Heading For The Cape

As the season is over for all but sixteen college teams, it's time to turn our attention to the summer leagues. The annual wood bats circuits are where college players not only get to continue to develop their skills in the "off-season", but often get a chance to perform in front of Major League scouts.

The most noted of the summer leagues is, as you probably know, the Cape Cod League. Brought to the mainstream's attention in books and a bad movie, the Cape invites the top college talent in the country to compete in a setting without the ping of metal bats.

This season, ten players from the Big Ten Conference have been invited to play on the Cape. The list is made up of Alex Wimmers of Ohio State (Bourne), Seth Rosin of Minnesota (Hyannis), Ohio State's Dan Burkhart (Hyannis), Blake Monar, Alex Dickerson and Kipp Schutz of Indiana (Wareham), Michigan's Ryan LaMarre (Wareham), the Northwestern duo of Jake Goebbert and Eric Jokisch (Harwich) and Tyler Burgoon of Michigan (Yarmouth-Dennis).

Now, this is just the list I've been able to compile. If you are aware of any other players heading to the heart of Red Sox Nation, please note them in the comments or drop me an email. I'll be happy to update the list. (And, yes, I'm attempting to assemble lists for all the summer leagues, so if you know where a player will spend his summer, you can send me an email.)

You can take this opportunity to follow your favorite players all summer long. And not just the Cape Cod League, either. Nearly each summer circuit has a website and I've got a healthy list of links in the sidebar. You might even be able to watch a game or two right from you computer. Imagine how impressed your friends will be when you are able to spit out summer league stats this winter.

Summer Notes

Here's a brief list of just some this summer news courtesy of each university's website. At some point, I might attempt to do a bit more research on summer league action, but for now I'll use this as a review for both of us.

I'll work in reverse alphabetical order, giving Purdue the the leadoff spot.

Coach Schreiber has two new coaches. Ryan Sowers joins the Boilers staff as pitching coach and ex-Boilers star Chadd Blasko returns in the role of volunteer assistant.

Ohio State hurler Eric Best had a strong summer in Alaska. Best was named as his team's pitcher of the year. Fellow Buckeyes Drew Rucinski and Zach Hurley both grabbed some recognition this summer.

Kenneth Avila, of Northwestern, was named the starting secondbaseman for the Hawaii Summer League All-Star Game. NU's Eric Jokisch blogged for the university's official website from his summer league stint in New England.

Minnesota's Derek McCallum and Nick O'Shea both made the Northwoods League All-Star Game. Kyle Knudson and AJ Pettersen were also having good years in the Northwoods.

The Gophers also added Sam Ryan to their list of recruits eligible in 2009.

Michigan State's AJ Shindler also made the Northwoods League All-Star team. New Spartans' head coach Jake Boss, Jr. named Mark Van Ameyde and Billy Gernon to his staff.

Rich Maloney, of Michigan, claimed his second straight ABCA Division I Mideast regional coach of the year.

Iowa named Chris Maliszewski as their new pitching coach. Maliszewski is an Iowa alum.

A number of Indiana players had strong summers. Evan Crawford, Matt Bashore and Kipp Schutz all played in the high profile Cape Cod League. In addition, Matt Carr was named an All-Star in the Great Lakes League and Joey O'Gara went 5-0 in the GLL. Jerrud Sabourin hit well in San Diego.

IU also announced three late signings. JUCO SS Jake Dunning may move into the starting lineup. Righty Wyatt Hoff and left-hander Matt Igel join a recruiting class that included five signings in November.

Illinois' website chronicles nearly all their players summer league seasons. The university's sports information department also has blog-like posts from several Illini players. Former Illinois catcher Chris Robinson represented Canada in the Summer Olympics.

Cape Calls Three From Ann Arbor

It appears three of Michigan's players will be in the lineup for Hyannis in the Cape Cod League next summer. Adam Abraham, Jeff DeCarlo and Erik Katzman are all penciled in on the 2008 Hyannis Mets roster.

As is the case with all this early summer league data, it's subject to change.

A hat tip to Codball is in order, as well.

Hoosiers, Hawkeyes Heading To The Cape

Courtesy of a link at CodBall, I've found number of players from Indiana and Iowa will be playing in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2008. The Bourne Braves have the Hawkeyes' battery of sophomore C Tyson Blaser and freshman P Zach Kenyon while the Hoosiers are sending P Matt Bashore, C Josh Phegley and OF Kipp Schultz to the Wareham Gatemen.

As it's a long, long time before summer, it's best to keep in mind that this is all tentative. However, it's good to see a number of Big Ten players already getting interest from the highest profile summer league.

Cape Cod League All-Stars

Four Big Ten players were named to the Cape Cod League All-Star Game. Michigan State's Kyle Day, Indiana's Josh Phegley, Purdue's Josh Lindblom and Iowa's Kevin Hoef were all selected as All-Stars in the most famous summer league of all.

Fun In The Sun

While we are all contemplating holiday plans, the collegiate summer league season presses on. The scouts haven where all the boys trade in composite bats for wood bats is still going on. A few players around the conference of choice here are performing admirably in this environment. I want to take this pre-Independence Day to highlight a few of them.

Much like my preview of summer league rosters, this review of those having strong summers may require an additional post. (Or, perhaps, two.) Please be patient. Even better, if you or someone you know is having a great wood bat season, drop me an email.

Iowa's Kevin Hoef is pacing the Cape Cod League in batting average (.396), hits (21) and on base percentage (.508). Also on the Cape, Ryne White of Purdue is hitting .359 which is fourth best overall. Indiana's freshman catcher (should I call him a sophomore yet?) Josh Phegley is hitting .333. Michigan's Zach Putnam is at .364, although in limited at bats. (That post-season run cut into the summer league schedule.)

Also on the Cape, Josh Lindblom, White's Boilermaker teammate, is tied for first in wins with three. J.B. Shuck of Ohio State is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA. Big 10'ers are doing pretty well in the most famous summer league of all.

Closer to home, Tony Kennedy of Ohio State is having a fine season in the Great Lakes League. Kennedy is hitting .351 (6th), slugging .574 (5th), has an OBP of .467 (5th) and is second in doubles with six. Indiana's Evan Crawford in second in runs scored with 16 and fifth in steals with 7. Ryan Dew, another Buckeye, is tied for fifth in RBI with 13.

OSU's Jake Hale, who may not have signed a pro contract yet, is second in the league with an ERA of 0.64. His .125 batting average against is the best in the GLL. Purdue's Matt Bischoff is second in batting average against (.133), fifth in ERA (1.23) and fifth in strikeouts (20). Eric Best, yes, another Buckeye, leads the GLL in K's with 27. Best also is fifth in opponent batting average at .178.

In Hawaii, Northwestern's Kenneth Avila was named to the league's All-Star Game. Avila is hitting .389 with seven RBI and 12 walks.

Summer League Rosters, Part II

I've received some email about Part I of my review of summer league rosters. It appears BTH readers demand more, so here's Part II.

Alaska Collegiate
Chris Cullen, MSU, Matsu Miners

Northwoods League
Caleb Curry, IOW, Alexandria Beetles
Mike Wilson, MIC, Alexandria Beetles
Drew O'Neil, PSU, Battle Creek Bombers (*)
Lars Davis, ILL, Duluth Huskies (*)
Joe Bonadonna, ILL, Duluth Huskies
Allan Donato, PUR, Madison Mallards
Jordan Comadena, PUR, Madison Mallards
Daniel Webb, ILL, Madison Mallards
Chris Roberts, MSU, Madison Mallards
Dusty Napoleon, IOW, Madison Mallards (*)
Eric Nielsen, PUR, Madison Mallards
Adam Abraham, MIC, Mankato Moon Dogs
Tim Ryan, MIN, Mankato Moon Dogs
Ben Geelan, IOW, Mankato Moon Dogs
Jeff DeSmidt, MIN, Mankato Moon Dogs
Nate Hanson, MIN, Mankato Moon Dogs
Jason Christian, MIC, Mankato Moon Dogs
Alan Oaks, MIC, Mankato Moon Dogs
Craig Lutes, ILL, Rochester Honkers
Derek McCallum, MIN, St. Cloud Riverbats
Eric Van Matre, PUR, Thunder Bay Border Cats
Scott Shaw, ILL, Waterloo Bucks
Tanner Roark, ILL, Waterloo Bucks
Michael Giller, ILL, Waterloo Bucks
Steve Gerstenberger, MSU, Wisconsin Woodchucks
Justin Potes, MSU, Wisconsin Woodchucks

Texas Collegiate
Cory Wine, PSU, McKinney Marshals
Jon Kibler, MSU, Weatherford Wranglers
Mike Monterey, MSU, Weatherford Wranglers

Clark Griffith League
Chris Berset, MIC, Vienna Senators

Coastal Plains League
Aaron Martin, ILL, Fayetteville Swampdogs
Dominic Altobelli, ILL, Fayetteville Swampdogs
Ben Reeser, ILL, Fayetteville Swampdogs
John Schlichter, ILL, Fayetteville Swampdogs
Brandon Doherty, MSU, Petersburg Generals
Michael Lorentson, PSU, Petersburg Generals
Peter Wolff, MSU, Petersburg Generals
Tyler Cox, IU, Spartanburg Stingers
Mike Powers, MIC, Wilmington Sharks
Nate Recknagel, MIC, Wilmington Sharks

Atlantic League
Brian Ernst, PSU, Kutztown Rockies
Joe Blackburn, PSU, Kutztown Rockies
Rob Yodice, PSU, Metro NY Cadets

California League
Nolan Moody, MSU, San Luis Obispo Blues

Mountain League
Kyle Knudson, MIN, Fort Collins Foxes
Jon Hummel, MIN, Fort Collins Foxes

Valley Collegiate
Justin Brauer, IOW, Harrisonburg Turks
Jon Moore, PUR, Harrisonburg Turks
Mike Dufek, MIC, Winchester Royals
Josh Edgin, OSU, Winchester Royals
Justin Miller, OSU, Luray Wranglers

Hawaii League
Kenneth Avila, NU, Kuai Menehunes
Landon Nakata, PSU, Waimea Waves

I believe this will conclude my preview of summer league rosters. Although, I admit I could have inadvertently missed an entire league. (New ones are popping up all the time.) I also believe there's a great chance I've missed an individual player or seven. Or ten. Along the way, some individual team webpages didn't open, some didn't easily provide me with the data I was looking for and then there are the times my eyes got blurry scrolling down pages and pages of names.

If you notice I've made an error or overlooked someone, please drop me a note. My thanks to those who have already contacted me with updated information.

Summer League Rosters, Part I

Per usual, a number of Big Ten players are participating in wood bat leagues this summer. Here is the first part of my look at summer league rosters. Remember, these are tentative rosters. Changes are not only possible, but probable. (*) Indicates a player selected in the MLB Draft.

Great Lakes League
Mike Kalina, NU, Anderson Servants
Brad Henke, IU, Anderson Servants
Billy O'Connor, IU, Cincinnati Storm
Tony Kennedy, OSU, Cincinnati Storm
Zach Hurley, OSU, Cincinnati Storm
Danny Rosenbaum, IU, Cincinnati Storm
Billy Kitchen, IU, Cincinnati Storm
Darren Sizemore, OSU, Cincinnati Storm
Cory Rupert, OSU, Columbus All-Americans
Ryan Dew, OSU, Columbus All-Americans
Jake Hale, OSU, Columbus All-Americans (*)
Evan Crawford, IU, Delaware Cows
Brian DeLucia, OSU, Delaware Cows
Mike Jacobs, Iowa, Great Lakes Mariners
Matt Gerbe, Mich, Great Lakes Mariners
Jeff DeCarlo, Mich, Great Lakes Mariners
Eric Best, OSU, Licking County Settlers
Joe Vicini, IU, Licking County Settlers
Eric Arnett, IU, Licking County Settlers
Matt Bischoff, PUR, Lima Locos
John Karr, PSU, Southern Ohio Copperheads

Cape Cod League
Kevin Hoef, Iow, Bourne Braves
Zach Putnam, Mich, Chatham A's
Ryne White, PUR, Cotuit Kettleers
Chris Fetter, Mich, Cotuit Kettleers
Josh Lindblom, PUR, Cotuit Kettleers
J.B. Shuck, OSU, Cotuit Kettleers
Kyle Day, MSU, Harwich Mariners
Josh Phegley, IU, Wareham Gatemen

Central Illinois League
Tony Sedlmeyer, PUR, Danville Dans
Connor Sestak, PUR, Danville Dans
Dan Black, PUR, Danville Dans
Kevin Cahill, PUR, Danville Dans
Johnny Lee, MSU, DuPage Dragons
Kyle Heim, Iow, Quincy Gems
Tyson Blaser, Iow, Quincy Gems
Ryan McFarlane, MSU, Quincy Gems
Wes Freie, Iow, Quincy Gems

Illini's Roof Honored

University of Illinois shortstop Shawn Roof was named to the Coastal Plains League All-Decade Team. Roof was named to the summer wooden bat league's anniversary squad along with a number of former CPL players that have gone onto the Major Leagues.

(Hat tip: Tom at The Baseball Zealot.)

Answering The Call For Stats

In my last post about summer league stats, I asked that if anyone could provide more data to email me. Well, ask and ye shall receive. Checking the BTH email today, I find a note pointing me to Purdue University's summer league stat recap. Here are some of the highlights of the Boilers' wood bat experience.

Ricky Heines went north to Alaska and posted a 4-0 record for the Peninsula Oilers. In 30.1 innings of work, Heines fanned 21 and posted a sharp 2.08 ERA. Purdue firstbaseman Andy Preston was Heines' teammate in Alaska and was named to the league's All-Star Team. The Oilers captured the Alaska League title.

Andrew Groves, another Purdue hurler, played in the California Collegiate League and also had a fine season against the wood bats. Groves threw 27.2 innings going 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA.

Jordan Comadena stole 17 bases and scored a tremendous 41 runs while playing for Madison in the Northwoods League. Comadena was a NWL All-Star selection.

For a look at all the Boilermakers' summer fun, click on the link above. (Note: it's a .pdf file.) Thanks to the BTH reader for bringing this recap to my attention and for stopping here. If you have any summer league numbers from Big Ten players, I encourage you to do what this fan did and pass them along.

Reviewing Summer League Numbers

I've been meaning to scan over the summer wood bat league stats for a while now, but just got around to it today. I am positive I overlooked somebody from the Big Ten, those fonts on the stat pages can be pretty small, the information rather incomplete and I just don't have every player's name memorized, so I ask for forgiveness in advance. If I missed your son, teammate or even you, please don't hesitate to email me and point out my oversight.

Starting in the Cape Cod League, Minnesota's Cole DeVries posted a 3-2 mark with a 3.31 ERA in seven starts. The Gophers' Friday starter (a presumption on my part) tossed 49 innings while fanning 50 batters. That total was good enough to tie DeVries for third place in the Cape in K's. I'll hazard a guess here and suggest that DeVries will contend for the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Award in '07.

Also in the mix for top pitcher next year will be Ohio State's Dan DeLucia. (You can make a very convincing argument that DeLucia, OSU's Friday starter in '06, was the top pitcher in the Big Ten last year.) The Buckeyes' lefty went 2-3 on the Cape. DeLucia had a 3.55 ERA in 38 IP.

Fellow Buckeye southpaw, and yet another potential Player of the Year in '07, Cory Luebke, started six games, going 3-2 with a 2.84 ERA.

Ohio State sent more than just a couple of arms to the Cape. Matt Angle had a fine summer with eventual champion, Cotuit. Angle's .292 average was good enough for 8th in the league. His .412 OBP was the third best on the Cape. Angle also managed to steal 14 bases this summer. (If Angle posted these numbers in the prestigious Cape League while playing for a university a bit further south, he's mentioned as a potential All-America in 2007.)

Buckeye backstop Eric Fryer played at Harwich. The righthanded hitting catcher/outfielder hit .250 with two homers and nine RBI.

Another multi-position star, Michigan's Doug Pickens, donned a Chatham uniform. Pickens, as usual, played the outfield, secondbase and catcher on the Cape. He drove in 13 runs while hitting .215.

The Cape League totals show a Dan Sattler working only five innings going 0-1, I'm assuming that's Purdue's Dan Sattler. Not sure what led to the limited work--jumping to another league, lost in a number crunch, injury?

One Big Ten player who did appear in two leagues is Iowa's Travis Sweet. Sweet played in the Cape League and the Central Illinois League, as well. While with Falmouth on the Cape, Sweet hit .176, but was 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA in 8.2 IP. Sweet also spent time with Quincy in Central Illinois, where he hit .302 with two HR's and 12 RBI. The Hawkeyes' righty went 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in the Central Illinois league.

Ohio State's Josh Hula spent time in the Great Lakes and Cape Cod Leagues this summer, as well. Identical to Purdue's Sattler, Hula didn't get large amounts of playing time at either stop, so it's another case of wondering what limited his action this summer.

Penn State infielder Matt Cavagnaro was a star in the Texas Collegiate League. Cavagnaro's 60 hits paced the league as did his five triples. His 37 runs scored were the third best mark in Texas. Cavagnaro was a two-time player of the week. His strong summer may be a precursor to All-Conference recognition in 2007.

Big Ten Freshman of the Year J.B. Shuck picked up right where he left off. The top newcomer in the conference had such a strong summer in the Great Lakes Collegiate League, Shuck was named by Baseball America as the top pro prospect in that wood bat league. The Ohio State star hit .364 and stole 11 of 16 bases this summer while going 2-0 from the mound with a dazzling 0.95 ERA. I think he's going to be on everyone's short list as pre-season All-Conference and Player of the Year Awards. After an impressive summer, All-America nominations aren't out of the question, either.

Michigan had it's own prized freshman perform dual duties in the Great Lakes League. Adam Abraham, who was selected as the Big Ten Tournament's Most Valuable Player in his inaugural season, hit .287 with 12 RBI in the GLL. The Wolverines righthander also had a 2-2 record and a 2.89 ERA. Abraham will be on some pre-season watch lists, as well.

Michigan's Mike Wilson didn't post eye-popping summer numbers (an ERA over 7.00), but his live arm got scouts attention. Baseball America's staff has him ranked as the 7th best prospect in the Great Lakes League this summer.

Michigan State pitcher Mark Sorenson's GLL season went so well, he also made Baseball America's list of top ten pro prospects in the the league. Sorenson's 6-0 mark and 1.71 ERA was impressive to more than a few.

Fellow Spartan, Kyle Day played for Hays in the Jayhawk League. The MSU catcher hit .371 with 7 HR's, 27 RBI and 31 runs scored. His strong bat earned him a ranking as the fifth best pro prospect in the league according to, you guessed it, Baseball America. (I really should not be paying for that subscription as much as I toss their name around here.)

Posting big offensive numbers was also the norm for Purdue's Ryne White. The Boilermakers slugger hit .329 with four dingers 28 RBI while slugging at a .475 clip in the Central Illinois League.

Other players whose names I found included Ohio State's Jacob Howell (.284 in the Great Lakes League), Wes Schritzinger (.282 in the GLL), Jason Zoeller (.209 in the GLL), and Trey Fausnaugh (2-2, 2.95). Shawn Roof of Illinois (.268, 20 sb in the Coastal Plains League). Northwestern's Tommy Finn (.205, Central Illinois), Michigan's Kevin Cislo (.276, GLL), MSU's Steve Gerstenberger (.247, 13 RBI in the GLL).

Again, I encourage you to contact with the names of the players I didn't recognize here. I'll add to this list or create a new post, if I find more data.

Cape League Complaints And My Solution

John Manuel, of Baseball America fame and fortune, writes that scouts weren't terribly impressed about the Cape Cod League All-Star Game. Seems a number of the quality arms in the league couldn't pitch due to a variety of factors. That left a series of less than top flight pitchers for the scouts to evaluate. Our scouting friends were so up in arms, pardon the pun, that they will probably complain back to their Major League employers who will take the summer wood bat league to task for not providing them with the talent they anticipated seeing.

My thought is that the scouts should complain about their employers as they are part of the problem. This is going to run over a sacred cow or two, but let me pose a philosophic question anyway. Do we really need the Cape League? Or wood bat summer leagues, in general, for that matter?

Yes, the college players do need a place to play during baseball's peak time of the year. From that perspective, I understand the need for all the summer leagues. Yet, why should MLB scouts get so up in arms over one all-star game? What has made these summer leagues so important? The reason is simple--wooden bats.

When the college kids leave campus, they leave all the metal bats behind. In the summer, scouts get to evaluate both hitters and pitchers in a setting that more closely resembles MLB action. Thus, when the kids they want to see play against each other don't participate, scouts get a bit edgy. They have a very small window to look at the nation's collegiate stars in this environment. When your livelihood comes from making proper recommendations, it's understandable that you get cranky when your opportunities to evaluate are hampered.

Let's also realize that MLB is footing a portion of the bill in many, if not most, of the summer wood bat leagues. MLB is helping cover the cost of the bats, presumably, so they can judge their prospective future employees in the optimum setting. Again, not having your best players play comes off as biting the hand that feeds you. Which leads me back, in part, to my original question.

What if MLB decided to stop funding the summer leagues and sent the money to the NCAA? What if, instead of a few weeks of wood bat action in the summer, college players got to play with wood bats all year long? I'm not looking to destroy the summer wood bat leagues, but I am curious why they can get money from MLB and the NCAA cannot? Even if their is some archaic rule in the NCAA that prohibits such a move (and who would believe the NCAA has archaic rules on the books?), if MLB offered the money, couldn't the NCAA really just re-write the rule?

Such a move would really be a win-win for both MLB and the NCAA. MLB would get several extra months, if not years, to evaluate talent using and facing wooden bats on a regular basis. Wouldn't this create plenty of scouting chances? Might proper evaluation lead to less drafting errors and save money--in theory anyway? (Hey, I'm selling a concept here, play along.)

The NCAA also gains as one of the biggest complaints I hear about the college game from general baseball fans is the "ping" of metal bats. It doesn't faze me, obviously, but it clearly keeps some from embracing the game. If attendance and interest rose in the college game, players in the NCAA might become more recognizable and fans might get more interested in things like the MLB Draft. Again, how this hurts anyone is beyond me.

(As an aside, I also figure some minor league teams might get a bit anxious at the thought of the NCAA using wood bats. Some kids, although not a significant amount, might opt for two years of college baseball (minimum) instead of heading off to the big league farm system straight from high school. From strictly a budgetary standpoint, would having fewer minor league franchises save MLB money? Again, this is just a thinking-out-loud moment.)

I realize that if MLB stopped funding the use of wood bats in college, the summer leagues prestige may fall. Some would probably fold. While I'm not looking to crush this cottage industry, I think it's time to take another look at this entire set-up. Clearly, the best case scenario would be one where MLB steps up to the plate and funds both the NCAA and the summer wooden bat leagues so they can evaluate the players from March until August.

Providing your potential future workforce with the tools of their job at a younger age? Expanding the game's popularity at lower levels? Getting more time to evaluate players? Why, again, is this not a good idea?

Update (8/2/06): I emailed someone with far more knowledge about this subject than I--which I realize could be just about anyone--and learned that one possible issue may be Title IX. The theory is that because of Title IX, if MLB tossed money at the NCAA and equal amount would have to go to women's athletics. That does provide a rather large obstacle. I'd say an unnecessary one, but that might get me in trouble.

There is also the matter of whether or not there really is enough wood bats out there to supply all of D-I. I'm going to be the last guy to encourage stripping our forests to make bats, so if it's even debatable, it's probably not a good idea. I would like to think that some of these companies are actually re-foresting (if that's the proper term for planting more trees), but I don't really care to ponder that, either.

The last point is one of the bat manufacturers and their "relationship" with the NCAA. I leave that statement for you to read between the lines.

Cavagnaro's Texas Two-Step

Penn State's Matt Cavagnaro is tearing up the Texas Collegiate League. For the second week in a row, Cavagnaro was named the league's Player of the Week.

Cavagnaro Grabs Honor

Penn State's Matt Cavagnaro was named the Texas Collegiate League's Player of the Week for June 22. The Nittany Lions' infielder is pacing the summer wood bat league in hits with 26 and is amongst the leaders in runs scored (13) and on base percentage (.522).

DeLucia Is Player Of The Week

Ohio State's Dan DeLucia was named the Cape Cod League's Pitcher of the Week. DeLucia is doing for Coltiut in the Cape what he does for the Buckeyes--win ballgames. DeLucia is 2-0 and has already tossed a complete game shutout while pacing the premier wood bat summer league in innings pitched. (Correction 7/1/06: According to the Cape's stats page, as of June 30, DeLucia does not have a complete game or a shutout. I'm fairly clueless in general, but I must have obtained that data from somewhere. However, that's twice in a week that I've flubbed something, so it must be me. Regardless, my apologies to Dan, his family, the OSU fanbase, Cotuit, the Cape League, myself and anyone else potentially offended.)

Other Big Ten stars playing on the Cape include Buckeyes' Matt Angle, Cory Luebke (1-0) and Eric Fryer. Michigan's Doug Pickens, Iowa's Travis Sweet and Minnesota's Cole DeVries (1-0). (I apologize if I missed anyone. Feel free to leave a post or email me if you know of any other Big Ten players in the Cape Cod League.)