Cape Cod League Update - All-Star Edition

The Cape's annual all-star game to take place Saturday

July 23, 2007

By Douglas Kroll

CSTV.com

	DOUG KROLL Doug Kroll is an editor for CSTV.com, focusing on baseball. E-mail here!

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The Cape Cod League does things a little differently than other baseball leagues when it comes to its all-star game.  The game is played about three-quarters of the way through the season, with the playoffs sitting only about two weeks away. 

The League's best will be on display on Saturday, July 28, when Wareham will host the 44^th annual event, which will draw thousands.  In continuing our weekly in-depth look into the CCBL, it's time for the All-Star Edition. 

Forty-four players have been chosen, with seven schools, three of them from the Pac-10, getting more than one player into the game.  Miami and South Carolina landed three players each in the game to lead all schools.  Arizona, Cal, Georgia Tech, Missouri and USC have two players each. 

Arizona Wildcats:

The Wildcats should be happy with what is coming back to the rotation off a team that finished second in the Pac-10 in 2007.  Rising juniors Mike Colla and Ryan Perry each made the East squad as relievers for Saturday's game.  Colla has been a starter all summer and gone 3-1 with a 1.70 ERA in six starts, as he's tied for the Brewster lead in wins.  As for Perry, he's exclusively come out of the bullpen, and while his ERA is a bit inflated at 4.41, he still has 21 strikeouts in 16 1-3 innings. 

Auburn Tigers:

After an extremely disappointing season for the Tigers, in which they missed the SEC Tournament, a pleasant surprise has been pitcher Evan Crawford.  The rising junior finished the 2007 season with a 5-6 record and a 5.91 ERA, but has been one of the best pitchers in the Cape Cod League.  Pitching for Harwich out of the bullpen, Crawford has gone 22 1-3 innings with only two earned runs, boasting a 0.81 ERA.  The Alabama native has also struck out 33 batters in that span, and will come out of the pen in Wareham.

Baylor Bears:

Baylor's lone Cape Cod League all-star is Nick Cassavechia, who will be a reliever on the East team.  The rising senior is one of seven Yarmouth-Dennis players to make the team, as he's been nearly lights out as the Red Sox closer, a role that he held in Waco this year as well.  Cassavechia has nine saves with a 0.92 ERA in 19 2-3 innings of work.

Bradley Braves:

Dan Brewer will get the start as the West's designated hitter, after putting up monster numbers so far for the Hyannis Mets.  Brewer led the Braves this year with 10 homeruns, and has picked up right where he left off.  He's hitting .339 with five homers and leads the Mets with 20 RBI.

California Golden Bears:

The Golden Bears will sport a player on each side of Saturday's contest, as Charlie Cutler will start in leftfield for the East, while Josh Satin will be an outfield reserve for the West. Cutler has been solid for Brewster, as he's hit .293 with one homerun and 11 RBI in 25 games played.  Satin has been just as good for Bourne, posting a .276 average to go along with a team-leading four home runs and 20 RBI. 

East Carolina Pirates:

Starter T.J. Hose has followed up a successful 2007 season with an impressive stint on the Cape thus far.  Hose will be a reliever for the West, but has started four of the seven games he's appeared in this summer.  In those appearances, the rising senior is 3-2 with a 1.27 ERA in 28 1-3 innings.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels:

The Colonels get a player into the all-star game, thanks to Christian Friedrich's work for Falmouth thus far.  In six starts, Friedrich is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA, and most astounding of all, has 49 strikeouts in 32 innings and has only allowed 24 hits in that span. 

Florida Gators:

After another disappointing season for Florida, Cole Figueroa was one of the only bright spots.  The freshman put up big numbers in his first season in Gainesville, being the pest at the top of the lineup that every team craves.  This summer has been no different.  Figueroa will start for the East, as he's hitting .306 with 11 RBI, and has stolen four bases. 

Florida State Seminoles:

Buster Posey will be the East's backup catcher after putting up decent numbers for the Red Sox.  The rising junior has hit .255 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 27 games.  Posey has also played three games at first base and two in the outfield, and has struggled a bit considering he hit a lofty .382 during 2007.

George Mason Patriots:

Jordan Flasher has been Bourne's closer and will be in the West's bullpen on Saturday.  He's 2-0 with six saves in 14 appearances out of the bullpen.  The rising junior has a 1.62 ERA to go along with 20 strikeouts in 16 2-3 innings pitched.

Georgia Bulldogs:

The East's starting shortstop has perhaps been the biggest surprise of them all this year.  Gordon Beckham leads the league in home runs, as he's launched eight of them for Yarmouth-Dennis.  It hasn't just been the power, though.  Beckham also has a .321 average and leads the first place Red Sox with 26 RBI.  On a Bulldogs team that finished a woeful 23-33, Beckham was one of the lone bright spots, as he led the team with 13 longballs.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets:

Georgia Tech has the honor of two players in the all-star game, with one of them being the East's starting pitcher.  Eddie Burns will get the nod, after posting a 4-0 record in six starts this summer, to go along with a 2.25 ERA.  In 40 innings, Burns has walked only six and struck out 28 batters.  Another pitcher, Chris Hicks, will be a reliever for the West.  Hicks has done a good job as Wareham's closer, despite the team being only 12-20.  The rising sophomore has a 1.06 ERA with seven saves and has 19 Ks in 17 innings.

Indiana Hoosiers:

One of four players selected from the Big Ten, catcher Josh Phegley will start for the West team.  Phegley has hit much better than he did during the 2007 season when he notched only a .232 average.  This summer, he's hit .295 and has been impressive behind the plate, only committing one error in 25 games.

Iowa Hawkeyes:

Another Big Ten player will be in the West's starting lineup, when Kevin Hoef takes the field as the starting second baseman.  Hoef leads the league with a .341 average and is tied for the Bourne team lead with eight stolen bases.  The rising junior is following up on a .300 regular season with Iowa.

Kentucky Wildcats:

The starting centerfielder for the East will be Kentucky's Collin Cowgill.  Yarmouth-Dennis' Cowgill has hit .310 with two homeruns and 15 RBI on the year.  Cowgill is coming back from missing all of the 2007 season while using a medical redshirt.  He was still selected by the A's in the MLB Draft, and is backing that up with an impressive summer.

Long Beach State:

Dirtbags rising junior Shane Peterson has been one of the best hitters in the league, posting a .325 average with a homerun and 17 RBI for Hyannis.  Peterson will be the starting first baseman for the West.  Peterson has played 18 of his 30 games at first, with the other 12 coming in the outfield, and has only made one error.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs:

Luke Burnett hasn't been as dominating as some pitchers in the league when it comes to his ERA, but he still has four saves for Falmouth.  Burnett is 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 13 games, but he's racked up 29 strikeouts in 17 2-3 innings, and that's pretty good.  Burnett will be in the bullpen for the West. 

LSU Tigers:

The trend continues with the four teams that missed out on the SEC Tournament in 2007.  They have loads of talent, now they just have to put it together.  Catcher/first baseman Sean Ochinko was selected as the backup infielder for the East, as he's put up a .295 average with five homeruns and 16 RBI in 29 games.  The best part for head coach Paul Mainieri?  Ochinko is only a rising sophomore. 

Miami Hurricanes:

Jim Morris' bunch sends three to the all-star game.  Outfielder Dennis Raben and first baseman Yonder Alonso will start for the East and also participate in the home run derby.  Raben leads the league with 28 RBI and also has five home runs.  Alonso, meanwhile, has a .311 average to go along with an astonishing 29 walks, which raises his OBP to a league-leading .460.  Rounding out the field for the 'Canes is outfielder Blake Tekotte who has stolen 17 bases to lead the Cape Cod League, and has yet to be caught.

Michigan State Spartans:

For a guy that hit .295 during the regular season for the Spartans, Kyle Day has done a very good job for the Harwich Mariners, and will be rewarded with an all-star appearance after hitting .277 so far.

Missouri Tigers:

Two of the best pitchers in the Cape Cod League this summer have been from Missouri, and each has made an all-star roster.  Rising junior Aaron Crow will be the starting pitcher for the West, and is well-deserving of the honor.  Crow is 3-1 with a 0.64 ERA in six appearances (four starts), and has allowed only 16 hits in 28 1-3 innings.  His Falmouth teammate, Kyle Gibson, has been nearly just as good.  Gibson has gone 1-0 in six starts with a 1.06 ERA, and has struck out 37 batters in 34 innings. 

North Florida Ospreys:

The Ospreys get an entrant in the all-star game, and it's pitcher Tyler Stohr.  He's been Hyannis' closer, converting five saves on the summer, and in ten appearances, has himself a 2.08 ERA.

Purdue Boilermakers:

Josh Lindblom leads the 11-19 Cotuit Kettleers with a 4-1 record.  Lindblom will be in the bullpen for the West on Saturday, as he brings in a 3.68 ERA in 29 1-3 innings of work this summer.

San Diego Toreros:

Matt Couch had to spend all season living in the shadow of super starter Brian Matusz, but now, Couch is right in the spotlight.  Couch will be a reliever for the East, as he's 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in seven appearances, six of them being starts, for the Brewster Whitecaps. 

Seton Hall Pirates:

Starter Corey Young got the nod for Harwich, and will head to Wareham as another reliever for the East.  Young's been one of the better pitchers on the 12-19 Mariners, as in five starts, he's 2-1 with a 3.93 ERA.

South Carolina Gamecocks:

Of the three Gamecocks in the all-star game, one will be a starter, and that is West shortstop Reese Havens.  He's hit .305 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 29 games this summer. The other two attendees will be Will Atwood relieving for the East, and James Darnell as a backup infielder for the West.  Atwood is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in nine games this season, including one start, while Darnell leads Hyannis with six home runs, and has driven in 18 runs.

Southeast Louisiana Lions:

You can easily say that Wade Miley hasn't been the beneficiary of any good luck.  He's just 1-5 for the 12-20 Wareham Gatemen, but Miley has made the all-star team thanks to some other pretty good numbers.  Miley will be a reliever for the West, thanks to a 1.86 ERA in seven starts, and has two complete games under his belt.  In 48 1-3 innings, Miley has struck out 46 batters. 

Stanford Cardinal:

Rising junior Jason Castro gets the start behind the plate for the East team.  After hitting just .167 this season in 42 games with the Cardinal, Castro has hit .330 this summer with two home runs and 13 RBI for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

Tulane Green Wave:

Aja Barto gets the start for the West in leftfield.  The rising junior hit .269 for Tulane this past season, but has hit .288 with two home runs and nine RBI in 31 Cape Cod League games this summer with the Falmouth Commodores.

UCLA Bruins:

Rising junior Jermaine Curtis is one of the biggest prospects in the country, especially at third base.  Curtis gets the starting nod for the East, after posting a .321 average with two home runs and 17 RBI for the Chatham A's.  Curtis only played in 37 games for the Bruins in 2007, so this is crucial experience for the third baseman.

USC Trojans:

The Trojans get a reliever on to the East squad with Brad Boxberger, and a backup catcher onto the West team with Robert Stock.  Boxberger is 1-0 in six appearances, five starts, with a 1.38 ERA.  Stock, meanwhile, has been much better at the plate, even though he's only hitting .234.  The rising sophomore has three home runs with 15 RBI.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons:

Allan Dykstra will be the designated hitter for the East.  Dykstra leads Chatham with 20 runs batted in, and has hit .317 with two home runs.  The former ACC Rookie of the Year hit 18 homeruns this past season with Wake. 

Washington Huskies:

The Huskies have another big talent on their hands, and this time it isn't a pitcher.  Matt Hague will start in rightfield for the West, after hitting .308 with two home runs and 17 RBI for Falmouth this season.

Wichita State Shockers:

Shockers third baseman Conor Gillaspie has been one of the league's best hitters, as he's hit at a .338 clip with five home runs and 17 RBI for Falmouth.    Gillaspie will be the starting third baseman for the West on Saturday.  He was one of Wichita State's best hitters this past season, leading the team with 63 RBI.

William & Mary Tribe:

A surprising centerfielder will make the start for the West, when Bourne's Ben Guez takes the field.  Guez got off to a red-hot start, and is still hitting .279 with three home runs and is tied for the team lead with 23 RBI.  Guez hit .270 with 24 RBI in 46 games for the Tribe this past season.