Falmouth Commodores 2022 Cape Cod League Preview
Image credit: Maui Ahuna (Courtesy Kansas)
With field manager Jeff Trundy at the helm for his 21st season on the Commodores bench, Falmouth has had more continuity at the manager position than any team outside Yarmouth-Dennis. Despite sustained success and a healthy locker room culture, Falmouth has the unfortunate distinction of the longest championship drought on the circuit, having not captured the league championship since 1980. Despite the lack of a title, Falmouth has made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons and nine of the past 11. The Commodores are known for targeting talented underclassmen and a consistent high level of team culture.
This year’s squad is led by a young talented infield group led by Arkansas’ Peyton Stovall, Duke’s Alex Mooney, Kansas’ Maui Ahuna and Washington State’s Kyle Russell. The group also has Brayden Taylor included on the active roster and he could play depending upon his Collegiate National Team status.
The outfield welcomes back 2021 summer standout Jace Bohrofen of Arkansas, a Cape Cod League All-Star last summer. The outfield corps is deep outside of Bohrofen with South Florida’s Drew Brutcher, UCLA’s Nick McLain and juco standout Cross Factor of Oklahoma City.
The pitching staff is led by a talented group at the top with Arkansas’ Brady Tygart, Long Beach State’s Juaron Watts-Brown, Florida’s Brandon Neely, Wake Forest’s Josh Hartle and Mississippi State’s Mikey Tepper. The Falmouth pitching corps is deep with a list of equally talented names behind the aforementioned group in Alabama’s Ben Hess, Texas’ Lucas Gordon, Wake Forest’s Camden Minacci and Texas State’s Levi Wells. Opposing batters are certain to see plenty of firepower when facing this summer’s Commodores squad.
Home Park: Arnie Allen Diamond at Guy Fuller Field (Built: 1939): The ballpark is located centrally in downtown Falmouth and just a short walk from the town’s shopping district. The area boasts the best postgame atmosphere with a multitude of shops, restaurants and bars a quick jaunt down Main Street. The park itself has similar charm to Orleans’ Eldredge Park with fans populating the hills along the first and third base lines. The views down the base lines are some of the best for spectators on the Cape.
Field Manager: Jeff Trundy
Last Cape Cod League Championship: 1980
Hitters To Watch
Alex Mooney, SS Duke (2023 Eligible): A highly rated 2021 draft prospect as a high schooler in Michigan, Mooney is one of the most highly decorated underclassmen on the Cape this summer. After a slow start at the plate, Mooney finished strong, hitting .292 with a .393 on-base percentage this spring. He’s sure-handed at shortstop and has power projection remaining in his frame. A draft eligible sophomore in 2023, Mooney could ride a hot summer with Falmouth into his draft spring.
Jace Bohrofen, OF Arkansas (2023 Eligible): After transferring to Arkansas from Oklahoma after his freshman campaign, Bohrofen looks to recapture his form from last summer when he hit .279/.375/.504. A major catalyst for the Commodores offense in 2021, the outfielder showcased on-base ability and game power while handling right field. After a down year with Arkansas, Bohrofen will look to burst back onto radars with another productive summer in Falmouth.
Drew Brutcher, OF South Florida (2023 Eligible): There are very few 6-foot-6 power-hitting center fielders in the game of baseball and nearly none in Cape Cod League history. While swing and miss is an issue, Brutcher gets on base at an extremely high rate, exemplified by his 18.5% walk rate this spring with South Florida. He has some of the biggest raw power on the Cape as well, with standout exit velocity data and a high barrel rate. If Brutcher can refine his bat-to-ball skills and show he can make consistent contact he has the chance to explode this summer.
Pitchers To Watch
Brady Tygart, RHP Arkansas (2024 Eligible): A standout as a true freshman for Arkansas, Tygart is one of the bigger names from the 2024 draft class on the pitching side. He sits 93-95 mph on his fastball, but his best pitch is his low-80s sweeping slider with raw spin rates in the 2,800-2,900 range. He has a high-70s curveball with a spin rate that will touch 3,000 rpm. He’s one of the most decorated arms on the Cape this summer and could prove to be Falmouth’s ace. With Arkansas making a run in the NCAA Tournament, Tygart could be a late arrival.
Brandon Neely, RHP Florida (2024 Eligible): Another standout underclassman for the Commodores, Neely pitched meaningful innings for the Gators as a true freshman. The righthander made 20 appearances for Florida in the regular season, including nine starts. Over 62.2 innings, Neely went 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 69 strikeouts to 20 walks. Neely’s fastball sits low 90s with average movement, but the pitch sets up his strong trio of secondaries with a pair of sweepy breaking balls in his true sweeper slider and a sweepy curveball with a little more depth than the slider. His changeup has 7-8 mph of velocity separation and good tumble and fade. Neely could see time in a starting role with the Commodores depending on his innings cap.
Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP Long Beach State (2023 Eligible): After redshirting his freshman season with the Dirtdogs, Watts-Brown was a standout last summer in the Futures League with the Brockton Rocks. He followed up his strong summer with a breakout 2022 season, making 13 starts for Long Beach State and pitching to a 4-4 record, with a 3.68 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He deploys a three-pitch mix led by a fastball that sits 91-93 mph with above-average vertical ride and raw spin rates in the 2,300-2,400 rpm range.
Sleeper: Maui Ahuna, SS Kansas (2023 Eligible): While not technically a sleeper, Ahuna hasn’t gotten the respect he deserves yet on the national stage. The sophomore hit .396/.479/.634 with eight home runs and 13 stolen bases for Kansas this spring. He made the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and was an honorable mention for All-Big 12. He shows the ability to get on base and find the barrel with consistency. He has a .979 OPS over his first 103 collegiate games and looks like he could be a catalyst for Falmouth’s offense this summer.
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