Diamond Hogs Helfrick, McGuire and Coil set for Saturday night’s Cape Cod All-Star Game

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas sophomore catcher Ryder Helfick, who has been powering up all summer, and Razorback pitchers Tate McGuire and Parker Coil all are set to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star game on Saturday night.

Helrick will play for the East and McGuire and Coil the West in the 33rd annual game, which begins at 6:05 p.m. EST at Falmouth (Mass.)’s Guv Fuller Field and will be streamed live and replayed on the https://www.capeleaguetv.com website.

The game will also be televised on a tape delay basis on Saturday night at 11 p.m. CST and Sunday at 3 p.m. CST on the New England Sports Channel, which is available on Direct TV and Direct TV Stream.

Helfrick, batting clean up for the East, leads the Cape Cod in both home runs (10) and RBIs (34), is hitting .239 and has 7 stolen bases, a .300 on base percentage and a .513 slugging one for the Brewster Whitecaps.

Helfrick’s 10 blasts put him two ahead of Razorback teammate Wehiwa Aloy, South Carolina’s Ethan Petry and UNC-Wilmington’s Tanner Thatch, who all have 8 round-trippers.

Helfrick, who leads the league by 8 RBIs, was in the Home Run Derby on Saturday afternoon that was won by Petry.

Aloy is hitting .309 and tied for fourth in RBIs with 24.

McGuire is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and has fanned 27 batters in 23 1/3 innings of work this summer while pitching for the Wareham Gatemen.

Coil is 0-3 with a 4.81 ERA and 2 saves with 24 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings in 4 starts and 4 relief appearances for Falmouth.

Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood (2-0, 1.42 ERA, 3 earned runs, 2 starts, 6 games, 19 innings) is fifth at Cape Cod with 29 strikeouts while pitching for Falmouth while McGuire’s 27 is sixth.

Wood was named the Cape Code Pitcher of the Week on July 15 after two starts in which he allowed just one run in 11 innings, fanning 15 and allowing just 3 hits.

Fellow Razorback hurler Ben Bybee (0-0, 4.11 ERA) has pitched 15 1/3 innings with 15 strikeouts and 5 walks in a trio of starts this summer for Bourne.

New Razorback second baseman Camden Kozeal, who transferred from Vanderbilt, is hitting .261 with 2 homers and 11 RBIs for Bourne and his 9 doubles are second at the Cape Cod this summer.

Arkansas first baseman Michael Anderson, who transferred from Rutgers this summer, is hitting .273 with 5 home runs and 19 RBIs for Harwich.

Former Razorback Jayson Jones, who transferred to Oklahoma State this summer, is also a member of the West squad while hitting .309 with 2 home, 13 RBIs, 7 doubles and an OPS of .812 for Falmouth.

The Cape Cod regular season ends August 4 with the playoffs running from August 6 through Aug. 12.

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Georgia State transfer shortstop Maximus Martin is headed to Kansas State after being previously committed to Arkansas.

He becomes the second Razorback pledge to seemingly get caught up in Arkansas roster restrictions along with former Milwaukee outfielder Carson Hansen, now heading to Kentucky.

Photo by John D. James