For the first time in over a decade, the Harwich Mariners enter the season as the reigning champions. Last year, Harwich won its sixth Cape Cod Baseball League title after beating the Bourne Braves in the championship.
Despite going 2-17 in 19 games during July, field manager Steve Englert saw the fight in his team and knew they could turn the season around.
“ They just came out and competed,” said Englert, who enters his 23rd season leading the Mariners. “It was an enjoyable experience and I knew we had something special going on if we could just get hot.”
The Mariners went 6-2 in the final eight games of the season, finished third in the Eastern Division, and secured a playoff spot. From there, Harwich rode the momentum all the way to the title.
Harwich Reloads
As with every new season, new faces comprise the majority of the roster. The Mariners picked up top talent to lead the team from the onset.
Eric Becker joins the team after starting 50 games at shortstop at Virginia this spring. The rising junior was named to the All-ACC Third Team after leading the Cavaliers in batting average (.368), slugging percentage (.617), and doubles (21).
Tyler Bell decided to head to Kentucky after getting picked in the second round of the 2024 MLB and found success immediately. The shortstop hit .296 with 11 home runs en route to getting named a Freshman All-American.
Evan Dempsey is one of the more unique talents on the team. Not only did he make the All-Atlantic Sun Conference First Team as pitcher thanks to a 1.97 ERA, but he also made the conference’s second team as an outfielder. Dempsey appeared in all 60 of Florida Gulf Coast’s games. He committed just one error and hit .309.
Local stars stay close to home
Two Massachusetts locals will suit up the Mariners. Plymouth native Niko Brini hit .304 at Wofford after transferring from Connecticut. Matt Conte, from Andover, was the 2024 Massachusetts Gatorade of the Year. In his first year at Wake Forest he hit .295.
”Most of these kids that come from New England and Massachusetts, they have an understanding of what the Cape League is and it means a little bit more to them,” Englert said. “But both those kids are great kids and I expect a lot of good things out of them this summer.”
Connecticut residents Harrison Feinberg and Gianni Gambardella will also be making the short drive to the Cape.
Feinberg, from Greenwich, had a breakout season for Northeastern. The redshirt junior led the Huskies in OPS, AVG, home runs, and RBI. He was named the CAA Co-Player of Year while helping his team win the league's championship.
Gambardella has been a mainstay in the Maine Black Bears’ rotation for the last three seasons. He pitched 62.2 innings this spring across 10 starts and finished with a 4.88 ERA.
Four players return from title team
Outfielder Aiden Robbins is one of four players returning from the championship team. The outfielder led the Big East with a .422 batting average and finishing second in the conference with a 1.189 OPS.
After starting Game 1 of last year’s championship, Olin Johnson posted a 3.56 in 30 innings at North Carolina this spring. He returns this summer leading a pitching staff with plenty of explosive arms.
Catcher Macon Winslow and outfielder Bristol Carter round out the quartet of returning Mariners. Winslow helped Duke make it all the way to the Super Regionals during the NCAA Tournament by hitting 9 home runs and tallying a .881 OPS. Meanwhile, the Auburn sophomore hit .243 for the Tigers while stealing 14 bases.
For Englert, having guys who know the grind of the Cape League schedule is a huge boost for the newcomers.
“ It's great because you can lean on them. They can talk about their experience,” Englert said. “ It's good to have some kids that have been here. They know what we want, what we expect out of the players that come up here.”
Strong arms featured across the pitching staff
South Carolina’s Jake McCoy will headline the pitching rotation to begin the season. The lefty made 14 starts for the Gamecocks. He struck out 77 batters in 60 innings.
“Last year (in 2024) he didn't throw a lot, so I, that's why I grabbed him,” Englert said. “A scout in that area knows him and he knew exactly what type of kid we wanted. This kid's a good one.”
Reliever Freddy Rodriguez transferred to the University of Hawaii after two seasons at Cal Poly. The righty made 26 appearances in 2025, posting an ERA of 3.10. Opponents hit just .216 against him.
This summer will be a big jump for Hayden Simmerson. The relief pitcher spent the last two years in Division-II at Catawba. He made the division’s First-Team All-American team after leading the league with 16 saves while making 31 appearances.
2024 Championship rematch set for Opening Day
Harwich opens the season Saturday, June 14th. The Mariners host the Braves at 5:30 p.m. in a rematch of the 2024 championship.
Though it's the same two teams who ended the 2024 season, Englert knows a new season brings a clean slate for every team.
“Every year's different and every team's good down here,” he said. “You’ve got to bring your A-game every single night. It doesn't matter. All the coaches down here do a very good job of getting the best talent in the country to come down here.”
