The Cape Cod League plays its annual all-star game on Saturday, and the East roster is predictably dominated by players from the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox—theCape’s best team this season and the dominant club in summer ball. Y-D continues to sit atop PG Crosschecker’s weekly ranking of the nation’s top summer teams.
Seven Y-D players will play in the heavily-scouted all-star contest, including four starters: catcher Jason Castro (Stanford), shortstop Gordon Beckham (Georgia), outfielder Collin Cowgill (Kentucky
) and pitcher Eddie Burns (Georgia Tech). Catcher Buster Posey (Florida
State
), first baseman Sean Ochinko (Louisiana
State
) and reliever Nick Cassavechia (Baylor) were also chosen to the team. Y-D head coach Scott Pickler (Cypress, Calif., JC), who has led the Red Sox to two Cape League titles in the last three years, was selected to coach the East squad.
PG Crosschecker’s ranking of the top 16 summer league teams. Records as of July 22; previous ranking in parentheses:
1.
Yarmouth-Dennis
Red
Sox
(1)
Cape
Cod 22-9-1
All-stars Beckham (.321-8-26) leads
Cape
in homers, Burns (4-0, 2.25) in wins and Cassavechia (1-1, 0.92, 9 SV) in saves.
2.
Santa
Barbara
Foresters (2)
California
36-7
Oklahoma State OF Rebel Ridling (.406-7-35),
Oklahoma
OF Devin Shepherd (.343-5-33) swinging hot bats for NBC champs.
3.
Green Bay
Bullfrogs (4) Northwoods 33-14
Chapman (Calif.
) 3B-RHP Kurt Yacko (.293-0-19; 2-0, 0.00, 13 SV) playing valuable two-way role for NWL’s best team.
4.
Fayetteville
Swampdogs (3) Coastal Plain 32-9
Illinois
duo of Aaron Martin (6-0, 1.03) and Ben Reeser (5-0, 0.97) continues to power pitching-rich Swampdogs.
5. Bourne Braves (6)
Cape Cod
18-12-2
Cal
1B Josh Satin (.276-4-20), William & Mary OF Ben Guez (.279-3-23), Stetson OF Brian Pruitt (.266-3-23) are potent trio.
6.
Lima
Locos (7)
Great Lakes
25-8
Purdue’s Matt Bischoff (5-0, 0.90) tops pitching staff,
Georgetown
’s Bryan Bonner (.381-1-12) paces Locos offense.
7.
Chatham
A’s (8)
Cape Cod
17-12-3
USC RHP Tommy Milone (4-1, 3.12) and
Wake
Forest
1B Allan Dykstra (.317-2-20) making big midseason impact for A’s.
8.
Waynesboro
Generals (9) Valley 29-10
Generals rely mostly on pitching, but Akron C-IF Kurt Davidson (.325-4-39), Elon C-OF Pat Irvine (.312-3-27) provide spark.
9. AIA-Alaska (NR)
Alaska
25-11
Surprise
Alaska
leader getting big seasons from Liberty OF P.K. Keller (.341-6-22, 16 SB), JMU P Justin Wood (5-1, 2.82).
10.
Falmouth
Commodores (10)
Cape
Cod 17-15
Wichita
State
3B Conor Gillaspie (.338-5-17), Eastern Kentucky P Christian Friedrich (3-1, 2.81) among seven
Cape
all-stars.
11.
Vienna
Senators (13) Clark Griffith 35-5
Ten-time AAABA champs have big Tulane factor on club, including incoming junior 1B Sam Honeck (.317-10-31).
12.
Derby
Twins (12) Jayhawk 30-12
Twins getting big production from
Northern Iowa
pair: SS Brandon Douglas (.339-2-14), OF Dan Embury (.287-6-30).
13.
Moses
Lake
Pirates (14) West Coast 22-8
Long
Beach
State
twosome, OF Steve Tinoco (.327-0-13) and P Dan Wolford (1-0, 1.76, 9 SV), playing key roles.
14.
Thomasville
Hi-Toms (15) Coastal Plain 29-12
Louisiana Tech P Aaron Lorio leads league with 14 saves,
Georgia
1B Rich Poythress (.331-11-40) CPL’s top power threat.
15. Mat-Su Miners (5)
Alaska
20-9
Southern Miss 1B Michael Ewing (.316-5-25) team’s top power threat; five pitchers share team lead with three wins.
16.
Wichita
Falls
Roughnecks (NR)
Texas
20-12
Dartmouth
twin LHPs Robert Young (3-2, 1.42) and Russell Young (3-1, 2.43) making an impact for Roughnecks.