CAPE COD, Mass. — Kentucky juniors Braden Kapteyn and Chad Wright have been named Cape Cod League All-Stars, with Wright tabbed as a starting centerfielder, it was announced Wednesday night.
The Cape Cod League All-Star Game will be played on July 28 at historic Fenway Park, home of the tradition-rich Boston Red Sox. Kapteyn and Wright are the fourth and fifth UK players to earn CCL All-Star honors in the last three years, as Keenan Wiley (2008), Collin Cowgill (2007) and Antone DeJesus (2007) were previously honored. In 2009, Chris Bisson led the Cape in stolen bases while helping Cotuit advance to the championship series, batting .269 (36-for-134) with 36 steals in 42 games.
Wright was named one of the three outfielder starters for the West Division All-Stars, joining Arizona State stars Zach Wilson and John Ruettiger in the Fenway Park outfield. Kapteyn was selected as a one of nine pitchers on the East Division All-Stars.
A native of Paducah, Ky., Wright ranks seventh in the talent-laden Cape Cod League with a .292 batting average (26-for-89). In 28 games this summer for the Cotuit Kettlers, Wright has charted three doubles and five RBI, stealing 6-of-10 bases.
Kapteyn, a two-way standout out of Lansing, Ill., has been highly effective as a late-inning reliever for the Harwich Mariners, seeing 17 at-bats at the plate during the summer. A 6-foot-4, 220-pounder, Kapteyn, has appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen, posting a 2-1 record and a 0.81 ERA. Kapteyn has tossed 22.1 innings, striking out 21 and walking just nine. Most impressively, Kapteyn has allowed only seven opponent hits in his 22.1 innings pitched, holding opponents to a staggering .099 batting average.
During their two-year UK careers, Wright and Kapteyn have been fixtures on the diamond for the Wildcats. In 80 games and 75 starts at the plate, Kapteyn has batted .306 (90-for-294) with 22 doubles, 10 homers and 55 RBI. In 2010, Kapteyn belted a career-best six homers and added 28 RBI, batting .294 (45-for-153) with 11 doubles. Wright, a graduate of Heath High School in Paducah, Ky., has started 100 games and played in 104, posting a .328 (133-for-406) career average, with 20 doubles, three triples, six homers and 60 RBI, stealing 22-of-27 bases. In 2010, Wright totaled a .316 average (71-for-225) with 12 doubles, two triples, two homers and 37 RBI, stealing 12-of-15 bases and adding four outfield assists.
UK Cape Cod League All-Stars (Since 2007)
Braden Kapteyn – RHP/IF – 2010
Chad Wright – OF – 2010
Keenan Wiley – OF – 2008
Collin Cowgill – OF – 2007
Antone DeJesus – OF – 2007
Eastern Division All-StarsWestern Division All-Stars
*Pratt Maynard, C (N.C. State)*Andrew Susac, C (Oregon State)
*Aaron Westlake, 1B (Vanderbilt)*Cam Seitzer, 1B (Oklahoma)
*Kolten Wong, 2B (Hawaii)*Kevin Medrano, 2B (Missouri State)
*Tyler Hanover, 3B (LSU)*Tyler Bream, 3B (Liberty)
*Joe Panik, SS (St. Johns)*K.C. Serna, SS (Oregon)
*Drew Martinez, LF (Memphis)*Zach Wilson, LF (Arizona State)
*Cohl Walla, CF (Texas)*Chad Wright, CF (Kentucky)
*Caleb Ramsey, RF (Houston)*John Ruettiger, RF (Arizona State)
*Clint Moore, DH (West Point)*Jordan Leyland, DH (UC Irvine)
*Andrew Gagnon, SP (L. Beach) *Tayler Ray, SP (Troy)
Joe Pavon, C (UCONN)Tony Caldwell, C (Auburn)
Levi Michael, INF (LSU)Casey McElroy, INF (Auburn)
Ronnie Richardson, OF (UCF)Scott Woodward, OF (Coastal Carolina)
Marcus Stroman, P (Duke)Christian Jones, P (Oregon)
Derek Self, P (Louisville)Max Perlman, P (Havard)
Matty Ott, P (LSU)Jed Bradley, P (Georgia Tech)
Braden Kapteyn, P/INF (Kentucky)Austin Wood, P (St. Petersburg)
Kyle Simon, P (Arizona)A.J. Achter, P (Michigan State)
Logan Verrett, P (Baylor)Tony Zych, P (Louisville)
Colton Murray, P (Kansas)R.J. Alvarez, P (Florida Atlantic)
Adam Morgan, P (Alabama)Grayson Garvin, P (Vanderbilt)
