CAPE COD LEAGUE TOP 10

Historic home run totals and a deep-hitting crop made it a memorable summer on the Cape

- GEOFF PONTES and PETER FLAHERTY

Things continue to evolve in college baseball. Eye-popping home run totals, record transfers and NIL money are the new normal. Summer ball-and more specifically the Cape Cod League-has been impacted mightily by the changing dynamics.

In a league and region that is historically resistant to change, the 10 Cape teams have been forced to adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of college sports.

Even before the 2020 pandemic and lost season, the Cape Cod League had already begun morphing into what many called more of a "showcase" league. But when the draft was moved back from early June to mid-July in 2021, the nature of summer ball changed.

With players hoping to get one final look from scouts, early Cape Cod League rosters the last three summers have been littered with draft-eligible players. These players are typically juniors and fourth-year players who fall in the Day 3 range of the draft looking for a last-minute bump.

This has allowed for late-arriving players from teams that advanced to the College World Series to get an extra week or two of rest before beginning their summer ball adventures. It's an imperfect cycle, and one that's been further impacted by the transfer portal, as players leave mid-summer to take visits and often do not return to the Cape.

It has all led to a Cape Cod League, where 50% of rosters will change multiple times between mid-June and early August. Pitching is as scarce as it's ever been, with many pitchers on innings limits.

1 TRAVIS BAZZANA

2B - FALMOUTH OREGON STATE

Age: 20. HT: 6-0. WT: 195. B-T: L-R.