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Game 23 Preview: Chatham at Harwich
CHATHAM, Mass. — The Anglers came ever so close to beating Brewster Friday.
Chatham went down 7-0 early, but had the bases loaded with zero outs in the sixth. Had the A’s scored, they could’ve carried that momentum into the eighth, an inning where they scored five runs off of former Chatham righty Nate Taylor (Vanderbilt).
But instead, the Anglers were held scoreless, and that five-run eighth inning just went to waste. Now, the A’s will head on the road to Whitehouse Field, hoping to eat into the Mariners’ four-point lead over them in the East Division standings.
Here’s everything to know before Chatham (10-10-2, East) goes to Harwich (13-9, East).
Chatham has its A-game on the mound against Harwich. Angel Cervantes (UCLA) will be getting the ball for the Anglers at Whitehouse Field Saturday. Cervantes and Oliver Pudvar (UConn) are the only A’s starters remaining who have been in the rotation since Opening Day, and of the two, Cervantes has certainly been the best. Pudvar’s 3.05 earned run average has been solid, but Cervantes’ 0.66 mark is a good indicator of his dominance on the bump.
Jakob Schulz (Vanderbilt/Transfer) didn’t start a game for the Commodores this past spring, but he’s quickly become a key piece of Harwich’s rotation. He is one of three Mariners with at least three starts this summer — the others being Trey Williford (UNC Wilmington) and Riley Goodman (South Carolina). His 4.30 ERA isn’t anything too spectacular, and he currently has more walks than strikeouts. But he enters the matchup with a .146 batting average allowed.
It was just a few days ago that the Mariners last played Chatham, so the cast of characters to keep an eye on for Harwich might feel familiar for A’s fans. When the Anglers trekked to Whitehouse Field on July 5, Mariners shortstop Tyler Smolinski (Kansas State) entered the matchup as the CCBL’s OPS leader. He’s still a formidable name to watch, as he enters Saturday sporting a .971 OPS, but he no longer owns that distinction.
He’s since ceded it to his teammate, Colin Larson (Boston College). The Harwich right fielder now owns a CCBL-best .988 OPS. He leads the Mariners with a .323 batting average, a .450 on-base percentage and 15 walks. And unfortunately for Chatham, he’s just as dangerous on the basepaths as he is at the plate. He ranks second in the CCBL with 12 stolen bases, just one off of the league-wide lead.
Of the Anglers to debut in the month of July, Drey Barrett (Southern Mississippi) has been one of the few who has had a solid introduction to Cape. He’s played six games, notched three hits and scored four runs thus far. He’s also walked four times and has a .400 on-base percentage, which would rank third among qualified A’s batters if he had enough at bats.
Ty Peeples (Florida State) might be right there with him. Peeples arrived to the Cape fresh off a transfer commitment to FSU, and he’s since become one of the Anglers’ most reliable outfield bats. His .174 batting average isn’t particularly strong, but that mark isn’t indicative of his talent level. He has a relatively impressive .735 OPS in seven games for Chatham this summer. Against Brewster Friday, Peeples walked once, doubled and scored a run to boot.
In case you haven’t heard, Steve Englert’s Harwich squads like to run. A lot.
The Cape’s two best basestealers — Larson and J.P. Peltier (Kentucky) — are Mariners. Chatham’s most prolific runner, Armani Guzman (West Virginia), leads the A’s with seven, and Harwich has four runners who eclipse that mark. And, really, the most telling stat is Harwich’s stolen base total — 73 — which leads the CCBL by over 20.
As previously mentioned, it wasn’t long ago that Chatham last made the trip to Whitehouse Field. When these two teams last squared off on July 5, neither side could put much of anything together offensively.
The Anglers struck first, and held a 2-1 lead for a majority of the contest. Max Luzarraga (Dallas Baptist), making his first start for the A’s, threw four one-run innings, and the game remained relatively uneventful for the next few innings after his exit. But in the bottom of the ninth, Collins Black (NC State) struggled to find the strike zone, loading the bases and walking in the game-winning run in the defeat.
Chatham went down 7-0 early, but had the bases loaded with zero outs in the sixth. Had the A’s scored, they could’ve carried that momentum into the eighth, an inning where they scored five runs off of former Chatham righty Nate Taylor (Vanderbilt).
But instead, the Anglers were held scoreless, and that five-run eighth inning just went to waste. Now, the A’s will head on the road to Whitehouse Field, hoping to eat into the Mariners’ four-point lead over them in the East Division standings.
Here’s everything to know before Chatham (10-10-2, East) goes to Harwich (13-9, East).
Probable Starters
Chatham has its A-game on the mound against Harwich. Angel Cervantes (UCLA) will be getting the ball for the Anglers at Whitehouse Field Saturday. Cervantes and Oliver Pudvar (UConn) are the only A’s starters remaining who have been in the rotation since Opening Day, and of the two, Cervantes has certainly been the best. Pudvar’s 3.05 earned run average has been solid, but Cervantes’ 0.66 mark is a good indicator of his dominance on the bump.
Jakob Schulz (Vanderbilt/Transfer) didn’t start a game for the Commodores this past spring, but he’s quickly become a key piece of Harwich’s rotation. He is one of three Mariners with at least three starts this summer — the others being Trey Williford (UNC Wilmington) and Riley Goodman (South Carolina). His 4.30 ERA isn’t anything too spectacular, and he currently has more walks than strikeouts. But he enters the matchup with a .146 batting average allowed.
Harwich Players To Watch
It was just a few days ago that the Mariners last played Chatham, so the cast of characters to keep an eye on for Harwich might feel familiar for A’s fans. When the Anglers trekked to Whitehouse Field on July 5, Mariners shortstop Tyler Smolinski (Kansas State) entered the matchup as the CCBL’s OPS leader. He’s still a formidable name to watch, as he enters Saturday sporting a .971 OPS, but he no longer owns that distinction.
He’s since ceded it to his teammate, Colin Larson (Boston College). The Harwich right fielder now owns a CCBL-best .988 OPS. He leads the Mariners with a .323 batting average, a .450 on-base percentage and 15 walks. And unfortunately for Chatham, he’s just as dangerous on the basepaths as he is at the plate. He ranks second in the CCBL with 12 stolen bases, just one off of the league-wide lead.
Chatham Players To Watch
Of the Anglers to debut in the month of July, Drey Barrett (Southern Mississippi) has been one of the few who has had a solid introduction to Cape. He’s played six games, notched three hits and scored four runs thus far. He’s also walked four times and has a .400 on-base percentage, which would rank third among qualified A’s batters if he had enough at bats.
Ty Peeples (Florida State) might be right there with him. Peeples arrived to the Cape fresh off a transfer commitment to FSU, and he’s since become one of the Anglers’ most reliable outfield bats. His .174 batting average isn’t particularly strong, but that mark isn’t indicative of his talent level. He has a relatively impressive .735 OPS in seven games for Chatham this summer. Against Brewster Friday, Peeples walked once, doubled and scored a run to boot.
Number To Know: 73
In case you haven’t heard, Steve Englert’s Harwich squads like to run. A lot.
The Cape’s two best basestealers — Larson and J.P. Peltier (Kentucky) — are Mariners. Chatham’s most prolific runner, Armani Guzman (West Virginia), leads the A’s with seven, and Harwich has four runners who eclipse that mark. And, really, the most telling stat is Harwich’s stolen base total — 73 — which leads the CCBL by over 20.
Last Time They Played
As previously mentioned, it wasn’t long ago that Chatham last made the trip to Whitehouse Field. When these two teams last squared off on July 5, neither side could put much of anything together offensively.
The Anglers struck first, and held a 2-1 lead for a majority of the contest. Max Luzarraga (Dallas Baptist), making his first start for the A’s, threw four one-run innings, and the game remained relatively uneventful for the next few innings after his exit. But in the bottom of the ninth, Collins Black (NC State) struggled to find the strike zone, loading the bases and walking in the game-winning run in the defeat.
