The California Collegiate League has been in transition the last two or three years, with several franchises coming and going. Of the six teams that participated in the league this summer, only three were holdovers from 2007 and more turnover is anticipated in 2009.
But there has been one constant throughout all the upheaval. The Santa Barbara Foresters have not only established themselves as the Cal Collegiate League’s flagship franchise, but as one of the nation’s most successful summer league clubs. With a late-season surge, the Foresters swept to their second National Baseball Congress World Series title in three years in mid-August. Over the last six years at the 42-team, Wichita-based tournament, the Foresters have reached the championship game four times. They were selected the No. 1 team in PG Crosschecker’s Summer 16 ranking of the top summer college league teams.
The Foresters (44-16) had a checkered 2008 season. Among 12 losses in their first 25 games were three in Cuba against that country’s silver-medal winning Olympic team. They finally hit their stride and won 31 of their final 35 games, outscoring their opponents 67-26 in winning seven straight games at the NBC World Series.
Through all their ups and downs, there was little question that Santa Barbara had the best talent in the league and 12 of the 25 players on the accompanying list of the league’s top prospects were members of the Foresters, including a pair of University of Texas rising sophomores in the top two positions.
While the Foresters dominated the league from both a performance and prospect standpoint for the third year in a row, a noteworthy addition to the Cal Collegiate League this summer was a team from Major League Baseball’s Urban Youth Academy, based in Compton. Typical of the league overall, the Academy Barons had a number of high school graduates on their roster who struggled, at times, to hold their own against more experienced college players that populated the rosters of their opponents, primarily Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.
FAST FACTS
Year League Established: 1993.
States Represented in League: California.
Level of Competition (1-to-4 Scale): 2.
No. of Teams in League: 6.
Regular-Season Champion: Santa Barbara Foresters.
Post-Season Champion: NONE. Santa Barbara Foresters and Conejo
Oaks advanced to National Baseball Congress World Series, Wichita, Kan. (Santa
Barbara won championship).
Teams, PG Crosschecker Summer 16/Final Ranking: No. 1 Santa
Barbara Foresters.
No. 1 Prospect, 2007 (per PG Crosschecker): Devin Shepherd,
of, Santa Barbara Foresters (CC Southern Nevada; Cardinals ’08, 11th round).
First 2007 Player Selected, 2008 Draft: Kyle Russell, of,
Santa Barbara Foresters (Texas; Dodgers, third round).
Most Valuable Player: Jimmy Dodos, of, Santa Maria Indians.
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Carson Andrew, rhp, Santa Barbara
Foresters.
Top Prospect (as selected by league): Kevin Keyes, of, Santa
Barbara Foresters.
BATTING LEADERS (League games
only)
Batting Average: Chad Mozingo, of, Santa Barbara Foresters
(.470).
Slugging Percentage: Chad Mozingo, of, Santa Barbara Foresters
(.590).
On-Base Average: Chad Mozingo, of, Santa Barbara Foresters
(.520).
Home Runs: Nick Akins, of, Urban Baseball Academy (9).
RBIs: Josh Meagher, 1b, Santa Maria Indians (38).
Stolen Bases: David Iden, ss, Conejo Oaks (19).
PITCHING LEADERS (League games
only)
Wins: Jason Mitchell, rhp, Santa Maria Indians (6).
ERA: Carson Andrew, rhp, Santa Barbara Foresters (0.77)
Saves:Kyle Tognazzini, rhp, San Luis Obispo Rattlers (7).
Strikeouts: Mason Radeke, rhp, San Luis Obispo Rattlers (67).
BEST TOOLS
Best Hitter: Chad Mozingo, of, Santa Barbara Foresters.
Best Power: Kevin Keyes, of, Santa Barbara Foresters.
Fastest Base Runner: Ryan Thorton, of, Urban Baseball Academy.
Best Defensive Player: Sean Nicol, ss, Santa Barbara Foresters.
Best Velocity: Kevin Castner, rhp, Santa Barbara Foresters.
Best Breaking Ball: Carson Andrew, rhp, Santa Barbara Foresters;
Mason Radeke, rhp, San Luis Obispo Rattlers.
TOP 25 PROSPECTS
| |
PLAYER |
POS. |
TEAM |
B-T |
HT |
WT |
YR |
2009 SCHOOL |
| 1. |
Kevin Keyes |
OF |
Santa Barbara Foresters |
L-R |
6-4 |
225 |
So. |
Texas |
| SCOUTING REPORT: Keyes has only flashed his considerable power/speed ability to date—both as a part-time player at Texas in the spring (.339-4-10, 4 BB/24 SO in 59 at-bats) and during the summer with the Foresters (.299-8-29, 15 BB/41 SO in 117 ABs). Despite his inconsistent playing time, Keyes was among the top five in the Cal Collegiate League in both homers and stolen bases (16 steals in 17 attempts) and he remains right on track to be a first-round pick in the 2010 draft. That lofty status was reinforced in August when he led the Foresters to the NBC World Series title, hitting .478-1-10 at the 42-team event. He led the tournament with five extra-base hits on his way to being selected the event’s MVP. Keyes has spent most of his playing time since being drafted in the 26th round by the Texas Rangers in 2007 in a DH role, but has the speed and arm strength to eventually settle into center field on an everyday basis. His raw power potential is his biggest tool, but he’ll need to learn to become more patient at the plate and improve his pitch recognition to fully tap into it. |
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