The Cape Cod Baseball League is the pinnacle of collegiate summer baseball leagues. The brightest prospects in the country gather on the banks of the Cape for a showcase in front of big league scouts.
Five games into the season though, 46 players listed on Cape League rosters have yet to report for their summer assignments. And they couldn’t be happier.
Hailing from the eight finalists in the College World Series — University of Florida, Arizona State University, Florida State University, Oklahoma University, University of California-Los Angeles, Texas Christian University, University of South Carolina and Clemson University — these players are in Omaha, Neb. duking it out for a National Championship before heading to the Cape.
While the remaining players have settled in on each of the league’s eight teams, the complexion of the competition for the Arnold Mycock trophy will change considerably once the CWS ends.
Of the remaining CWS teams, Florida (11), Arizona State (10) and Oklahoma (10) will send the most players to the Cape League.
On the Cape League front, Orleans (2-3) is mired in fourth place in the Eastern Division. But hope lies on the horizon with four Arizona State players on the way — who won their first 24 games of the season — still playing. Infielder Riccio Torrez leads the Sun Devils at the plate with a .399 batting average, while infielder Drew Maggi went deep in the Super Regional final to lead Arizona State past Arkansas University, 7-5.
ASU's Jordan Swagerty (Wareham) — a right-handed pitcher who can also catch– logged the final 4.1 innings of the series finale with Arkansas, allowing just one run and tallying seven strikeouts. Swagerty was picked 75th overall in the 2010 draft by the Cardinals and is one of just a few drafted players who will compete in the league.
The Cotuit Kettleers — who sport the league’s worst record at 1-4 — hope to find salvation in Clemson’s leading hitter, infielder Brad Miller. Miller leads the Tigers with a .369 batting average.
Arizona State’s Deven Marrero will join Miller on the Kettleers, fresh off a heroic moment in the CWS. His walk-off single against Arkansas won first game of Super Regional, 7-6.
While short-stacked teams will receive much-needed aid, the rich will also get richer.
Brewster (5-2) will welcome six CWS players to the eastern end of the Cape when the tournament in Omaha plays itself out.
As the CWS players trickle back East from Omaha, the picture will become clearer of which little town on the Cape will be the favorite to earn bragging rights this summer.
