FALMOUTH, Mass. – The Falmouth Commodores will open up its 2024 season tomorrow evening at the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
The new, and returning, Commodores are feeling optimistic and excited for a new summer ball season. Georgia Tech redshirt freshman Riley Stanford is ready to match up to the other Cape League teams.
“I love playing baseball,” Stanford said. “Especially going up here and playing against the best of the best, so I'm super excited to see where I rank against them.”
For the past two summers, Stanford played for the Gainsville Gol’Diggers in the Sunbelt League.
“We had great players down there, but it’s just like a different level of competition up here and down there,” Stanford said.
It has been a dream to play in the Cape League for Jacksonville State junior Russel Derbyshire since he was little.
“I just want to soak it all in,” Derbyshire said. “That’s kind of my goal this summer. Just enjoy it as much as I can, and of course, get better at baseball.”
Wheaton College junior Ryan McCarroll is a familiar face to the Commodores. He started in all four games he appeared in for the 2023 season.
“I can’t wait,” McCarroll said. “I was here at the end of last summer and I loved it so now I’m excited to be here the whole season.”
McCarroll tied for second most starts on the team and finished seventh on the team in innings pitched. In his first game with Falmouth, McCarroll tossed five innings of shutout baseball, allowing one hit and striking out six against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.
Virginia Tech senior Christian Martin is also returning to Falmouth for the summer. Last season, Martin appeared in 22 games and served as the leadoff hitter. He had 16 hits, 12 RBIs and 13 runs to go with his .216 average.
Martin is looking to redeem himself from last season.
“I got banged up last season coming into the Cape and I feel much better now, so I’m looking forward to playing a little better,” Martin said.
Last season, Falmouth finished 24-18-2. It lost to Hyannis in the First Round of the Cape Cod Playoffs.
The first pitch for Saturday is set for 6 p.m. ET at McKeon Park.
Pitchers and Catchers
There will be 10 pitchers in the Commodore’s bullpen on Saturday night. Two left-handed pitchers and eight right-handed pitchers.
The lefties are Fairfield senior Bowen Baker and Eastern Nazarene senior Francis Ferguson. Baker was a starter for the Stags this season after being a reliever in his prior seasons. In 2023, he made a team-high of 22 relief appearances and totaled 40 innings with a 4-2 record.
Ferguson had 13 appearances with a 6-4 record this season with the Lions. He hit over .400 and posted a 2.82 ERA.
The righties are McCarroll, Derbyshire, Brown junior Santhosh Gottam, Harvard junior Tanner Smith, Fairfield sophomore Peter Phillips, Indiana sophomore Ethan Phillips, Brown junior Jack Seppings and UNC Asheville senior Colby Guy.
Seppings transitioned from the bullpen to starter for the Bears this season. He had a 7.36 ERA and racked up 53 strikeouts.
Ethan Phillips held a 4-0 record with the Hoosiers this season and saw a 6.16 ERA. He picked up 33 strikeouts.
The catchers are TCU sophomore Karson Bowen, Louisville freshman Zion Rose and Virginia Tech sophomore Henry Cooke.
Cooke served as the Hokies primary catcher this season.
Infield
In the infield, there’s returning Commodore Martin alongside Stonehill redshirt junior Jack Thorbahn, Stetson sophomore Isaiah Barkett, Purdue redshirt freshman Luke Gaffney and Western Kentucky junior Blake Cavill.
Gaffney led the Boilermakers in batting average, hits and runs. In 2023, he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year making history for Purdue as the first recipient of this award in program history.
Outfield
The outfield will be comprised of Stanford, Fairfield sophomore Matt Bucciero, Texas A&M sophomore Tab Tracy and Air Force sophomore Chase Spencer.
Bucciero was an everyday start for the Stags in the outfield this season. He tied the school record for homers with three.
Spencer earned his first post-season award this year. He was named to the All-Mountain West Conference Second Team.
