Joe Bircher / Photo by SportsPix
COCA COLA PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Joe Bircher, Falmouth LHP
This week’s pitcher of the week is strikeout machine Joe Bircher (Bradley). The southpaw recorded six innings of one-hit ball in a 6-1 win over Hyannis, allowing only an unearned run. He struck out nine without surrendering a walk over his six innings of work.
Bircher is the Cape League leader in strikeouts this season, recording 25 in only 16 innings pitched. He sports a 1-1 record and a 2.25 earned run average.
Bircher is a junior at Bradley, where he is the active leader in nearly every pitching statistic and a team captain.
Ben Waldrip / Photo by SportsPix
COCA COLA PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Ben Waldrip, Orleans 1B/DH
Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville State), the Cape Cod Baseball League home run leader, has earned this week’s player of the week award. Waldrip notched two of his league-best three round-trippers this week, while driving in four runs in four games. In a 4-3 win over Cotuit on Sunday, he went 3-3 with a double and a home run.
Waldrip is a local product, hailing from Medford, Mass. The 6’6 lefty is a junior at Jacksonville State, and played for Y-D manager Scott Pickler for one season at Cypress College. Waldrip was a draft pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2010, and was taken in the 40th round of the draft this year by the Kansas City Royals.
