SUMMER 25
Cape League, NBC Champs On Top
The 2009 summer college baseball season has been underway for the better part of three weeks for some leagues, and not even a week for others. Despite the staggered start, it seems apparent already that the powerful Cape Cod League will get a stiff challenge atop PG Crosschecker’s ranking of the nation’s top summer teams again from the California Collegiate League’s Santa Barbara Foresters, the reigning National Baseball Congress World Series champions.
The Foresters (8-2) are ranked No. 2 in the summer’s first ranking of the top 25 summer-league clubs. The No. 1 spot, not surprisingly, is occupied by a Cape League team, the newly-named Chatham Anglers, winners of their first three games this season. There’s no assurance that Chatham will continue its early pace in the highly-competitive Cape League, but the Foresters should stay in contention throughout, particularly with a pitching staff headed by Wichita State ace Tim Kelley and San Diego righthander A.J. Griffin, a Team USA pitcher in 2008.
We’ll rank the top 25 teams every Wednesday from 20-plus leagues around the country, and here’s our early take on the top teams.
Rank Team League Record
1. Chatham Anglers Cape Cod 3-0
Ex-Chatham A’s getting early production from Oklahoma State 2B Tom Belza (.363-1-1) and Baylor RHP Shawn Tolleson (1-0, 0.00).
2. Santa Barbara Foresters California Collegiate 8-2
Foresters getting stellar pitching from Wichita State RHP Tim Kelley (1-0, 0.60), Westmont RHP Tim Crabbe (1-0, 0.00, 13 IP/17 SO)
3. Forest City (N.C.) Owls Coastal Plain 12-2
SIU Edwardsville RHP Spencer Patton (1-0, 0.90, 20 IP/30 SO) and N.C. State IF Pratt Maynard (.340-1-13) hot in early going.
4. Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox Cape Cod 3-1
Florida Gulf Coast RHP Chris Sale (1-0, 0.00) and Michigan RHP Tyler Burgoon (0-0, 0.00, 2 SV) lead pitching-rich Red Sox.
5. Eau Claire (Wis.) Express Northwoods 13-5
Express takes early lead in standings, gets production from NWL batting leader Jon Bonfe (.420-0-14), a Sierra (Calif.) JC 3B.
6. Waynesboro (Va.) Generals Valley 7-2
Auburn C Tony Caldwell (.395-1-9) and Vanderbilt SS Alex McClure (.371-0-5) set hot early pace for traditional Valley power.
7. Wareham Gatemen Cape Cod 2-1
Duke LHP-1B Eric Pfisterer (1-0, 0.00, 5 IP/10 SO; .333-0-1) and UConn OF George Springer (.400-0-1) pivotal for Gatemen.
8. DeLand Suns Florida Collegiate 8-1
Ex-big league skipper Davey Johnson has pitching-rich Suns on a roll; ’09 fourth-rounder Thomas Berryhill is 1-0, 0.00 with 2 SV.
9. Mat-Su Miners Alaska 4-1
LHP Danny Almonte (0-1, 4.00) of Little League infamy on roster, but Central Florida 3B Shane Brown (.381-0-3, 4 2B) a bigger factor.
10. Kelowna (B.C.) Falcons West Coast 6-1
Falcons ride six-game winning streak on hot bats of Auburn C Ryan Jenkins (.393-0-8) and Furman OF Reese Wade (.464-0-4).
11. North Shore (Mass.) Navigators New England Collegiate 7-3
12. Harwich Mariners Cape Cod 2-1
13. Outer Banks (N.C.) DareDevils Coastal Plain 12-7
14. Bethesda (Md.) Big Train Cal Ripken Sr. 8-2
15. Battle Creek (Mich.) Bombers Northwoods 13-6
16. Madison (Wis.) Mallards Northwoods 13-6
17. Carney (Va.) Pirates Clark Griffth 7-1
18. San Luis Obispo Rattlers California Collegiate 8-3
19. Youse’s Maryland Orioles Cal Ripken Sr. 7-4
20. Brewster Whitecaps Cape Cod 2-1-1
21. Victoria Generals Texas Collegiate 7-2
22. Vienna (Va.) Senators Clark Griffith 6-2
23. Kutztown (Pa.) Rockies Atlantic Collegiate 6-1
24. Quincy (Ill.) Gems Prospect 9-3
25. Glens Falls Eagles New York Collegiate 8-3
--Compiled by Allan Simpson (PG Crosschecker) and Andrew Hartwell (College Summer Ball Blog).
