The Cape Cod Baseball League has a long and storied history dating all the way back to 1885 when local players represented their towns for bragging rights. The league saw restructuring over the years, including wartime seasons that saw teams representing the nearby Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Otis Air Force Base, before becoming officially sanctioned in 1963 by the NCAA as a collegiate summer league.
Since the beginning of this "modern era", the Cape League has sent over 1,000 players to the majors. While Freddie Prinze Jr. (of Summer Catch fame) never played on the Cape, alumni include Hall of Famers Craig Biggio, Todd Helton and Frank Thomas, as well as current stars Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, and Pete Alonso.
Arizona State has a long history of sending players to the Cape, including Ryan Kellogg (Bourne Braves 2013-14), Trevor Williams (Orleans Firebirds 2012), and Sean Fitzpatrick (Hyannis Harbor Hawks 2024). This season, eight Sun Devils will make their way to the promised land of collegiate summer ball. Here's who's going and where their summer home will be:
Cotuit Kettleers: LHP Cole Carlon, RHP Wyatt Halvorson
Falmouth Commodores: LHP Easton Barrett
Hyannis Harbor Hawks: C Brody Briggs, RHP Jaden Alba
Orleans Firebirds: IF Landon Hairston
Wareham Gatemen: RHP Josh Butler
Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox: RHP Derek Schaefer
Ten teams make up the Cape League, playing a 40 game schedule that begins on June 14th with the final day of the playoffs set for August 13th, so long as the late summer weather cooperates.
Alongside other notable leagues such as the Northwoods League (Great Lakes region) and the Alaska Baseball League (home to the annual Midnight Sun Game), the Cape League offers an incredible opportunity for rising sophomores and juniors to showcase their skills in front of scouts from all 30 MLB teams and boost their draft stock.
So if you're not ready to wait until February for your next dose of Sun Devil Baseball, pick one (or all) teams to follow for the summer and watch your Devils face off against national talent that you may never see in the regular season.
Thanks to the generous partnership with Major League Baseball, games can be streamed online through Cape League TV. Not only is the Cape League home to the best players of tomorrow, but many non-players get their start interning in the league, such as ASU alums Kerry Crowley (Bourne Braves broadcaster 2014-15) and yours truly (Bourne Braves concession stand director 2013-14).
Such is the game (pun intended) with college sports these days, the season never truly ends for those looking to make it to the next level. Be sure to follow our boys as they take the next steps to further their baseball careers.