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Game 5 Preview: Chatham vs. Cotuit
CHATHAM, Mass. — The Anglers are a polarizing baseball team. Just look at how their first four games of 2025 transpired.
Through two contests, Chatham ranked as the Cape Cod Baseball League’s worst offense. Yet in the subsequent two games, the A’s boasted the Cape League’s most potent set of bats. A nine-run explosion in Wareham. Two emphatic homers at Veterans Field versus Hyannis (despite an anticlimactic 7-7 tie). Chatham’s top talent is producing after a sluggish start.
The A’s secret? First-year manager Dennis Cook says the key is improved two-strike hitting. For others, like shortstop Isaiah Lane (San Diego), time was of the essence.
“I think I just kind of got my feet under me,” Lane said Monday following a 1-for-1, one RBI performance with three walks. “I think the experience helped for sure the first two games, and then I just tried to simplify things, make contact, stick to my approach.”
Chatham will look to build on its offensive success Thursday when Cotuit comes to Veterans Field. It’s the Kettleers’ first trip to Chatham since they announced this past offseason that former longtime manager Mike Roberts would not return to Cotuit. Thursday features a battle of rookie CCBL skippers, as first-year manager Loren Hibbs faces off with Cook’s squad.
Here’s what to know before Chatham (1-2-1, East) hosts Cotuit (1-3, West).
The A’s will send right-hander Luke Jackson (Texas A&M) out to tow the slab Thursday. This is Jackson’s second consecutive summer on the Cape, as he tossed 7.2 innings for Orleans in 2024. With the Firebirds, Jackson accumulated a 2.35 earned-run-average and struck out eight batters. Yet, he hasn’t had as much success with the Aggies, finishing with plus-5.00 ERAs in both his freshman and sophomore years. Jackson, a 6-foot-2 rising junior, boasts a mid 90s fastball and an upper-80s sinker with intense arm-side run.
As for Cotuit, Cole Carlon (Arizona State) is set for his second start of the young season Thursday. Carlon opened Cotuit’s win over Wareham Sunday in his CCBL debut, allowing one hit in two innings of scoreless ball. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound southpaw is the third straight lefty the A’s have to face; they previously tattooed Hyannis left-handed starter Ethan Plog and Wareham’s Cooper Consiglio. Carlon’s coming off an impressive spring campaign at ASU, totaling a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings of relief and striking out 86 batters.
The Kettleers feature the 2024 CCBL batting champion: Jarren Advincula (California/transfer). In his first summer with Cotuit, Advincula ignited for 51 hits in 38 games, registering a .392 batting average as he flirted with Ted Williams territory. Advincula followed up his dominant summer on the Cape by slashing for .342/.410/.506 at Cal in 2025, also blasting six home runs and swiping 13 bases. Now, with his name in the transfer portal, scouts will have their eyes glued to Advincula’s every move.
Ryne Farber (Auburn) is another portal standout for Cotuit. Farber, a 5-foot-11 infielder, announced his impending transfer from Texas State to Auburn on June 8. In 98 games across two years with the Bobcats, Farber notched an .830 OPS, tallied 107 hits and drove in 58 runs. He stands alone as the Kettleers’ top performer at the dish thus far, leading Cotuit in OPS (.814) and hits (five). His OPS total is over 120 points greater than the next-closest Kettleer (Advincula, .690).
Based on the Anglers’ home-run derby-esque batting practice on Tuesday, you could tell it was only a matter of time before someone pieced one up. In fact, second baseman Ethan Mendoza (Texas) took only a few pitches. On a 3-2 count against Plog, the A’s leadoff hitter smoked a solo homer over the left-center field fence. His next at-bat, he laced a two-RBI single into left field, single-handedly giving Chatham a 3-0 lead at the time. Thus far, the Longhorn product leads the team with five hits and a .263 batting average.
Since Jackson is a relative wild card after pitching fewer than 20 innings this spring at Texas A&M, lefty Charlie Foster (Mississippi State) has a significant chance of slotting into a long-relief opportunity Thursday. Foster last pitched in Chatham’s season-opener, unleashing four shutout frames while racking up six Ks and no walks. Despite pitching just 11.1 innings, the freshman posted a blazing 1.59 ERA in his first year of college baseball. It’s clear Foster is ready for a bigger workload — both on the Cape and in the SEC.
Pitching has been a major strong point for the A’s thus far in 2025. Chatham’s 2.00 team ERA ranks third in the CCBL. And of the Anglers’ 12 hurlers who’ve tallied at least one appearance, seven of them haven’t allowed an earned run — good for 58.3% of A’s pitchers.
Blowups from Chatham’s pitching staff have been few and far between. Even though the Anglers’ lowest moments on the mound led to their tie with Hyannis — with Mason Peters’ (Dallas Baptist) four-run fourth inning and Preston Barr’s (Michigan) blown save — the good outweighs the bad. If the A’s pitchers continue on their current path, it’ll lead to plenty more wins than ties.
While Chatham was still in the Jeremy Sheetinger managerial era, it dropped to 15-14 on the 2024 campaign after a 11-5 loss to Cotuit on July 20. The A’s surrendered homers to the Kettleers’ Easton Winfield, Devin Taylor and Brandon Compton, the last of which led to an 8-1 deficit in the seventh inning.
The Anglers’ loss proved to be Roberts’ final win over Chatham in his tenure as Cotuit's skipper. In 2024, the A’s finished 1-3 head-to-head versus the Kettleers.
Through two contests, Chatham ranked as the Cape Cod Baseball League’s worst offense. Yet in the subsequent two games, the A’s boasted the Cape League’s most potent set of bats. A nine-run explosion in Wareham. Two emphatic homers at Veterans Field versus Hyannis (despite an anticlimactic 7-7 tie). Chatham’s top talent is producing after a sluggish start.
The A’s secret? First-year manager Dennis Cook says the key is improved two-strike hitting. For others, like shortstop Isaiah Lane (San Diego), time was of the essence.
“I think I just kind of got my feet under me,” Lane said Monday following a 1-for-1, one RBI performance with three walks. “I think the experience helped for sure the first two games, and then I just tried to simplify things, make contact, stick to my approach.”
Chatham will look to build on its offensive success Thursday when Cotuit comes to Veterans Field. It’s the Kettleers’ first trip to Chatham since they announced this past offseason that former longtime manager Mike Roberts would not return to Cotuit. Thursday features a battle of rookie CCBL skippers, as first-year manager Loren Hibbs faces off with Cook’s squad.
Here’s what to know before Chatham (1-2-1, East) hosts Cotuit (1-3, West).
Probable Starters
The A’s will send right-hander Luke Jackson (Texas A&M) out to tow the slab Thursday. This is Jackson’s second consecutive summer on the Cape, as he tossed 7.2 innings for Orleans in 2024. With the Firebirds, Jackson accumulated a 2.35 earned-run-average and struck out eight batters. Yet, he hasn’t had as much success with the Aggies, finishing with plus-5.00 ERAs in both his freshman and sophomore years. Jackson, a 6-foot-2 rising junior, boasts a mid 90s fastball and an upper-80s sinker with intense arm-side run.
As for Cotuit, Cole Carlon (Arizona State) is set for his second start of the young season Thursday. Carlon opened Cotuit’s win over Wareham Sunday in his CCBL debut, allowing one hit in two innings of scoreless ball. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound southpaw is the third straight lefty the A’s have to face; they previously tattooed Hyannis left-handed starter Ethan Plog and Wareham’s Cooper Consiglio. Carlon’s coming off an impressive spring campaign at ASU, totaling a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings of relief and striking out 86 batters.
Cotuit Players To Watch
The Kettleers feature the 2024 CCBL batting champion: Jarren Advincula (California/transfer). In his first summer with Cotuit, Advincula ignited for 51 hits in 38 games, registering a .392 batting average as he flirted with Ted Williams territory. Advincula followed up his dominant summer on the Cape by slashing for .342/.410/.506 at Cal in 2025, also blasting six home runs and swiping 13 bases. Now, with his name in the transfer portal, scouts will have their eyes glued to Advincula’s every move.
Ryne Farber (Auburn) is another portal standout for Cotuit. Farber, a 5-foot-11 infielder, announced his impending transfer from Texas State to Auburn on June 8. In 98 games across two years with the Bobcats, Farber notched an .830 OPS, tallied 107 hits and drove in 58 runs. He stands alone as the Kettleers’ top performer at the dish thus far, leading Cotuit in OPS (.814) and hits (five). His OPS total is over 120 points greater than the next-closest Kettleer (Advincula, .690).
Chatham Players To Watch
Based on the Anglers’ home-run derby-esque batting practice on Tuesday, you could tell it was only a matter of time before someone pieced one up. In fact, second baseman Ethan Mendoza (Texas) took only a few pitches. On a 3-2 count against Plog, the A’s leadoff hitter smoked a solo homer over the left-center field fence. His next at-bat, he laced a two-RBI single into left field, single-handedly giving Chatham a 3-0 lead at the time. Thus far, the Longhorn product leads the team with five hits and a .263 batting average.
Since Jackson is a relative wild card after pitching fewer than 20 innings this spring at Texas A&M, lefty Charlie Foster (Mississippi State) has a significant chance of slotting into a long-relief opportunity Thursday. Foster last pitched in Chatham’s season-opener, unleashing four shutout frames while racking up six Ks and no walks. Despite pitching just 11.1 innings, the freshman posted a blazing 1.59 ERA in his first year of college baseball. It’s clear Foster is ready for a bigger workload — both on the Cape and in the SEC.
Number To Know: 58.3%
Pitching has been a major strong point for the A’s thus far in 2025. Chatham’s 2.00 team ERA ranks third in the CCBL. And of the Anglers’ 12 hurlers who’ve tallied at least one appearance, seven of them haven’t allowed an earned run — good for 58.3% of A’s pitchers.
Blowups from Chatham’s pitching staff have been few and far between. Even though the Anglers’ lowest moments on the mound led to their tie with Hyannis — with Mason Peters’ (Dallas Baptist) four-run fourth inning and Preston Barr’s (Michigan) blown save — the good outweighs the bad. If the A’s pitchers continue on their current path, it’ll lead to plenty more wins than ties.
Last Time They Played
While Chatham was still in the Jeremy Sheetinger managerial era, it dropped to 15-14 on the 2024 campaign after a 11-5 loss to Cotuit on July 20. The A’s surrendered homers to the Kettleers’ Easton Winfield, Devin Taylor and Brandon Compton, the last of which led to an 8-1 deficit in the seventh inning.
The Anglers’ loss proved to be Roberts’ final win over Chatham in his tenure as Cotuit's skipper. In 2024, the A’s finished 1-3 head-to-head versus the Kettleers.
