Even though the Wareham Gatemen have only lost three games out of 12 this summer, they’re no strangers to bouncing back. Each of the three Gatemen losses have been by at least seven runs, with the most recent coming Friday night as Wareham fell to Hyannis, 12-5.
Despite the final score, there are still some positives Ryan Smyth and his players can take from the game and use going forward. Wareham never lacked competitiveness, with pitchers volunteering to throw an inning and batters working to put together strong at-bats until the final out. Put simply: the Gatemen want to play.
Saturday gives them the chance to do just that. As they travel to Cotuit to take on the Kettleers for the second time this season, the Gatemen will try to do what they’ve done after their other two losses: start up on a win streak. A three-game stretch after Opening Day and a six-game streak following Wareham’s loss to Bourne prove the Gatemen have what it takes to regroup and come back stronger.
Cotuit certainly will not make it easy for them; with a record of 8-4, the Kettleers are right behind the Gatemen (9-3) in the Cape Cod League West Division. The Kettleers just experienced a six-game win streak of their own and are no doubt looking to get on another one.
The last time Wareham and Cotuit faced off, Wareham won, 4-2, on the backs of pitcher Braeden Sloan’s (TCU) impressive start and Rylan Galvan’s (Texas) first CCBL home run.
Starting pitchers
Sloan will toe the rubber once again against the Kettlers on Saturday evening, making the third start of his Cape League career. The left-hander comes in with a 7.71 ERA across seven innings pitched, with 10 strikeouts and six earned runs to his name. In his last outing, Sloan pitched two innings against the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, giving up five runs and four walks while striking out three batters. He’ll look to replicate his first outing, in which he threw five innings, allowed one run and struck out seven Kettleers, Saturday night.
Cotuit’s Janzen Keisel (Oklahoma State) will share the bump with Sloan, as the right-hander is set to make the first start of the summer. Keisel has only faced four batters so far in his Cape League career, giving up back-to-back base hits and allowing a walk. He was responsible for two runs in Cotuit’s eventual win over Falmouth, skyrocketing his ERA to 54.00. The junior enjoyed a successful college season, posting a 3.37 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 22 walks across 34 2/3 innings pitched. Batters hit an average of .192 against the Cowboy.
Players to watch
Eli Putnam (Davidson) struggled in the field during Wareham’s loss to Hyannis on Friday night, the victim of strange bounces and direct sunlight. He did his best to make up for it at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, a walk and a triple. Putnam is one of six active Gatemen with a batting average over .300; the first baseman is slashing .324/.622/.419. Saturday could be a perfect opportunity for Putnam to fully rebound from his struggles Friday night.
Max Williams (Florida State) arrived in Wareham before Friday’s game after an impressive sophomore season with the Seminoles, playing in 62 out of FSU’s 66 games. He slashed .309/.382/.581 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI, and played a big role in helping the Seminoles reach the NCAA College World Series. Williams is expected to make his long-anticipated Cape Cod Baseball League debut Saturday night.
Cotuit’s lineup will look different from the last time Wareham saw it, as seven Kettleers are currently playing with Team USA. That doesn’t mean all threats are gone, though. The Kettleers retained one of their best bats in Jarren Advincula (Cal), who is batting .441 as the only player in the entire league currently hitting over .400. Advincula is also tied for the league lead in hits with 15. Last time out against the Gatemen, the infielder went 0-for-3 with one strikeout.
Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch. The broadcast can be found on Cape League TV.
Top photo credit: Eli Putnam fist-bumps third base coach Mike Mobbs during Wareham's 12-5 loss to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, June 28, 2024, at Spillane Field. Photo by Keegan Maloney.
