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Game 26 Preview: Chatham vs. Bourne
Chatham is on what first-year manager Jeremy “Sheets” Sheetinger often refers to as a “heater.”
The Anglers are burning through the CCBL, posting a league-best 9-3 record in July thus far. They’ve embarked on separate four-game winning streaks as well, and are currently on their second edition following a 14-8 drubbing of Falmouth Wednesday.
Even without a large crop of their day one rostered players — highlighted by Baltimore Orioles third round MLB Draft pick Austin Overn (USC) — Chatham tallied a season-high in runs and its most hits in a game this summer with 17. A Commodores offense that blasted three homers in the first two innings couldn’t match an unabating Anglers side.
The A’s now turn their focus to facing Bourne at Veterans Field. The Braves are winners of three of their last four games. However, they’re coming off a 4-1 loss to Harwich, which entered the contest on a nine-game losing skid.
Here’s what to know prior to Chatham’s (14-11, East) home matchup versus Bourne (10-13-2, West) Wednesday night:
Probable Starters
Tyler Kozera (UCF) is pinned to make his third start of the year for the Anglers. He moved from a bullpen role to the rotation after firing a 4.1-inning, one run performance in a surprise start on July 5 against Cotuit. Kozera then tossed 6.2 innings on July 11 versus Harwich, by far the A’s longest start of the summer. The righty from Central Florida boasts a 3.78 ERA and has tallied 14 strikeouts across 16.2 frames, along with posting a 1-0 record.
He will face off against Chase Meyer of the Braves. Meyer, a right-hander out of West Virginia, hasn’t slotted into a starting spot this summer, though he’s earned four relief appearances. In 6.2 innings of work, Meyer’s ERA sits at 2.70 while he’s struck out eight batters. He’s allowed just four hits and holds opposing teams to a .182 batting clip.
Chatham Players To Watch
The Anglers’ season-best outburst against Falmouth was spurred by their seven-hole hitter: Kyle Lodise (Georgia Tech). The infielder’s gone under the radar in what’s been a scorching summer for him, but he stood out Wednesday. Lodise went 3-for-3 at the dish, drew two walks, drove in two runs, scored three runs of his own and knocked two doubles — all team-highs. The incoming Georgia Tech transfer is batting .279 with a .869 OPS.
Lodise stepped up big to help fill Overn’s void at the plate, though Robin Villeneuve (Texas Tech) slotted well into Luke Cantwell’s (Pittsburgh) former first-base role. Cantwell left Chatham along with Overn, leaving the A’s without an on-base specialist. But Villeneuve quelled any concerns. He went 2-for-5 with a double in his Anglers debut, showing promise that the former Tennessee product can entrench himself in Chatham’s batting order.
Bourne Players To Watch
Former Auburn outfielder and future LSU transfer Chris Stanfield is the reigning CCBL Player of the Week. He tallied 11 hits, one homer, six RBIs and a whopping six steals over Bourne’s past week of games. Stanfield is one of the Braves’ most dynamic players, leading the team with two home runs while ranking fifth in the CCBL with 12 steals.
To an extent, Stanfield is dwarfed by incoming Wake Forest transfer Ethan Conrad. The right fielder leads Bourne and is second in the CCBL with 15 steals, while his .903 OPS is a team-best total. He’s only hit one home run, yet Conrad’s 12 RBIs also rank first on the club. Topping it all off is his .387 batting average, which leads the CCBL.
Number To Know: 7
Bourne stabilized after starting the year 3-8-1 with a porous offense, improving its run differential to a +3 mark. Yet any Braves’ offensive success rarely comes through the long ball. With just seven homers on the season, Bourne ranks dead last across the Cape.
Stanfield is the only player on the Braves’ roster with multiple home runs. Even the CCBL’s lowest-scoring offense in Orleans has totaled four more homers than Bourne. They may not generate much power, but the Braves’ small-ball, defensive-focused style of play is working, for now.
Last Time They Played
Chatham suffered a 10-3 demolition to Bourne on June 29 at Doran Park. It was the Anglers’ first loss to the Braves this summer as they defeated Bourne 5-1 at home on June 17.
Former A’s pitcher Evan Chrest (Florida State) got rocked by the Braves’ lineup, which splurged for five runs in four innings off the starter. Meanwhile, the Anglers went scoreless after scoring three runs through the first two frames. Chatham’s deficit only grew as its offense struggled. Bourne ended the contest with eight unanswered runs.
The Anglers are burning through the CCBL, posting a league-best 9-3 record in July thus far. They’ve embarked on separate four-game winning streaks as well, and are currently on their second edition following a 14-8 drubbing of Falmouth Wednesday.
Even without a large crop of their day one rostered players — highlighted by Baltimore Orioles third round MLB Draft pick Austin Overn (USC) — Chatham tallied a season-high in runs and its most hits in a game this summer with 17. A Commodores offense that blasted three homers in the first two innings couldn’t match an unabating Anglers side.
The A’s now turn their focus to facing Bourne at Veterans Field. The Braves are winners of three of their last four games. However, they’re coming off a 4-1 loss to Harwich, which entered the contest on a nine-game losing skid.
Here’s what to know prior to Chatham’s (14-11, East) home matchup versus Bourne (10-13-2, West) Wednesday night:
Probable Starters
Tyler Kozera (UCF) is pinned to make his third start of the year for the Anglers. He moved from a bullpen role to the rotation after firing a 4.1-inning, one run performance in a surprise start on July 5 against Cotuit. Kozera then tossed 6.2 innings on July 11 versus Harwich, by far the A’s longest start of the summer. The righty from Central Florida boasts a 3.78 ERA and has tallied 14 strikeouts across 16.2 frames, along with posting a 1-0 record.
He will face off against Chase Meyer of the Braves. Meyer, a right-hander out of West Virginia, hasn’t slotted into a starting spot this summer, though he’s earned four relief appearances. In 6.2 innings of work, Meyer’s ERA sits at 2.70 while he’s struck out eight batters. He’s allowed just four hits and holds opposing teams to a .182 batting clip.
Chatham Players To Watch
The Anglers’ season-best outburst against Falmouth was spurred by their seven-hole hitter: Kyle Lodise (Georgia Tech). The infielder’s gone under the radar in what’s been a scorching summer for him, but he stood out Wednesday. Lodise went 3-for-3 at the dish, drew two walks, drove in two runs, scored three runs of his own and knocked two doubles — all team-highs. The incoming Georgia Tech transfer is batting .279 with a .869 OPS.
Lodise stepped up big to help fill Overn’s void at the plate, though Robin Villeneuve (Texas Tech) slotted well into Luke Cantwell’s (Pittsburgh) former first-base role. Cantwell left Chatham along with Overn, leaving the A’s without an on-base specialist. But Villeneuve quelled any concerns. He went 2-for-5 with a double in his Anglers debut, showing promise that the former Tennessee product can entrench himself in Chatham’s batting order.
Bourne Players To Watch
Former Auburn outfielder and future LSU transfer Chris Stanfield is the reigning CCBL Player of the Week. He tallied 11 hits, one homer, six RBIs and a whopping six steals over Bourne’s past week of games. Stanfield is one of the Braves’ most dynamic players, leading the team with two home runs while ranking fifth in the CCBL with 12 steals.
To an extent, Stanfield is dwarfed by incoming Wake Forest transfer Ethan Conrad. The right fielder leads Bourne and is second in the CCBL with 15 steals, while his .903 OPS is a team-best total. He’s only hit one home run, yet Conrad’s 12 RBIs also rank first on the club. Topping it all off is his .387 batting average, which leads the CCBL.
Number To Know: 7
Bourne stabilized after starting the year 3-8-1 with a porous offense, improving its run differential to a +3 mark. Yet any Braves’ offensive success rarely comes through the long ball. With just seven homers on the season, Bourne ranks dead last across the Cape.
Stanfield is the only player on the Braves’ roster with multiple home runs. Even the CCBL’s lowest-scoring offense in Orleans has totaled four more homers than Bourne. They may not generate much power, but the Braves’ small-ball, defensive-focused style of play is working, for now.
Last Time They Played
Chatham suffered a 10-3 demolition to Bourne on June 29 at Doran Park. It was the Anglers’ first loss to the Braves this summer as they defeated Bourne 5-1 at home on June 17.
Former A’s pitcher Evan Chrest (Florida State) got rocked by the Braves’ lineup, which splurged for five runs in four innings off the starter. Meanwhile, the Anglers went scoreless after scoring three runs through the first two frames. Chatham’s deficit only grew as its offense struggled. Bourne ended the contest with eight unanswered runs.
