The vibes are high for the Wareham Gatemen. They have a reliable bullpen, strong bats, good chemistry and a whole crew of gamers who just want to win. They’ve proven they can hold on to an early lead and mount a late-innings comeback, and thanks to their efforts every night, Wareham is 5-2 on the season and second place in the Cape Cod West Division.
Sunday night will see the first meeting between the Gatemen and first-place Hyannis Harbor Hawks; Hyannis is 5-1 with one tie. Whoever walks away with the win will walk away with first place as well.
The Harbor Hawks are coming off a 6-3 win over the Orleans Firebirds in which they scored early and never relinquished their lead. They lead the league in batting average (.293), on-base percentage (.397) and slugging percentage (.405), and have also scored the most runs in the league with 50. Hyannis’ pitching has posted a combined ERA of 1.84 through seven games.
Starting Pitchers
The last time Braeden Sloan (TCU) took the mound for the Gatemen, he allowed just two hits and one run while striking out seven in five innings of work. Sloan found success with both his breaking balls and changeups his last time out, using his offspeed pitch to fool batters late in counts. The lefty’s confidence and dominance on the mound earned him the win against the Cotuit Kettleers, and the Gatemen will look to him for a similar performance against the Harbor Hawks.
Nic McCay (South Dakota State) is set to make his second start for Hyannis. In the right-hander’s first outing against the Brewster Whitecaps, he allowed one run on three hits and struck out five batters while walking three in four innings. The senior has struggled with injury throughout his collegiate career, but posted 25.1 innings of work for the Jackrabbits in 2024. McCay ended the season with an ERA of 6.04 and struck out 26 batters while walking 20.
Players to Watch
The Gatemen haven’t hit a lot of home runs so far this season, but when they do, they’re no-doubters. Jacob Jarrell (Clemson) kept that trend going in his very first at-bat in a Gatemen uniform, launching a pitch high and far over the left field fence in Wareham’s win over Bourne. The catcher made an immediate impact for Wareham, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. During his sophomore season with Clemson, Jarrell hit .289 with 24 RBI and six home runs across 28 games played.
Eli Putnam (Davidson) has been a stable presence at first base for the Gatemen since his arrival on the Cape, and has begun to find his groove at the plate as well. Putnam leads the team with three doubles — a testament to his speed on the basepaths — and is batting .333 through seven games. In his junior year with Davidson, Putnam slashed .352/.456/.679 with 16 doubles and 16 home runs.
Hyannis has a host of threats across its lineup, but one name that stands out is Jon Jon Gazdar (Austin Peay). The middle infielder is playing his second season with the Harbor Hawks after making a name for himself in 2023, slashing .361/.425/.417. Through seven games this summer, Gazdar is batting .440 with two home runs and a league-high 12 RBI.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Spillane Field. The broadcast can be found on Cape League TV.
Top Photo Credit: Jacob Jarrell stands during Wareham's 7-3 win over Bourne, June 22, 2024, at Doran Park. Photo by Keegan Maloney.
