If it was a plausible option, maybe Mitchell Gunsolus (Gonzaga) would repeat the routine before every at-bat. Gunsolus was given a temporary contract after playing a full season with Chatham last summer, but was cut a week ago. He then went on a vacation with his family and jet skied for a week before being called by Anglers manager John Schiffner. 

A roster spot had opened up and it was his if he wanted it. He came back and hit a home run in the first pitch he saw against Wareham on Wednesday night, and it was the first time he homered in a game in more than two years. 

“Maybe I should just go a week without picking up a baseball more often,” Gunsolus said after Chatham eventually lost 2-1, his solo shot providing the team’s only run. “I really didn’t do anything, just some extra batting practice today. Schiff told me that I would be playing right when I got here and I was ready as I could have been.”

Gunsolus said that coming back on short notice wasn’t weird since he played for the Anglers all of last summer. It also helped that he returned in style, his third-inning home run bolstered by two more productive at-bats that put him on base twice more in the game. Chatham (12-12-1) will host Bourne (16-9), the leaders of the West Division, at 7 p.m. Friday, and the versatile Gunsolus will once again be at Schiffner’s disposal. 

Zac Gallen (North Carolina) will make his fourth start of the season for the Anglers, and Louisville’s Josh Rogers will take the mound for the Braves. 

“For Mitch to come back and do that is just great,” Schiffner said. “It’s what the Cape Cod Baseball League is all about.”

A string of injuries in the infield is what ultimately brought Gunsolus back to the team, as he has proven capable of doing anything but pitching and catching. But aside from the home run and the prospect of helping the team moving forward, Gunsolus encapsulated his reunion tour with a simple phrase. 

He said: “It’s just good to be back.”

Broadcast information    

Broadcast coverage of the Anglers and Braves begins at 6:40 p.m. with the Anglers Extra Pregame Show. Watch and listen on TRZ Teamline or listen by phone 1-800-846-4700, code 3481. Visit Broadcast Central for more information.