolina
Sophomore
Bourne has had a lot of recent success with ECU players, and Maness looks well-equipped to carry on the tradition. As a freshman, Maness went 9-2 with a 3.57 ERA, numbers that earned him a host of accolades, including Conference USA Freshman of the Year. This season Maness is 8-0 with a 4.22 ERA. In 81 innings, he has struck out 67 and walked just 14.
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185
Virginia
Sophomore
Morey was a 29th-round pick out of high school in 2007 and he turned in a pretty solid freshman season before posting good numbers for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL. This season, pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Morey has been very good. He's got a 2.74 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Still listed as a pitcher and a catcher, Munson has focused solely on pitching this spring, with fantastic results. As JMU's closer, Munson has saved nine games. He's got a 3.10 ERA, and most impressively, 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. Munson also had great numbers last year, with 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Another player who's ERA doesn't quite match up with his record, Phelps is up over five, but he's got an 8-1 record. Another number does match that record -- Phelps has 82 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. With numbers like that, you can see why he was tabbed by Baseball America as the Colonial Athletic Association's No. 4 prospect.
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Pomeranz was ticketed for Bourne last year before Team USA came calling. The same could happen this year, as Pomeranz was one of the first invites. If he comes to Bourne, the Braves will be getting a star. After a great freshman season, Pomeranz has been better this year, posting a 3.58 ERA with 72 strikeouts against 26 walks in 60.1 innings. Pomeranz was a 12th-round pick out of high school and is likely to climb higher for the 2010 draft.
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195
Florida
RS Freshman
Poovey took a medical redshirt last season. This year, he's made 11 appearances and has come in with a 6.84 ERA.
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210
Oklahoma
Sophomore
Pitching in a swing role this season, Rocha has posted a 4.06 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 51 innings of work. He played in Alaska last summer and finished the season with a 0.32 ERA.
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200
Oregon State
Sophomore
Robles was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago, but he's had a bit of an up-and-down career with the Beavers. Last year, his ERA was up over six. This year, he's got a 3.42 ERA but he's also only made six appearances.
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
After a freshman all-american season last year, Roth has had a rough go of it this season. In 10 appearances, he has a 10.12 ERA, with nine strikeouts and nine walks.
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Wheeler has been the best member of a great Chanticleers pitching staff this season. In 12 starts, he's gone 9-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 82 and walked only 22 in 77 innings of work. He also has a no-hitter to his credit this season. Wheeler is a Team USA invite, so we'll see what happens with him.
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195
Ohio State
Sophomore
Wimmers has been the Big 10's best pitcher this season, and one of the best in the nation. In 13 starts, he's gone 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA, but those aren't even the numbers that stand out the most. He's also got 110 strikeouts in 88.1 innings, which gives him a K/9 ratio over 11. That's not quite Strasburg territory, but it's still really, really good. He's fifth in the nation in total strikeouts.
Position Players
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220 - Tennessee - Sophomore
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195 - Ole Miss - Freshman
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220 - St. John's - Sophomore
*Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157 - UConn - Sophomore
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180 - Arizona State - Freshman
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160 - Florida - Junior
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170 - Rice - Freshman
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175 - Florida State - Sophomore
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195 - Kent State - Sophomore
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175 - South Florida - RS Sophomore
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190 - Louisville - Sophomore
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220
Tennessee
Sophomore
Based purely on the statistics from his freshman campaign, Forsythe didn't look like a player who could become one of the top two or three catchers in the nation. But this season, that's exactly what Forsythe has become. He's hitting .348 for the Vols with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. He's got a total of 29 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .490.
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195
Ole Miss
Freshman
Hightower was ranked as one of the nation's top 200 prospects and got picked in the 42nd round. At Ole Miss, he's played in only 13 games, but has posted a .450 batting average.
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
After a solid freshman season in Northridge, D'Anna has been even better this year. He's hit .326 with seven home runs and 32 RBI. He's also made just four errors at first base.
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220
St. John's
Sophomore
Karmas had a real good freshman season with the Red Storm, and he's duplicated it this year. He's batting .302 with two home runs and 25 RBI.
Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157
UConn
Sophomore
The lone returning player for the Braves, LePage was a late-summer addition last year. He ended up holding his own and posting a .233 average while starting 15 games down the stretch. This spring, LePage has a solid season, hitting .319 with 14 doubles and 30 RBI. He's also made just three errors.
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180
Arizona State
Freshman
MacPhee was a 22nd-round pick out of high school, but opted for Arizona State, where he joined the nation's top recruiting class. He's been a starter at second base pretty much from day one and he has put up solid numbers. He's currently hitting .272 with four home runs
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160
Florida
Junior
A junior-college transfer, Mooney grabbed the starting shortstop job for the Gators this season and hasn't let go. He's hitting .333 with a .468 on-base percentage.
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170
Rice
Freshman
Rendon was highly-touted as a high school senior, and since arriving at Rice, he hasn't disappointed even a little bit. Called a "rare talent" by legendary Rice coach Wayne Graham, Rendon has been one of the nation's best freshmen. He's leading the Owls with a .380 average, and he's also got a team-high 16 home runs and 56 RBI. He has also struck out only 20 times in 192 at-bats. He's a Team USA invitee.
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225
Oregon State
Sophomore
After hitting over .400 in one junior-college season, Romero transferred to Oregon State, where he's become one of the team's best hitters. While starting all but one game, Romero has hit .309 with four home runs, a team-best 43 RBI and a total of 22 extra-base hits. Oddly enough for a player of his size, he's also tied for the team lead in triples with three.
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195
Wake Forest
Freshman
In his first season in Winston-Salem, Stadler has done a little bit of everything and done all of it pretty well. In 40 games as a position player, Stadler has hit .267 with two home runs. In 13 appearances on the mound, he has posted a 4.13 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175
Florida State
Sophomore
After a good freshman campaign with the Seminoles, Holt was on Cotuit's roster but played in only three games early in the season. Based on his sophomore year, Bourne would love to have him for a full summer. Holt is among the nation's leaders in batting average and on-base percentage, with a .404 average and a ridiculous .533 OBP. He's also got five home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 28 steals in 31 attempts.
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195
Kent State
Sophomore
Klafczynski hit .339 with 11 home runs as a freshman and is having a sophomore season that's right on par with that. He's currently toting a .323 average with five home runs, 20 doubles and 39 RBI.
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175
South Florida
RS Sophomore
As mentioned above, Lockwood is an interesting case. He'll likely get drafted, but if he ends up in Bourne, he should be a big-time contributor. This season, Lockwood is hitting .295 with with 13 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .408.
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190
Louisville
Sophomore
After a pretty solid freshman season, Richmond has been very good this year. He currently has a .321 average with five home runs and 19 extra-base hits.
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Woodward played for Team USA last summer, but didn't see a ton of game action. He got into just 11 of the team's 24 games. His sophomore season has been a good one, but it's also been abbreviated. Woodward missed nearly a month after suffering an injury in early April. He's back now, currently sporting a .305 batting average.
Manager: Harvey Shapiro
2008 Record: 23-20-1
As I went to write this, prepared to use the typical "talk about last year, transition into this year" form, I realized something. I remember very little about the 2008 Bourne Braves. I'm not sure why this is. They had one of the best hitters, and best stories, in the league in Marc Krauss. They also had Nick McCully, the Pitcher of the Year.
The Braves may have been not-so-memorable last year, but they were also good, winning their last five games to force a tiebreaker with Falmouth. And this year, when I first looked at their roster, I wasn't overly impressed.
Now, I am fairly impressed.
Bourne has put together a talented group. In fact, I'd call it the most talented roster they've had in the last three years. There's a danger there, of course, and four players have already been invited to Team USA, with more rounds of invites left to come. But even if they take some hits in that department, the Braves are going to bring some talent over the bridge. After all, they have 31 players on the roster, so they've got some contingency plans.
It starts with some top-shelf sophomores. Alex Wimmers is one of the top pitchers in the country and Drew Pomeranz isn't far behind, particularly in terms of prospect status. Cody Wheeler has turned into Coastal Carolina's ace this season, ahead of the aforementioned McCully, and he's slated to be in Bourne, too. Dan Mahoney, Seth Maness and Kevin Munson are also big-time arms.
But I think the real strength of this team could be its offense, which has a ton of depth, more than any Cape League team had at this time last year. Blake Forsythe is arguably the top offensive catcher in the country and Anthony Rendon might be the top freshman hitter in the country. Tyler Holt is an average and on-base machine who's got great speed, as well. Ben Klafczynski is an all-american caliber player, as is Scott Woodward, who played for Team USA last year. Ryan Lockwood was the National Freshman of the Year last season, according to several sources. Dominic D'Anna, Paul Karmas, Josh Richmond Stefen Romero are legit college hitters, and middle infielders Pierre LePage, Michael Mooney and Zack McPhee look very good, as well.
If it seems like I just mentioned an entire roster, it's because there's just that many names worth mentioning. Not all of these players will be in Bourne, of course. Forsythe, Rendon, Pomeranz and Wheeler have already gotten the Team USA call, and I wouldn't be surprised if Wimmers and Holt get an invite in the next round.
But there's talent here, even without some of the top-line prospects. It could be an interesting summer in Bourne.
Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 24
Freshmen: 6
Notable
- To give you another example of how good this roster looks, I really would have preferred to make the "Five Players" feature below a "Ten Players" feature. For some teams, it's tough to fill the list. For the Braves, it was tough to cut it down.
- With their one returning player -- Pierre LePage -- Bourne has one more returning player than it had last season. While some teams are heavy on returning players every year, Bourne never seems to be one of them. The fact that they don't take many freshmen probably has a lot to do with it. They had six frosh last year, same as this year.
- I haven't gone through every roster in detail, but numbers-wise, we probably won't see a better pitcher on the Cape than Ohio State's Alex Wimmers. He's having one hell of a sophomore season, with 110 strikeouts and an ERA under three. To this point, he hasn't been tabbed for Team USA, but like I said above, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an invite. I actually would be surprised if he didn't.
- If Wimmers does get an invite he would join Drew Pomeranz and Cody Wheeler as Braves starters with Team USA calling. If all three of those guys somehow make it to Bourne, we're looking at a crazy 1-2-3 punch atop the starting rotation.
- Tanner Robles has not had a great career at Oregon State, but he was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago. He'll be out to prove something this summer.
- The other thing that strikes me about Bourne's pitching staff is the potential bullpen depth.
Virginia's Robert Moreyand Connecticut's Dan Mahoney have been bullpen guys through and through this season and should be there again this summer. To have two successful setup/middle reliever types like that is a good situation, I think. Better than having guys who pitched in swing roles all season trying to get used to bullpen work. UPDATE (5/29): Morey is actually now a starter for Virginia. My mistake. - Bourne should also have a dynamite closer. James Madison's Kevin Munson has nine saves this year with a ridiculous 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
- In terms of the offense, Anthony Rendon and Blake Forsythe have both been invited to Team USA, but there's still a lot to like behind those two. Oh, and if they should make it to Bourne, they'd be two of my top 10 players coming into the season.
- Tyler Holt might not be a true five-tool talent, but I think he's pretty close. With a great average, decent power numbers and great speed, he'll be an exciting player to watch.
- Ben Klafczynski has already been entered into my spellcheck so it doesn't come up with a red line every time I type it. The problem is, you still have to spell it right, which I did not do just now. By the way, he's good.
- In case you can't glean it from the bios below, there isn't a single Bourne position player who's having a bad season right now. In a league where rosters are sketched out six months before the college season begins, that's pretty remarkable.
- Here's a name to keep an eye on in early June: Ryan Lockwood. After taking a medical redshirt two years ago, he was one of the nation's top hitters in 2008 and was tabbed by several publications as the country's best freshman. Since he's been in college three years, he'll be draft-eligible this year. I said when the roster first came out that I would be surprised to see Lockwood in Bourne. However, in the midst of a season where his average is down over 100 points (it's still good at .295), there might be a need to raise his stock with some time on the Cape. We'll see.
Five Players I'm Excited to See
1. Alex Wimmers
2. Anthony Rendon
3. Blake Forsythe
4. Drew Pomeranz
5. Tyler Holt
Pitchers
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200 - George Washington - Sophomore
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225 - Elon - Sophomore
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204 - UConn - Sophomore
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180 - East Carolina - Sophomore
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185 - Virginia - Sophomore
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180 - James Madison - Sophomore
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231 - Ole Miss - Sophomore
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195 - Florida - RS Freshman
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210 - Oklahoma - Sophomore
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185 - UNC Wilmington - Sophomore
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195 - Ohio State - Sophomore
Eric Cantrell - RHP - 6'4 200
George Washington
Sophomore
Cantrell was a member of the A-10 all-rookie team last year after spending the season as a starter and leading the Colonials in ERA. Cantrell has reprised his starting role this year, with decent results. His ERA is a bit high at 4.66, but he's got 56 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.
Michael Dimock - RHP - 6'2 177
Wake Forest
Freshman
Dimock is part of a big group of talented freshman hurlers who arrived in Winston-Salem this year. His first-year numbers haven't been spectacular. Those he's put up decent strikeout totals, he's allowed 72 hits in 56.2 innings. His ERA is 6.83. He's been used as both a starter and a reliever.
Kenny Ferrer - RHP - 6'2 225
Elon
Sophomore
A power arm with some potential, Ferrer has had an interesting sophomore season with the Phoenix. He's got an ERA above five, and yet he's toting an 8-1 record. I'm sure the Elon coaches would like a little more consistency from Ferrer, who has 47 strikeouts and 34 walks, but they'll take the wins.
Stephen Harrold - RHP - 6'2 208
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
Harrold inherited closer duties for the Seahawks last season and earned Freshman All-America honors from several publications after picking up six saves. Harrold hasn't had quite as much success this year, with just one save in 18 appearances and an ERA over six. He's also made a few starts.
Dan Mahoney - RHP - 6'4 204
UConn
Sophomore
Mahoney had a rough freshman season with the Huskies, going 0-5 with an ERA around eight. He's been much better this year. Working exclusively out of the pen, Mahoney has posted a 4.68 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 25 innings. Last summer, he was named the NECBL's top pro prospect by PG Crosschecker.
Seth Maness - RHP - 6'0 180
East Carolina
Sophomore
Bourne has had a lot of recent success with ECU players, and Maness looks well-equipped to carry on the tradition. As a freshman, Maness went 9-2 with a 3.57 ERA, numbers that earned him a host of accolades, including Conference USA Freshman of the Year. This season Maness is 8-0 with a 4.22 ERA. In 81 innings, he has struck out 67 and walked just 14.
Robert Morey - RHP - 6'1 185
Virginia
Sophomore
Morey was a 29th-round pick out of high school in 2007 and he turned in a pretty solid freshman season before posting good numbers for the Newport Gulls in the NECBL. This season, pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Morey has been very good. He's got a 2.74 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Kevin Munson - RHP - 6'2 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Still listed as a pitcher and a catcher, Munson has focused solely on pitching this spring, with fantastic results. As JMU's closer, Munson has saved nine games. He's got a 3.10 ERA, and most impressively, 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. Munson also had great numbers last year, with 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.
Turner Phelps - RHP - 6'3 180
James Madison
Sophomore
Another player who's ERA doesn't quite match up with his record, Phelps is up over five, but he's got an 8-1 record. Another number does match that record -- Phelps has 82 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. With numbers like that, you can see why he was tabbed by Baseball America as the Colonial Athletic Association's No. 4 prospect.
Drew Pomeranz - LHP - 6'5 231
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Pomeranz was ticketed for Bourne last year before Team USA came calling. The same could happen this year, as Pomeranz was one of the first invites. If he comes to Bourne, the Braves will be getting a star. After a great freshman season, Pomeranz has been better this year, posting a 3.58 ERA with 72 strikeouts against 26 walks in 60.1 innings. Pomeranz was a 12th-round pick out of high school and is likely to climb higher for the 2010 draft.
Justin Poovey - RHP - 6'0 195
Florida
RS Freshman
Poovey took a medical redshirt last season. This year, he's made 11 appearances and has come in with a 6.84 ERA.
Michael Rocha - RHP - 5'10 210
Oklahoma
Sophomore
Pitching in a swing role this season, Rocha has posted a 4.06 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 51 innings of work. He played in Alaska last summer and finished the season with a 0.32 ERA.
Tanner Robles - LHP - 6'4 200
Oregon State
Sophomore
Robles was one of the top prep pitchers in the nation two years ago, but he's had a bit of an up-and-down career with the Beavers. Last year, his ERA was up over six. This year, he's got a 3.42 ERA but he's also only made six appearances.
Cameron Roth - LHP - 6'2 185
UNC Wilmington
Sophomore
After a freshman all-american season last year, Roth has had a rough go of it this season. In 10 appearances, he has a 10.12 ERA, with nine strikeouts and nine walks.
Cody Wheeler - LHP - 5'11 150
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Wheeler has been the best member of a great Chanticleers pitching staff this season. In 12 starts, he's gone 9-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 82 and walked only 22 in 77 innings of work. He also has a no-hitter to his credit this season. Wheeler is a Team USA invite, so we'll see what happens with him.
Alex Wimmers - RHP - 6'2 195
Ohio State
Sophomore
Wimmers has been the Big 10's best pitcher this season, and one of the best in the nation. In 13 starts, he's gone 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA, but those aren't even the numbers that stand out the most. He's also got 110 strikeouts in 88.1 innings, which gives him a K/9 ratio over 11. That's not quite Strasburg territory, but it's still really, really good. He's fifth in the nation in total strikeouts.
Position Players
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220 - Tennessee - Sophomore
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195 - Ole Miss - Freshman
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230 - Cal State Northridge - Sophomore
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220 - St. John's - Sophomore
*Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157 - UConn - Sophomore
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180 - Arizona State - Freshman
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160 - Florida - Junior
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170 - Rice - Freshman
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225 - Oregon State - Sophomore
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195 - Wake Forest - Freshman
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175 - Florida State - Sophomore
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195 - Kent State - Sophomore
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175 - South Florida - RS Sophomore
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190 - Louisville - Sophomore
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185 - Coastal Carolina - Sophomore
Blake Forsythe - C - 6'2 220
Tennessee
Sophomore
Based purely on the statistics from his freshman campaign, Forsythe didn't look like a player who could become one of the top two or three catchers in the nation. But this season, that's exactly what Forsythe has become. He's hitting .348 for the Vols with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. He's got a total of 29 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .490.
Taylor Hightower - C - 5'11 195
Ole Miss
Freshman
Hightower was ranked as one of the nation's top 200 prospects and got picked in the 42nd round. At Ole Miss, he's played in only 13 games, but has posted a .450 batting average.
Dominic D'Anna - 1B - 6'1 230
Cal State Northridge
Sophomore
After a solid freshman season in Northridge, D'Anna has been even better this year. He's hit .326 with seven home runs and 32 RBI. He's also made just four errors at first base.
Paul Karmas - 1B/OF - 6'3 220
St. John's
Sophomore
Karmas had a real good freshman season with the Red Storm, and he's duplicated it this year. He's batting .302 with two home runs and 25 RBI.
Pierre LePage - INF - 5'7 157
UConn
Sophomore
The lone returning player for the Braves, LePage was a late-summer addition last year. He ended up holding his own and posting a .233 average while starting 15 games down the stretch. This spring, LePage has a solid season, hitting .319 with 14 doubles and 30 RBI. He's also made just three errors.
Zack MacPhee - INF/OF - 5'9 180
Arizona State
Freshman
MacPhee was a 22nd-round pick out of high school, but opted for Arizona State, where he joined the nation's top recruiting class. He's been a starter at second base pretty much from day one and he has put up solid numbers. He's currently hitting .272 with four home runs
Michael Mooney - INF - 5'8 160
Florida
Junior
A junior-college transfer, Mooney grabbed the starting shortstop job for the Gators this season and hasn't let go. He's hitting .333 with a .468 on-base percentage.
Anthony Rendon - INF - 5'11 170
Rice
Freshman
Rendon was highly-touted as a high school senior, and since arriving at Rice, he hasn't disappointed even a little bit. Called a "rare talent" by legendary Rice coach Wayne Graham, Rendon has been one of the nation's best freshmen. He's leading the Owls with a .380 average, and he's also got a team-high 16 home runs and 56 RBI. He has also struck out only 20 times in 192 at-bats. He's a Team USA invitee.
Stefen Romero - INF - 6'3 225
Oregon State
Sophomore
After hitting over .400 in one junior-college season, Romero transferred to Oregon State, where he's become one of the team's best hitters. While starting all but one game, Romero has hit .309 with four home runs, a team-best 43 RBI and a total of 22 extra-base hits. Oddly enough for a player of his size, he's also tied for the team lead in triples with three.
Austin Stadler - INF/OF/LHP - 6'2 195
Wake Forest
Freshman
In his first season in Winston-Salem, Stadler has done a little bit of everything and done all of it pretty well. In 40 games as a position player, Stadler has hit .267 with two home runs. In 13 appearances on the mound, he has posted a 4.13 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
Tyler Holt - OF - 6'0 175
Florida State
Sophomore
After a good freshman campaign with the Seminoles, Holt was on Cotuit's roster but played in only three games early in the season. Based on his sophomore year, Bourne would love to have him for a full summer. Holt is among the nation's leaders in batting average and on-base percentage, with a .404 average and a ridiculous .533 OBP. He's also got five home runs, 22 extra-base hits and 28 steals in 31 attempts.
Ben Klafczynski - OF - 6'3 195
Kent State
Sophomore
Klafczynski hit .339 with 11 home runs as a freshman and is having a sophomore season that's right on par with that. He's currently toting a .323 average with five home runs, 20 doubles and 39 RBI.
Ryan Lockwood - OF - 5'10 175
South Florida
RS Sophomore
As mentioned above, Lockwood is an interesting case. He'll likely get drafted, but if he ends up in Bourne, he should be a big-time contributor. This season, Lockwood is hitting .295 with with 13 extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .408.
Josh Richmond - OF - 6'1 190
Louisville
Sophomore
After a pretty solid freshman season, Richmond has been very good this year. He currently has a .321 average with five home runs and 19 extra-base hits.
Scott Woodward - OF/INF - 6'1 185
Coastal Carolina
Sophomore
Woodward played for Team USA last summer, but didn't see a ton of game action. He got into just 11 of the team's 24 games. His sophomore season has been a good one, but it's also been abbreviated. Woodward missed nearly a month after suffering an injury in early April. He's back now, currently sporting a .305 batting average.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
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.
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.
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