With 10 games remaining in the 2025 season, the Cotuit Kettleers are in an unfamiliar spot, outside and looking into the postseason. It’s been an up-and-down summer for the Ketts, who are typically among the top teams in the CCBL.
However, if you can sneak into the playoffs, that’s all that matters. Cotuit is 0.5 games out of getting a seat at the table, and the message from first-year manager Loren Hibbs is simple: show up ready to go and focus on going 1-0 every day.
“It’s like Thursday is what we’re most concerned about. We’ll prep for it, do our pregame work and scouting like usual,” Hibbs said. “We’re working and doing a lot of stuff behind the scenes that we don’t put out there in the public; that’s how it should be. It’s always about the players, but I also think our coaches have done a good job. We’re going to continue helping these guys.”
Three games separate first and last place in a crowded West Division, so Cotuit needs all hands on deck to achieve its goals of making a postseason run. This week especially is essential and could make or break its season.
Cotuit already beat Falmouth to make up ground in the standings, but plays Hyannis, Wareham, Bourne and Brewster to finish the week. If the Kettleers perform well, they could sit near the top of the West or be virtually eliminated from the playoffs.
While that could put immense pressure on the team, they’re determined to focus on the next game instead of looking down the line.
“We got another day off on Wednesday, which was good for our bodies. But you know, just showing up every day and being ready to work and compete like we can is key,” outfielder Caden Bogenpohl said. “I’m excited for the last 10 games. We’re ready to go.”
The Kettleers’ offense has shown to be one of the best in the league at times, but pitching makes all the difference.
Over the last month, Cotuit’s pitching staff is No. 1 in the CCBL for ERA, WHIP and hits given up while sitting top three in nearly everything else.
If Cotuit can keep getting that production while being efficient offensively, it'll be a tough team to beat. But like Hibbs and Bogenpohl said, they’re focused on winning the next day.
The last two weeks of the season will be vital to every team, especially the Ketts, who are trying to overcome a 3-9-1 start to the summer.
It may seem silly to point back to the first half of a 40-game season, but every game matters in a league like the CCBL where there typically isn’t a wide talent gap. Cotuit hurt itself starting the campaign like that, but this is a different ballclub, one that’s posted the third-best record in July.
The final stretch is always interesting, with teams holding together what’s left of a depleted and exhausted roster. Whoever handles their business the best is usually the one who comes out on top.
It’s unclear who that team is right now, but that’s what Hibbs wants to see out of his players to finish what's been a competitive season.
They'll begin the final quarter on Thursday against the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. First pitch from Lowell Park is at 4:30 p.m.
