Cape League: The New England rundown

In this edition of the Cape League Spotlight, we rundown all of the New England talent on the Cape this summer by team. Stats are as of Tuesday, July 13. If you feel we have missed a player on this list or would like a Cape Leaguer featured in the Cape League Spotlight, e-mail us at kctbaseball@gmail.com.

BOURNE

Nick Ahmed, Connecticut (INF): The East Longmeadow native hit .300 in 63 starts for the Huskies this spring at shortstop. For the Braves, he has played in 25 games, hitting .256.

Mike Nemeth, Connecticut (INF): Nemeth, a New Jersey native, started in all 64 games at first base for UCONN. He led the team with a .386 average and is hitting .237 in 24 games for Bourne.

Will Jolin, Connecticut (RHP): The Guilford, CT native was a redshirt at school this season, but is 1-2 with an impressive 1.74 ERA in 5 games for Bourne.

BREWSTER

Michael Dowd, Franklin Pierce (C): Dowd hails from East Bridgewater and serves as the Whitecaps’ back up catcher. He started in all but one game for the Ravens this spring (60) and hit .306 with six home runs. For the ‘Caps, he has seen action in nine games, hitting .143 in just 28 plate appearances.

CHATHAM

Dan Paolini, Siena (INF): The Stratford, CT native was one of the nation’s premier power hitters as he hit for a .368 average and 26 home runs in 53 games with the Saints. He is hitting .239 in 21 games for the Anglers.

Kevin Vance, Connecticut (INF): Vance found the Nutmeg State all the way from Solana Beach, CA and hit .322 in 56 games with the Huskies this spring. He has struggled at the plate with just a .111 average in nine games.

Joe Pavone, Connecticut (C): At UCONN, Pavone finds his Rochester, NY home much closer than his teammate Vance. He hit .273 this spring in 39 games, while he has slugged .308 average in 15 games over this summer.

Mike Dennhardt, Boston College (RHP): It has been a solid summer for the Oradell, NJ native as he has posted a 1-2 record and 1.93 ERA in five starts for the Anglers. Dennhardt posted four wins in 11 decisions this spring for the Eagles.

Matt Brazis, Boston College (RHP): The Tampa native is one of the Anglers’ designated closers this summer and has posted two wins and a 2.16 ERA in seven appearances. Brazis led the Eagles with nine saves this spring, while posting a 4.73 ERA and one win.

COTUIT

Michael Yastremski, Vanderbilt (OF): Is there really any introduction needed? The Andover native and St. John’s Prep grad is the grandson of the former Red Sox all-star outfielder, Carl. He hit .260 in 58 games this season for the Vandy Commodores and is batting .227 in 14 games this summer.

FALMOUTH

Nate Koneski, Holy Cross (LHP): The Dighton native threw a whopping five complete games for the Crusaders this spring, while posting a 6-2 record and 3.74 ERA in 13 games. He has earned a win and 0.84 ERA for the Commodores this summer.

HARWICH

Drew Leenhouts, Northeastern (LHP): The Franklin native solidified himself as a solid weekend starter for the Huskies this year as he posted a 3-4 record and 3.14 ERA in 12 games. This summer, he has a 2-2 record and 3.25 ERA in five games for the Mariners. 

HYANNIS

No Harbor Hawks have New England connections. Barnstable native Kevin Moran (Boston College) was drafted in June after appearing in one game for Hyannis to begin the year.

ORLEANS

John Brebbia, Elon (RHP): The Sharon native earned one win in 22 games for the Phoenix this season. For the Firebirds, he has posted a 1-1 record and 2.38 ERA in eight games.

Jack Leathersich, UMASS-Lowell (LHP): The Beverly native was 3-2 over 12 games with a 4.26 ERA this spring for the Riverhawks. He has contributed to the Firebird bullpen by posting a 3.08 ERA in eight appearances.

Elliot Glynn, Connecticut (LHP): The Californian went 7-3 in 15 starts with a solid 2.99 ERA this spring at UCONN, while he has struggled in his second summer with a 0-2 record and 7.88 ERA in three games.

WAREHAM

Matt Barnes, Connecticut (RHP): The Bethel, CT native gained national attention during his start at Brewster on June 26, when he faced Red Sox draft pick and Brewster top hurler Anthony Ranuado (LSU). He pitched well, but took the 5-3 loss against one of the nation’s best, pitching seven innings and allowing just four hits and an earned run. He also recorded a whopping 14 strikeouts against the Whitecaps. Hitting double digits in K’s is nothing new for the sophomore as he led the staff with 75 in 15 games. This summer, he has a 1-2 record and 2.18 ERA in three games.

Max Pearlman, Harvard (RHP): The 6’7″ Floridian pitched in just five games for the Crimson this spring, putting up a 1-2 record. He is the current CCBL Pitcher of the Week and has a 1-1 record and team-best 2.02 ERA in four starts.

John Andreoli, Connecticut (OF): Shrewsbury’s Andreoli played in 59 games for the Huskies this season and hit at a .362 clip as a regular right fielder and enters Tuesday with a .333 average in five games since being traded from Brewster.

George Springer, Connecticut (OF): The New Britian, CT native is a returning Cape Leaguer as he played in Wareham in 2009 as well. This spring, he started all 64 games in center field and hit .337 and had a .288 average before leaving for Team USA.

L.J. Mazilli, Connecticut (SS): Mazilli, a Greenwich, CT resident, has some pretty solid family lineage in professional baseball as he is the son of former Major League Baseball player, coach and manager Lee Mazzilli. He was a designated hitter for UCONN this season as he hit .312 in 26 games. This summer, he has slugged to just a .170 average in 14 games.

Joe Flynn, Franklin Pierce (RHP): The hometown hurler from Plymouth is 0-1 with a 3.85 ERA in seven games this summer after a 5-2 spring for the Ravens over 12 appearances.

Keith Bilodeau, Maine (RHP): Bilodeau is also a Cape native, from Sagamore, who earned four wins and a 5.98 ERA for the Black Bears this spring. He owns a 2.38 ERA through nine games for the Gatemen.

Y-D

Matt Watson, Boston College (C): The Portland, ME native comes to the Cape after hitting .259 in 58 games this spring at BC. He has a .204 average in 23 games and has spent time as both a DH and catcher for the Red Sox.

John Leonard, Boston College (RHP): The Hanover resident threw in eight games at BC this spring, posting a 2-2 record. He is building on an All-Star summer as he has a 3-1 record and 1.09 ERA in four starts.

Cape League: From Cape Cod to Cape Dog

Matt Barnes is one of 11 UCONN Huskies on the Cape this summer. He was the Opening Night starter for Wareham. (UCONN Athletics photo)

It was a dream season for Jim Penders and his Connecticut Huskies.

Their impressive resume: 48-16 record. Top 25 National Ranking. Host of an NCAA Regional. Those accolades earn respect from other big-time programs and the chance for a dream summer as well.

This summer, the Huskies sent 11 players to the Cape. A number that could only rival some of the nation’s elite programs: Texas, North Carolina, and Florida to name a few.

Starting first baseman and cleanup hitter Mike Nemeth is one of three Huskies playing at Doran Park, for the Bourne Braves. He joins teammates Nick Ahmed and Will Jolin. Nemeth led the Huskies in batting this spring, hitting .386 and starting in all 64 games. He became the school’s all-time hits leader this spring during the Huskies’ late-season run at the NCAA Regional, which they were ultimately chosen to host.

Ahmed started 63 games and hit .300 as the regular shortstop, while Jolin sat out the season as a redshirt.

Four Huskies don the Cranberry colors of the Wareham Gatemen: Matt Barnes, John Andreoli, L.J. Mazilli, George Springer.

Barnes gained national attention during his start at Brewster on June 26, when he faced Red Sox draft pick and Brewster top hurler Anthony Ranuado (LSU). He pitched well, but took the 5-3 loss against one of the nation’s best, pitching seven innings and allowing just four hits and an earned run. He also recorded a whopping 14 strikeouts against the Whitecaps. Hitting double digits in K’s is nothing new for the sophomore as he led the staff with 75 in 15 games.

Andreoli hit .362, third-best for the Huskies as their starting right fielder. Mazilli has some pretty solid family lineage in professional baseball as he is the son of former Major League Baseball player, coach and manager Lee Mazzilli. He was a designated hitter for UCONN this season as he hit .312 in 26 games.

Springer is a returning Cape Leaguer as he played in Wareham in 2009 as well. This spring, he started all 64 games in center field and hit .337.

Two Nutmeg State representatives also call Chatham home in Kevin Vance and Joe Pavone. Vance was the regular closer for the Huskies as he allowed five earned runs in 18.2 innings over 17 appearances. Pavone was a catcher for UCONN and hit .273 in 39 games.

Elliott Glynn is also a returning Orleans Firebird that went 7-3 in 15 starts with a solid 2.99 ERA this spring.

One reasonable question you could ask about this is: What is the connection between the Cape and Connecticut? Two Huskies coaches have spent time on the Cape during the summer months, while one legendary field manager has his own connection to the Nutmeg State.

Jim Penders’ assistant coach Chris Podeszwa is in his fourteenth season in the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox dugout, while Justin Blood spent the 2005 summer with Y-D as a pitching coach. The CCBL’s winningest manager John Schiffner is also a big supporter of the Coach Penders and his program on the rise as he spends the rest of the year as a coach and history teacher at Plainfield (CT) High School, less than an hour away from the UCONN campus.

When All-Star rosters are announced in the not-so-distant future, the Huskies will be well represented on July 28 at Fenway Park and when the summer is over UCONN baseball can be put on the map with among the nation’s elite.

Cape League: Hawks make 2010 Vineyard Cup one to remember

The Falmouth Commodores enjoy the ferry on their way to Martha's Vineyard. (Falmouth Commodores photo)

OAKS BLUFF, Massachusetts (Thursday, July 8, 2010) – A ferry. Not the normal mode of transportation in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Once a year, the Falmouth Commodores play a “home” game at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School on Oak Bluffs. In 2010, the Hyannis Harbor Hawks were the Commodores’ lucky opposition in the Vineyard Cup.

For the Harbor Hawks, the game will not be remembered just for the ferry ride and picturesque sighgtlines, but for their dramatic 5-3 win over the Commodores.

The Harbor Hawks looked like they had something cooking in the top of the second as Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) worked a walk and Matt Williams (Liberty) hit a double to center field, but Commodores starter Miguel Pena (San Jacinto) got the final two outs to end the threat.

Kyle Bluestein (Jacksonville State) gave the Commodores a 2-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the second inning on a mammoth two-run home run to deep left field (2) against Hyannis starter Justin Wright (Virginia Tech).

Falmouth doubled their lead with two out in the third inning on an Andrew Susac two-run single just inside the left field line to score Kyle VanTungeln (TCU) and Barrett Barnes (UC-Irvine).

Hyannis cut the deficit to 4-3 on a deep home run to right-center field (1) by Cam Seitzer (Oklahoma) with two outs in the fifth inning.

After Pena departed, reliever Doug Simmons walked Seitzer to load the bases in the top of the seventh, but he struck out Casey McElroy (Auburn) to end the inning.

In the top of the ninth, four straight Hyannis batters reached base with two outs and then Jason Nappi (Harding) hit the two-run RBI double to win the game.

It was a great day to watch baseball on a beautiful island. Getting off of the mainland was a special treat as well. “We gave them some good baseball,” Hyannis field manager Chad Gassman said. “It was fun that we could treat the island, treat Martha’s Vineyard to a good game.”

Cape League: From Riverhawks to Firebirds; D-II products Kneeland and Leathersich make Cape Ann proud

The Cape Cod Baseball League is a dream come true for baseball players and fans alike. The CCBL showcases the nation’s elite talent, but New England is usually under-represented in each summer’s crop of players. In a weekly series, KCT Baseball will profile local stars that will be chasing their Major League dreams on the diamonds of Southeastern Massachusetts this summer. This is our first installment.

Being New England products, Cam Kneeland and Jack Leathersich are not among the first gasp of players recruited in the Cape Cod Baseball League, but being Division II stars at UMASS-Lowell puts them even further down on the list. The two Riverhawk sophomores are looking to change those opinions and put themselves on the minds of MLB scouts as members of the Orleans Firebirds.

Kneeland

Kneeland, an infielder and Rowley native, was the Riverhawks leader in team batting this season with a .313 average in 46 games as the regular third baseman, after a freshman season in which he appeared in just ten games. His stats consistently ranked among the top 20 leaders in the Northeast-10 Conference during the spring, including the league’s third-best average with two outs at .362 as well as third-best RBI per game total at 0.93.

He was a two-year standout at Triton Regional High School, where he earned Cape Ann League MVP honors in 2008, as well as CAL All-Star as a junior and senior. As a senior, he hit a scorching .520 with 25 RBI and posted a 4-2 record as a pitcher.

On the Cape, he is struggling early in the season as he has collected just one hit in 12 at bats, while scoring two runs. His on base percentage of .313 is among the team’s best at sixth.

Leathersich

Leathersich is a crafty lefty from Beverly who is a key contributor to Ken Harring’s weekend rotation. During the spring, he was 3-2 over 12 games and nine starts with a 4.26 ERA, while he did not allow a run during the 2009 fall season. He has a good breaking ball and has the capability to throw a fastball that tops out at 90 mph. Over 57 innings this year, he surrendered just 27 earned runs and three home runs.

He was named the NE-10 Rookie Pitcher of the Year, as well as a NE-10 All-Star First Team and All-Rookie selection to earn him a slot on  the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-Star Team as a freshman in 2009.

At Beverly High School, he earned Northeast Conference all-star honors as a senior, as well as all-star status from The Salem Evening News and The Daily Item of Lynn. He set school records for strikeouts and wins in a career and was named the Panthers’ team MVP.

He has been a large contribution to the Firebird bullpen this summer as he has compiled a 1.13 ERA in eight innings over four relief appearances and allowed just five hits and an earned run.

The UMASS-Lowell boys are making Cape Ann proud as new members of the Orleans Firebirds.

**Photos from GoRiverhawks.com.

Cape League Spotlight coming next week!

Stay tuned next week for the first installment of our Cape League Spotlight series, profiling local stars that will be chasing their Major League dreams on the diamonds of Southeastern Massachusetts this summer.

The first installement next week will feature Beverly’s Jack Leathersich, a pitcher from UMASS-Lowell, who is pitching for the Orleans Firebirds.

We will try to have a new player each week following our first feature.