NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Several members of the Vanderbilt baseball roster took part in collegiate summer leagues spread across the United States. Below is a highlight on some of the Commodore standouts across the summer:
The duo of Bryce Cunningham and Alan Espinal had a strong summer season together for the Bourne Braves – a season which culminated in a Cape Cod Baseball League Championship. Espinal was solid behind the plate, while Cunningham flashed excellence on the mound. Bryce’s performance earned him a spot in the Cape Cod All-Star Game, where he threw one inning without allowing an earned run. For the second season in a row, the Commodores were represented on the Cape Cod’s championship team, as the trio of Chris McEvlain, Spencer Jones and Hunter Owen captured a championship with the Brewster Whitecaps in 2021.
Champs. 🏆
Congrats to our guys on winning the 2022 Cape Cod League Championship with the @BourneBraves. 💪#VandyBoys | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/L12nGIeAxl
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) August 15, 2022
Bryce Cunningham’s day has come to a close.
His line tonight:
6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K
🔥Will Sandy (@DiamondHeels) takes over to start the 7th.
How about that, @VandyBoys?
We lead 1-0.#GoBravos pic.twitter.com/C2RV76kjwU
— Bourne Braves (@BourneBraves) June 28, 2022
For the Brewster Whitecaps, Davis Diaz, another All-Star participant, and Hunter Owen helped the team secure its 2nd straight division title and spot in the finals. Owen finished the summer with a 3.24 ERA over 8.1 IP.
After playing for Team USA, Enrique Bradfield Jr. went up to Cotuit, where he was a perfect 4/4 on stolen bases across 14 games. In the postseason, he batted .444 with 2 doubles for the Kettleers.
The duo of Jack Bulger and Patrick Reilly helped the Orleans Firebirds clinch a spot in the playoffs. Bulger flashed his speed this summer, stealing a team-high 10 bases. He also led the Firebirds in walks (17), finding his way on base 40 times in 28 games. Reilly showed electric stuff with 20 strikeouts across six starts.
Top 8 || Birds 0 – Kettleers 0
Jack Bulger does it again and gets the bats going with a leadoff single. pic.twitter.com/gQij4kbtjw
— Orleans Firebirds (@FirebirdsCCBL) July 14, 2022
Grayson Moore dominated for the Wareham Gatemen this summer. He ended his season with 19.1 IP and 25 K’s allowing just one earned run – earning himself a spot in the All-Star Game.
In the Northwoods League, Parker Noland, Jonathan Vastine, and JD Rogers put together impressive summers.
Noland batted .318 for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. Heranked second on his team in doubles (12), walks (32), and hits (47) across 42 games. Noland has also shown his versatility in the field this summer, spending time playing seven different positions. He was recently named to the 2022 Postseason All-Star Team.
Vastine and Rogers both posted solid performances for the Duluth Huskies. Vastine batted .293, while tying for the team lead in doubles (9) and 2nd in triples (2). He also registered a team-leading .474 on-base percentage across 41 games. Rogers tied for the team lead in both doubles (9) and triples (3), while he is 2nd on the team with 26 stolen bases. Both earned a spot in the Northwoods League Major League Dreams Showcase.
How about the Huskies’ Vanderbilt duo!
A leadoff triple from Jonathan Vastine (@JonathanVastine) and JD Rogers gives Duluth a boost after the second.
E2 | Huskies 7-Larks 4#Rollskies #Raisehowl pic.twitter.com/OMuOV9xvM8
— Duluth Huskies (@DuluthHuskies) July 8, 2022
In the NECBL, Ryan Ginther impressed for the Newport Gulls, striking out 29 batters across 21 innings of work with a 3.43 ERA. On July 8, he threw six perfect innings out of the bullpen, striking out nine and earning the win.
For the Sanford Mainers, Calvin Hewett led the team in stolen bases (19), while ranking second in both home runs (4) and HBP’s (9). Hewitt turned it on during the postseason, hitting .389 with 3 doubles helping his team reach the NECBL semifinals. Meanwhile Matthew Polk appeared in 19 games for the Mainers, hitting .333 with 2 home runs and 16 RBI.
TJ McKenzie showed power for the Keene Swamp Bats this summer with seven home runs.
We’ve got our final Play of the Week voting for the regular season! We’ve got nominees from @NewportGulls, @MountaineersVT, @NSNavigators, and @swampbats_keene! Vote now as it ends Sunday at 10pm! https://t.co/JBbTotbGi8 pic.twitter.com/JhoeO8QYXB
— The New England League (@TheNECBL) July 30, 2022
Colton Regen made 13 appearances for the Vermont Lake Monsters in the Futures League, amassing 22 strikeouts across 18 innings.
Going across the Atlantic to Haarlem, Netherlands, the trio of Scott Brown, Enrique Bradfield Jr and Carter Holton represented Vanderbilt on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, as Team USA captured a bronze medal at Honkbalweek Haarlem.
Holton’s spring dominance carried over into the summer. He made two appearances for Team USA, throwing 5.1 innings, striking out six without giving up a run. He held opponents to a .071 batting average, giving up just one hit. Meanwhile, Brown led the USA’s pitching staff to a 0.70 ERA across seven games.
Bradfield wreaked havoc on the basepaths, while playing stellar defense in center field.
What a throw by @EBradfield20!
Curaçao ties the game up with a two-strike, two-out single but Bradfield sends us to the ninth with a perfect throw to cut a runner down at the plate.
USA 2, Curaçao 2 | T9#ForGlory 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IJEKrYmfpn
— USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) July 14, 2022
