Every summer a group of talented college athletes arrives in Chatham for two short months of Cape Cod baseball. Each team, while tied together by the common bond of the Chatham A’s tradition, has a slightly different feel to it. The ideas that principally characterized the 2015 team were those of hard work and teamwork.

“This team particularly worked hard and really bonded with their teammates,” said Manager John Schiffner while reflecting on the summer following the Anglers’ final game. “That set them apart from a lot of the other teams—not that the other teams didn’t have good kids, because they did—but this team really pulled for one another. There were no cliques; they were a whole team.”

In honor of the team that went crazy for something as small as a sacrifice bunt to something as big as a grand slam, here is a recap of the 2015 Anglers through their Top 10 team statistics.

10.) 22 regular-season wins

The object of the game is to score more runs than the other team, and the Anglers did that 22 times this regular season. Despite playing in a tough East Division, the Anglers put themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt throughout the summer, never dropping below the .500 mark. Their longest win streak came from July 5 to July 10 when they won four consecutive games against the Mariners, Braves, Gatemen, and Whitecaps respectively. The total tally of 22 victories was good enough to send the Anglers to the postseason.

9.) 1 postseason shutout

In the postseason the Anglers drew one of the toughest offensive opponents in Cape League history—the Orleans Firebirds. Scoring a league-best 4.96 runs per game allowed the Firebirds to pound out a franchise-record 31 regular-season wins, but they were silenced by a Chatham trio in Game 2 of the E.D.S. It was Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest), Brandon Miller (Millersville), and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) who combined to notch 11 strikeouts to just two hits in the series-extending 1-0 victory at Veterans Field.

8.) 35 double plays

A combination of pitchers executing low in the zone and position players achieving a high standard of defense yielded 35 double plays, second most in the Cape League. Zack Short (Sacred Heart) started 16 of them himself between his time playing shortstop and third, and Trenton Brooks’ (Nevada) four double plays more than doubled any other outfielder in the league. Todd Czinege (Villanova), Kyle Brooks (North Florida), Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State), and Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) were also all responsible for starting at least one twin killing. At first base Kyle Adams (Richmond), Will Craig (Wake Forest), and Luke Persico (UCLA) put the finishing touches on the double plays.

 

7.) 26 caught stealings

League leader Nick Sciortino (Boston College) combined with Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Kyle Adams (Richmond) to notch a CCBL best 26 caught stealings. The defensively excellent Sciortino led the league as an individual with 17. Barnett added eight while simultaneously racking up offensive accomplishments including a 10-game hit streak, and Adams had one despite spending the vast majority of the summer at first base.

6.) 13 saves

The Angler bullpen was stout all season, and perhaps no statistic better illustrates this fact than their league-best 13 regular-season saves. Aaron McGarity led the way converting eight saves in as many opportunities, while Andre Scrubb (High Point) added four and C.J. Burdick (San Diego) etched one. The Chatham bullpen did not blow a save opportunity all season, and seven of the saves came in one-run games.

5.) 1.22 WHIP

An often overlooked but nonetheless important statistic, WHIP measures the total number of walks and hits a team gives up per inning. Thanks in part to the likes of Cameron Stone (Stony Brook) who gave up five hits all season, as well as outstanding performances from Ty Damron (Texas Tech), James Mulry (Northeastern), A.J. Puckett (Pepperdine), and Jonathan Teaney (San Diego), the Anglers finished second in the league with a regular-season WHIP of 1.22.

4.) .233 opponent average

Opponent batting average was another statistic in which the Chatham pitching staff finished second in the league. Zac Gallen (North Carolina) heavily accounted for this accomplishment by posting a number of excellent outings. Included in Gallen’s many highlight performances was a two-hit showcase against the Orleans Firebirds July 3 and a gem in which he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Kettleers on July 21. Combined with outtings such as Dan Castano’s (Baylor) two-hit start against Wareham on July 17 and Jeff Paschke’s (Southern California) 11 scoreless appearances out of the bullpen (in 13 tries), the Anglers were one of the most difficult pitching staffs to solve all season.

3.) 6 second-year Anglers

This summer’s returning Anglers—Nick Sciortino (Boston College), Zac Gallen (North Carolina), Jake Fraley (Louisiana State), Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State), Zack Burdi (Louisville), and Garrett Williams (Oklahoma State) each again had sizable impacts on the team. Sciortino led the league in caught stealings (17), Gallen held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in six of his seven starts, Fraley recorded a .302 batting average, Williams struck out 33 batters, and the Team USA representatives Hampson and Burdi hit .291 and recorded a 1.74 ERA respectively.

2.) 4 Anglers named to the East Division All-Star team  

Four Anglers—Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech), Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest), Brandon Miller (Millersville), and Aaron Knapp (California)— made the journey to Wareham to represent the Anglers in the 2015 Cape League All-Star Game. McGarity led the team in saves with eight in as many attempts. Dunshee was the only Chatham starting pitcher to make the team, and he ultimately concluded with four wins and a 1.79 ERA. Miller was the only true middle reliever in the division to make the squad, but his four relief wins, 1.33 ERA, and video-game like 32:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio left no doubt he belonged there. Knapp, the only Angler position player to make the squad, solidified his spot with a bevy of acrobatic catches in center field and an eight-game hit streak at the dish.

1.) 500 wins under Manager John Schiffner

Boosted by a grand slam from Will Craig (Wake Forest), the Anglers’ July 23 home victory over the Cotuit Kettleers made John Schiffner the first Cape League manager to reach 500 wins. 23 Angler teams combined to accomplish the feat, with the 2015 team being the one to ice it.

Stay posted in the coming months for information regarding the 2016 Anglers and what is sure to be another outstanding summer of Chatham baseball.