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East Divisional Round Preview: Chatham vs. Harwich
It all comes down to this for Chatham. Following a 40-game regular season, the Anglers face off against Harwich in a single-elimination playoff game at Veterans Field Tuesday. It’s the first time Chatham is in the postseason since 2019.
After recording a .500 record across the regular season, the Anglers sealed the No. 2 seed in the East Division. The A’s finished eight points ahead of third place Harwich, 10 above Orleans and had 12 more than Brewster.
In five games against Harwich this season, Chatham has won three — all of which have come at home. The Mariners limped to the finish line, winning just six games across the entire month of July. But they did enough down the stretch to sneak into the playoff picture.
Here’s everything to know ahead of Chatham’s (20-20, East) East Divisional Round playoff game against Harwich (16-24, East):
Probable Starters
Chatham will send Lucas Hartman (Western Kentucky) to the mound for his third start of the summer. Hartman was lights out Thursday against Wareham, producing five scoreless innings. The righty allowed just one hit and walked one batter while striking out five batters. The Gatemen couldn’t catch up to Hartman’s fastball, while his cutter also caused batters problems. After struggling to locate his offspeed in his debut against Bourne, Hartman said he felt more comfortable with it facing Wareham. In 8.2 innings, Hartman has recorded a 0.92 WHIP and has held batters to a .167 batting average.
Ryan DeSanto is set to get the nod for Harwich. DeSanto has started the most games of any Harwich pitcher this season (six) and tossed the second most innings (24.1). The lefty hurler has registered a 3.33 ERA and has struck out 20 batters, walking just four. DeSanto’s 0.99 WHIP is the fifth-lowest among registered pitchers in the CCBL. On June 24, DeSanto tossed 5.1 innings against Chatham. The lone run he gave up came on the first pitch of the game — a solo home run by Austin Overn (Baltimore Orioles). Outside of that, he kept the Anglers’ offense quiet.
Chatham Players To Watch
Though Ashton Larson (LSU) hasn’t been in Chatham since day one, he’s become a staple for the Anglers. Statistically, Larson is Chatham’s most productive hitter on its current roster with 37 hits. The lefty’s .316 batting average only trails Ike Irish (Auburn) for the best mark this summer. Larson has driven in 18 runs and his OPS sits at .788 in 31 games. The right fielder’s lone home run this season came on July 31 when he hit a grand slam against Hyannis.
Speaking of home runs, Chayton Krauss (Dallas Baptist) has provided the Anglers with raw power in recent weeks. In just 15 games, Krauss already equaled John Bay’s (Austin Peay) home run total (four), who played in 28. Krauss has recorded 14 RBIs with a .308 on-base percentage while his OPS sits at .825. The third baseman provides Chatham with an elite glove at the hot corner. Krauss’s ability to read sharp ground balls has proven to be a key part of the Anglers infield since his arrival in late July.
Harwich Players To Watch
Cam Maldonado will be a tough out for Chatham Tuesday. Maldonado’s 32 hits and 24 RBIs are the most from any Harwich player this season. His five home runs are tied with Michael Anderson for the most on the team. The right fielder also presents a danger on the base paths. Maldonado’s 13 stolen bases are the sixth-most in the Cape League. Last time against Chatham, Maldonado hit a two-RBI double to the wall in right field.
Aden Hill was a late addition to Harwich’s roster, but has made an instant impact with the Mariners. In just seven games, Hill has produced nine hits and driven in eight RBIs. He’s batting .321 and reaching base at a .406 rate. The VCU product is coming off a productive spring with the Rams where he recorded 61 hits in 61 games and drove in 44 runs.
Number To Know: .235
Harwich holds the second-lowest batting average in the Cape League at .235. The only team with a worse mark is Orleans (.231). The Mariners struggled during the middle portion of the season. At one point, they dropped 16 out of 17 games while their offense faltered.
Harwich has just six players with a qualified batting average, all of which range from .204 to .258. The lowest qualified batting average for Chatham sits at .239 while its team average comes in at .251 — the sixth-highest in the league.
Last Time They Played
Three days ago, Chatham defeated Harwich 5-4 in its final regular-season game at Veterans Field. Chatham led 2-0 in the first inning, but four unanswered runs from Harwich put it in front in the fourth. An RBI double from Campbell Smithwick (Ole Miss) and a home run from Robin Villeneuve (Texas Tech) tied the game. Jordan Williams (Tampa) then broke the deadlock in the eighth inning with an RBI-single to put the Anglers in front for good.
Augie Mojica (San Jacinto) and Andrew Williams (Georgetown) allowed four earned runs across five innings. But across the final four innings, Chatham’s bullpen was elite. Garrett Payne (Tulane) and Tanner Franklin (Tennessee) combined to throw three perfect frames. The duo struck out six of the nine batters they faced. JD McReynolds (Central Missouri) provided a shutdown ninth inning, only letting one runner reach as Chatham held on for its 20th win of the season.
After recording a .500 record across the regular season, the Anglers sealed the No. 2 seed in the East Division. The A’s finished eight points ahead of third place Harwich, 10 above Orleans and had 12 more than Brewster.
In five games against Harwich this season, Chatham has won three — all of which have come at home. The Mariners limped to the finish line, winning just six games across the entire month of July. But they did enough down the stretch to sneak into the playoff picture.
Here’s everything to know ahead of Chatham’s (20-20, East) East Divisional Round playoff game against Harwich (16-24, East):
Probable Starters
Chatham will send Lucas Hartman (Western Kentucky) to the mound for his third start of the summer. Hartman was lights out Thursday against Wareham, producing five scoreless innings. The righty allowed just one hit and walked one batter while striking out five batters. The Gatemen couldn’t catch up to Hartman’s fastball, while his cutter also caused batters problems. After struggling to locate his offspeed in his debut against Bourne, Hartman said he felt more comfortable with it facing Wareham. In 8.2 innings, Hartman has recorded a 0.92 WHIP and has held batters to a .167 batting average.
Ryan DeSanto is set to get the nod for Harwich. DeSanto has started the most games of any Harwich pitcher this season (six) and tossed the second most innings (24.1). The lefty hurler has registered a 3.33 ERA and has struck out 20 batters, walking just four. DeSanto’s 0.99 WHIP is the fifth-lowest among registered pitchers in the CCBL. On June 24, DeSanto tossed 5.1 innings against Chatham. The lone run he gave up came on the first pitch of the game — a solo home run by Austin Overn (Baltimore Orioles). Outside of that, he kept the Anglers’ offense quiet.
Chatham Players To Watch
Though Ashton Larson (LSU) hasn’t been in Chatham since day one, he’s become a staple for the Anglers. Statistically, Larson is Chatham’s most productive hitter on its current roster with 37 hits. The lefty’s .316 batting average only trails Ike Irish (Auburn) for the best mark this summer. Larson has driven in 18 runs and his OPS sits at .788 in 31 games. The right fielder’s lone home run this season came on July 31 when he hit a grand slam against Hyannis.
Speaking of home runs, Chayton Krauss (Dallas Baptist) has provided the Anglers with raw power in recent weeks. In just 15 games, Krauss already equaled John Bay’s (Austin Peay) home run total (four), who played in 28. Krauss has recorded 14 RBIs with a .308 on-base percentage while his OPS sits at .825. The third baseman provides Chatham with an elite glove at the hot corner. Krauss’s ability to read sharp ground balls has proven to be a key part of the Anglers infield since his arrival in late July.
Harwich Players To Watch
Cam Maldonado will be a tough out for Chatham Tuesday. Maldonado’s 32 hits and 24 RBIs are the most from any Harwich player this season. His five home runs are tied with Michael Anderson for the most on the team. The right fielder also presents a danger on the base paths. Maldonado’s 13 stolen bases are the sixth-most in the Cape League. Last time against Chatham, Maldonado hit a two-RBI double to the wall in right field.
Aden Hill was a late addition to Harwich’s roster, but has made an instant impact with the Mariners. In just seven games, Hill has produced nine hits and driven in eight RBIs. He’s batting .321 and reaching base at a .406 rate. The VCU product is coming off a productive spring with the Rams where he recorded 61 hits in 61 games and drove in 44 runs.
Number To Know: .235
Harwich holds the second-lowest batting average in the Cape League at .235. The only team with a worse mark is Orleans (.231). The Mariners struggled during the middle portion of the season. At one point, they dropped 16 out of 17 games while their offense faltered.
Harwich has just six players with a qualified batting average, all of which range from .204 to .258. The lowest qualified batting average for Chatham sits at .239 while its team average comes in at .251 — the sixth-highest in the league.
Last Time They Played
Three days ago, Chatham defeated Harwich 5-4 in its final regular-season game at Veterans Field. Chatham led 2-0 in the first inning, but four unanswered runs from Harwich put it in front in the fourth. An RBI double from Campbell Smithwick (Ole Miss) and a home run from Robin Villeneuve (Texas Tech) tied the game. Jordan Williams (Tampa) then broke the deadlock in the eighth inning with an RBI-single to put the Anglers in front for good.
Augie Mojica (San Jacinto) and Andrew Williams (Georgetown) allowed four earned runs across five innings. But across the final four innings, Chatham’s bullpen was elite. Garrett Payne (Tulane) and Tanner Franklin (Tennessee) combined to throw three perfect frames. The duo struck out six of the nine batters they faced. JD McReynolds (Central Missouri) provided a shutdown ninth inning, only letting one runner reach as Chatham held on for its 20th win of the season.
