Photo by Holden McBerty (University of Memphis).
Cotuit, Mass. – It’s nearly that time again, just two more days until your 2024 Cotuit Kettleers take the field at Lowell Park against the Harwich Mariners at 5 PM EDT.
Last year, the Kettleers experienced a heart-breaking end to its season in the first round of the playoffs, following a 28-win campaign which is tied for the fourth most in Cotuit history. However, it’s a new year, and once again, the Kettleers are loaded with some of the best college baseball players in the country.
Starting it off, Cotuit returns four massive pieces from its 2023 campaign in Camron Hill (Georgia Tech), Sean Keys (Bucknell), Cam Schuelke (Mississippi State) and Tanner Thach (UNC Wilmington).
Both Hill and Schuelke took home hardware last year, Hill was the Cape Cod Pitcher of the Year, and both were named All-League. As for Keys, he mashed at the plate last year, posting a .333 batting average to go along with four long balls, 17 RBI and seven extra-base hits in 12 games. Thach was also a solid contributor at the plate, batting .260 with three home runs in 17 games.
There are plenty of other talented players who are making their first appearance with the script C. Of those guys, 13 were all-conference performers, three being player of the year in their respective leagues. Max Belyeu (Texas) took home the Big 12 Player of the Year, while Keys did the same for the Patriot League and Thach for the CAA.
Other Notable Names
This year’s team is especially deep on the offensive side of the ball, including some very young, but talented players. Which include PJ Moutzouridis (Cal Berkeley), Jarren Advincula (Cal Berkeley), Grant Jay (Dallas Baptist) and AJ Gracia (Duke).
On the bump, the Kettleers obviously returned Hill and Schuelke which is a major boost. But a few arms that should be on people’s radar this year are Anthony Eyanson (UC San Diego), Merritt Beeker (Ball State), Isaac Lyon (Grand Canyon) and James Ellwanger (Dallas Baptist).
Season Outlook
Following a bittersweet 2023 season, the Ketts will look to dominate in the 77th season of Cotuit baseball. This team is once again loaded with a plethora of big bats at the plate, along with a good pitching staff. There will certainly be a lot of turnover with the Kettleers roster throughout the season, as the same can be said about every team in the league. But, with the depth this team holds, it should be a fun season for the Cotuit Kettleers in its quest to capture title No. 18.
