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Bourne goes back-to-back: Looking back on the 2023 Cape League Season

andré simms, cape cod times
·7 min read

The Centennial Season of the Cape Cod Baseball League has come to a close.

The Bourne Braves secured their second consecutive league championship after beating the Orleans Firebirds in a game three, winner take all game Sunday.

The Braves emerged as the four seed out of an incredibly deep West Division. The division appeared to be Cotuit's to lose all season. The Kettleers held first place for the majority of the season, and entered the postseason as the President's Trophy winners.

Elsewhere, East Division Champion Orleans Firebirds Manager Kelly Nicholson, notched his 400th career Cape League victory this summer when the Firebirds beat the Hyannis Harbor Hawks 8-6 on July 3. The Firebirds closed the season strongly, and nearly chased down the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, overtaking them in the standings atop the East on the second to last day of the regular season before falling back to second place after the regular season finale.

More: In his final Cape League start, Ivran Romero left it all on the field for Orleans

However, that home field advantage proved to not matter come the postseason. The two met in the East Division Finals and Orleans swept the Red Sox to book their spot opposite the Braves.

The Championship Series provided thrilling, back-and-forth baseball as the Braves were named champions again following their 5-2 victory at Eldridge Park in game three.

Falmouth second baseman Travis Bazzana turns a double play after forcing Nick Mitchell of Hyannis at second. Cape Cod Baseball League.
Falmouth second baseman Travis Bazzana turns a double play after forcing Nick Mitchell of Hyannis at second. Cape Cod Baseball League.

End of the Season Awards

Pat Sorenti MVP Award: Travis Bazzana, Oregon State, Falmouth Commodores

BFC Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award: Camron Hill, Georgia Tech, Cotuit Kettleers

Russ Ford Outstanding Relief Pitcher Award: Sean Matson, Harvard, Orleans Firebirds

Daniel J. Silva Sportsmanship Award: Hugh Pinkney, Rutgers, Bourne Braves

Robert A. McNeese Outstanding Pro Prospect Award: Cam Smith, Florida State, Hyannis Harbor Hawks

Manny Robello 10th Player Award: Derek Clark, Northwood University, Orleans Firebirds

Mike Curran Manager of the Year Award: Mike Roberts, Cotuit Kettleers

Team of the Season

As always, the league featured standout performers in both divisions. Below is my Cape Cod Baseball League team of the season that includes a starting nine, a starter pitcher, and a reliever.

Derek Bender of Bourne celebrates after scoring their fourth run against Orleans on a hit by Sam Peterson.
Derek Bender of Bourne celebrates after scoring their fourth run against Orleans on a hit by Sam Peterson.

Catcher

Derek Bender, Coastal Carolina, Bourne Braves

Bender punctuated his season with a three-hit, three-RBI performance in game three of the Cape Cod Baseball League Championship season, but he had been producing for the Braves all summer long. The Coastal Carolina product hit .374 on the regular season and missed out on the league batting title by a single point. He tallied 43 hits, 11 of which went for extra bases, and also stole 18 bases.

More: Bourne Braves hitter Derek Bender focuses on performance heading into playoffs

Cole Mathis of Cotuit launches a Bourne pitch for a bases loaded triple in the second inning.
Cole Mathis of Cotuit launches a Bourne pitch for a bases loaded triple in the second inning.

Infielders

Cole Mathis, College of Charleston, Cotuit Kettleers

Mathis finished the season with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs, and somehow didn't lead the league in either category. Such was the talent of the Cape this summer, but that doesn't take away from how high-impact of a season Mathis had. He also had double digit doubles (10), and scored 28 runs on the season. He also featured on the hill for the Kettleers, but I'm grabbing him as an infielder.

Jo Oyama of Orleans launches the first of his two home runs against Bourne in the Cape League final.
Jo Oyama of Orleans launches the first of his two home runs against Bourne in the Cape League final.

Jo Oyama, UC Irvine, Orleans Firebirds

To say Jo Oyama did everything for the Firebirds, would somehow still be an understatement. The Okinawa, Japan native put together an MVP caliber season, hitting for power, and average, while also playing a strong second base. He finished with a .360/.456/.613 slash line, while hitting 11 doubles, six triples, and five home runs. He drove in 17 runs himself, but was a true table setter for the Firebirds out of the leadoff spot, scoring 35 times, which was second in the league.

Falmouth shortstop Travis Bazzana make a diving stop that keeps the Brewster runner on second.
Falmouth shortstop Travis Bazzana make a diving stop that keeps the Brewster runner on second.

Travis Bazzana, Oregon State, Falmouth Commodores

Bazzana was awarded the 2023 Cape Cod Baseball League MVP following his year leading the Falmouth offense. Bazzana beat out Bender for the highest average in the league (.375), tied for the third most home runs (6), and RBI (31) in the league. Bazzana was also a constant threat on the basepaths, swiping 14 this summer.

The ball hit by Jack Penney of Orleans takes a jump on Hyannis third baseman Cam Smith of Florida St. in the Cape League All Star game.
The ball hit by Jack Penney of Orleans takes a jump on Hyannis third baseman Cam Smith of Florida St. in the Cape League All Star game.

Cam Smith, Florida State, Hyannis

Cam Smith was the recipient of the Most Outstanding Pro Prospect award this summer, and if there was one for being an ironman, he'd probably get that too. Smith played all 44 regular season games for the Harbor Hawks, and all he did was proceed to lead the league in hits (58), and runs (38), while finishing the year with a .347 average. He had 22 extra base hits, and drove in 26 runs.

Zach Ehrhard of Hyannis makes a diving catch on a drive by JC Colon of Wareham.
Zach Ehrhard of Hyannis makes a diving catch on a drive by JC Colon of Wareham.

Outfielders

Zach Ehrhard, Oklahoma State, Hyannis Harbor Hawks

Ehrhard was one of many potent bats in the Hyannis lineup this summer. He hit just a shade under .300 (.297) and had double digit RBI (18), runs (24), and stolen bases (11) in the regular season. Batting out of the leadoff spot, Ehrhard also drew 22 walks, emphasizing his plate discipline.

James Tibbs of Brewster brings in a run with a single against Falmouth.
James Tibbs of Brewster brings in a run with a single against Falmouth.

James Tibbs, Florida State, Brewster Whitecaps

Tibbs flexed his muscles when he won the 2023 Home Run Derby at the All-Star game, and proved to be a force in the Brewster lineup throughout the season. His six home runs and 25 RBIs both led the Whitecaps, and he ended the season with a .303 average.

Grant Hussey of Wareham is caught off base by Hyannis first baseman Alex Lane.
Grant Hussey of Wareham is caught off base by Hyannis first baseman Alex Lane.

Grant Hussey, West Virginia, Wareham

Hussey had a great year for the Gatemen. He finished tied for third in the season in RBIs with 31, and also scored 12 runs this season. Hussey had 34 hits this summer, with over half of them going for extra bases (12 doubles, four home runs).

Designated Hitter

Hunter Hines, Mississippi State, Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

Hitting 13 home runs in the Cape Cod Baseball League speaks for itself. Hines was a one-man wrecking crew offensively for the Red Sox this season. He also led the league with 45 RBIs.

West starter Cam Hill of Cotuit and Georgia Tech delivers in the Cape League All Star game.
West starter Cam Hill of Cotuit and Georgia Tech delivers in the Cape League All Star game.

Pitchers

Camron Hill, Georgia Tech, Cotuit Kettleers

Hill only gave up an earned run in three of his 11 appearances during the regular season, and only one of those times was it more than one. That just shows how dominant he was for most of the summer for the Kettleers. His 1.09 ERA led the league, and he also had the second most strikeouts (45).

More: STRIKE ZONE: Kettleers pitcher Camron Hill proving he’s the ‘real deal’

Orleans closer Sean Matson (Harvard) celebrates after holding off Bourne in a 4-3 win in the second game of the Cape League finals.
Orleans closer Sean Matson (Harvard) celebrates after holding off Bourne in a 4-3 win in the second game of the Cape League finals.

Sean Matson, Harvard, Orleans Firebirds

It's hard to understate how impactful Matson was this season for the Firebirds in the back end of their bullpen. Primarily a starter for the Crimson, Matson quickly established himself as the best closer in the league, and backed it up by not allowing a single earned run all season until game three of the Championship Series. He had five saves, and also led the league in wins with six. Matson struck out 26 batters, and only walked three all summer long.

Honorable Mentions

To say this team came with some hard choices would be an understatement. There were multiple deserving candidates, especially in an incredibly crowded infield. Jon Jon Gazdar arrived later in the season, but did nothing but hit once he arrived. Alabama's Bryce Eblin might be the most criminal snub, after he finished the season on a 23 game hitting streak including the playoffs, while also playing great defense at third base. Next to him in the champion Braves infield, Vanderbilt's Jonathan Vastine played smooth shortstop all season while also hitting .306 with 20 RBI, 14 steals, and 24 runs scored. Kaeden Kent (Texas A&M) scored 26 runs, and hit .329 for the Chatham Anglers, Matt Halbach (UC San Diego) had 44 hits this summer, while scoring 22 runs, and driving in 15.

Of course plenty of pitchers were deserving as well. Daniel Avitia (Grand Canyon), and Derek Clark (Northwood University) both had sub-2.00 ERA's for the Firebirds. Smith Pinson (Kennesaw State), and Finnegan Wall (UC Irvine) both had strong seasons on the mound for the Red Sox, and Central Florida's Cam Schuelke struck out a league high 48 in 37 innings.

The book is closed on the 100th year of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and teams and players will now be looking towards the next 100 summers, beginning with the 2024 season.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: A recap of the 2023 Cape league season