Aug. 3, 2009
COTUIT, Mass. — With 33 stolen bases in 40 games for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Collegiate Baseball League, Kentucky infielder Chris Bisson (pronounced BEES-own) has become just the fourth CCL player in the last 10 years and the second player in the last nine years to steal 30 or more bases.
Bisson, a second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection at second base in 2009, has had an excellent summer for the Kettleers in the Cape Cod League, swiping 33-of-42 bases and hitting for a .254 (32-for-126) average. Bisson, who stole 13-of-15 bases in 2009 for UK, leads Cotuit in games played (40), walks (21) and hits (32), also ranking second in at bats (126) and third in RBI (14). Bisson has played 17 games at shortstop, 16 games at third base, nine games at second base and one game at first base.
One of Bisson’s highlights of the summer came when he stole seven bases in a doubleheader July 24, reaching base 7-of-8 times in the twin bill.
“It’s been many years since I’ve seen one player that I enjoyed watching play as much as I’ve enjoyed watching Chris Bisson play,” Cotuit manager Mike Roberts said following Bisson’s seven-steal doubleheader. “He showed me that he’s grown up a lot in the 45 days that he’s been here.”
Including Bisson, only four players in the last decade have achieved 30 or more steals in the Cape Cod League, including Cotuit’s Rich Thompson, who owns the Kettleers record with 36 steals in 1999. In 2005, Emmanuel Burriss stole 37 bases. Roy Marsh (Wareham, 1993) owns the Cape Cod League record for steals in a summer with 48, while Jeremy Carr (Chatham, 1992, 47 SBs), Mickey Morandini (Yarmouth-Dennis, 1987; 43 SBs) and Billy Rapp (Wareham, 1986, 42 SBs) round out the top four base stealers in the history of the Cape.
Of the three players before Bisson who accomplished the 30-steal plateau in the last 10 years, two made it to the big leagues, including Thompson and Burriss. Steve Stanley stole 32 bases in 1999 for Brewster and later advanced to class-AAA in four years as a professional.
A native of Orleans, Ontario, Bisson had a breakout season for UK in 2009, leading UK in average (.360), at bats (222), runs (49), hits (80), triples (three), RBI (52), total bases (101) and walks (20). Highly skilled defensively, Bisson led UK with 133 assists while playing in 53 of UK’s 54 games.
Bisson’s ranking among the league leaders marks the second consecutive year a UK player has ranked among the top five in stolen bases in the Cape Cod League. Last season, UK center fielder Keenan Wiley finished tied for third in the league with 12 steals for Yarmouth-Dennis.
Cotuit, currently in second place in the CCL Western Division, wraps up the regular season with single games Tuesday and Wednesday, before playoffs begin later in the week.
Cape Cod League Stolen Base Yearly Leaders (Since 1999)
1999: Rich Thompson, 36 (Cotuit)
2000: Mike Hook, 29 (Cotuit)
2001: Michael McCoy, 23 (Chatham); Russ Adams, 23 (Orleans)
2002: Michael Bourn, 23 (Yarmouth-Dennis)
2003: Jonathan Tucker, 16 (Hyannis); Matt Cooksey, 16 (Orleans)
2004: Cliff Pennington, 21 (Falmouth)
2005: Emmanuel Burriss, 37 (Orleans)
2006: Chris Carrara, 17 (Chatham)
2007: Blake Tekotte, 22 (Brewster)
2008: Tim Wheeler, 15 (Orleans)
*2009:
Chris Bisson, 33 (Cotuit)
*Three days remaining in CCL regular season
ROUNDING OUT THE CAPE COD LEAGUE
CAPE COD, Mass. — Chris Bisson is not the only Kentucky player excelling in the Cape Cod League, as outfielder Keenan Wiley, catcher Marcus Nidiffer and right-hander Matt Little have also had stellar summers in the best collegiate baseball league in the nation.
Nidiffer and Wiley are on the Harwich Mariners, which began the season with former UK shortstop Chris Wade, who signed with the Florida Marlins as an 11th-round MLB Draft pick. Nidiffer has mainly served as the backup catcher, but has belted four doubles, one homer and nine RBI in 25 games. Wiley has totaled 17 hits and drawn 13 walks. Nidiffer, who led UK with 10 homers in 2009, has played 20 games behind the plate, also seeing time in the outfield for Harwich.
Little, a talented right-handed pitcher who sat out the 2009 UK season after transferring in January, has helped lead Yarmouth-Dennis to the best record in the Cape Cod League. Considered a candidate for a weekend role on the UK pitching staff in 2010, Little has appeared in 11 games out of the bullpen for Y-D, totaling a 1-2 record and a 4.79 ERA. Little has tossed 20.2 innings and allowed only 13 hits, striking out 19.
CHECKING IN ON ALASKA
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Kentucky infielder Gunner Glad and southpaw Logan Darnell are also excelling for the Glacier Pilots of the Alaska Collegiate Baseball League.
Glad leads the team with nine homers in 47 games, batting .286 (52-for-182) with 11 doubles and 39 RBI. A native of Tulsa, Okla., Glad has drawn 16 walks, reached base at a .351 clip and stolen 8-of-8 bases. Glad has played 34 games at second base and eight in right field, charting 13 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI games. A two-way talent, Glad has worked in four games out of the bullpen, totaling a 1-0 record and a 3.60 ERA, tossing five innings with four strikeouts.
Darnell, a 6-foot-2 left-handed pitcher, has established himself as one of UK’s top returning pitchers, posting a 1.63 ERA and a 5-1 record in 13 games in Alaska. Darnell, who has started 10 games, has tossed 49.2 innings, allowing only 26 hits while striking out 39. Opponents have hit just .157 off Darnell during the summer.
In 2009 for UK, Glad batted .303 (43-for-142) in 38 games, with seven doubles, nine homers and 38 RBI. Darnell functioned as a late-inning weekend reliever, tallying a 5-6 record and a 4.50 ERA in 28 games, finishing with three saves in 46 innings, striking out 47.
