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Game 16 Preview: Chatham vs. Orleans
CHATHAM, Mass. — It’s official. Chatham is the hottest team in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Just a week ago, the Anglers were mired in a five-game winless streak that seemed impossible to break. Even on the rare occasions where their offense came alive, the A’s pitching staff couldn’t limit opposing batters, leading to consecutive ties against Harwich and Cotuit. But they were so close to breaking through. They just needed time.
After putting up a combined 21 runs in consecutive wins over Wareham and Brewster, it’s evident that the A’s have officially arrived. Chatham has now won four of its last five, and its roster full of elite Power Four talent is finally playing up to its potential. Now, the Anglers return to friendly confines to take on Orleans, hoping to secure their first winning record in 2025.
Here’s everything to know about Chatham (6-6-3, East) and Orleans (6-9, East) ahead of their first matchup of the season Wednesday.
Standing on the doorstep of their first winning record of the season, the Anglers are pulling out all the stops against Orleans. On Wednesday, Nate Taylor (Georgia) will take the mound for the A’s, and through two appearances, it's clear he is Chatham’s marquee starter thus far. He leads Anglers starters with a masterful 2.16 earned run average, using a devastating fastball-changeup combo to mix up speeds effectively.
Orleans is tempting its fate in this one, as it will send out Georgetown righty JT Raab to make his Cape League debut. The junior spent his first two collegiate seasons at Stony Brook University, striking out 95 and posting a 5.06 ERA in 103.2 innings with the Seawolves. In 2025, he transferred to the Hoyas, where he blossomed as a starter. Though he faced command issues, he posted career-bests in strikeouts (77), innings (71.1) and ERA (3.63) last season.
The Firebirds aren’t a very top-heavy roster, as they only have one position player who ranks top ten in OPS among qualified Cape League hitters. That would be Elijah Ickes (Hawaii), who currently ranks tenth in the Cape with a strong .870 OPS. Ickes wasn’t renowned for his power heading into the Cape, hitting just two career home runs in 84 collegiate games. But thus far, he’s made a strong impression in that department, leading Orleans with two homers in 2025.
But even Ickes hasn’t been the most consistent presence in the Firebirds’ lineup. Manning first base, Michael O’Shaughnessy (Davidson) is the only Orleans player who has played in all 15 of the Firebirds’ contests this season. He leads Orleans with 12 hits, and he’s effectively maximized his plate appearances, leading the CCBL with a gaudy 16 walks and 14 runs.
After establishing himself as Chatham’s best hitter early on, Daniel Jackson (Georgia) began to slump a little bit, as his OPS dipped under .900 for several games. But after Chatham’s 11-6 win over Brewster, it’s clear that the Bulldog is back with a vengeance. Jackson reached in all four of his plate appearances against the Whitecaps, going 3-for-3 with a hit by pitch to boost his OPS to .967. He also scored two runs, drove in an additional two, and demolished two doubles to boot. When Jackson is on, Chatham’s offense is nearly unstoppable.
No one would ever mistake Isaiah Lane (San Diego) as one of the Anglers’ top power hitters. But recently, his patient, contact-heavy approach has started to pay dividends out of the nine spot in Chatham’s lineup. Over the last five games, Lane ranks second on the Anglers in both runs batted in (seven) and batting average (.375). But his impact is most felt defensively, as Anglers manager Dennis Cook praised Lane as the best defensive shortstop he has coached in Chatham after the A’s win over Brewster.
On Opening Day, when the Anglers struck out 17 times in a 1-0 loss to Falmouth, it would’ve been inconceivable for Chatham to own the league’s strongest offense 15 games into the season. But this is the reality in which the A’s currently exist.
It makes perfect sense. After weeks away from live pitching, it was obvious the Anglers were going to need time to get acclimated to the Cape. As it turns out, three weeks is about all the time they really needed, as they now lead the CCBL with an average of 5.2 runs per game.
Fifteen games into the season, Orleans is the last CCBL squad the Anglers are yet to face in 2025. In order to find the last game in which the two sides faced off, you have to go back to August 4, 2024 — last year’s regular-season finale.
Firebirds starter Cody Bowker (Georgetown) absolutely dominated the Anglers early, retiring nine of the first ten hitters he faced and working through five scoreless innings. Meanwhile, Orleans punished Chatham starter Chance Cox, and the A’s couldn’t recover from the deficit in their 7-1 loss.
Just a week ago, the Anglers were mired in a five-game winless streak that seemed impossible to break. Even on the rare occasions where their offense came alive, the A’s pitching staff couldn’t limit opposing batters, leading to consecutive ties against Harwich and Cotuit. But they were so close to breaking through. They just needed time.
After putting up a combined 21 runs in consecutive wins over Wareham and Brewster, it’s evident that the A’s have officially arrived. Chatham has now won four of its last five, and its roster full of elite Power Four talent is finally playing up to its potential. Now, the Anglers return to friendly confines to take on Orleans, hoping to secure their first winning record in 2025.
Here’s everything to know about Chatham (6-6-3, East) and Orleans (6-9, East) ahead of their first matchup of the season Wednesday.
Probable Starters
Standing on the doorstep of their first winning record of the season, the Anglers are pulling out all the stops against Orleans. On Wednesday, Nate Taylor (Georgia) will take the mound for the A’s, and through two appearances, it's clear he is Chatham’s marquee starter thus far. He leads Anglers starters with a masterful 2.16 earned run average, using a devastating fastball-changeup combo to mix up speeds effectively.
Orleans is tempting its fate in this one, as it will send out Georgetown righty JT Raab to make his Cape League debut. The junior spent his first two collegiate seasons at Stony Brook University, striking out 95 and posting a 5.06 ERA in 103.2 innings with the Seawolves. In 2025, he transferred to the Hoyas, where he blossomed as a starter. Though he faced command issues, he posted career-bests in strikeouts (77), innings (71.1) and ERA (3.63) last season.
Orleans Players To Watch
The Firebirds aren’t a very top-heavy roster, as they only have one position player who ranks top ten in OPS among qualified Cape League hitters. That would be Elijah Ickes (Hawaii), who currently ranks tenth in the Cape with a strong .870 OPS. Ickes wasn’t renowned for his power heading into the Cape, hitting just two career home runs in 84 collegiate games. But thus far, he’s made a strong impression in that department, leading Orleans with two homers in 2025.
But even Ickes hasn’t been the most consistent presence in the Firebirds’ lineup. Manning first base, Michael O’Shaughnessy (Davidson) is the only Orleans player who has played in all 15 of the Firebirds’ contests this season. He leads Orleans with 12 hits, and he’s effectively maximized his plate appearances, leading the CCBL with a gaudy 16 walks and 14 runs.
Chatham Players To Watch
After establishing himself as Chatham’s best hitter early on, Daniel Jackson (Georgia) began to slump a little bit, as his OPS dipped under .900 for several games. But after Chatham’s 11-6 win over Brewster, it’s clear that the Bulldog is back with a vengeance. Jackson reached in all four of his plate appearances against the Whitecaps, going 3-for-3 with a hit by pitch to boost his OPS to .967. He also scored two runs, drove in an additional two, and demolished two doubles to boot. When Jackson is on, Chatham’s offense is nearly unstoppable.
No one would ever mistake Isaiah Lane (San Diego) as one of the Anglers’ top power hitters. But recently, his patient, contact-heavy approach has started to pay dividends out of the nine spot in Chatham’s lineup. Over the last five games, Lane ranks second on the Anglers in both runs batted in (seven) and batting average (.375). But his impact is most felt defensively, as Anglers manager Dennis Cook praised Lane as the best defensive shortstop he has coached in Chatham after the A’s win over Brewster.
Number To Know: 5.2
On Opening Day, when the Anglers struck out 17 times in a 1-0 loss to Falmouth, it would’ve been inconceivable for Chatham to own the league’s strongest offense 15 games into the season. But this is the reality in which the A’s currently exist.
It makes perfect sense. After weeks away from live pitching, it was obvious the Anglers were going to need time to get acclimated to the Cape. As it turns out, three weeks is about all the time they really needed, as they now lead the CCBL with an average of 5.2 runs per game.
Last Time They Played
Fifteen games into the season, Orleans is the last CCBL squad the Anglers are yet to face in 2025. In order to find the last game in which the two sides faced off, you have to go back to August 4, 2024 — last year’s regular-season finale.
Firebirds starter Cody Bowker (Georgetown) absolutely dominated the Anglers early, retiring nine of the first ten hitters he faced and working through five scoreless innings. Meanwhile, Orleans punished Chatham starter Chance Cox, and the A’s couldn’t recover from the deficit in their 7-1 loss.
