2014 Summer Baseball Notebook

Sooner baseball returns to the Cape Cod Baseball League as Craig Aikin, Jacob Evans and Anthony Hermelyn suit up for the Harwich Mariners this season. The Cape League schedule gets underway Wednesday, June 11 when the Mariners open play against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

Overall, 17 players from last season's OU roster have found summer placements, including three Sooners out west in the California Collegiate Baseball League where Alec Hansen, Sheldon Neuse and Austin O'Brien are playing for the San Luis Blues.

The Blues have raced out to a 9-3 start and hit the road for a four-game set against the Cornejo Oaks beginning June 11. Neuse is currently hitting .261 and has come on in relief to save two games. O'Brien has smacked two home run and Hansen has struck out 11 over 5.1 innings of work.

Mac James continued to be a strong middle of the lineup hitter with a .323 start for the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League. However, James was drafted and signed by the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft. Still with the Huskies are James' former teammates Keach Ballard and Corey Copping.

In 10 games played, Ballard is hitting .250 with four extra-base hits and seven runs batted in. On the mound, Copping has made three appearances and two starts. He has struck out seven over 7.1 innings of work and holds a 4.90 earned run average.

The Sooners are represented in every corner of the country with Tyler Gibson in the Alaksa Baseball League, Tyler Coolbaugh in the Coastal Plain League in the Southeast, five players in California, four in New England, four in the Southwest and two in the Midwest.

Cape Cod Baseball League

Craig Aikin, Harwich Mariners

Jacob Evans, Harwich Mariners

Anthony Hermelyn, Harwich Mariners

California Collegiate League

Alec Hansen, San Luis Blues

Sheldon Neuse, San Luis Blues

Austin O'Brien, San Luis Blues

Northwoods League

Keach Ballard, Duluth Huskies

Corey Copping, Duluth Huskies

Mac James, Duluth Huskies*