The Wareham Gatemen are at the top. They’re first place in the Cape League West Division and lead the league in batting average (.294) and slugging percentage (.452). The Gatemen are also at the top of their game mentally; the dugout is overflowing with chemistry and every player has faith that he and his teammates can get the job done.
That belief has powered the Gatemen to a three-game win streak and, coming off of an off day, they’ll look to extend it further.
Tuesday night will see the second game of the season between the Gatemen and the Orleans Firebirds, as the 2-and-6 Firebirds play host at Eldredge Park. In the teams’ last matchup, Wareham won, 5-2, thanks to key performances from starting pitcher Tate McGuire (Arkansas) and Brendan Summerhill (Arizona).
Starting Pitchers
McGuire will toe the rubber once again against the Firebirds Tuesday night, aiming to match — or even improve upon — his previous outing. The righthander threw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, striking out six batters and giving up five hits. Prior to his first outing in the Cape, McGuire had only thrown 1 2/3 innings in college.
“That was a gutsy performance for a kid that hasn’t thrown a whole lot,” manager Ryan Smyth said after McGuire’s outing. “He was efficient, and it was awesome to see. That just gave that kid a lot of confidence for the rest of the summer.”
The Firebirds will send Cody Bowker (Vanderbilt) to the mound to try to set the tone early. In the righthander’s last outing, he came on in relief to pitch three scoreless innings in Orleans’ 2-1 loss to the Chatham Anglers. Bowker also made a relief appearance in the Firebirds’ 9-4 Opening Day loss to Bourne and struck out six batters over 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
The former Georgetown Hoya recently announced his intent to transfer to Vanderbilt. In his sophomore year at Georgetown, Bowker posted a 2.57 ERA across 42 innings of work, as he totaled 47 strikeouts and held opponents to a .206 batting average. The two-way player also batting .250 in 88 plate appearances.
Players to Watch
Murf Gray (Fresno State) is holding the fort down for the Gatemen across the board, as a reliable presence in the hot corner and at the plate. With a batting average of .370, the third baseman leads the Gatemen in hits (10) and RBI (6). He also has the lowest strikeout percentage on the team at .133.
In Wareham’s 11-6 win over Hyannis, Gray went 2-for-5 with three RBI, lacing a two-RBI double in the sixth inning to give Wareham a lead they would never give up. Gray is the kind of player Smyth refers to as a Swiss Army knife; he’s multi-talented and adaptable, and can always be trusted to adjust in-game to take advantage of the situation he’s in.
The Firebirds haven’t had the most consistent offense during their early-season struggles, but J-P Smith (Sacramento State) seems to be finding his rhythm at the plate. Smith hit his first home run of the season in Orleans’ win over Brewster and is batting .231 with a three-game hit streak. In his sophomore season at Sacramento State, the infielder/DH slashed .273/.367/.609 with 22 home runs and 48 RBI.
First pitch for Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Eldredge Park. The game broadcast can be found on Cape League TV.
Top Photo Credit: Bobby Boser "guards the gate" during Wareham's 11-6 win over the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, June 25 2024, at Spillane Field. Photo by Keegan Maloney.
