Attracting the top talent from around the country has become constant for head coach Scott Pickler and the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox who captured the 2023 CCBL Eastern Division title.
“It’s like building a puzzle and you gotta figure out if the chemistry is going to be right and who’s going to work,” Pickler said. Between the adjustments already underway and a mindset of playing in the moment, Pickler is excited about his group of hitters.
The pieces of the puzzle on the offensive side will reflect a young and accomplished group of all-conference honorees, former MLB draft picks and national champions.
Catchers
Pickler will have several options behind the plate and all four backstops bring power five experience. Easton Carmichael has elite bat-to-ball skills as a gap-to-gap hitter and led the Big 12 with 93 hits during his All-Big 12 First Team campaign. Carmichael was second in the conference with five triples, third in batting average at .366 and third in RBIs with 64.
LSU product Brady Neal will return to Yarmouth-Dennis after playing four games last summer. Neal was ranked the 74th overall prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft by MLB.com and was selected in the 17 round by the Milwaukee Brewers. Neal was on the 2023 national championship team and posted a .986 OPS with nine home runs in 2024.
Stanford’s Charlie Saum and Pittsburgh’s Jayden Melendez round out the backstops as the former is a two-time Pac 12 champion and former the No. 1 catching recruit in California for the 2021 class by Perfect Game. Melendez led the Panthers in home runs, played 13 games for Chatham in 2023 and is the brother of Kansas City Royals standout MJ Melendez.
Infielders
Pickler will have a plethora of depth at the corner infield positions highlighted by 2024 All-Big West First Team slugger and 2023 consensus freshman All-American Anthony Martinez. The UC Irvine product is an intelligent left-handed hitter who led the conference with 74 RBIs to go along with 18 doubles and nine home runs.
Two-way athlete Ryan Sprock brings professional level bat speed and strength from the right side while splitting time at first and third base for Elon. Sprock is a .300 hitter with the Phoenix and the 2024 All-CAA honorable mention struck out 33 hitters.
North Carolina third baseman Gavin Gallaher announced himself to the college baseball world as a formidable bat by winning the 2024 Chapel Hill Regional Most Outstanding Player. The All-ACC Freshman Team selection hit .337 in his first season with the Tar Heels.
Texas Tech third baseman Cade McGee has premiere plate discipline, raw power and was top-10 in the Big 12 with 15 home runs and a .450 on-base percentage. He’s part of a talented group alongside UCLA’s Cameron Kim who was ranked the No. 247 prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft by MLB.com.
Up the middle is Hawaii native and Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy who was a freshman All-American at Sacramento State in 2023. Aloy made a quick transition to the SEC in 2024 as a Second Team All-Conference player and led the Razorbacks with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs.
Phoenix Call was a 2023 15th round pick to the Boston Red Sox and posted a .417 on-base percentage in his freshman season at UCLA. He’ll contend for a spot with South Carolina’s Will Tippett who played 45 games at shortstop for the Gamecocks.
Outfielders
Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress had one of the best freshman seasons in college baseball and won 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year. Burress led all freshmen with 25 home runs and broke the Georgia Tech freshman home run record. Burress has dynamic power at 5-foot-9 and hit four home runs in a game against Georgia State.
South Carolina’s Ethan Petry was a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist and the Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year in 2023. A consensus freshman All-American, Petry finished sixth in the SEC with a .471 on-base percentage, blasted 21 home runs with 53 RBIs.
2023 Cape League All-Star RJ Austin is set to return to Y-D for his second season after leading qualified Vanderbilt hitters in batting average, on-base percentage, hits, RBIs, and stolen bases. Austin has game-changing speed and was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List.
LSU’s Jake Brown was selected in the 16th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers and had a .370 on-base in his freshman season. Kennesaw State outfielder Jackson Chirello has plus power potential in his 6-foot-6, 195-pound frame and hit .290 with 32 RBIs with the Owls.
Jonathan Kim said he’s been impressed by the “talent” of his fellow hitters and brings a strong blend of pop and defensive prowess. The 2023 All-Big Ten Third Team selection has effortless range and hit .272 this spring. West Virginia’s Skylar King completes the outfield and will return to Y-D after a short stint last summer.
(Photo by Sophie Solarino)
