Every Thursday (or Friday before the games), the Braves Blog will (as objectively as possible) rank the league's teams. The criteria is a combination of team statistics, overall record, and how the team has done in the past week in particular. Think of the general rule as follows: Which team would you want your team to play the least right now (no. 1) to the team that would be the most appealing to play (no. 10).
Last week's power rankings were not published due to technical difficulties and responsibilities with a makeup game at Doran Park. But now, we're back on schedule.
1. Brewster (16-10-3, first in East)
Since I last typed on this blog, the Whitecaps have become the class of the CCBL. Seven wins and one tie in the team's last 10 games is just the beginning. Brewster has Week 4 Offensive Player of Week Jason Monda (Washington State), whose .387 average and 10 runs scored are part of the best hitting lineup in the league. Here's just some of the categories that Brewster leads: Batting average (.273), team slugging (.359), hits (255), and runs scored (117). Oh and the pitching isn't bad either. A team ERA of 2.58 has been supremely helped by starter Brandon Love's (Mercer) 1.52 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.
2. Hyannis (18-10, first in West)
Although this is the first week of the power rankings where the Harbor Hawks aren't number one, this fall certainly wasn't fatal. Hyannis simply hasn't been as hot as Brewster or Bourne over the last couple weeks of games, although my honest gut still has the Braves losing to the Harbor Hawks in a three-game series. Although it's 5-5 in the last ten games, the team possesses the league's only four-win pitcher (and only 4-0 pitcher for that matter) in Dylan Floro (Cal St. Fullerton). Games that Hyannis does win rely on pitching, and getting three or more runs is essential to defeat the West's best.
3. Bourne (15-11-2, second in West)
Anyone whose watched the last two weeks of the CCBL knows the Braves are jumping from bottom to top not just because of the name of this blog. Winners of six of the last seven games — with the only loss coming in a shortened game against Brewster — Bourne has been winning pitcher's duels and pitcher's nightmares alike. Offensively, it's actually the leadoff hitter with the best numbers, as Stony Brook's Travis Jankowski has 18 RBI and a league high 5 triples as the pace setter. On the mound, Bourne has the league's only starter with an ERA under one, the phenomenal Ryan Eades (LSU). Along with an ERA of 0.68, Eades had a perfect game through 5.1 innings at Falmouth on July 12, and eventually got his third win of the year giving up just two hits.
4. Harwich (16-11, second in East)
The hitting hasn't been overwhelming for the Mariners, who have been relatively consistent at 6-4 in the team's last 10 games. This means the wins have been coming from the mound. The staff has given up the fewest hits in the league (185) and has an impressive .212 batting average against, not to mention the Week 4 pitcher of the week Taylor Rogers (Kentucky) who pitched 7.0 scoreless innings while giving up a mere two hits against Orleans on July 9. The next seven days are moving week for the Mariners, with some "sure" wins against Chatham and Cotuit, then important tests against Brewster and Bourne. It's those victories that could get Harwich the East Division crown.
5. Wareham (14-14, third in West)
The only true .500 team in the league, Wareham embodies the "average." The Gatemen are 5-5 in the team's last 10 games, fifth in the league in team batting average (.239), and sixth in the league in runs given up (118). With the playoff push upcoming, Wareham is eight points out of first, and eight points ahead of the last place team, so don't expect too much movement in the standings unless the Gatemen tear off wins against good teams. In the next week alone, Wareham is at Hyannis and Brewster, so consider those opportunity contests.
6. Falmouth (12-15, fourth in West)
The Commodores are by far the hardest team to understand in the CCBL. After an 0-7 start, the residents of Arnie Allen Diamond were a game under .500, but now have lost four of the team's last five games. Bourne in particular has disturbed Falmouth's rise back to contention after defeating the Commodores three straight times dating back to July 9. Hitting is the problem when Falmouth has off days, and only one hitter on the team is hitting over .300 (that would be St. John's Jeremy Baltz). As a team, the squad is second worst in the league in batting average (.228), and is last in the league in total hits (193).
7. Yarmouth-Dennis (12-14-3, tied for third in East)
The Sahwx get the close nod over Orelans for defeating the Firebirds (and putting up 15 runs in the process) on Monday. Otherwise, not much distinguishes these two squads, which at this juncture are just jockeying between the third and fourth playoff spots in the East. Neither should fall to fifth because of Chatham's poor play. For YD, another LSU player is making his impact on the league. Mason Katz has a team-high 14 RBI, tied for fifth highest in the league.
8. Orleans (12-13-3, tied for third in East)
A very similar report to that of YD, especially since Chatham's off year will likely mean a playoff spot barring an historical collapse. But moves could be made, since Bourne is the only team on the Firebirds' schedule in the coming week with an over .500 record, although the offense needs to increase if a win streak is to happen. The .225 team average is the league's worst, and oddly Orleans is the only team in the league this year with just a single triple. The next lowest total is Falmouth's three. On a positive note, Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville State) is the only person currently in the way of Victor Roache's triple crown (see Cotuit's section below) with his six home runs.
9. Cotuit (10-16-2, fifth in West)
Even though the team is in last place, I'll give you two words that are reason to go and see the Kettleers in action: Victor. Roache. The Georgia Southern standout has a legitimate shot at the triple crown, currently leading the league in average (.390), RBI (24), and second in the league in home runs (5). He has a power hitter's frame at 6-1 and 225 pounds, but routinely hits RBI singles along with extra base hits. As far as the team, the Kettleers aren't out of the playoffs yet, just two points back of fourth place, but the team needs to stop losing close games. In their last three games (all losses), Cotuit has lost by two runs or fewer each time.
10. Chatham (8-19-1, fifth East)
Fielding statistics are like spare tires. They're always there, but if you're talking about them, it's probably not a good thing. Well, the Anglers fielding statistics may be more telling than anything else about the 2011 season. The team's 56 errors are 13 higher than the next team, and have led to the league's only fielding percentage under .950. On offense, Anglers hitters also have an astounding 69 more strikeouts than the next highest team. If Chatham even wants to sniff the playoff race, wins need to happen immediately, since YD is a whole ten points ahead (essentially five games).
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