Here is the link to the 2013 Orleans Firebirds roster:  http://www.orleansfirebirds.com/roster-2/

At this time, only 13 players appear on the roster. It looks like Vanderbilt LHP Philip Pfeifer is the only returnee. UMass-Lowell RHP Garrett Cole was on the early-season roster for Orleans last year, but he did not play for the Firebirds.

North Carolina head coach Mike Fox has indicated that RHP Trevor Kelley may open the season as the closer for the Tar Heels.

We will take a closer look at the roster as more players are added.

Here is the link to the recently released Hyannis Harbor Hawks roster:  http://harborhawks.org/roster/

It looks like Stanford outfielder Dominic Jose and UAB infielder/outfielder Jeff Schalk are the only returnees. Jose batted .272 with 6 HR, 12 RBI, and had an .857 OPS last summer. Schalk hit .200 for the 2012 Hawks. 

Florida State has reported that sophomore RHP Mike Compton has a right elbow sprain and is out indefinitely.

Andrew Thome comes to Hyannis from the University of North Dakota. Let us know if you can recall another Cape Leaguer from UND. 

Drew Stankiewicz’ (IF;  Arizona State) father, Andy, played seven seasons in the major leagues for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Montreal Expos and Arizona Diamondbacks. Shane Zeile’s (C/IF; UCLA)  uncle, Todd Zeile, played for eleven different teams over a 15-year major league career.

Former North Carolina pitcher Jimmy Messer has joined Chad Gassman’s coaching staff. Messer pitched for the Harbor Hawks in 2010.

From the Boston College baseball twitter account (@BCBirdBall):  “Head coach Mike Gambino announced senior catcher Matt Pare will wear No. 8 in honor of Sonny Nictakis.”

Pare was a temp player for Yarmouth-Dennis last year. He spent the balance of his summer playing for the Newport Gulls of the NECBL. Pare batted .344 with 5 HR and 17 RBI in the regular season and added 2 homeruns and 4 RBI while batting .467 in Newport’s six playoff games. 

In honoring Pare, Gambino is continuing a tradition he started two years ago by selecting a player to wear No. 8 in honor of former player Peter “Sonny” Nictakis. Each season, a player who has battled adversity and represents the best qualities of Boston College baseball will wear Nictakis’ old number.

Sonny Nictakis was a two-time captain for the Eagles in 1998-99 who lost his courageous battle with Hodgkin’s disease in the summer of 2000. Until 2011, the number 8 jersey had not been worn since 1999. In 2011, Gambino chose senior outfielder Mike Sudol to be the first to wear the number. Last year’s recipient of this honor was senior pitcher Kyle Prohovich.

Here is a quick Q & A from the University of Florida website with sophomore outfielder Justin Shafer. Shafer played for Yarmouth-Dennis in 2012 and is expected to return to the Red Sox this summer.

http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=24705

Check out the Cotuit Kettleers roster that was recently posted at  http://www.kettleers.org/roster/

Name recognition doesn’t win games, let alone championships, but the Kettleers have a very impressive group of players heading to Lowell Park if their roster looks anything like this on June 12.

Vanderbilt will once again be well-represented on Cotuit’s roster with RHP Tyler Beede (Auburn, MA.), LHP Brian Miller, RHP Carson Fulmer and OF Rhett Wiseman (Mansfield, MA.) expected to suit up for the Kettleers. Beede, was named ESPNBoston.com’s Mr. Baseball in 2011 after starring at Lawrence Academy. He was named a 2012 SEC Freshman All-American. Beede was drafted in the first round (21st overall) by Toronto in the 2011 MLB Draft, and was the only first round pick not to sign that year.  Wiseman was tabbed as Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year last year while attending Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge.

Stanford infielder Danny Diekroeger played very well through the playoffs for Yarmouth-Dennis last summer after signing with the Red Sox late in the season. Drew Jackson, another Cardinal infielder, will be following in the footsteps of his brother Brett who played for Cotuit in 2008. Brett now plays for the Chicago Cubs.

Returnees from Cotuit’s 2012 team include UNC-Wilmington RHP Jordan Ramsey (2-0; 4.35 ERA; 31 IP), Arizona State LHP Adam McCreery (1-1; 5.46 ERA; 29.2 IP), Florida International catcher Aramis Garcia (.250; 3 HR; 14 RBI) and Coastal Caroliona RHP/INF Patrick Corbett who appeared in just one game last summer.

As with all of these early roster postings, CodBall  will take a closer look at the 2013 Kettleers as we get closer to the start of the season.