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Game 11 Preview: Chatham vs. Harwich
CHATHAM, Mass. — The last time Chatham had an off-day, it brought all the momentum the red-hot Anglers’ had to a grinding halt.
The A’s entered Monday on a four-game win streak, having put up at least five runs in all four of those contests. Then, they had 24 hours to rest, and those hours were evidently enough time to cool off the Anglers’ bats. Chatham had just one hit in its 2-2 tie against Bourne Tuesday, and put up just three runs in a loss to Falmouth Wednesday.
But another off-day brings another opportunity. Chatham (4-5-1, East) has a chance to restart its win streak at home, when it returns to Veterans Field Friday to take on Harwich (7-3, East) for the first time this year.
Here’s everything to know ahead of the A’s home matchup against the Mariners.
The wait is over. Duke Stone (Mississippi State), Chatham’s ace from a year ago, is finally making his triumphant return to Veterans Field. The righty was a bit delayed in his arrival to the A’s rotation, but it’s difficult to blame him. He pitched a lot this past spring. Stone — a 2025 CCBL All-Star — pitched for a strong 3.33 earned run average on the Cape, and then threw 79.2 innings for a Mississippi State team that made it to the Super Regionals.
Opposing Stone — a star both in Chatham and the SEC — is Trey Williford (UNC Wilmington), a lefty who is coming to the Cape after a strong freshman year for the Seahawks. He allowed a 3.34 ERA across 67.2 innings, started eight of his 17 appearances, and struck out a gaudy 11.9 batters per nine innings. He’s quickly become a fixture in Harwich’s rotation, and has struck out 13 batters with a 3.82 ERA in his two starts on the Cape thus far.
Chatham currently sports the Cape’s OPS leader — Gabe Fraser (Florida State/Transfer) — but as long as he’s out of commission for the Anglers, the hottest hitter in this matchup belongs to Harwich. His name is Colin Larson (Boston College). The Mariners’ right fielder sports a top-five OPS in the league with his 1.150 mark, and he’s hit two of Harwich’s five home runs on the season. Keeping him off the basepaths won’t be easy for the A’s.
The consequences will be severe if he does manage to reach. He has eight stolen bases thus far. If Chatham allows JP Peltier (Wright State) to reach, however, things will become even more dire for them. The Mariners’ third baseman has ten stolen bases this season, and hasn’t been thrown out once. He gets on base at a solid clip — evidenced by his .683 OPS, which ranks fourth on Harwich — and when he does, he causes problems.
Cole Johnson (Georgia) is the newest addition to Chatham’s lineup, having just joined the A’s after the Bulldogs’ run to Omaha, but he also might be the one with the highest potential. The freshman wasn’t a starter for Georgia this past spring, but he got 71 at bats over 33 games for the Bulldogs, and hit .310 with an .888 OPS. He debuted for Chatham Wednesday against Falmouth, and drove in a run as the A’s right fielder.
If Johnson’s the upstart rookie in Chatham, Rob Rispoli (UConn) would be more akin to the grizzled vet. The junior’s been on the Cape since Opening Day, but after the departures of Rett Johnson (NC State) and Jacob Parker (Mississippi State), he’s emerged as one of the A’s best hitters. The second baseman scored two runs in Chatham’s loss to Falmouth Wednesday, and currently sports a .871 OPS in his 17 at bats on the season.
Before Chatham’s last off-day, it had the highest batting average and the highest OPS on the Cape. Now, there are two teams in the league who currently hold an OPS over .700, and Chatham is not one of them.
The A’s .688 mark is still solid — ranking fourth in the league behind Harwich, Yarmouth-Dennis and Bourne — but it doesn’t compare to the red-hot offensive displays the Anglers were putting up on their four-game win streak. They’ll have a chance to rediscover that momentum Friday.
The last time these teams played, there was nothing at stake. Harwich had already punched its ticket into the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs. Chatham had not. The A’s season would come to an end no matter what happened on August 3, 2025.
But Chatham still scratched, clawed and fought tooth and nail to end their 2025 summer with a win at Veterans Field. Their efforts were successful, too. A wild pitch from Harwich righty Josh Donegan (UNLV) sent Chase Fralick (Auburn) home in the tenth inning, sealing a season-ending 3-2 victory for the A’s.
“The goal is to get the kids to play hard and be competitive, and then we live with the results, win or lose,” Cook said after the win. “So I would have been proud of them, no matter what.”
The A’s entered Monday on a four-game win streak, having put up at least five runs in all four of those contests. Then, they had 24 hours to rest, and those hours were evidently enough time to cool off the Anglers’ bats. Chatham had just one hit in its 2-2 tie against Bourne Tuesday, and put up just three runs in a loss to Falmouth Wednesday.
But another off-day brings another opportunity. Chatham (4-5-1, East) has a chance to restart its win streak at home, when it returns to Veterans Field Friday to take on Harwich (7-3, East) for the first time this year.
Here’s everything to know ahead of the A’s home matchup against the Mariners.
Probable Starters
The wait is over. Duke Stone (Mississippi State), Chatham’s ace from a year ago, is finally making his triumphant return to Veterans Field. The righty was a bit delayed in his arrival to the A’s rotation, but it’s difficult to blame him. He pitched a lot this past spring. Stone — a 2025 CCBL All-Star — pitched for a strong 3.33 earned run average on the Cape, and then threw 79.2 innings for a Mississippi State team that made it to the Super Regionals.
Opposing Stone — a star both in Chatham and the SEC — is Trey Williford (UNC Wilmington), a lefty who is coming to the Cape after a strong freshman year for the Seahawks. He allowed a 3.34 ERA across 67.2 innings, started eight of his 17 appearances, and struck out a gaudy 11.9 batters per nine innings. He’s quickly become a fixture in Harwich’s rotation, and has struck out 13 batters with a 3.82 ERA in his two starts on the Cape thus far.
Harwich Players To Watch
Chatham currently sports the Cape’s OPS leader — Gabe Fraser (Florida State/Transfer) — but as long as he’s out of commission for the Anglers, the hottest hitter in this matchup belongs to Harwich. His name is Colin Larson (Boston College). The Mariners’ right fielder sports a top-five OPS in the league with his 1.150 mark, and he’s hit two of Harwich’s five home runs on the season. Keeping him off the basepaths won’t be easy for the A’s.
The consequences will be severe if he does manage to reach. He has eight stolen bases thus far. If Chatham allows JP Peltier (Wright State) to reach, however, things will become even more dire for them. The Mariners’ third baseman has ten stolen bases this season, and hasn’t been thrown out once. He gets on base at a solid clip — evidenced by his .683 OPS, which ranks fourth on Harwich — and when he does, he causes problems.
Chatham Players To Watch
Cole Johnson (Georgia) is the newest addition to Chatham’s lineup, having just joined the A’s after the Bulldogs’ run to Omaha, but he also might be the one with the highest potential. The freshman wasn’t a starter for Georgia this past spring, but he got 71 at bats over 33 games for the Bulldogs, and hit .310 with an .888 OPS. He debuted for Chatham Wednesday against Falmouth, and drove in a run as the A’s right fielder.
If Johnson’s the upstart rookie in Chatham, Rob Rispoli (UConn) would be more akin to the grizzled vet. The junior’s been on the Cape since Opening Day, but after the departures of Rett Johnson (NC State) and Jacob Parker (Mississippi State), he’s emerged as one of the A’s best hitters. The second baseman scored two runs in Chatham’s loss to Falmouth Wednesday, and currently sports a .871 OPS in his 17 at bats on the season.
Number To Know: .688
Before Chatham’s last off-day, it had the highest batting average and the highest OPS on the Cape. Now, there are two teams in the league who currently hold an OPS over .700, and Chatham is not one of them.
The A’s .688 mark is still solid — ranking fourth in the league behind Harwich, Yarmouth-Dennis and Bourne — but it doesn’t compare to the red-hot offensive displays the Anglers were putting up on their four-game win streak. They’ll have a chance to rediscover that momentum Friday.
Last Time They Played
The last time these teams played, there was nothing at stake. Harwich had already punched its ticket into the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs. Chatham had not. The A’s season would come to an end no matter what happened on August 3, 2025.
But Chatham still scratched, clawed and fought tooth and nail to end their 2025 summer with a win at Veterans Field. Their efforts were successful, too. A wild pitch from Harwich righty Josh Donegan (UNLV) sent Chase Fralick (Auburn) home in the tenth inning, sealing a season-ending 3-2 victory for the A’s.
“The goal is to get the kids to play hard and be competitive, and then we live with the results, win or lose,” Cook said after the win. “So I would have been proud of them, no matter what.”
