BREWSTER, MA — As the Whitecaps’ prepared for their third game of the season against Hyannis Monday, a new face made its way into Brewster’s dugout for the first time.

Delayed by a long journey from home, Alex Sosa (Transfer Portal) — the final member of Brewster’s trio of catchers that includes Carson Tinney (Notre Dame) and Drew Rogers (Georgia Tech) — quickly became acquainted with his new teammates.

At first gravitating toward former NC State teammates Ty Head and Camden Wimbish, Sosa eventually became fast friends with other college players who for the last two years with the Wolfpack he’d only known as opponents. As he watched the Whitecaps secure their third straight victory that night, manager Jamie Shevchik informed Sosa he’d be starting the next day behind the plate.

“The hassle I went through just to get here, it took about three days total just to be able to play,” Sosa said. “I've been itching to play. (Shevchik) gave me a heads up (before the game), and I've been super excited since.”

Just 16 days removed from competing for a national title, Sosa made his Cape Cod Baseball League debut with the Whitecaps (4-0, 1-0 Eastern Division) against the Bourne Braves (1-2-1, 0-0 Western Division) Tuesday. As Brewster's starting catcher and seventh in the batting order, Sosa looked right at home from the first pitch. Flexing his two-way ability, he helped the Whitecaps’ pitchers compile 10 total strikeouts while knocking two hits and two RBIs into play, including the game-winner.

“It's a good day when you're able to contribute on both sides,” Sosa said postgame. “I don't want to say I do it every time, but obviously that's the goal.”

On May 30, Sosa's NC State Wolfpack embarked on what was anticipated to be a lengthy NCAA Tournament run. After the previous season saw the team advance as far as the College World series, anything less would have felt like a massive let down.

But despite entering with championship aspirations, NC State’s postseason ended right where it began in the Auburn Regional. Starting behind the plate for each of the Wolfpack’s four games in the tournament, Sosa racked up 36 putouts, five hits and two RBIs as their go-to catcher. Still, his efforts weren't enough to salvage the campaign. The loss stung, but he didn't have to wait long for another championship chase with the CCBL season just days away at that point.

In his first at bat as a Whitecap, Sosa continued to pull his own weight. Already trailing 1-0 off an Noah Franco (Texas Christian) homer, Brewster looked to Sosa to fill the bases with two runners aboard and no outs in the second inning.

Working the Braves starter into a 3-0 count, he laced a ground ball into the left field gap. On the next at bat, Carson Kerce (Georgia Tech) took advantage and ripped a line drive into left field, scoring the runner at third. Another single off Josiah Ragsdale’s (Boston College) bat lifted Brewster to its first lead, 2-1.

After struggling with command out of the gate — walking two consecutive batters in the first inning —, Brewster starter Tyler Schmitt (Illinois) again found himself in hot water to start the third. Hitting the leadoff man with his pitch and then moments later surrendering a single, the Braves threatened to reclaim their one-run edge with runners on the corners. With Sosa’s help, he slammed the door.

Just as Franco struck out on a seven-pitch at bat, Sosa launched the ball to third as soon as he caught it behind the plate. Waiting at the bag, Daniel Cuvet (Miami) converted on the pick off attempt to end the inning.

In the offensive side of the frame, Sosa again came up clutch. With two outs to work with and the bases loaded, Sosa roped a bloop single into center field on just the second offering he saw from Alex Valentin (Texas State). The blast brought in two runners, raising Brewster’s lead to 4-1 just three innings into the ballgame — tied for its largest of the campaign so far.

“He’s a leader back there. There’s a reason he caught 40 or so games at NC State this year,” Shevchik said of Sosa. “If you got a kid like Sosa hitting in your seven hole, that’s a pretty good lineup.”

Sosa and the rest of Brewster’s lineup didn’t muster a hit the rest of the night, but eight hits across the first three innings turned out to be just enough to get the job done.

Once Schmitt was replaced to start the fifth, Sosa was tasked with catching for four more pitchers for the remainder of the game as Shevchik shuffled through his bullpen. While every member of the Whitecaps’ rotation brings with them a unique arsenal of pitches, Sosa noticed that each one of them still has one defining trait in common.

“Everybody in the bullpen comes in with confidence,” Sosa said. “I think we used four or five arms out of the bullpen. Everybody came in, and they knew their job, they had the matchups, they threw strikes. They did exactly what they were supposed to do, and I can't ask for anything more from those guys.”

Although slightly hindered by Sosa’s lone throwing error in the eighth inning, Justin Shadek forced back-to-back fly and strike outs to secure the save and the Whitecaps’ fourth straight victory in 2025.

Within a roster that’s composed of players who seemingly come and go on a whim, Sosa has already shown he possesses the two-way skillset to become a key cog of the Whitecaps’ lineup. A recent entry into the transfer portal, he’s not sure yet where his baseball career will take him after this summer. Regardless, he plans to soak in his CCBL experience one pitch at a time.

“This might be my only Cape season, and to win at all, that'd be pretty cool,” Sosa said.

Title photo credit: Kayla McCullough.