Jankowski Named Cape Cod Baseball MVP

August 16, 2011
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Other Award Winners Named As Well…

BOURNE, Mass. – The Bourne Braves called in Travis Jankowski (Stony Brook) for the last ten games of the season in 2010. Now, a little over a year later, he is the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Most Valuable Player.

Travis Jankowski

Bourne’s General Manager Mike Carrier said thankfully Jankowski scored a chance on the Cape because a former Brave’s assistant was working with Jankowski at Stony Brook. When current field manager, Harvey Shapiro, started calling around looking for good players, he found the 6-2, 190 pound outfielder.

“Not only is he a great baseball player, but a good person, student, citizen and overall nice person. Sometimes you don’t see nice people and ballplayers in the same combination,” said Carrier.

The ballplayer from Lancaster, Penn., played well from start to finish. The numbers do not lie. He was made a Cape League All-Star for the Western Division because of it.

Jankowski finished one of the top ten hitters and base stealers in the league. He batted .326 with 22 RBIs, 60 hits, 35 runs and a .444 OBP.

“I actually like his defense most of all. He played right center to left center and just caught everything in his way, everything. Balls I could never see anybody else get to during the season,” said Carrier.
Jankowski credits his speed and defense to his father and his brother chasing him around as a kid.

“That speed is good but you also need to be able to know how to use it. You need to be able to get a jump on balls and be able to track them well too. You can’t teach that. It’s inside you. That is instinct,” said Carrier.

The Stony Brook player, who didn’t make an error in 115 chances over his sophomore season, ranked second in America East with a .355 batting average.

“Before leaving for the year, the one thing he said to me was he wanted to come back. But in my mind I hope he has another great season at Stony Brook and ends up getting drafted high enough so he doesn’t have to come back and continue on to have a great baseball career,” said Carrier.

FLASHING THE HARDWARE – Congrats to the 2011 CCBL Postseason Award winners including: MVP – Travis Jankowski (Stony Brook) of Bourne; Batting Champion – Stephen Piscotty (Stanford) of Y-D; Top Pro Prospect – Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) of Cotuit; Top Pitcher – Ryan Eades (LSU) of Bourne; Top Relief Pitcher – Trevor Gott (Kentucky) of Orleans; 10th Player – Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville) of Orleans; Sportsmanship – Patrick Cantwell (Stony Brook) of Bourne; Top New England Player – Nate Koneski (Holy Cross) of Falmouth; Top GM – Bill Bussiere, Hyannis; Top Field Manager – Chad Gassman, Hyannis; Star of Stars Playoff MVP – Mike Garza(Georgetown), Harwich.

VANDY BOUND – Social Media/PR maven Ashley Crosby has landed a sports information position with Vanderbilt after four years working in the CCBL. She was presented with a specially engraved Barnstable Bat before last Thursday’s Wareham at Falmouth playoff game broadcast on WEEI Cape Cod (96.3 FM).

CCBL SPONSOR HONORED – Randy Shepard, CEO of Eye Health Services, was honored for 10 years of support of the CCBL during pre-game ceremonies at last Friday’s Falmouth at Harwich championship series playoff game one.

FALMOUTH KO ARTIST – Joe Bircher (Bradley) led the Cape League with 48 strikeouts and compiled a 1-1 record with a sparkling 1.44 ERA, good for second in the league;

TOP RUN PRODUCER – Catcher Dane Phillips (Oklahoma St.) of Chatham, who finished a mere .0002 points behind CCBL batting champion Stephen Piscotty, led the league with 34 RBI.

STINGY HURLER – RHP Scott Firth (Clemson) of Hyannis won the league’s ERA crown with a microscopic 1.15 ERA as he and Dylan Floro (Cal State-Fullerton) at 4-1 gave the Harbor Hawks a lethal 1-2 pitching punch.

MEMORIES OF YESTERYEAR – It was 85 years ago that Truro native Danny “Deacon” MacFayden was mowing down opposing batters in the fledgling Cape Cod League. The right-hander posted a 9-2 record leading Osterville to its second straight CCBL title in 1925 before switching to a Falmouth uniform in 1926 and hurling a one-hitter against Hyannis. He signed with the Boston Red Sox and led the AL with four shutouts in 1929 and enjoyed a 17-year career before coaching at Hebron (ME) Academy and Bowdoin College.

 

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