26 Jul 2007


Hot bats have Red Sox flying


Photo by Staff photo
Gordon Beckham has wielded a hot bat for Yarmouth-Dennis all season and is one of the team’s seven players selected for Saturday’s All-Star game.

By Kevin Wolfe
GateHouse News Service

Cape Cod - Every summer, Cape Cod hosts not only the nation’s best collegiate players, but some of its outstanding high school players as well. During the Cape Cod High School Classic — to be played this year at Spillane Field in Wareham Saturday — high school players from around the country come to showcase their skills, and it was just a few years ago, while on the Cape to participate, that Yarmouth-Dennis first baseman Sean Ochinko (Lousiana State) got his first taste of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
“When I was a junior in high school, I played in the Cape Cod Classic and watched the Cape League and thought how cool it’d be to get to play in that,” says Ochinko, who has been named to the East Division All-Star team.

    After a successful year at LSU, Ochinko’s coach made a few calls and got him a spot on the Y-D roster, a spot Ochinko has filled with distinction. Ochinko drove in five runs last week to run his RBI total to 16. His offensive production helped the Red Sox to a 3-2 record for the week as they became the first team to collect 20 victories in 2007.

    Pitching played an important role in Y-D’s 22-9-1 season through Sunday, but the Red Sox bats really impressed the crowds at Red Wilson Field and around the league. Entering this week, the Red Sox led the league in batting with a .277 team average and had 29 home runs, 13 more than the next closest team.

    “We’ve just got a lot of good hitters and Coach (manager Scott Pickler) has helped us with little things about our swings here and there. We’ve got a lot of guys who work hard and really get after it — a lot of guys who care,” says Ochinko.

    The bats had a rare off night in a 5-1 loss to Orleans, but Y-D rebounded to top West Division leader Bourne, 6-5, Brewster, 9-2, with Ochinko driving in two runs and Gordon Beckham (Georgia) adding three more RBI. Left-hander Matt Wickswat (Santa Clara) posted his second win by pitching six strong innings.

    Y-D made it three in a row on Ochinko’s three-run, seventh-inning homer. Jason Castro (Stanford) drove in two runs and 6-foot, 8-inch right-hander Eddie Burns (Georgia Tech) pitched eight scoreless innings to move to a perfect 4-0.

    Burns’ mound heroics earned him the starting berth for the East in Saturday’s 45th Cape Cod League All-Star Game. He’s one of seven Red Sox players named to the team, including fellow starters Castro, catcher; Beckham at shortstop, and center fielders Collin Cowgill (Kentucky). Y-D’s all-star reserves are catcher Buster Posey (Florida State), left fielder Ochinko and right-handed pitcher Nick Cassavechia (Baylor). Y-D’s Pickler will manage the East squad, assisted by the managers of the division’s other four teams.

    Like the rest of the league, the Red Sox won’t have a league off day this Wednesday as they will make up the game against Falmouth that was rained out last Wednesday.  Kevin Wolfe, CCBL intern (wolfe@capecodbaseball.org)

Saturday’s All-Star game schedule
1:45 East batting practice; West autograph signing
2:30 West autograph signing; East batting practice
3:30 East infield practice
3:45 West infield practice
4:00 Home run hitting contest
5:15 Player introductions
5:30 Presentation of colors
5:35 National anthem
5:50 Honorary first pitch
6:00 All-Star game

Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star rosters
East Division All Stars
C Jason Castro Y-D 
1B Yonder Alonso Brewster 
2B Cole Figueroa Harwich 
3B Jermaine Curtis Chatham 
SS Gordon Beckham Y-D 
LF Charlie Cutler Brewster 
CF Collin Cowgill Y-D 
RF Dennis Raben Orleans 
DH Allan Dykstra Chatham 
P Eddie Burns Y-D 
Reserves
C Buster Posey Y-D 
IF Sean Ochinko Y-D 
OF Kyle Day Harwich 
OF Blake Tekotte Brewster 
P Brad Boxberger Orleans 
P Corey Young Harwich 
P Will Atwood Orleans 
P Mike Colla Brewster 
P Matt Couch Brewster 
P Ryan Perry Orleans 
P Evan Crawford Harwich 
P Nick Cassavechia Y-D 
Home Run Hitting Contest
Dennis Raben Orleans
Chris Dominguez Harwich
Yonder Alonso Brewster 

West Division All Stars
C Josh Phegley Wareham 
1B Shane Peterson Hyannis 
2B Kevin Hoef Bourne 
3B Conor Gillaspie Falmouth 
SS Reese Havens Cotuit 
LF Aja Barto Falmouth 
CF Ben Guez Bourne
RF Matt Hague Falmouth 
DH Dan Brewer Hyannis 
P Aaron Crow Falmouth 
Reserves
C Robert Stock Cotuit 
IF James Darnell Hyannis 
OF Josh Satin Bourne 
P Kyle Gibson Falmouth 
P T.J. Hose Bourne 
P Wade Miley Wareham 
P Josh Lindblom Cotuit 
P Christian Friedrich Falmouth 
P Chris Hicks Wareham 
P Jordan Flasher Bourne 
P Tyler Stohr Hyannis 
P Luke Burnett Falmouth
Home Run Hitting Contest
Mitch Moreland Bourne
Blake Dean Wareham
Luke Murton Wareham