In game one of the Hyannis Harbor Hawks 2025 season, Eddie Copper allowed one run in the ninth inning against the Wareham Gatemen but closed the door on a 7-2 win for the Harbor Hawks.
In game 39 of the summer, he toed the rubber as a starting pitcher against the Orleans Firebirds. Although Hyannis lost, 7-6, in heartbreaking fashion, Copper was not to blame for the defeat.
Copper, making his fourth start, pitched 4 2/3 strong innings for the Hawks, allowing one earned run on five hits. He only struck out two Orleans hitters, but the most important stat was the zero walks he allowed.
Free passes have been an issue for Hyannis pitching all summer, and Copper was the only Hawks pitcher to walk zero Firebirds on the day.
Despite the loss, Hyannis manager Mitch Karraker was impressed by what he saw from the Charlotte University commit on the mound.
“He did not have his changeup today, but the fastball and breaking ball [were] really good,” Karraker said. “He was able to make some big pitches and attack the strike zone, [he] did a really nice job.”
Copper struggled to start the summer as a reliever for the Hawks. Making his return to the mound after having surgery that caused him to miss the entire spring for the University of South Carolina, Copper’s ERA was a ghastly 11.57 when he moved into the starting rotation July 13 against the Cotuit Kettleers.
In his first start, he allowed three runs in four innings against Cotuit, walking one hitter and striking three. Getting the start against a tough Brewster Whitecaps team right after the short All-Star break, he gave up two runs in 3 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out four.
Against the Gatemen on July 27, Copper threw four shutout innings and struck out five Wareham hitters. Against Orleans, it was 4 2/3 innings with one earned run. That has resulted in his ERA dropping to 5.79 in 23 1/3 innings pitched.
Copper was pleased with how his fastball played in his start against Orleans.
“I threw a lot of heaters today,” Copper said. “That was definitely the focal point today. Get ahead with the heater and stick with the heater.”
The biggest part of the resurgence Copper has experienced on the mound has been increased command. He’s walked six hitters in 16 1/3 innings as a starter as opposed to five in seven innings as a reliever. He attributed that to getting innings under his belt returning from surgery.
“[My] control has been a little shaky, especially my first couple outings because I was coming back from surgery. I think I have gotten it back,” Copper said.
As for the improvements he has made from start to start, Copper has tried to attack hitters more frequently early in at-bats.
“Last start [against Wareham], I threw 71 pitches in four innings,” Copper said. “Today, I really wanted to try and get further into the game. I wanted to try to get to the fifth or sixth. [I] threw 52 pitches through 4.2, so I thought I was accomplishing that. I wanted to get outs earlier in counts and limit walks and limit those long at-bats.”
Copper has begun to look like the pitcher he was at South Carolina in 2024, when he had a 4.56 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 23 2/3 innings for the Gamecocks, spread across seven starts and one relief appearance. If Hyannis qualifies for the playoffs, he has made his case to start behind Carson Jasa and Max Stammel.
First, the Harbor Hawks will have to punch their ticket to the postseason. It all comes down to Sunday evening, the final day of the regular season. A Hyannis victory against Wareham or a Falmouth Commodores loss to Cotuit will officially secure a playoff berth for the Harbor Hawks.
Michael Najarian can be reached at mikenajarian379@gmail.com and on X @MichaelNaj3.
