Anglers News« Back to 2025 News |
Game 21 Preview: Chatham at Brewster
CHATHAM, Mass. — In the blink of an eye, we’re halfway through the 2025 Cape Cod Baseball League campaign. It’s been an interesting ride for Chatham, which sits at fourth place in the East Division 20 games into its first year under manager Dennis Cook. A season where the Anglers ranked toward the bottom of every offensive category after a week quickly morphed into one where the A’s boast the East Division’s best bats — averaging 4.85 runs per game.
Key leaders who’ve spurred Chatham’s success like Henry Ford (Tennessee), Ace Reese (Mississippi State) and Ethan Mendoza (Texas) are gone for the summer, but on Tuesday, the Anglers received an initial look at their reconstructed lineup. Second baseman Roman Martin (UCLA) took Mendoza’s spot, third baseman Gavin Gallaher (UNC) replaced Ford as the leadoff man and right fielder Ashton Larson (LSU/transfer) slid up from eight to five in the batting order.
In the new-look lineup’s first opportunity Tuesday against Yarmouth-Dennis, they fell flat. The A’s got blanked by the Red Sox 3-0, mustering five hits — none of them for extra bases.
But with a new half of the season comes a fresh mindset. Chatham has a chance to reset itself Wednesday, when they travel to Stony Brook Field to battle Brewster. The A’s are 2-0 against the Whitecaps this summer, including a 2-1 fog-shortened, five-inning victory on June 28 at Veterans Field.
Here’s everything to know ahead of Chatham’s (8-9-3, East) road matchup against Brewster (11-8-1, East) Wednesday.
The A’s will send 6-foot-2 righty Austin Breedlove (Tennessee/transfer) to the hill for his second start of the year. Breedlove made his CCBL debut on July 4 against Orleans, tossing 3.1 innings and recording four strikeouts. However, Breedlove’s shutout start was tainted by a two-run third inning, as he ended his night with a 5.40 earned run average. Breedlove posted a 3.42 ERA across 23.2 innings at Tennessee this past year, making him an enticing transfer-portal target.
As the former No. 3-ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of California’s 2024 class, rising sophomore Duncan Marsten (Wake Forest) boasts a solid pedigree. Marsten will take the mound against Chatham in his second start of the summer. Over four appearances and 7.2 innings with Brewster, the 6-foot-3 Harvard Westlake graduate has a 3.52 ERA. However, Marsten’s WHIP sits at a vulnerable 1.96 mark, mostly due to the nine walks he’s issued.
If Drew Rogers (Georgia Tech) is behind the plate for Brewster Wednesday, that spells trouble for Anglers’ pitching. Rogers pimped a 441-foot home run to deep left-center field off Chatham right-hander Tate Carey (Michigan), serving as one of the longest homers allowed by the A’s this year. Rogers’ numbers aren’t too gaudy — batting .190 with three RBI in 21 at-bats — but it’s still a poor idea to throw a belt-high fastball to him.
Switch-hitting infielder/designated hitter Colton Coates (Louisiana Tech) has only been on the Cape for eight games, yet he’s establishing himself as a solid bat-to-ball hitter for the Whitecaps. He’s batting a blazing .333 in 24 at-bats, racking up an on-base percentage of .407. Coates played in 56 games this spring as a sophomore at Louisiana Tech, driving in a career-high 33 runs while getting on-base at a reliable .366 rate.
Though he previously got moved to the bench after batting .191 in the first 16 contests, first baseman/corner outfielder Jake Hanley (Indiana) is likely back to being an everyday starter. He played left field in Tuesday’s game against Yarmouth-Dennis, finishing 1-for-3 at the plate with an infield single. Thus far in Chatham, the 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has not shown off his light-tower power and knack for getting on-base, both of which he displayed with the Hoosiers this spring. With increased opportunity, however, Hanley is primed for a breakout.
Meanwhile, Tuesday was also Gallaher’s first game batting in the A’s leadoff spot. The third baseman delivered on his initial opportunity, reaching on an infield single against Y-D starter Carson Ballard (Georgia Tech). Replacing Ford as the one-hitter is a difficult task, but Gallaher’s UNC numbers prove he’s up to it. He entered the Cape coming off a 17-homer, 1.013 OPS sophomore season, but he has tallied just one extra-base hit in 17 appearances for Chatham.
Though the A’s bats have been hot, their arms have been damp. Chatham’s pitching staff ranks ninth out of 10 CCBL clubs with a 4.66 ERA, which is the worst mark in the East Division.
The Anglers’ issues on the mound can be boiled down to a revolving door of guys arriving and exiting the Cape, as well as difficulties painting the corners. Chatham is getting punished on pitches in the zone more than any other club, as the A’s yield a .256 batting average to opposing teams — the highest total in the CCBL. It’s also seen crucial pitchers leave after hitting their innings limit, including MLB Draft eligible right-hander JT Quinn (Georgia) and southpaw Ethan Calder (Baylor).
Playing under a coaching staff of former World Series champion relievers Cook and Jay Powell, though, the A’s hurlers have multiple outlets to work through their issues with.
The game was over after the first three outs. On July 2 in Brewster, the Anglers defeated the Whitecaps 10-6 — a score much closer than it should’ve been. The A’s piled on seven runs in the top of the first inning, beginning with a Ford leadoff homer and ending with a two-run single from the Volunteer as Chatham batted around. It clinched the Anglers’ fourth win in a five-game span from June 27 to July 2, which remains their best stretch of the year so far.
Key leaders who’ve spurred Chatham’s success like Henry Ford (Tennessee), Ace Reese (Mississippi State) and Ethan Mendoza (Texas) are gone for the summer, but on Tuesday, the Anglers received an initial look at their reconstructed lineup. Second baseman Roman Martin (UCLA) took Mendoza’s spot, third baseman Gavin Gallaher (UNC) replaced Ford as the leadoff man and right fielder Ashton Larson (LSU/transfer) slid up from eight to five in the batting order.
In the new-look lineup’s first opportunity Tuesday against Yarmouth-Dennis, they fell flat. The A’s got blanked by the Red Sox 3-0, mustering five hits — none of them for extra bases.
But with a new half of the season comes a fresh mindset. Chatham has a chance to reset itself Wednesday, when they travel to Stony Brook Field to battle Brewster. The A’s are 2-0 against the Whitecaps this summer, including a 2-1 fog-shortened, five-inning victory on June 28 at Veterans Field.
Here’s everything to know ahead of Chatham’s (8-9-3, East) road matchup against Brewster (11-8-1, East) Wednesday.
Probable Starters
The A’s will send 6-foot-2 righty Austin Breedlove (Tennessee/transfer) to the hill for his second start of the year. Breedlove made his CCBL debut on July 4 against Orleans, tossing 3.1 innings and recording four strikeouts. However, Breedlove’s shutout start was tainted by a two-run third inning, as he ended his night with a 5.40 earned run average. Breedlove posted a 3.42 ERA across 23.2 innings at Tennessee this past year, making him an enticing transfer-portal target.
As the former No. 3-ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of California’s 2024 class, rising sophomore Duncan Marsten (Wake Forest) boasts a solid pedigree. Marsten will take the mound against Chatham in his second start of the summer. Over four appearances and 7.2 innings with Brewster, the 6-foot-3 Harvard Westlake graduate has a 3.52 ERA. However, Marsten’s WHIP sits at a vulnerable 1.96 mark, mostly due to the nine walks he’s issued.
Brewster Players To Watch
If Drew Rogers (Georgia Tech) is behind the plate for Brewster Wednesday, that spells trouble for Anglers’ pitching. Rogers pimped a 441-foot home run to deep left-center field off Chatham right-hander Tate Carey (Michigan), serving as one of the longest homers allowed by the A’s this year. Rogers’ numbers aren’t too gaudy — batting .190 with three RBI in 21 at-bats — but it’s still a poor idea to throw a belt-high fastball to him.
Switch-hitting infielder/designated hitter Colton Coates (Louisiana Tech) has only been on the Cape for eight games, yet he’s establishing himself as a solid bat-to-ball hitter for the Whitecaps. He’s batting a blazing .333 in 24 at-bats, racking up an on-base percentage of .407. Coates played in 56 games this spring as a sophomore at Louisiana Tech, driving in a career-high 33 runs while getting on-base at a reliable .366 rate.
Chatham Players To Watch
Though he previously got moved to the bench after batting .191 in the first 16 contests, first baseman/corner outfielder Jake Hanley (Indiana) is likely back to being an everyday starter. He played left field in Tuesday’s game against Yarmouth-Dennis, finishing 1-for-3 at the plate with an infield single. Thus far in Chatham, the 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has not shown off his light-tower power and knack for getting on-base, both of which he displayed with the Hoosiers this spring. With increased opportunity, however, Hanley is primed for a breakout.
Meanwhile, Tuesday was also Gallaher’s first game batting in the A’s leadoff spot. The third baseman delivered on his initial opportunity, reaching on an infield single against Y-D starter Carson Ballard (Georgia Tech). Replacing Ford as the one-hitter is a difficult task, but Gallaher’s UNC numbers prove he’s up to it. He entered the Cape coming off a 17-homer, 1.013 OPS sophomore season, but he has tallied just one extra-base hit in 17 appearances for Chatham.
Number To Know: 4.66
Though the A’s bats have been hot, their arms have been damp. Chatham’s pitching staff ranks ninth out of 10 CCBL clubs with a 4.66 ERA, which is the worst mark in the East Division.
The Anglers’ issues on the mound can be boiled down to a revolving door of guys arriving and exiting the Cape, as well as difficulties painting the corners. Chatham is getting punished on pitches in the zone more than any other club, as the A’s yield a .256 batting average to opposing teams — the highest total in the CCBL. It’s also seen crucial pitchers leave after hitting their innings limit, including MLB Draft eligible right-hander JT Quinn (Georgia) and southpaw Ethan Calder (Baylor).
Playing under a coaching staff of former World Series champion relievers Cook and Jay Powell, though, the A’s hurlers have multiple outlets to work through their issues with.
Last Time They Played
The game was over after the first three outs. On July 2 in Brewster, the Anglers defeated the Whitecaps 10-6 — a score much closer than it should’ve been. The A’s piled on seven runs in the top of the first inning, beginning with a Ford leadoff homer and ending with a two-run single from the Volunteer as Chatham batted around. It clinched the Anglers’ fourth win in a five-game span from June 27 to July 2, which remains their best stretch of the year so far.
