SUMMER 16
Y-D Runs Table, Wins Cape Title
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox left little doubt they were the nation’s premier college summer league team in 2007. Ranked No. 1 in PG Crosschecker’s initial Summer 16 rankings, the Red Sox maintained their summer-long grip atop the rankings by running away with the Cape Cod League’s Eastern Division regular-season standings and clinched the top spot in the final ranking of the year by winning four straight playoff games. The Cape Cod League title was Y-D’s third in four years.
The final ranking experienced little shakeup as only four teams had not already completed their seasons. In addition to the No. 1 Red Sox beating No. 8 Falmouth 2-0 in the Cape Cod League final, the No. 15 St. Cloud River Bats (despite an overall 14-18 record in the second half) won their third Northwoods League title in 11 years by beating the Eau Claire Express in two straight games; the No. 13 Moses Lake Pirates won the West Coast Collegiate League crown by beating Corvallis 2-0 in a best-of-3 final.
PG Crosschecker’s final ranking of the top 16 summer league teams; previous ranking in parentheses:
1.
Yarmouth-Dennis
Red
Sox
(1)
Cape
Cod 35-12-1
Georgia SS Gordon Beckham (.284-9-35) led Cape in homers to spark
Cape
’s dominant offensive club to ’07 playoff crown.
2. Havasu Heat (2) Pacific Southwest 48-2
Missouri Baptist RHP Matt
Murray
(8-0, 1.72), 1B Scott Talbert (.462-6-49) led Heat to big season, NBC World Series title.
3.
Thomasville
Hi-Toms (2) Coastal Plain 43-17
Georgia
1B Rich Poythress (.324-13-49), The Citadel OF Chris Swauger (.311-14-45) lift Hi-Toms to Pettit Cup championship.
4.
Vermont
Mountaineers (4)
New
England
30-18
Maine
OF Curt Smith (.329-6-27), Georgetown RHP Matt Gaggioli (5-3, 1.83) lead red-hot
Vermont
to NECBL crown.
5.
Santa
Barbara
Foresters (5)
California
47-10
Defending NBC champs finished fourth;
Oklahoma
State
1B Rebel Ridling’s hot bat (.381-11-59) cooled off in
Wichita
.
6.
Waynesboro
Generals (6) Valley 37-16-1
Akron
1B Kurt Davidson (.307-5-54),
Butler
RHP Jon Dages (7-2, 2.62) power Generals to regular season, playoff titles.
7.
Derby
Twins (7) Jayhawk 40-16
Jayhawk League champions primed for NBC title run before two close, late losses to finalists Havasu, league-rival Hays
8.
Falmouth
Commodores (8)
Cape
Cod 24-24
Pitching-rich Commodores challenge Y-D for
Cape
title behind Missouri RHP Aaron Crow (3-1, 0.67), league ERA leader.
9. Youse’s
Maryland
Orioles (10)
Cal
Ripken Sr. 32-15-1
Five-time AAABA champs clinch latest title on 6-0, two-hitter by Towson RHP Josh Squatriro (4-1, 0.53, 3 BB/53 SO).
10.
Chatham
A’s (11)
Cape Cod
25-18-3
Wake
Forest
1B Allan Dykstra (.308-5-31), USC RHP Tommy Milone (6-1, 2.92) help A’s challenge Y-D in East.
11. Coppell Copperheads (12)
Texas
30-19
Copperheads clinch second TCL title as Texas-recruit Brandon Belt (5-for-11, 5 RBIs) wins playoff MVP honors.
12.
Vienna
Senators (13) Clark Griffith 47-7
Tulane LHP Aaron Loup (8-0, 0.98), Pepperdine-bound RHP Nate Newman (6-0, 1.80) lift Senators to Clark Griffith title.
13.
Moses
Lake
Pirates (14) West Coast 32-14
Pirates sweep to first WCCL title behind
Long Beach
State
closer Dan Wolford (2-0, 1.27, 11 SV).
14.
Columbus
All-Americans (15)
Great
Lakes
28-14
Youngstown
State
1B Eric Diedrich (.350-5-27), Ohio State RHP Jake Hale (3-2, 1.39) power
Columbus
to GLL crown.
15.
St. Cloud
River
Bats (NR) Northwoods 39-31
Sac State OF Tim Wheeler (.300-2-27, 20 SB), Missouri State LHP Buddy Baumann (5-1, 2.47) lead bats to NWL title.
16. Mat-Su Miners (16)
Alaska
26-11
Miners earn share of Alaska League title with AIA Fire, but neither team elect to participate in NBC World Series in
Wichita
.
--COMPILED BY ALLAN SIMPSON