Yarmouth-Dennis has developed a pitching pipeline to the pros with prominent arms Shane Bieber, Walker Buehler, Chris Sale, Joe Kelly and David Robertson all propelling their careers at Red Wilson Field.
That pitching lineage spearheaded by head coach Scott Pickler will look to continue in 2024 after a dominant stretch on the mound last summer as Y-D led the league in ERA, WHIP and finished third in strikeouts.
Pickler’s pitching philosophy emphasizes the importance of throwing strikes and getting his pitchers to have confidence in themselves and their arsenals. For Wichita State right-hander Caleb Anderson, there’s a blend of belief and conviction amongst the group of pitchers.
“There are definitely some higher end guys but a lot of us are from mid major schools, a lot of us have stuff to prove so that playing with house money type of thing is pretty exciting,” Anderson said.
Anderson was tied for fourth in the American Athletic Conference with 28 appearances in 2024 after making the transition from Johnson County Community College to the Division I level. Anderson came one pitch away from an immaculate inning in Thursday’s scrimmage against Harwich and struck out 38 batters in 39 innings with the Shockers.
Bethune-Cookeman right-hander Pablo Torres is a dynamic reliever who thrives in the back end of the bullpen. The 2024 SWAC Relief Pitcher of the Year recorded six saves with 33 strikeouts, a 1.18 WHIP and is set to return to Y-D after a short stint in 2023.
Two members of LSU’s national championship team in 2023 are slated to join Y-D’s rotation as right-hander Micah Bucknam will return to the Red Sox after posting a 3.94 ERA last summer. The former Toronto Blue Jays 16th round pick in 2021 is joined by fellow right-hander Aiden Moffett who tallied 21 strikeouts in 17.2 innings with the Tigers.
A pair of Massachusetts products will be at Pickler’s disposal with University of Michigan right-hander Dylan Vigue and Northeastern right-hander Aiven Cabral. Vigue hails from Leominster, Massachusetts and made 11 starts with the Wolverines. Cabral is a Lynn, Massachusetts, native and was a freshman All-American in 2023 with his conference leading 2.26 ERA.
Georgia Tech’s Carson Ballard and UCLA’s Justin Lee bring power five experience to the pitching staff. Ballard had a 4.41 ERA with 26 strikeouts and just nine walks in 34.2 innings with the Yellow Jackets in 2024. Lee was ranked as the No. 128 prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft by MLB.com and had 40 strikeouts in 39.1 innings in his freshman season with the Bruins.
Kellan Montgomery brings a plethora of starting experience from the West Coast as the right-hander from Long Beach State started 15 games with a 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 73 strikeouts. He’s joined by Kent State right-hander Gavin Jones who worked 33 strikeouts in 18 appearances.
St. Mary’s left-hander Dylan Delvecchio and right-hander Jason Reitz are veteran pieces Pickler can utilize. Delvecchio spent time with Harwich last summer and pitched to a 4.53 ERA. Reitz stands at 6-foot-9, 185-pounds and has a wipeout arsenal with 65 strikeouts in 48 innings.
Stanford right-handers Trevor Moore and Toran O’Harran both strikeout over one hitter per innings as the latter had an appearance in a 2023 NCAA Regional game.
Kennesaw State teammates Braden Osbolt and Nolan Sliver are no stranger to the big stage as Osbolt was a 2024 All-Atlantic Sun Third Team performer. Sliver posted a 4.13 ERA in 21 appearances for the Owls with two saves.
Pittsburgh left-hander Ryan Reed and his Panther teammate right-hander Ryan Andrade are more quality options for Pickler as the former made 13 starts this spring. Andrade began his career at URI as a 2023 All-A10 reliever before transferring to Pitt and striking out 72 hitters in 63 innings in 2024.
Westmont College right-handers Bryan Peck and Sean Youngerman won a NAIA National Championship in 2023 before the program’s transition to Division II in 2024. The duo posted ERAs under four, were All-Pacwest performers this season and Youngerman earned All-American status.
Tampa right-hander Alex Canney is another Division II arm who recently won a national championship. The 2023 All-Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year won 14 games with 98 strikeouts in another first-team campaign in 2024.
Right-hander Ramsey David from NAIA Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, was the Arizona Diamondbacks 35th round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft. He began his career at Auburn and worked a 2.79 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 61.1 innings in 2024.
Photo by Sophie Solarino
