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Game 34 Preview: Chatham at Harwich
The Anglers return from the CCBL All-Star break to battle Harwich on the road Monday night. They were previously scheduled to face Hyannis Sunday in a make-up game, though it was postponed to Wednesday due to rain.
Chatham sits at second place in the East Division, and is 4.5 games into a postseason spot. With just seven games left for the Anglers, it’s all but a foregone conclusion they’ll clinch their first playoff appearance since 2019.
The A’s are losers of their last three contests, however, and are searching to avoid a four-game skid in their meeting with the Mariners — who are the West Division’s last-place club.
Here’s what to know before Chatham (16-17, East) takes on Harwich (12-22, East) at Whitehouse Field:
Probable Starters
Garrett Helsel (SIU Edwardsville) makes his second start, and appearance, of the summer for the Anglers Monday. Helsel dominated in his CCBL debut on July 21, striking out a Chatham-season-best 10 batters in an eventual 7-3 A's win over Brewster. He threw 6.1 innings, which is the Anglers' second-longest start of 2024 (Tyler Kozera, 6.2 innings), and allowed just two hits to record a win. Helsel, a 6-foot-5 lefty, struck out 51 batters across 19 appearances this spring at Southern Illinois Edwardsville.
The Mariners are set to send Bryson Bales to the mound versus the Anglers. Bales, a left-hander out of Hendrix College, has made six appearances this summer and Monday will be his third starting opportunity with Harwich. Bales has put up a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings of work, holding opponents to a .246 batting average while striking out 12 batters. Though, he’s also allowed the second-most homers on the Mariners this summer with three.
It’s been like pulling teeth for pitchers as of late when facing A’s catcher/designated hitter Ike Irish (Auburn). He’s reached base in 10 of his last 10 games, and accumulated 17 hits in that span. Irish, a 2024 CCBL All-Star, leads Chatham with a .316 batting average and has totaled a .838 OPS — ranking first among the Anglers’ active roster.
Since mainstay shortstop Aiva Arquette has left the Cape, Kyle Lodise (Georgia Tech) is a top contender to fill his void both defensively and at the plate. Lodise boasts a .394 on-base percentage, a .750 OPS and two homers, despite his shorter stature. He’s got the tools to shine as brightly as Arquette did on the left side of the infield, and also possesses innate range as a defender.
First baseman Michael Anderson stands out as Harwich’s top bat. Through 28 games, Anderson is hitting .273, boasts a .861 OPS, has hit five home runs and has tallied 19 RBIs, all of which are team-highs. Anderson’s six doubles and 27 hits are also the top totals on the Mariners. His five long balls rank sixth in the CCBL.
Meanwhile, Cam Maldonado is just behind Anderson on many offensive statistics. Maldonado leads the team with 13 stolen bases — the sixth-best total on the Cape — which would lead the Anglers. The right fielder is batting .260 with four home runs and 17 RBIs, while he gets on base at a .368 clip and has posted a .778 OPS.
Chatham is squaring off against the coldest team on the Cape. The Mariners started the year 9-6, firmly entrenched in East Division postseason qualification range. Yet, Harwich has lost 16 of its last 19 games — a measly .158 winning percentage in that span.
The Anglers handed the Mariners two of those 16 losses, both of which came at Veterans Field. They match up for the fourth time of the summer with Harwich at an opportune time, as the A’s can end their losing streak against the team which has the worst record in the CCBL.
Chatham downed Harwich 7-6 at Veterans Field on July 11. It was the start of a five-game winning streak for the Anglers, and also was their second win in five days over the Mariners.
The first of those wins came on July 7, when Campbell Smithwick (Ole Miss) hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to cap off a 13-12 A’s win over Harwich — in which Chatham came back from a seven-run deficit. The Mariners looked to flip the script in the most recent matchup, as they trailed 7-1 but scored five unanswered runs from the 7-8 innings. Hayden Murphy (Auburn) earned the save with a shutout ninth inning, though.
Chatham sits at second place in the East Division, and is 4.5 games into a postseason spot. With just seven games left for the Anglers, it’s all but a foregone conclusion they’ll clinch their first playoff appearance since 2019.
The A’s are losers of their last three contests, however, and are searching to avoid a four-game skid in their meeting with the Mariners — who are the West Division’s last-place club.
Here’s what to know before Chatham (16-17, East) takes on Harwich (12-22, East) at Whitehouse Field:
Probable Starters
Garrett Helsel (SIU Edwardsville) makes his second start, and appearance, of the summer for the Anglers Monday. Helsel dominated in his CCBL debut on July 21, striking out a Chatham-season-best 10 batters in an eventual 7-3 A's win over Brewster. He threw 6.1 innings, which is the Anglers' second-longest start of 2024 (Tyler Kozera, 6.2 innings), and allowed just two hits to record a win. Helsel, a 6-foot-5 lefty, struck out 51 batters across 19 appearances this spring at Southern Illinois Edwardsville.
The Mariners are set to send Bryson Bales to the mound versus the Anglers. Bales, a left-hander out of Hendrix College, has made six appearances this summer and Monday will be his third starting opportunity with Harwich. Bales has put up a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings of work, holding opponents to a .246 batting average while striking out 12 batters. Though, he’s also allowed the second-most homers on the Mariners this summer with three.
Chatham Players To Watch
It’s been like pulling teeth for pitchers as of late when facing A’s catcher/designated hitter Ike Irish (Auburn). He’s reached base in 10 of his last 10 games, and accumulated 17 hits in that span. Irish, a 2024 CCBL All-Star, leads Chatham with a .316 batting average and has totaled a .838 OPS — ranking first among the Anglers’ active roster.
Since mainstay shortstop Aiva Arquette has left the Cape, Kyle Lodise (Georgia Tech) is a top contender to fill his void both defensively and at the plate. Lodise boasts a .394 on-base percentage, a .750 OPS and two homers, despite his shorter stature. He’s got the tools to shine as brightly as Arquette did on the left side of the infield, and also possesses innate range as a defender.
Harwich Players To Watch
First baseman Michael Anderson stands out as Harwich’s top bat. Through 28 games, Anderson is hitting .273, boasts a .861 OPS, has hit five home runs and has tallied 19 RBIs, all of which are team-highs. Anderson’s six doubles and 27 hits are also the top totals on the Mariners. His five long balls rank sixth in the CCBL.
Meanwhile, Cam Maldonado is just behind Anderson on many offensive statistics. Maldonado leads the team with 13 stolen bases — the sixth-best total on the Cape — which would lead the Anglers. The right fielder is batting .260 with four home runs and 17 RBIs, while he gets on base at a .368 clip and has posted a .778 OPS.
Number To Know: .158
Chatham is squaring off against the coldest team on the Cape. The Mariners started the year 9-6, firmly entrenched in East Division postseason qualification range. Yet, Harwich has lost 16 of its last 19 games — a measly .158 winning percentage in that span.
The Anglers handed the Mariners two of those 16 losses, both of which came at Veterans Field. They match up for the fourth time of the summer with Harwich at an opportune time, as the A’s can end their losing streak against the team which has the worst record in the CCBL.
Last Time They Played
Chatham downed Harwich 7-6 at Veterans Field on July 11. It was the start of a five-game winning streak for the Anglers, and also was their second win in five days over the Mariners.
The first of those wins came on July 7, when Campbell Smithwick (Ole Miss) hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to cap off a 13-12 A’s win over Harwich — in which Chatham came back from a seven-run deficit. The Mariners looked to flip the script in the most recent matchup, as they trailed 7-1 but scored five unanswered runs from the 7-8 innings. Hayden Murphy (Auburn) earned the save with a shutout ninth inning, though.
