Hyannis Harbor Hawks first baseman Gabe Camacho got a pitch he liked on a 2-2 count in the second inning from Chatham Anglers pitcher Kaden Smith. He drove it into center field for a single.
It didn’t amount to any runs in the inning for the Harbor Hawks, but it was a noteworthy hit for Camacho, who extended his hitting streak to six games as a result. Each of his last two games have been multi-hit performances.
As a result of the hitting streak, Camacho’s batting average has increased to .264, his on base percentage has gone up to .346 and his OPS rose to .652 in 20 games with the Harbor Hawks. It’s been a welcome sign for Camacho, who had been slumping previously.
Hyannis manager Mitch Karraker has been encouraged by what he’s seen from his primary first baseman in this latest stretch.
“I think he is making some good adjustments,” said Karraker. “[He] got a little pull happy when he went into a little bit of a slump. Now, he is hitting the ball to all parts of the field. He is seeing the ball really good, having some good takes, which is really encouraging. We knew he was a good hitter when he came in, glad to see him get going a little bit.”
Camacho joined Hyannis right as opening day first baseman Myles Bailey was set to leave to join Team USA’s Collegiate National Team training camp in Cary, North Carolina. He immediately became the everyday first baseman while occasionally yielding time to Ray Velazquez and, more recently, Jayce Dobie.
With UC San Diego this spring, Camacho hit seven home runs and 12 doubles in 45 games, with a .458 on base percentage, .546 slugging percentage, and 1.004 OPS. That hasn’t exactly carried over to the Cape League, as Camacho has just two extra base hits and no home runs.
Camacho has been trying to keep a level head during his up-and-down summer with the Hawks, and he hopes that his current hitting streak is a sign of more power coming from his bat.
“You are facing the best guys in the country, you are going to struggle,” said Camacho. “It is going to happen. It is just about remembering what you did well and what you did not do well and fixing it. It’s baseball, you are going to struggle, but you are also going to do good, [you] just have to ride the wave.”
One thing that has helped Camacho thus far this summer is sticking with what he is doing at the plate, focusing on his swing, and not worrying about what happens as soon as the ball leaves his bat.
“You can only control what you can control,” said Camacho. “You can’t control where the ball goes or if it is going to drop or not. You just have to keep going and whatever happens, happens.”
While his hitting has been streaky at times for the Hawks, his defense has remained steady at first base. He is responsible for 10 assists and has committed just one error in 155.1 innings at first over 18 games in the field.
The stability that Camacho has provided in the infield is something that has not gone unnoticed by Karraker, who recognized the impact that strong defense from a first baseman like Camacho has on an infield.
“Him and Jayce are really good over there,” said Karraker. “A good first baseman makes the rest of the infield elevate a little bit, it gives them some freedom to not be so perfect. Both those guys have done a tremendous job, and Gabe in particular has played really, really good defense all summer.”
With only seven games left in the regular season, every game has an added level of importance, as the Harbor Hawks need as many wins as they can get to secure a playoff spot in a tight race in the West Division.
If Camacho keeps swinging the bat the way he has been lately, it will only lead to good things for the Harbor Hawks in those final seven games as they look to return to the playoffs and make a run at the Cape League championship.
