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Cape League Week Three Preview

Graphic by Maya Ferland
07/04/2021 9:13 PM

Article By: Taylor Viles


As June drew to a close, so did the second week of the Cape League season. Fans who attended games were able to experience fantastic team and single-player performances. Across the Cape, teams have begun to show their worth and capabilities. In a shorter season, it is around weeks two and three where fans can begin to see how legitimate each contender is. Once week three concludes, the season will be almost halfway over. But before we reach that mark, more summer baseball is yet to be played and the headlines developing already should leave any fan intrigued.

Storylines to consider:

The Bourne Braves cannot lose
Last week, we reflected on the Braves’ dominance to begin the season. Exactly one week later, the hottest team on Cape Cod refuses to be dethroned. Their current record sits at 9-0-2.  The closest a team has come to beating Bourne was two ties this past week, one of which was a 1-1 five-hour event, temporarily paused by a lightning delay. Pitching has been a strong point for this team over the past week. They only averaged two runs allowed per game over that stretch, and only 21 earned runs during the season (the next closest team in Wareham with 33). Bourne already holds the longest stretch without recording a loss to start the season since the 2002 Cotuit Kettleers went 13-0-2 to begin the summer. With a few more wins in week three, Bourne could surpass this record to hold the number one record to start a season in Cape League history.

Catchers dominating at the plate
Over week two, catchers for five different teams sat in the top 27 in batting average among the whole Cape showing the skill General Managers recruited at that position for this summer. Ben Rice (Cotuit), Tatem Levins (Harwich), Colten Bender (Bourne), Jimmy Crooks (Wareham), and Jonathan French (Falmouth) have each been lighting up the opposing pitchers. Rice, Levins and Bender are each hitting well above .400 on the week to land in the top five. Scouts should be on the lookout for these five offensive catchers as they look to lead their respective teams to high-run performances during week three.

Player to watch:

Harrison Rutkowski, Brewster Whitecaps, P, Rutgers University New Brunswick
The rising senior has only appeared in one game as a Cape League pitcher this summer, but the performance he turned in on June 27 against Wareham showed complete dominance. Rutkowski, pitched six innings, only surrendering two hits while recording nine strikeouts. The effort helped the Whitecaps to a 3-0 victory. For this upcoming week should he take the mound, opposing offenses should be warned about the tall lefty. He is known to eat innings for teams showing the strength he has in his arm. He led Rutgers in this category three years in a row. The nine strikeouts in the game against Wareham were no fluke either. He punched out 70 this spring which also led his college team.

Must watch games:

Falmouth @ Yarmouth-Dennis- July 5, 5 pm
Entering the week, both of these teams sit second in their respective divisions with practicaly identical records (Falmouth- 4-4-2, YD- 4-3-4). Each team has also been on a small downtrend the past couple of games and are looking for a boost that could be gained with a victory during this game. While YD is neck and neck with the one-seeded Orleans, Falmouth has some catching up to do on Bourne which has continued to steer clear of it’s first loss of the season. Historically, these teams have been interleague rivals as they have faced off in the Cape League Championship four times since 2004. The Commodores lost each meeting and are looking to create a different result this season.
Livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/user/ydredsoxccbl

Harwich @ Wareham- July 7, 6:45 pm
The only reason needed to attend this game is Owen Diodati. The rising junior is batting .325 so far this season with four home runs and 12 RBI. His stellar performance won him league player of the week honors in week one. He is sure to put on a show for the scouts and fans who attend this game. At this writing, Harwich sits at the bottom of a packed East Division while Wareham is in the middle of the West Division, but both teams have similar records. With Wareham’s talent such as Diodati, the Harwich pitching staff will have a tough night stifling the bats, although it isn’t impossible.
Livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/user/warehamgatemen/videos

Falmouth @ Orleans- July 10, 7 pm
The Firebirds sit in first place of the East Division with a 5-4-1 record but the four teams below are only a win away from swapping places with Orleans. Both the Firebirds and the Commodores have fantastic offensive power, giving this game the potential to be a slugfest. In Orleans, Rhylan Thomas is hitting .400 on the season and two players, Chase DeLauter and Tyler Locklear have caught fire hitting three home runs apiece over the past week. In Falmouth, Jace Bohrofen has two home runs and 10 RBI on the young season while hitting .333. The Commodores’ pitching hasn’t been the strongest so far as their combined ERA is 4.90. This should be an exciting game to help decide the top of each division’s standings.
Livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2i1F41phT3XmN8UDPIpo8Q/featured