Vandy Boys of Summer: Regular Season Finale - CCBL Summer Recap

Today, the 2025 Cape Cod Baseball League regular season comes to an end. With the CCBL playoffs set to begin on Tuesday, August 5th, here’s where things stand and a recap of the summer campaign that was: 

Several Vandy Boys elect to stay home

Besides the Vandy Boys who arrived on the Cape this summer, the news of players who decided to opt out of the Cape League was equally notable. In a departure from typical Vandy Boys summers, a few returning key Commodore players who received invites elected not to spend the summer on Cape Cod. Among those who did not come to the Cape and chose to spend the summer working out in Nashville were Rustan Rigdon, Brodie Johnston, and Colin Barczi, all of whom could have benefitted from a summer on the Cape. 

While it is common for pitchers to stay home and rest their arms after a season of wear and tear, it is rare for hitters to turn down the Cape, especially after an early postseason exit. Had all three accepted their invites, the trio of Rigdon, Johnston, and Barczi all could have thrived and made the All-Star Game with their skill sets. It will be interesting to see whether this strategy of working out in Nashville instead of playing summer ball pans out heading into the 2026 season. 

Power outage for Braden Holcomb 

One of the more curious developments this summer was the lack of home runs for Braden Holcomb while playing for the Bourne Braves. Anyone who has seen Holcomb play knows that the big fella can hit the hell out of a baseball. Could it be that he was pressing at the plate? Could it be some tough luck with some balls that just missed the barrel or were just below the top of the fence? Could it be fatigue? Whatever it is, this is not the Braden Holcomb Vanderbilt fans are used to seeing. 

The good news? After a rough start to the season, Holcomb has finished strong. This summer, Holcomb batted .285 with 6 doubles and 17 RBI to go with 11 stolen bases. While he has no home runs, Holcomb has been steady to close out the regular season and has shown a clutch gene in RBI situations. Hopefully Holcomb can regain his power stroke in fall ball and in time for the 2026 season. 

Young returning lefty arms thrive 

Jakob Schulz (Falmouth) and Matthew Shorey (Bourne) had excellent summers, which is great news for what should be a deep 2026 Commodore pitching staff. While neither Schulz or Shorey came into the summer highly touted, both took full advantage of their appearances on the mound and turned some heads along the way. You can never have enough good pitching in the SEC and Commodore fans should be excited about Schulz and Shorey’s offseason growth. 

Jakob Schulz displayed his versatility as a reliever in Falmouth. Whenever he was called upon, Schulz excelled in single batter or specialist situations as well as stretches where he went more than one inning. Schulz finished the summer with a 2.45 ERA 2 holds, 1 save, and 22 strikeouts to 8 walks in 14.2 innings of work, earning him a selection to the 2025 Cape League All-Star Game. Commodores fans should expect big things from the Schulminator in 2026. 

Matthew Shorey thrived as both a starter and reliever for Bourne this summer. Shorey was 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA and 30 strikeouts to 13 walks in 30.1 innings of work. Shorey’s ERA finished 7th in the entire league for all eligible pitchers. His development into a potential starter is a welcome development for the Commodores, who have a right-handed heavy rotation heading into the 2026 season. 

Mixed bag with new pitching transfers 

Two of the Commodores’ new transfer additions were on the Cape this summer. And the results were, well, mixed. 

Princeton’s Jacob Faulkner was a highly touted sidearm reliever when he announced his commitment to the Commodores this summer. In his second Cape summer, Faulkner struggled in Wareham and finished with a 4.00 ERA in 6 appearances and 7 strikeouts to 3 walks in 9 innings of work. Faulkner gave up a lot of hard contact while on the Cape, something he will need to fix if he wants a consistent spot out of the bullpen in 2026. 

Vanderbilt also added former Georgia right-hander Nate Taylor via the transfer portal. After getting little run in Athens this season, Taylor was outstanding for the Chatham Anglers this summer. Taylor went 0-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 22 strikeouts to just 4 walks (on 236 pitches!) in 15.2 innings pitched. Taylor has the command and velocity to dominate on West End and can either start or come out of the bullpen. What remains to be seen is how Taylor will be used by Tim Corbin in the upcoming season.

O’Rourke bets on himself and gets his MLB shot

After battling back from multiple lat injuries, Tommy O’Rourke made the most of his summer with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. O’Rourke went 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA and 10 strikeout to 2 walks in 7.1 innings pitched. O’Rourke’s ERA was inflated by his low number of innings pitched and was much more effective than that statistics suggests this summer. The New Jersey native saw his big league dreams come true when the Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 MLB Draft. Good luck to Tommy as he begins his professional career. 

Ryker Waite steals the show 

The biggest story of the summer for the Vandy Boys has been the ascension of Ryker Waite. After barely seeing any playing time in 2025 due to Jonathan Vastine’s final season on West End, Waite went into the Cape League season as an afterthought to many when he arrived in Bourne. 

Waite put on this summer and was a 2025 Cape League All-Star. Waite batted .292 this summer with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, and 17 RBI. His OPS of .840 ranked 4th in the league and demonstrates some pop beyond Waite’s 5’9’ stature. Besides displaying his prowess at the plate, Waite was elite defensively and flashed his glove whenever the ball came his way. If Waite keeps up his play heading into fall ball and the spring, Tim Corbin will have no choice but to put him in the lineup. Where could Waite best fit? Second base may be an ideal spot. 

Playoffs incoming 

On Tuesday, August 5th, the CCBL Playoffs begin. The top four teams from each division (the East and West each have 5 teams) make the playoffs. The playoffs consist of three rounds of best-of-three to determine the CCBL Champion. Bourne finished the season first in the West and is the only remaining Cape League team with Vanderbilt players. 

Thank you to everyone who followed along with TDR’s regular season Cape League coverage this summer. Stay tuned for  coverage of the Bourne Braves 2025 playoff run!