Baseball is already a hectic sport with a multitude of mound visits and the pitcher and batter substitution chess. So, why not throw a third team into the mix?

That’s exactly what happened at Spillane Field on Thursday as Wareham, Brewster, and Bourne came together for three hours of reps and rotations through every aspect of baseball ahead of Cape Cod Baseball League Opening Day tomorrow. Batters were put on first base regardless of the result at the plate. Pitchers were thrust into different types of situations, all designed as tests with each team’s coaching staff evaluating behind the netted screen. The Gatemen stuck to their strict rotation of pitchers and positional players throughout the night, but some standout moments and players shined through.

Wareham’s defense looks ready for CCBL action

The Gatemen’s roster is made up of players whose college seasons ended at different times. Some were just eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, while others have been resting since early May. Some miscuses were expected, but Wareham held a clean defensive performance last night. The Gatemen turned multiple double play balls and adjusted to the field well on ground balls. Although this was Wareham’s only preseason contest, it looked like a cohesive defensive unit.

Gatemen arms shone against two top-tier franchises

Wareham’s excitement coming into 2026 has centered from its bats: stars Chris Ramirez, Caden McDonald, and Levi Clark are just a few of the six positional returners. Recent Kentucky commit Logan Hastings tossed a strong combo of fastballs and off-speed pitches which resulted in back-to-back strikeouts to finish his appearance. Arkansas sophomore Mark Brissey pounded the strike zone, and displayed a strong glove with his successful fielding of a ground ball: He called off the catcher and made a strong throw to first. The Gatemen’s pitching staff made manager Ryan Smyth’s Opening Day starter a difficult one.

Wareham will attack pitchers this summer

The Gatemen swung at the first pitch for a majority of the night, and were successful. Opposing pitchers threw challenge pitches early in the count and Wareham hitters didn’t shy away from setting the tone. While the Gatemen drew multiple walks during the scrimmage, they put themselves in a position to succeed early in counts. Even hard fouls on the first pitch can rattle a pitcher and therefore gain an advantage. Base runners turn into run scorers, and Wareham for its aggressive approach.

Gatemen returner Drew Rogers stars in the batter’s box and behind the plate

After 12 strong games with Wareham last summer, the coaching staff may have had Rogers penciled in for a major role in 2026. He made an even stronger case with yesterday’s performance: five strong innings behind the dish with five different pitchers and a hard line drive into left field between the shortstop and third baseman. The cherry on top? He set the tone defensively early in the scrimmage by tossing out a Brewster runner at second. Rogers combines with Clark for a highly-anticipated veteran catcher room.

Wareham’s depth was on full display

It didn't matter whether a player was a returner or newcomer: Wareham’s entire roster was in tight competition with two premier CCBL franchises in Brewster and Bourne. Usual starting pitchers executed in their relief appearance. Power hitters adjusted their approach and knocked line drives in order to get on base. The defense looked calm under the scrimmage’s automatic base runner rule. Players will shuffle through all summer, putting a heavy load on the top-to-bottom depth rather than a few star players. Facing a 22-win club last summer and the reigning CCBL champions, the Gatemen looked more than ready for the challenge.

While Wareham showed out in Thursday's scrimmage, the real test of regular season baseball begins tomorrow in Cotuit at 4:30. The 40-game regular season grind towards earning a third-straight playoff bid begins just hours from now.