This was no ordinary threesome. In high school, they were all-stars and played on the South Carolina All-State teams. They played together for three years on the same AAU team, the Diamond Dogs, traveling the length of the east coast and as far west as Omaha, Nebraska. Together they helped take the Gamecocks to the Super Regionals this spring, coming within one game of the College World Series, and were all selected to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team.

     Mike Cisco, Reese Havens and Justin Smoak are together again this summer, all members of the Cotuit Kettleers, and they’re off to a red hot start.

     They arrived on Cape Cod June 20 and played their first Cape League game the next day. Havens wasted no time announcing their arrival, clubbing two home runs in the same inning to lead Cotuit to a 17-1 victory over Orleans. The next day they went to Bourne, and Smoak hit the first home run to christen the Braves new baseball complex in a 12-0 Kettleer romp.

     “We’ve played together for most of our high school careers,” first baseman Justin Smoak acknowledged. “We’re all good friends. We fish and hunt and do a lot things together.”

     Smoak was drafted out of high school in the 16th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Oakland Athletics, but opted to go to school and play for the Gamecocks. In 2008, he’ll once again be eligible for the draft, and if he stays healthy, will no doubt be selected a lot higher.

     This spring, switch-hitting Justin Smoak hit .303 for South Carolina with 17 home runs, 64 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .586. The year before at Stratford High School, he hit .558 with 18 home runs. Last year, he was named Mr. Baseball for 2005 in South Carolina, an honor he shared with Cotuit teammate Reese Havens.

     Havens, a shortstop-third baseman, was selected in the 29th round of the 2005 draft by the Colorado Rockies, and he also elected to join Coach Ray Tanner’s club at South Carolina. A 2005 Baseball America and ABCA high school All-American like Smoak, he was selected this week as the Cape Cod Baseball League Coca-Cola Player of the Week after just three games in which he hit .461 in 13 plate appearances.

     Havens had hopes that the Boston Red Sox would draft him.

     “I’d love to sign with them,” he admitted. “I got a chance to learn a lot about the organization last year. I have a lot of respect for them.”

     Havens learned much of what he knows about the Red Sox from general manager Theo Epstein who took the time to visit Bishop England High School, watch Reese play, and spend some time talking baseball.

     Mike Cisco comes from a pitching pedigree. His grandfather is pitcher Galen Cisco who played seven seasons in the major leagues for Boston, Kansas City and the New York Mets before going into coaching. Like Reese and Justin, he played on the South Carolina - North Carolina All-Star team and last April was selected as the SEC Pitcher of the Week.

     Cisco and Havens knew one another growing up because their families were close. They played baseball together from the start and got to know Justin through playing with the Diamond Devils. 

     Mike finished the spring with a 7-5 record and a 3.96 ERA over 88.2 innings and 14 starts. Until his sophomore season in high school, he was a two-way player, but from that point forward chose to focus on his pitching.

     “My grandfather helped me a ton as a pitcher,” Mike pointed out. “He was a big asset.” Competitive and tough, he features four different pitches that he throws for strikes; fastball, curveball, change-up and slider.

     Besides baseball, they love to eat. While Havens was impressed that Theo Epstein would take the time to come to the low country to watch him play, Rich and Joni Petze, his Cape host family, may have done more to bring Havens to New England than the Red Sox.

     “The other night I ate a six-pound lobster and a New York strip steak,” he grinned. “That’s good eating. I liked that. I think I have a new favorite.”