The halfway point of the season has come and gone, and the Chatham Anglers (13-11) stand at second place in a tough East Division. As the Anglers prepare to host the Wareham Gatemen (11-12-1) at 7 p.m. tonight, here is a brief look back on the first half of the season.

At the Plate

Left-handed hitters Trenton Brooks (Nevada) and Aaron Knapp (California) lead qualifying Chatham batters with .269 and .268 averages, while Will Craig’s (Wake Forest) .402 on-base percentage is the best on the team. Recent arrival Jake Fraley (Louisiana State) has added further life into the Angler offense with seven hits in 20 at-bats over his first week, and Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) and Luke Persico (UCLA) are tied for the team lead with 10 runs. Persico also has a team-best three long balls, followed by Todd Czinege (Villanova) and Zack Short (Sacred Heart) who each have two. The Sacred Heart shortstop also leads the team with 13 RBIs and has driven in four of Anglers’ 18 runs over the last three games

“We’re hitting better and getting better,” said Manager John Schiffner. “The swings are more compact, and we’re making better contact.”

On the Mound

Though T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) reached his summer inning limit, the Chatham pitching has stepped up to fill the void. Zac Gallen (North Carolina) leads Angler pitchers with 23 strikeouts and has not given up an earned run in 15 summer innings. Fellow starter Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) has picked up a team-leading three wins while walking two batters in 22.1 innings. Out of the pen, Jeff Paschke (Southern California) and Cameron Stone (Stony Brook) have not given up an earned run, and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) and Andre Scrubb (High Point) each have four saves. Brandon Miller (Millersville) has two wins in relief, and James Mulry (Northeastern) has maintained a 1.58 ERA. Behind the plate, Nick Sciortino (Boston College) leads all Cape catchers with: 13 caught stealings, 123 put-outs, and 22 assists, and he has yet to allow a pass ball.

“They’ve definitely done a good job locating the ball,” said Sciortino, who has caught 16 games. “They’ve been changing speeds well too.”

Up Next

Tonight the Anglers host the Wareham Gatemen at 7 p.m. Chatham is expected to go with Ty Damron (Texas Tech), who is 1-0 and has notched eight strikeouts to four walks on the summer. Wareham will likely counter with the left-handed Matt Krook (Oregon). Krook has gone only two innings in each of his first two starts, but he has not allowed a run over that time. Dominic Cotroneo and Jonny Wincott have the call live, starting with the Anglers Extra Pregame Show at 6:40 p.m. on TRZ Teamline and at 1-800-846-4700, code 3841