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Game 37 Preview: Chatham at Falmouth
CHATHAM, Mass. — Sitting in last place is a lonely feeling. But at least Chatham has a friend in Falmouth to share that distinction with.
The Anglers (33 points) and Commodores (29 points) rank in fifth place of the East and West Divisions, respectively. They’re the only two teams currently slated to miss the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs. For the A’s to sneak into the postseason, they need something close to a miracle. An Anglers loss and Brewster win would eliminate them entirely.
Chatham no longer has control over its playoff lives, but in any case, a necessary step to extending its season is defeating Falmouth. Both clubs enter their 37th game of the 2025 season Thursday with only four contests left to spark a last-second turnaround.
Here’s everything to know before the Anglers (15-18-3, East) square off with the Commodores (14-21-1, West) at Guv Fuller Field.
Big righty Duke Stone (Mississippi State) will make his fourth start of the Cape League season Thursday. Stone’s 21.0 innings of work leads Anglers starters this summer, and ranks second on the team behind Josh Swink’s (Liberty) 21.2 frames. His earned run average sits at 4.29 while his 1.14 WHIP stands out as an impressive figure. Stone’s best quality, arguably, is his strikeout-to-walk ratio — he’s struck out 27 opposing batters and only walked six thus far.
For the Commodores, Laif Palmer (Cal Poly) is set to notch his third start and fifth appearance of the year. Palmer, who recently transferred to Cal Poly after spending last season at Oregon State, possesses a vulnerable 8.18 ERA in 11.0 frames pitched this summer for Falmouth. The righty has given up 15 hits and surrendered 14 runs — 10 earned — allowing opposing hitters to hit for a .288 batting average against him.
Though he’s cooled off considerably since mid-July’s All-Star break, Commodores outfielder Maika Niu (Arkansas) still paces the team in home runs (eight), RBI (21) and OPS (.931) by a country mile. Niu’s got a .555 slugging percentage and a .376 on-base percentage to go along with his very reliable .303 batting average. After a weeks-long home run drought, Niu slugged a solo shot in Falmouth’s 13-1 victory over Hyannis Wednesday.
Bear Harrison (Texas A&M) is another Falmouth position player whose season has stalled over time. But the backstop’s three homers and 14 RBI still rank among the best totals for any active Commodore. He’s been Falmouth’s top bat over the past seven days, posting a .385 batting average and .962 OPS during the week-long span, in which he tallied six appearances.
As its playoff chances hang in the balance, Chatham is desperate for someone to provide a late-season boom. Outfielder/first baseman Reed Stallman (Mississippi State) is a prime candidate to do so, batting a team-best .286 over the last seven days. Stallman broke out onto the scene in mid-July with a home run in his Veterans Field debut, but since then, he’s hit zero long balls. With four more guaranteed opportunities left, Stallman looks to improve upon his .645 OPS in 37 at-bats.
Chase Fralick (Auburn) has also been seeing the ball well over the past week, accumulating five hits and driving in two runs across the A’s previous five contests. Fralick’s season totals aren’t eye-popping — registering a .250 batting average with no homers and 13 RBI in 29 appearances — after entering this summer fresh off a fantastic freshman campaign at Auburn. But his solid bat-to-ball contact skills could pay dividends for the A’s down the stretch.
And then there were seven.
Seven Anglers players from the team’s Opening Day roster remain in Chatham: outfielder Jackson Freeman (Northwestern), catcher/OF Daniel Jackson (Georgia), first baseman/OF Jake Hanley (Indiana), shortstop Isaiah Lane (San Diego), left-handed pitcher Josh Swink (Liberty), righty Kaden Smith (USF) and the right-handed throwing Stone. In the Cape League’s modern landscape, where rosters massively fluctuate throughout the season, it’s always refreshing to see those who stick it out until the end.
Veterans Field erupted into pandemonium the last time these two squads faced off — a thrilling 11-8 victory for the Anglers back on July 6. Outfielder Ashton Larson (Texas) crushed a fifth-inning grand slam off Commodores righty Robby Porco to punctuate Chatham’s eighth win of 2025. It was the moment that essentially clinched Larson’s selection into the 2025 CCBL All-Star game as the East Division’s starting designated hitter.
With Larson having left the Cape Monday, it remains to be seen whether a different Angler will step up in the clutch against Falmouth on Thursday.
The Anglers (33 points) and Commodores (29 points) rank in fifth place of the East and West Divisions, respectively. They’re the only two teams currently slated to miss the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs. For the A’s to sneak into the postseason, they need something close to a miracle. An Anglers loss and Brewster win would eliminate them entirely.
Chatham no longer has control over its playoff lives, but in any case, a necessary step to extending its season is defeating Falmouth. Both clubs enter their 37th game of the 2025 season Thursday with only four contests left to spark a last-second turnaround.
Here’s everything to know before the Anglers (15-18-3, East) square off with the Commodores (14-21-1, West) at Guv Fuller Field.
Probable Starters
Big righty Duke Stone (Mississippi State) will make his fourth start of the Cape League season Thursday. Stone’s 21.0 innings of work leads Anglers starters this summer, and ranks second on the team behind Josh Swink’s (Liberty) 21.2 frames. His earned run average sits at 4.29 while his 1.14 WHIP stands out as an impressive figure. Stone’s best quality, arguably, is his strikeout-to-walk ratio — he’s struck out 27 opposing batters and only walked six thus far.
For the Commodores, Laif Palmer (Cal Poly) is set to notch his third start and fifth appearance of the year. Palmer, who recently transferred to Cal Poly after spending last season at Oregon State, possesses a vulnerable 8.18 ERA in 11.0 frames pitched this summer for Falmouth. The righty has given up 15 hits and surrendered 14 runs — 10 earned — allowing opposing hitters to hit for a .288 batting average against him.
Falmouth Players To Watch
Though he’s cooled off considerably since mid-July’s All-Star break, Commodores outfielder Maika Niu (Arkansas) still paces the team in home runs (eight), RBI (21) and OPS (.931) by a country mile. Niu’s got a .555 slugging percentage and a .376 on-base percentage to go along with his very reliable .303 batting average. After a weeks-long home run drought, Niu slugged a solo shot in Falmouth’s 13-1 victory over Hyannis Wednesday.
Bear Harrison (Texas A&M) is another Falmouth position player whose season has stalled over time. But the backstop’s three homers and 14 RBI still rank among the best totals for any active Commodore. He’s been Falmouth’s top bat over the past seven days, posting a .385 batting average and .962 OPS during the week-long span, in which he tallied six appearances.
Chatham Players To Watch
As its playoff chances hang in the balance, Chatham is desperate for someone to provide a late-season boom. Outfielder/first baseman Reed Stallman (Mississippi State) is a prime candidate to do so, batting a team-best .286 over the last seven days. Stallman broke out onto the scene in mid-July with a home run in his Veterans Field debut, but since then, he’s hit zero long balls. With four more guaranteed opportunities left, Stallman looks to improve upon his .645 OPS in 37 at-bats.
Chase Fralick (Auburn) has also been seeing the ball well over the past week, accumulating five hits and driving in two runs across the A’s previous five contests. Fralick’s season totals aren’t eye-popping — registering a .250 batting average with no homers and 13 RBI in 29 appearances — after entering this summer fresh off a fantastic freshman campaign at Auburn. But his solid bat-to-ball contact skills could pay dividends for the A’s down the stretch.
Number To Know: 7
And then there were seven.
Seven Anglers players from the team’s Opening Day roster remain in Chatham: outfielder Jackson Freeman (Northwestern), catcher/OF Daniel Jackson (Georgia), first baseman/OF Jake Hanley (Indiana), shortstop Isaiah Lane (San Diego), left-handed pitcher Josh Swink (Liberty), righty Kaden Smith (USF) and the right-handed throwing Stone. In the Cape League’s modern landscape, where rosters massively fluctuate throughout the season, it’s always refreshing to see those who stick it out until the end.
Last Time They Played
Veterans Field erupted into pandemonium the last time these two squads faced off — a thrilling 11-8 victory for the Anglers back on July 6. Outfielder Ashton Larson (Texas) crushed a fifth-inning grand slam off Commodores righty Robby Porco to punctuate Chatham’s eighth win of 2025. It was the moment that essentially clinched Larson’s selection into the 2025 CCBL All-Star game as the East Division’s starting designated hitter.
With Larson having left the Cape Monday, it remains to be seen whether a different Angler will step up in the clutch against Falmouth on Thursday.
