Written by Kathleen Szmit
 
 
Any fan following the race for first place in the Western Division knows things are pretty tight. Hyannis and Cotuit have both enjoyed time at the top before taking a tumble.

The friendly rivalry between the teams has also been flavored by a heated competition for the Barnstable Patriot Cup, with Hyannis taking a commanding 3-1 lead.

On July 26, however, rivalries will be set aside as players from both teams come together on the Western Division All Star team.
This season Hyannis boasts three All Stars, Ben Paulsen, Chris Dominguez and Trent Ashcraft; three All Star reserves, Dale Cornstubble, Andrew Carraway and Russ Brewer; and one alternate, Austin Hudson.

Paulsen is third in league leaders with the most RBIs at 25, while the heavy-hitting Dominguez rules the home run roost with eight so far this season. Dominguez will also take part in the All Star Home Run Hitting contest. Paulsen will play first and Dominguez third for the West.

No slouch at bat, Ashcraft is number six in the League’s top 10 batters with a .346 average. Ashcraft is the only Hyannis batter on the list and will play right field.

On the mound, Carraway leads the league as the No. 1 pitcher with a 1.25 ERA, while Brewer is No. 1 in saves with 12 overall.

Cornstubble is known for his prowess behind the plate as catcher for the Mets.

Kevin Patterson is Cotuit’s All Star, set to bat as the West’s designated hitter. Patterson has hit two triples and two homers this season and is batting .278.

Seth Blair will serve as a reserve pitcher for the West. Blair recently pitched two consecutive shutout games for Cotuit, one against Harwich and the other against Bourne.

Nick Hernandez, another of Cotuit’s stellar pitchers, will serve as an alternate.

The All Star Game will be July 26 in Chatham with a game start of 6 p.m. Gates open to the public at 2 p.m. For a full schedule of events visit www.capecodbaseball.org.