On Opening Day, the defending champion Braves took down the Chatham Anglers at Doran Park in Bourne, 5-1.

At the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal, a dynasty is brewing. Field Manager Scott Landers’ Braves were born with championships in their DNA. Landers took over in 2022 after longtime manager Harvey Shapiro left and has taken Bourne to new heights winning three championships.

With Chatham in their dinstinct marine blue and Bourne in their victorious reds, the contrasting teams took the field to to officially kick off their 2026 seasons.

With the 2025 Championship banner now raised, the Braves took their opening victory of the season in style. Returning Bourne shortstop and Vanderbilt Commodore, Ryker Waite, opened the scoring after hitting a triple and being driven in and looks to put together another impressive season on the Cape.

Waite played 33 games with Bourne last summer and drove in 17 runs with a .825 OPS. He quickly became a name to remember with Bourne.

Waite is playing with many new faces, but it feels like more of the same for such a tight-knit squad.

“I love being able to communicate with all these guys every day,” Waite said. “There’s so many different personalities, it’s just fun developing relationships for a lifetime.”

Waite is not the only returnee to the Braves, Mark Quatrani is one of several players who played with Bourne in the past. Quatrani and Waite fully understand the weight of the mentorship role they now carry.

“We do a good job of bringing back the guys that have been here through the culture,” Waite said. “This team already clicks on such a high level on and off the field and we’re going to work really well.”

Waite went down early after being hit by a pitch, but the veteran impact was still alive with Quatrani.

“This is one of the most winning programs on the Cape,” Quatrani said. “I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

In the bottom of the third, Quatrani lined up a pitch from Chatham pitcher Gavin Guidry and admired his work as he barrelled it deep over the left field fence.

“Hit it pretty well, didn’t carry too great, but went 380 feet maybe,” Quatrani said.

Quatrani is becoming a master of the tape-measure home run. Quatrani hit 15 with Notre Dame this spring and is showing no signs of stopping with a wood bat on the Cape.

Quatrani played just 11 games with Bourne last summer after starting the season in Falmouth, but has fully bought into Landers’ winning ways.

“We take pride in doing a lot of things right,” Quatrani said. “Getting bunts down, having good at-bats, doing the little things is key.”

Bourne caused chaos on the basepaths scoring their fourth and fifth runs in the fourth and fifth innings when Rustan Rigdon and Cal Sefcik scrambled home after defensive miscues from the Chatham infield.

The Braves gave the Anglers no breathing room as they stifled their offense and let up just two hits after an impressive start from another Bourne returnee Rhys Bowie.

With year-to-year roster turnover commonplace on the Cape League, Landers has managed to sustain his winning formula year after year.

“You’re going to lose some players to the MLB Draft or to Team USA, but a lot of them will be back,” Landers said. “I’m thankful they wanted to be back in Bourne.”

Landers has found success every year with Bourne and looks to bring his fourth championship to Bourne in the last five years.

The winning genes are evident all over Bourne. They are not just crafted on the field. Bourne President Nicole Norkevicius is the first to see the extracurricular work that is needed for success.

“I’ve been President since 2013, we’ve had very little turnover on our board,” Norkevicius said. “The majority of our fans are locals who attend almost all 20 of our home games.”

Bourne's success extends beyond the dugout, relying on a strong network of volunteers, host families and a loyal fanbase.

Although Bourne is becoming synonymous with winning, Norkevicius appreciates the finer parts of the sport.

“It’s not about wins or losses, it’s about improving their crafts,” Norkevicius said. “When they go back to school, they’ll have stronger seasons and really flourish back at school.”

The roster may change every summer, but the expectations in Bourne remain the same. After another Opening Day victory, the Braves appear ready to continue the tradition that has made them one of the Cape League's most successful organizations.

For media inquiries, contact Conor McPherson at conor.mcpherson@icloud.com