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Chatham 2024 Season Wrap-up: Playoff return, stars shine bright
At the start of the 2024 season, there was a new energy around Chatham. A new manager brought excitement back to the Anglers after three straight seasons without playoff baseball.
The first eight games of Chatham’s season brought mixed results. The A’s defeated Wareham 11-1 on Opening Day, but lost 2-1 to Yarmouth-Dennis the following day. For the next six games, Chatham followed the same pattern. One win, one loss. It wasn’t until June 24 when the Anglers produced their first losing streak of the season. They fell 4-2 against Harwich after a loss to Cotuit the night before.
Those defeats were part of a stretch where Chatham lost five out of six games. It was then followed by a five-game win streak. On July 17, Chatham stood at 15-11, its most games over .500 the entire season. Though a week later, Chatham’s season would be flipped on its head.
First year manager Jeremy “Sheets” Sheetinger resigned, citing personal reasons for his departure. Pitching coach Eric Beattie took over as interim manager. Beattie’s first win as manager came on July 30 against Brewster. The victory sealed a playoff berth for Chatham.
The A’s hosted Harwich on Aug 6 for a single-elimination playoff game. Chatham fell 7-5, ending its season prematurely.
Despite the Anglers’ season ending in disappointing fashion, there were plenty of positives. The Anglers had five Cape League All-Star selections and eight players selected in the MLB Draft. Plus, a new culture was instilled.
Here are three key narratives from Chatham’s 2024 season:
Unexpected Managerial Change
Sheetinger took over as Chatham’s manager on Aug. 21, 2023. He came in with an impressive resume while coaching Georgia Gwinnett College, an NAIA school. He’s led the Grizzlies to a 223-45 record across five seasons. Sheetinger has helped Georgia Gwinnett to four straight NAIA World Series’, including a 2021 national championship.
In 2023, the A’s had three different managers, Sheetinger looked to provide stability. The first-year skipper quickly instilled an energetic brand of baseball. He summarized it as the “Four A’s”: appreciation, attack, action and and all in, all the time.
“We have a chance to not only reinvigorate a community, but we have a chance to rebuild a team in the most prestigious league in the world,” Sheetinger said. “That’s my motivation every day, how can we put this team back to have an opportunity to not only win a championship, but compete for Cape championships every summer.”
Right away, it was clear the Anglers would be an energetic bunch. Sheetinger often said he wanted his team to lead the league in having fun. The bullpen initiated a third-inning roll call, serenading the field players at home and away games. Chatham’s dugout rarely fell quiet, especially during extended at-bats. Following a home run, the player who hit it made their way out to left field. The bullpen awaited them as they jumped in unison, letting out a collective boom as they locked arms.
The Anglers didn’t shy away from their exuberance. It was exactly what Sheetinger asked for. But with Chatham sitting at 16-15 on July 24, Sheetinger resigned. With the departure, Beattie took over.
Beattie had spent the previous two seasons with Hyannis. In 2022, he earned the CCBL Manager of the Year Award. Across two summers with the Harbor Hawks, he accumulated a 47-33-8 record.
He also dominated the Cape League as a pitcher. He attended Tampa University and played one season for Bourne. Beattie finished 4-0 and led the league with a 0.39 ERA — the third lowest in league history. He allowed just two earned runs in 46 innings and was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2014.
Taking over with nine games to go, Beattie didn’t change much. He kept a laid back style, similar to Sheetinger, which helped guide the A’s back to the postseason.
Stars Shining
Like every team in the CCBL, Chatham’s roster was littered with top-tier talent. From day one, the Anglers’ key contributors stood out.
Austin Overn (Baltimore Orioles) was a constant spark plug for the A’s. From Opening Day until he left for the MLB draft, Overn was a mainstay in center field. Overn was irreplaceable in Chatham’s lead-off spot, playing in all 23 games he was available for. He not only cemented himself as one of the best players on Chatham’s roster, but in the league as well.
The lefty registered a team-high .947 OPS. It would’ve been the second-highest in the league, but Overn didn’t have enough at-bats. Overn batted .314 and got on base at a .412 rate while driving in 13 runs. Despite playing just over half of Chatham’s games, Overn’s impact was deep.
Chatham’s two biggest draft prospects in 2025, Aiva Arquette (Oregon State) and Ike Irish (Auburn) also made big contributions. Arquette flashed his leather with elite defense at shortstop. At the plate, Arquette showcased a polished approach. He was always clutch in big spots, recording a team-high 21 RBIs and blasting three home runs. His .794 OPS was only bested by Irish.
The catcher was another standout for Chatham this summer. He played in 34 games, the third most of any player, and was the A’s most productive hitter. Irish recorded 39 hits with a .438 on-base percentage, the fifth-highest in the Cape League. Irish’s .871 OPS also ranked in the top 10.
Irish, Arquette and Overn all left Chatham before the end of the season. One player who didn’t was Ashton Larson (LSU). The right fielder arrived a week into the season and earned the team’s Thurman Munson Outstanding Position Player Award. Larson finished with a .316 batting average, a team-high nine doubles and 18 RBIs. His lone home run on the season was a grand slam against Hyanis on July 31.
Over the course of the summer, Chatham had a number of pitchers cycle through. Griffin Herring (New York Yankees) and Kyson Witherspoon (Oklahoma) shined in their limited time with the Anglers. The duo combined to allow just three earned runs across 19.2 innings and strike out 20 batters.
Out of the bullpen, Titan Hayes (Philadelphia Phillies) and Hayden Murphy (Auburn) established themselves as lockdown closers. In six innings, Hayes allowed two hits, fanned 12 batters and recorded a 0.75 WHIP. After he left for the MLB Draft, Murphy took over as Chatham’s high-leverage reliever.
Murphy appeared in the most games of any Chatham pitcher (nine) and tossed the most strikeouts (28). Murphy finished with a 2.89 ERA while hitters batted .141 against him. The righty’s three saves were tied with Hayes for a team-high.
Chatham’s most reliable pitcher down the stretch was Gabe Van Emon (UConn). The lefty was utilized in longer outings out of the bullpen, throwing 17 innings in five appearances. Van Emon fanned 22 batters and allowed eight hits while recording a 2.65 ERA. He was awarded with the Ed Baird Outstanding Pitcher Award at the end of the season.
Back In The Playoffs
Chatham’s biggest goal this season was to make it back to the playoffs. Its last appearance was in 2019. Though this summer, the Anglers broke their drought.
They did it by dominating their East Division foes. Besides its 0-5 record against Y-D, Chatham took care of business against the bottom three teams in the East. The A’s were 4-1 against Brewster, defeating the Whitecaps four straight times. Chatham beat Orleans four times as well and accumulated a 3-2 record against Harwich during the regular season.
With Harwich, Orleans and Brewster below .500 for most of the season, Chatham cruised into the playoffs. The Anglers sealed their spot in the postseason on July 30 against Brewster in a 13-2 victory.
Two games later, Chatham sealed the No. 2 seed in the East. The Anglers shut out Wareham 4-0. On the final day of the regular season, Harwich clinched the No. 3 seed, setting up a win-or-go-home game between the A’s and Mariners on Aug 6.
In 2019, Chatham won the East Division, but was swept by Harwich in the first round of the playoffs. This time in a single-elimination format, the Anglers suffered the same fate.
Chatham came three outs away from sealing its first playoff victory since 2018. The A’s led 5-4, but a three-run rally from Harwich in the ninth inning ended Chatham’s season.
The first eight games of Chatham’s season brought mixed results. The A’s defeated Wareham 11-1 on Opening Day, but lost 2-1 to Yarmouth-Dennis the following day. For the next six games, Chatham followed the same pattern. One win, one loss. It wasn’t until June 24 when the Anglers produced their first losing streak of the season. They fell 4-2 against Harwich after a loss to Cotuit the night before.
Those defeats were part of a stretch where Chatham lost five out of six games. It was then followed by a five-game win streak. On July 17, Chatham stood at 15-11, its most games over .500 the entire season. Though a week later, Chatham’s season would be flipped on its head.
First year manager Jeremy “Sheets” Sheetinger resigned, citing personal reasons for his departure. Pitching coach Eric Beattie took over as interim manager. Beattie’s first win as manager came on July 30 against Brewster. The victory sealed a playoff berth for Chatham.
The A’s hosted Harwich on Aug 6 for a single-elimination playoff game. Chatham fell 7-5, ending its season prematurely.
Despite the Anglers’ season ending in disappointing fashion, there were plenty of positives. The Anglers had five Cape League All-Star selections and eight players selected in the MLB Draft. Plus, a new culture was instilled.
Here are three key narratives from Chatham’s 2024 season:
Unexpected Managerial Change
Sheetinger took over as Chatham’s manager on Aug. 21, 2023. He came in with an impressive resume while coaching Georgia Gwinnett College, an NAIA school. He’s led the Grizzlies to a 223-45 record across five seasons. Sheetinger has helped Georgia Gwinnett to four straight NAIA World Series’, including a 2021 national championship.
In 2023, the A’s had three different managers, Sheetinger looked to provide stability. The first-year skipper quickly instilled an energetic brand of baseball. He summarized it as the “Four A’s”: appreciation, attack, action and and all in, all the time.
“We have a chance to not only reinvigorate a community, but we have a chance to rebuild a team in the most prestigious league in the world,” Sheetinger said. “That’s my motivation every day, how can we put this team back to have an opportunity to not only win a championship, but compete for Cape championships every summer.”
Right away, it was clear the Anglers would be an energetic bunch. Sheetinger often said he wanted his team to lead the league in having fun. The bullpen initiated a third-inning roll call, serenading the field players at home and away games. Chatham’s dugout rarely fell quiet, especially during extended at-bats. Following a home run, the player who hit it made their way out to left field. The bullpen awaited them as they jumped in unison, letting out a collective boom as they locked arms.
The Anglers didn’t shy away from their exuberance. It was exactly what Sheetinger asked for. But with Chatham sitting at 16-15 on July 24, Sheetinger resigned. With the departure, Beattie took over.
Beattie had spent the previous two seasons with Hyannis. In 2022, he earned the CCBL Manager of the Year Award. Across two summers with the Harbor Hawks, he accumulated a 47-33-8 record.
He also dominated the Cape League as a pitcher. He attended Tampa University and played one season for Bourne. Beattie finished 4-0 and led the league with a 0.39 ERA — the third lowest in league history. He allowed just two earned runs in 46 innings and was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2014.
Taking over with nine games to go, Beattie didn’t change much. He kept a laid back style, similar to Sheetinger, which helped guide the A’s back to the postseason.
Stars Shining
Like every team in the CCBL, Chatham’s roster was littered with top-tier talent. From day one, the Anglers’ key contributors stood out.
Austin Overn (Baltimore Orioles) was a constant spark plug for the A’s. From Opening Day until he left for the MLB draft, Overn was a mainstay in center field. Overn was irreplaceable in Chatham’s lead-off spot, playing in all 23 games he was available for. He not only cemented himself as one of the best players on Chatham’s roster, but in the league as well.
The lefty registered a team-high .947 OPS. It would’ve been the second-highest in the league, but Overn didn’t have enough at-bats. Overn batted .314 and got on base at a .412 rate while driving in 13 runs. Despite playing just over half of Chatham’s games, Overn’s impact was deep.
Chatham’s two biggest draft prospects in 2025, Aiva Arquette (Oregon State) and Ike Irish (Auburn) also made big contributions. Arquette flashed his leather with elite defense at shortstop. At the plate, Arquette showcased a polished approach. He was always clutch in big spots, recording a team-high 21 RBIs and blasting three home runs. His .794 OPS was only bested by Irish.
The catcher was another standout for Chatham this summer. He played in 34 games, the third most of any player, and was the A’s most productive hitter. Irish recorded 39 hits with a .438 on-base percentage, the fifth-highest in the Cape League. Irish’s .871 OPS also ranked in the top 10.
Irish, Arquette and Overn all left Chatham before the end of the season. One player who didn’t was Ashton Larson (LSU). The right fielder arrived a week into the season and earned the team’s Thurman Munson Outstanding Position Player Award. Larson finished with a .316 batting average, a team-high nine doubles and 18 RBIs. His lone home run on the season was a grand slam against Hyanis on July 31.
Over the course of the summer, Chatham had a number of pitchers cycle through. Griffin Herring (New York Yankees) and Kyson Witherspoon (Oklahoma) shined in their limited time with the Anglers. The duo combined to allow just three earned runs across 19.2 innings and strike out 20 batters.
Out of the bullpen, Titan Hayes (Philadelphia Phillies) and Hayden Murphy (Auburn) established themselves as lockdown closers. In six innings, Hayes allowed two hits, fanned 12 batters and recorded a 0.75 WHIP. After he left for the MLB Draft, Murphy took over as Chatham’s high-leverage reliever.
Murphy appeared in the most games of any Chatham pitcher (nine) and tossed the most strikeouts (28). Murphy finished with a 2.89 ERA while hitters batted .141 against him. The righty’s three saves were tied with Hayes for a team-high.
Chatham’s most reliable pitcher down the stretch was Gabe Van Emon (UConn). The lefty was utilized in longer outings out of the bullpen, throwing 17 innings in five appearances. Van Emon fanned 22 batters and allowed eight hits while recording a 2.65 ERA. He was awarded with the Ed Baird Outstanding Pitcher Award at the end of the season.
Back In The Playoffs
Chatham’s biggest goal this season was to make it back to the playoffs. Its last appearance was in 2019. Though this summer, the Anglers broke their drought.
They did it by dominating their East Division foes. Besides its 0-5 record against Y-D, Chatham took care of business against the bottom three teams in the East. The A’s were 4-1 against Brewster, defeating the Whitecaps four straight times. Chatham beat Orleans four times as well and accumulated a 3-2 record against Harwich during the regular season.
With Harwich, Orleans and Brewster below .500 for most of the season, Chatham cruised into the playoffs. The Anglers sealed their spot in the postseason on July 30 against Brewster in a 13-2 victory.
Two games later, Chatham sealed the No. 2 seed in the East. The Anglers shut out Wareham 4-0. On the final day of the regular season, Harwich clinched the No. 3 seed, setting up a win-or-go-home game between the A’s and Mariners on Aug 6.
In 2019, Chatham won the East Division, but was swept by Harwich in the first round of the playoffs. This time in a single-elimination format, the Anglers suffered the same fate.
Chatham came three outs away from sealing its first playoff victory since 2018. The A’s led 5-4, but a three-run rally from Harwich in the ninth inning ended Chatham’s season.
