July 9, 2011
Cape Cod League notebook: Roache on a power trip
by Ed Flaherty/
Cotuit Kettleers slugger Victor Roache has made the Cape Cod Baseball League his personal playground for the early part of the 2011 season, carrying on the torrid pace he enjoyed during his sophomore season at Georgia Southern.
Roache was a one-man wrecking crew at Georgia Southern, leading the nation with 30 home runs while driving in 84 with a .326 average. Roache also had a .789 slugging percentage.
The 30 home runs led the Southern Conference and Roache’s hitting prowess landed him on the first team for both the Louisville Slugger and Baseball America All-America teams.
Playing on the Cape hasn’t slowed Roache thus far, as the 6-foot-1, 225-pound outfielder has been among the league leaders in all three Triple Crown categories.
Through games played July 9, Roache is second in both batting average (.364) and home runs (4) and leads the Cape Cod League with 16 RBI.
Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.) hit .254 with eight home runs and 38 RBI as a freshman for Georgia Southern in 2010 before his breakout season in 2011.
As a result of his impressive power numbers at Georgia Southern, Roache was selected to take part in last week’s College Home Run Derby at Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., home of the College World Series.
Roache advanced to the finals before falling to national Freshman of the Year Daniel Aldrich of the College of Charleston. Aldrich beat Roache, 4-2, in the finals.
Roache nearly made it back-to-back College Home Run Derby titles for Cotuit. Former Kettleer Paul Hoilman of East Tennessee State won the 2010 Home Run Derby.
League leaders
Through games played on July 9, the Cape Cod Baseball League’s leaders include the following:
Batting average: Taylor Davis (Brewster), .368.
Home runs: Ben Waldrip of Medford, Mass. (Orleans), 5.
RBI: Roache, 16.
Wins: Four tied with 3 – Nick Wittgren (Hyannis), Taylor Sandefur (Falmouth), Andrew Heaney (Falmouth) and Dylan Floro (Hyannis).
Strikeouts: Joe Bircher (Falmouth), 34.
ERA: Ryan Eades (Bourne), 0.45.
Weekly honors
Brewster’s Tony Bucciferro (Michigan State) was nearly unhittable against Falmouth as the right-hander earned Pitcher of the Week honors.
Bucciferro gave up just one hit over seven innings and allowed just one baserunner. He struck out five in the victory.
Yarmouth-Dennis outfielder Mason Katz (LSU) earned Player of the Week honors after piling up eight hits and four walks in six games for the Red Sox. Five of Katz’s eight hits were for extra bases.
He also drove in five runs to put him among the league leaders.
‘Spaceball’
Cape League officials are awaiting the return of a league baseball that made an extraordinary trip aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
The ball as among the personal items carried aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour by its commander, U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Kelly.
The ball is expected to be returned to the Cape League after all six Endeavour crew members sign it.
“Once we have the ball, it will go on public display at our Hall of Fame and Museum in Hyannis,” said Cape League president Judy Scarafile.
The ball will be on display at the league’s All-Star Game at Fenway Park on July 29.
