Coming off back-to-back wins, the Chatham Anglers (3-1) return to Veterans Field on Monday, June 18 to take on the Brewster Whitecaps (1-3). The Anglers are on a roll of late and are now atop the Cape League's Eastern Division.

"We've just been taking advantage of our opportunities lately," said assistant coach Derek Sullivan, who is now in his second year with the team. "We haven't played perfect baseball but we've been able to bounce back in key situations."

Right-hander Eric Stevens (0-0) (Boston College) will be tonight's starter for Chatham. In 2012, Stevens went 5-3 for the Eagles with a 5.45 ERA and 37 strikeouts. The 6-5 righty will look to attack a Whitecap lineup hitting a mere .225 on the season.

"Eric is a big work-horse type of pitcher," said pitching coach Scott Winterburn, who is now in his second year with the team. "He throws in the high-80s. You're going to see a little bit of sink to his pitches. He's a guy who works on both sides of the plate and when he gets started correctly, he can go deep into a baseball game."

Brewster will counter the Anglers with southpaw Tom Windle (0-0) (Minnesota). Windle went 3-5 this spring for the Golden Gophers, posted a 3.27 ERA and struck out 37 batters.

At the plate, Chatham will once again try to gain an early lead. In the last two games, the Anglers have scored to take the lead in the first two innings. Infielder and designated hitter Chad Pinder (Virginia Tech) continues to lead the charge offensively for Chatham. Pinder's game-winning three-run home run against Hyannis on Sunday night boosted his average to .429 on the season and catapulted his RBI total to 6, which ties him for the league lead. Pinder and company will look to feast on a Brewster staff that has a 4.09 team ERA this season.

"Chad's got a very good swing and he's a worker," said Sullivan. "He's open to coaching and he's prepared himself well for the early part of the season."

Yet, even with Pinder's stellar play of late, the Anglers will need more help from the rest of the hitters in their lineup. Chatham is hitting just .209 as a team four games into the season. Repeatedly stressing short swings, the Anglers' coaching staff has spent a lot of time with their players, making sure they keep their hands inside the baseball.

"The shorter their swings are, the more time they'll have to see the baseball, recognize the pitch and react," said Sullivan.

From a defensive standpoint, the Anglers will hope for more savvy plays around the diamond. Chatham has only three errors on the season and for the most part, the team has helped pitchers protect leads. In addition, the Anglers' bullpen continues to perform well. With a bevvy of options to choose from, Chatham's coaching staff has been extremely pleased with the results so far.

"We have a lot of guys here right now, so it's been pretty advantageous for us to throw different guys at the other teams," said Winterburn. "If our guys have their stuff working in their one-inning stints, it can really hurt our opponents."

Ultimately, Sunday night's game will come down to execution for Chatham. If the Anglers can get an early lead and hold onto it, they will have a great chance to defeat a struggling Whitecap team.

For live coverage of Monday's game, tune into the Anglers Extra Pregame show with broadcasters Brandon Liebhaber and Chris Fitzgerald at 6:40 p.m. at TRZ Teamline.