The Cotuit Kettleers' offense has been a tale of two units in the first half of the summer. Through the first week of the season, the Ketts were 1-6 and had scored just 11 runs. Fast forward to the first week of July, and Cotuit is on fire with potentially the most lethal offense over the last week.
Early in the year, there was certainly cause for concern with the Kettleers being known as a perennial powerhouse and slumping mightily, but it appears the team has figured things out now.
"It's good to see guys get on time for what they're looking for; they've been working hard with that all summer," says Cotuit manager Loren Hibbs. "Where we were offensively the first week or so [of the season] to what we are now and are becoming. It's not like we're seeing bad arms either; these guys are good. I'm proud of our guys."
After a day when you beat the Brewster Whitecaps 19-3 and post a 14-run sixth inning, clearly the bats are clicking. However, the sustained success of the Kettleer offense over the last week has brought a massive sigh of relief to the organization.
"Especially after yesterday [against Falmouth], when you've been swinging the bats well and you come out and have a slow day. You score one run on five hits, to not let that fester and nip it in the bud, then come back and score 19 runs on 21 hits," Cotuit infielder Ryne Farber says after Saturday's win. "Obviously, that's not going to happen every day, but it feels good when it does. So, you have to try and carry that momentum into the next day."
Saying Cotuit's offense through the first week or two of the campaign was ineffective may be an understatement. The team was last in every offensive statistic, and it got to the point where the team struggled to score more than three runs. It flat-out wasn't cutting it against other teams full of the best collegiate talent.
But over the past week, a switch has been flipped. In the last six games, Cotuit is No. 1 across nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.328), OPS (.932), home runs (7), and runs scored (44).
While it's partially the players finding their groove, the Kettleer coaching staff has worked extremely hard to make adjustments, get in extra work, and get players to buy into their system.
Hibbs is working with a group of players who have likely never met each other and don't know his way of doing things, and sometimes it takes time to learn. Well, maybe that's just what has happened.
When you’re that deep in a hole, the only way to go is up. You must work as hard as possible and take one day at a time to climb out of the hole.
Cotuit is 4-1 in its last five games while posting a +31 run differential against Y-D, Hyannis, Falmouth, and Brewster, with three of those teams being top two in their respective division standings.
Not long ago, the Kettleers were the no-debate last-place team in the CCBL. Now, they sit 2.5 games out of first place in the West Division and look to make up more ground this upcoming week.
“It’s a process every day, and we’ve stayed focused on being good on the day we’re in. I call it having your mind where your feet are. If your mind is somewhere else or you’re thinking about something else away from where your feet are, it will be hard,” Hibbs says.
“The game is hard enough; you don’t want to make it any harder. I’m just happy for our players because they’re the ones who put the work in.”
