Cape Cod League Top Performers: Jun 14

Photo Courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics

The 2025 Cape Cod League season is officially underway as all ten teams were in action on Opening Night. Orleans beat Cotuit on a walk-off error in extra innings while Falmouth and Chatham combined for just four total hits in a 1-0 Falmouth victory. There were lots of high level pitching performances and just one home run, but plenty of top end talent has already arrived at the premier collegiate summer baseball league.

RHP Hunter Watkins (Oklahoma State/YD Red Sox)

4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 55p-35s

Hunter Watkins impressed as he carried a no hitter into the 4th inning on Opening Night for the YD Red Sox. The Oklahoma State hurler gave up a walk in the 1st inning to Wake Forest infielder Dalton Wentz, then retired 10 straight batters before Miami slugger Daniel Cuvet lined one to left field. Watkins retired the first two batters of the 5th inning before a Josiah Ragsdale infield single and an Adam Magpoc walk chased him from the game.

Watkins’ performance didn’t feature a ton of swing and miss, but he did finish with three punchouts. The Red Sox starter’s first strikeout came against Josiah Ragsdale in the 3rd inning. He also struck out Collin Priest and Drew Rogers. Unfortunately, Watkins’ fantastic outing was spoiled when the Whitecaps rallied for three runs in the 6th inning and held on to win, 3-2.

LHP Kyle McCoy (South Carolina/Harwich Mariners)

4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 70p-45s

Kyle McCoy enjoyed perhaps the most dominant pitching performance on Opening Night as he struck out 10 batters and walked zero over just four innings in the Harwich Mariners’ 7-5 victory over the Bourne Braves. McCoy and the Mariners started strong as the South Carolina ace struck out the first five batters he faced and the Harwich offense staked him a 6-0 lead after the first inning. The only run he gave up came on an RBI double with two outs in the 2nd inning following a throwing error by shortstop Eric Becker.  

McCoy struck out the side in the 3rd to bring his game total to eight on the day before a lead-off double in the 4th put him in danger again. He was able to strand the runner by striking out two of the next four batters and holding one hitter to an infield single. While the southpaw didn’t walk a batter, he did hit one and only pitched four innings, which is why he didn’t earn the win. 

RHP JT Quinn (Georgia/Chatham Anglers)

5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 76p-50s

If Kyle McCoy had the best pitching performance of the evening, Georgia’s JT Quinn was a close second. He matched McCoy with 10 strikeouts and went a full five innings, but took the hard luck loss as the offense failed to score a run. Quinn took a no hitter into the 5th inning before giving up an RBI single to Justin Osterhouse with one out. Only one baserunner reached over the first four innings when a fly ball to left was dropped by Quinn’s Georgia teammate Daniel Jackson. He responded by striking out the side. 

Quinn is coming off a breakout 2025 in Athens where he went 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA over 17 appearances, 7 of which were starts. He struck out 49 batters in just 36 innings and could use success in the Cape as a springboard into Georgia’s 2026 weekend rotation.

RHP Kaden Echeman (Kentucky/Falmouth Commodores)

4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 72p-44s

Kaden Echeman missed all of 2024 due to injury at Northern Kentucky and wasted no time finding his way back into a groove in his first mound action since. The University of Kentucky’s newest transfer portal arm was electric, tossing four shutout innings and striking out eight and walking two. Because he only pitched four innings, he couldn’t qualify as the pitcher of record and ultimately made a fantastic return to the mound. He’ll continue working his way back to full strength throughout the summer as he looks to become a key part of the Wildcats’ pitching staff.

LHP Conner Linn (Northern Kentucky/Falmouth Commodores)

4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 54p-41s, Win

Echeman’s former teammate at Northern Kentucky, Conner Linn piggybacked Echeman with four shutout innings of his own as he earned the win in Falmouth’s 1-0 shutout of Chatham. Between the two Northern Kentucky arms, Chatham managed just six baserunners in eight total innings. Linn filled up the strike zone and only threw 13 total strikes. Together with his former Norse teammate, he was able to outduel JT Quinn and deliver a Opening Night win for Falmouth.

OF Javar Williams (Wake Forest/Orleans Firebirds)

2-3, 2 R, 2 SB, HBP

Javar Williams reached base three times and stole multiple bases as the Orleans Firebirds walked off the Cotuit Kettleers in 10 innings on Opening Night in the Cape. Despite batting 9th in the lineup, the Demon Deacon outfielder was arguably the player of the game. Trailing 2-1 in the 3rd inning, Javar Williams led off with a hit by pitch and came around to tie the game a few batters later. Williams singled in his second at-bat to put runners on the corners for the Firebirds before he stole second and put himself in scoring position as well. Both runners ultimately failed to score and the game remained tied.

Williams led off the 7th with an infield single and promptly stole second base. He’d come around to score and give the Firebirds the lead when Michael O’Shaunessy grounded out to first. Williams is coming off a season where he started 54 games and hit .271 with 16 stolen bases. He’s got a fantastic approach at the plate in terms of strike zone knowledge, but he’ll be looking to improve his ability to drive the ball and be more consistent as a hitter.

OF Josiah Ragsdale (Boston College/Brewster Whitecaps)

2-3, 2 RBI, SB

The Brewster Whitecaps fielded an all ACC lineup and pitching staff last night where they defeated the YD Red Sox, 3-2. Ragsdale, one of Boston College’s most dynamic players, was responsible for what would ultimately be the game winning hit. With two outs and the bases loaded, the White Caps were trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Ragsdale flared a single into right field to score Carson Tinney (Notre Dame/Transfer Portal) and Collin Priest (Clemson). Wake Forest closer Haiden Leffew would shut the door with three scoreless innings to hold the Whitecap lead. Ragsdale also had a infield single and stole third base in the 5th inning as part of a double steal with Boston College teammate Adam Magpoc stealing second base.

DH Avery Ortiz (Oklahoma State/YD Red Sox)

2-4, 2B, RBI, R, SB

Avery Ortiz was one of three YD Red Sox players to enjoy a multi-hit game in their close 3-2 loss to the Brewster White Caps. Batting 6th and filling the designated hitting role for the evening, Ortiz delivered both YD’s only extra base hit and only RBI of Opening Night. The Oklahoma State Cowboy started his day off with a routine groundout to shortstop in the 2nd inning before singling on a liner to center field to drive in the first run of the ballgame. He stole second base in the next at-bat, but was ultimately left stranded. 

He launched a deep fly ball to left-center in the top of the 6th that would end up a ground rule double. He’d come around to score the second run of the game on a 4-6-3 double play a few batters later. Brewster would end up scoring three runs in the 6th and winning the game.   

OF Logan Hughes (Texas Tech/Bourne Braves)

2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, R, BB

Texas Tech’s Logan Hughes was the star of the night as he is the only player to homer on the young season. Bourne amassed five extra base hits on the night but still lost to the Harwich Mariners, 7-5. Hughes was responsible for two of those extra base hits. After striking out in his first plate appearance in the 2nd inning, the Red Raider slugger doubled to lead-off the 4th, but was left stranded as the aforementioned Kyle McCoy carved up the lineup.

The Braves made a late charge late and were able to cut the lead to 7-5 in the 9th inning when Hughes homered to right center. Hughes, who hit .327 with 19 home runs and 58 RBIs for Texas Tech this past spring, could be poised for a big summer on the Cape.  

1B Michael O’Shaughnessy (Georgia/Orleans Firebirds)

2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

One of Georgia’s newest transfers ended up scoring on the winning play of Orleans’ walk-off win over Cotuit on Saturday night. O'Shaughnessy also scored the first run of the day for the Firebirds when he hit a one out double to left in the first inning. He came around to score when Robbie Lavey lasered a ball for a single to right field. O’Shaughnessy singled in his next at-bat, but was left stranded. Per the extra inning rules in the Cape, he was the designated ghost runner that started the inning on second and came around to score the tying run on the error. O’Shaughnessy was trailed by Abbrie Covarrubias who completed the walk-off win. The former Davidson man slashed .369/.464/.598 with 19 doubles and 17 home runs in the Atlantic 10. He’ll be looking to get a start on adjusting to the higher competition jump that he’ll see transitioning to the SEC.