SUMMER 16

ORLEANS ASCENDS TO NO. 1 SPOT

By most accounts, the Cape Cod League is not as talented as it was a year ago when it produced five of the first 10 and 10 of the top 25 picks in this year’s draft. The league also had a dominant team, Yarmouth-Dennis, which went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in PG Crosschecker’s Summer 16 rankings of the nation’s leading summer league clubs.

With the prospect of few potential future first-rounders in this year’s Cape crop and no dominant team, it’s been a different summer in the Cape Cod League, traditionally the nation’s premier summer college league. Already this summer, teams from the Alaska League and Clark Griffith League have bumped the Cape Cod League from its familiar perch atop the Summer 16 rankings. So far this season, seven of the Cape’s 10 teams have moved in and out of the rankings.

With nine wins in 10 games and seven in a row, however, the Orleans Cardinals might have finally restored some order to the Cape’s unpredictable 2008 season. The Cardinals (fourth a week ago) have surged to the No. 1 spot in this week’s PG Crosschecker Summer 16 rankings, while the Hyannis Mets, who ranked as the Cape’s top team a week ago at No. 2, fell out of the rankings altogether with seven straight losses.

Orleans’ surge has been led by the league’s best pitching staff, which has posted a 2.95 ERA. Rising San Diego junior righthander Matt Thomson, who was the No. 1 prospect in the Alaska League a year ago, has sparked the Cardinals by going 3-0, 1.56. He was selected to start the Cape Cod League all-star for the East team in this weekend’s league all-star game.

Here are the latest PG Crosschecker Summer 16 rankings, with records through July 20 (last week’s ranking noted in parentheses):

Rank Team League Record
1. Orleans (Mass.) Cardinals (4) Cape Cod 21-9
Cards hitting only .229, but trio of California arms, slugging of Loyola Marymount OF Angelo Songco (.275-4-16) has team on a roll.
2. Anchorage Glacier Pilots (1) Alaska 24-7
Pilots dominating Alaska League behind San Diego prep 2B Bryan Haar (.298-0-25), Miami 1B Joe Terdoslavich (.376-4-16).
3. Luray (Va.) Wranglers (8) Valley 27-10
Wranglers whipped Clark Griffith League's Vienna Senators in exhibition last week, continue to dominate Valley League standings.
4. Vienna (Va.) Senators (3) Clark Griffith 32-6
Ex-No. 1 Senators dropped four in a row last week, including pair of exhibitions to Valley League's two best, Luray and Waynesboro.
5. Youse's Maryland Orioles (5) Cal Ripken Sr. 35-7
Defending AAABA champion O's continue to lose players to '08 draft, but Maryland RHP Scott Swinson (5-1, 1.42) remains steady.
6. Harwich (Mass.) Mariners (NR) Cape Cod 18-13
Two North Carolina products, C Mark Fleury (.348-2-11) and OF Dustin Ackley (.415-2-10), have Mariners making a move.
7. Cincinnati Steam (7) Great Lakes 24-7
Two '08 draft picks, Miami (Ohio) OF Tommy Nurre (.298-3-19), Xavier LHP Charlie Leesman (2-1, 2.51), have Steam on a roll.
8. Wisconsin Woodchucks (10) Northwoods 30-16
Tusculum (Tenn.) RHP Rob Currie (6-0, 2.72), Lamar (Colo.) CC RHP Kyle Gumieny (6-0, 2.77) are perfect 12-0 for Woodchucks.
9. Waynesboro (Va.) Generals (9) Valley 26-12
Tennessee Tech LHP Adam Liberatore (5-0, 1.09) leads Generals staff, Charleston 2B Brandon Sizemore (.375-5-19) the lineup.
10. Sanford Mainers (11) New England Collegiate 22-11
Mainers getting mileage out of George Washington RHP Pat Lehman (4-0, 0.90), West Chester (Pa.) RHP Jason Bowman (4-2, 2.34).
11. Corvallis (Ore.) Knights (14) West Coast Collegiate 21-9
Two Californians, San Diego State RHP Jon Berger (2-0, 1.36), Sierra JC OF Logan Lotti (.375-3-18), lead Knights to top of WCCL.
12. Thomasville (N.C.) HiToms (15) Coastal Plain 29-16
Defending champion HiToms surging behind Clemson RHP Justin Sarratt (5-1, 1.17), North Carolina A&T OF C.J. Beatty (.318-7-34).
13. North Shore (Mass.) Navigators (NR) New England Collegiate 20-10
Brigham Young OF Sean McNaughton (.364-3-27), St. Joseph's RHP Chris Prescott (0-0, 0.58, 8 SV) are key Navigators.
14. Bourne (Mass.) Braves (12) Cape Cod 17-15
Ohio sophomore OF Marc Krauss (.403-3-26) leads Cape League in hitting, has Bourne atop Western Division standings.
15. Florence (S.C.) Redwolves (6) Coastal Plain 26-13
Coastal Carolina RHP Kent Altman (4-0, 0.73), Mercyhurst (Pa.) RHP Steve Grife (3-0, 1.66) remain unbeaten for Redwolves.
16. Madison Mallards (NR) Northwoods 29-17
Charlotte OF Rob Lyerly (.340-2-31), Illinois SS Brandon Wikoff (.321-0-18) have Mallards on second-half hot streak.

--COMPILED BY ALLAN SIMPSON