Cape Cod League Report: Who's Hot, Who's Not

Who's Hot

Hunter Hines (Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox)

Mississippi State

.328, 4 2B, 6 HR, 21 RBI

The Mississippi State first baseman has three home runs and eight RBIs in his last two games for the first-place Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. The left-handed slugger is up there with Derek Bender for early season Cape Cod League MVP.

Derek Bender (Bourne Braves)

Coastal Carolina

.563, 3 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBIs

Bender has played in only seven games so far for the defending CCL Champs, but he is hitting .563 with three doubles, a triple, three home runs, and ten RBIs to start the summer. He's definitely taken to the Cape and is a name to watch this summer.

Carson Benge (Chatham Anglers)

Oklahoma State

.455, 1 3B, 3 RBI

Benge has played only six games so far, but he's 10-22 (.455) with a triple and three RBIs. He has only one extra-base hit so far, but having him and Oklahoma State teammate Nolan Schubart in their lineup consistently should help Chatham climb out of last place in the East Division.

Cam Smith (Hyannis Harbor Hawks)

Florida State

.271, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Smith is heating up and has hit a lead-off home run in back-to-back nights for Hyannis. In the last week, the Florida State sophomore is hitting .421, with a double and triple to add to those two home runs. In 19 at-bats, he's struck out only once.

Nick McLain (Wareham Gatemen)

Arizona State

.364, 0 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI

The younger brother of Cincinnati Reds rookie Matt McLain is making a name for himself in the Cape. This past week, the Arizona State outfielder hit .333 with two homers and six RBI. He's tied for second in the league with Derek Bender and teammate David Glancy for home runs, with three on the year.

Javyn Pimental (Brewster Whitecaps)

Missouri

15.0 IP (3 G), 0-0, 1.20 ERA, 14 K's

Pimental has been very good this summer for the Brewster Whitecaps, and this week was no different. The Missouri left-hander went five scoreless innings June 23 against Yarmouth-Dennis. Pimental leads the league with 15 innings pitched and is tied for 10th in the league with 14 strikeouts.

Camron Hill (Cotuit Kettleers)

Georgia Tech

12.2 IP (5 G), 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 19 K's

Hill has taken over the Cape Cod League. The reigning pitcher-of-the-week was perfect through four innings of Cotuit's 5-2 win over Orleans on June 26. In two games this past week, the Georgia Tech southpaw threw 6.1 hitless innings while striking out eight and walking one.

Rafe Schlesinger (Cotuit Kettleers)

Miami (FL)

10.2 IP (4 G),1-0, 0.84 ERA,10 K's

Another Cotuit pitcher makes the list, as Schlesinger made two appearances for the league's best team. The Miami lefty threw 6.2 shut out innings with 6 K's. On June 26, he piggybacked off Hill's four perfect innings to provide a bridge to the late innings in Cotuit's 5-2 win over Orleans.

Who's Not

Will Taylor (Hyannis Harbor Hawks)

Clemson

.185, 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI

In 21 at bats over the last seven days, Taylor is hitting .143 with 5 strikeouts. The Clemson outfielder has been hit by four pitches, but with a .185 average and only one extra base hit to start the season, Taylor has had a disappointing start to the summer.

Max Viera (Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox)

Seton Hall

.339, 3 2B, 0 HR, 7 RBI

Viera has had a very impressive start to the summer, but over the last week his numbers have plummeted. He was just 3-23 (.130) with eight strikeouts in seven games. The Red Sox will hope for him to return to his early form if they want to remain in first place. Viera has been crucial in the running game as well, and he already has nine stolen bases on the year.

Walker Janek (Falmouth Commodores)

Sam Houston State

.167, 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Janek, like Taylor, is having a rough start to life on the Cape. Over the last week, the Sam Houston State catcher is hitting just .158, with one walk and seven strikeouts. Falmouth is 3-10 and in last place among the Cape's 10 teams. They've lost five in a row.

Hayden Durke (Chatham Anglers)

Rice

8.2 IP (3 G), 0-1, 12.46 ERA, 13 K's

According to advanced metrics, Durke has some of the best stuff in the Cape Cod League this summer. But, in 3.2 innings against the Brewster Whitecaps on June 25th, the Rice product walked six and gave up five hits in the Anglers' 6-0 loss. Durke was responsible for five of the six runs.

Tucker Novotny (Cotuit Kettleers)

Minnesota

11 IP (3 G), 0-1, 6.54 ERA, 14 K's

Novotny was off to a really good start following his first two appearances. He had yet to give up a run until his third appearance June 25 against the Bourne Braves, who tattooed him for eight earned runs in just 3.1 innings of work.

Josh Sanders (Brewster Whitecaps)

Texas Tech

4.2 IP (2 G), 0-1, 15.42 ERA, 4 K's

Sanders made two appearances over the last week and gave up eight earned runs. Against Orleans on June 22, he pitched only 0.2 innings and gave up three runs in a 13-2 loss. The Texas Tech righty will hope to improve next time out.

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