Five College Pitchers Who Stood Out in the 2023 Cape Cod League Season

The summer college baseball season is done for 2023. The Cape Cod League crowned a champion and now collegiate athletes are set to hit campus for fall baseball season. But before we put a wrap on the 2023 Cape Cod League season, let’s take a look at five pitchers that stood out in New England this past summer.

Daniel Avitia

<a rel= — Image via Grand Canyon University Athletics

Grand Canyon RHP Daniel Avitia posted a 3.99 ERA in his first two college seasons and owned a 192:38 K:BB ratio in that span. In the Cape Cod League in 2023, Avitia shined with the same team (Orleans) that his now ex-college teammate Jacob Wilson played with in 2022.

Avitia went 1-2 and a 1.62 ERA over 27.2 IP, the second-best among qualified pitchers.

Camron Hill

Georgia Tech left-hander Camron Hill posted a 7.50 ERA in his first two seasons in college. Hill worked primarily out of the bullpen in his first two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, but got a chance to start with Cotuit this past summer and did not pass up the opportunity to shine.

The 6’6” lefty struck out 45 over 33 innings in the Cape and owned the league’s best ERA (1.09). With Jackson Finley gone for 2024, Hill stands a good chance to crack the Georgia Tech weekend rotation next year.

Sean Matson

Just two pitchers in the Cape Cod League threw 10 or more innings and didn’t allow a run: Boston College RHP Joey Ryan and Harvard RHP Sean Matson. Matson threw 21.2 scoreless frames with Orleans this past summer, and struck out 26 and yielded just three walks.

Matson finished the 2023 season eighth in the Ivy League in strikeouts (59).

Tristan Smith

Clemson left-hander Tristan Smith was a highly-touted high school prospect in 2022. MLB.com rated Smith as the 46th-best prospect available in the 2022 MLB Draft, but the lefty opted to head to college and join the Tigers. Smith pitched mainly in relief in his first college season, but shined as a starter this past summer. The 20-year-old finished seventh in the Cape in strikeouts (33) and posted a strong 1.57 ERA over 23 innings.

Smith set himself up well for his sophomore season and the 2024 MLB Draft. The 20-year-old will be a draft-eligible sophomore next summer.

Finnegan Wall

We covered one notable UC Irvine hitter that stood out earlier, so let’s take a look at an Anteater pitcher that shined in the Cape. UC Irvine right-hander Finnegan Wall went 2-2 with a 2.91 ERA this past summer with Yarmouth-Dennis, and struck out 38 batters over 34 innings. Opposing batters hit just .190 off Wall, second-best behind Hill.

Wall owned a 4.35 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 41.1 IP in 2023.