All good things must come to an end, but for the Gatemen, their season ended quicker than they would have liked. It was a cool, misty day in Cotuit, and prior to the Gatemen’s arrival, the rain drenched Lowell Park.
Talks of postponement loomed in the air, but the nasty weather stayed away long enough for the game to occur and the Gatemen packed the bus and hit the road.
The Gatemen arrived and took to the field an hour and a half before first pitch. It was a sight the Wareham Gatemen organization had not seen in a while. It was the first time in five years that the Gatemen were in the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs and they were looking to make the most of it, but unfortunately, the end of their road map was here.
The Wareham Gatemen (22-17-1) lost to the Cotuit Kettleers (22-17-1), 7-4, at Lowell Park on Tuesday. The loss eliminated the Gatemen from the 2024 postseason and the game was a thriller from start to finish.
The beginning had both starting pitchers going toe-to-toe. Tate McGuire (Arkansas) and Michael Ebner (USC) started the night by retiring the first three batters in a row. It was the first good start off the mound the Gatemen had in a while as in the past three games, they had allowed 10 combined runs in the first inning alone.
The good start carried over into the next inning, where Nate Earley (Louisville), crushed a ball down the right field line for a home run. Unfortunately, after an umpire conference, the call was overturned controversially and set the Gatemen back. The Ketts then responded with a solo jack of their own by Charles Davalan (Arkansas), which gave Cotuit the first run. From there, Cotuit took control. Nathan Hall (Clemson) hit a three-run homer off Jacob Faulkner's (Princeton) first deal in relief.
Eventually, Cotuit would lead 7-0 before Wareham got on the board. Murf Gray (Fresno State) crossed the plate first for the Gatemen off an RBI single from Sam White (West Virginia). Gray would then hit a two-RBI double in the eighth to bring the Gatemen within four and keep them in the fight.
“We got tremendous, amazing fight, you know. Every day and every game I played out here, the boys never backed down whatever the score was,” Gray said.
It was this fight in the last few innings that made things interesting. In the bottom of the eighth, White made a fantastic play, catching a fly ball in left and making the long throw to home plate to throw out Jarren Advincula (California) at the plate. In the top of the ninth inning, Antonio Jimenez (UCF) blasted a solo home run on the Gatemen’s final strike.
“As I was walking up to the plate, I was praying. I was like, this may be my last one here and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. It was the best feeling in the world knowing that, no matter what the score was, I could make this team fired up even when we’re down and we’re losing,” Jimenez said.
Unfortunately, this late rally was not enough, but the Gatemen’s fight, something that had been there since Day 1, kept them in it and made the game the most competitive of the entire season.
“I mean, that’s just a special group. You don’t always get a group like this every summer. I know they wanted this one bad and it just didn’t go our way, that’s baseball. But it’s a special thing to see these guys proud to wear the ‘W’ and wanted to do it for themselves, their teammates, their coaches and the organization. It says a lot about their character and these guys are going to be extremely successful in life,” Wareham manager Ryan Smyth said.
The 2024 Wareham Gatemen were a special group for everyone involved. From players to coaches, everyone was impacted positively by this group. It was a team, unlike most summerball teams. Instead of being more focused on themselves and thinking about moving on to the next thing, this team bonded so quickly, and their bond made them connected for life.
“It’s just like a family here, like the relationships that I built here with these players, especially the older guys, and learning from them and what they went through in their life and how I can use that with my career and adjust with my situations. I have nothing but love for these players. I will never forget about them for the rest of my life,” Jimenez said.
Making these relationships is very special for the players as they come from all over the country and beyond to play together in a small town most have never heard of. But getting the opportunity to play in the best summerball league in the country is an honor for every player.
“It is a huge thing. To be out here you have to be selected, so I’m just thankful that coach Smyth selected me, you know, God blessed me with this opportunity of being out here, and it’s not easy to get out here. I give all my faith and glory to God and I just thank him for helping me along the way, and it’s been a great summer,” Gray said.
To have the opportunity to play and be a part of this group was special to all the players on the team. Once the playoff game ended, the players took a while to leave the field. They went around to each other, taking pictures, exchanging hugs and just reminiscing on the past two months. Every single one of them will take a piece of Wareham and this team with them in their hearts wherever they go next.
“Just the relationships with these guys, you know, I feel like we’re going to have a lot of text messages and conversations years down the road and I’m super excited to watch a lot of these guys play in their career and their spring season and beyond that,” Smyth said.
Overall, the Gatemen exceeded expectations. After being dead last in the West Division the past few seasons, this team did something that hasn’t been done in Wareham in five years: They made it to the playoffs. They set a new standard to build off into next year and the team has a bright future. Some players will return to the roster next year while others will move on to the next chapter of their careers.
However, for now, it is farewell until next summer. The Wareham Gatemen organization is proud of all of its players, coaches, staff, interns, host families and the Wareham community for everything they have done to contribute to a fantastic and memorable season of Cape Cod baseball. Without them, none of this would be possible. The next stop for the Gatemen is the 2025 season, which will start next June.
Top photo caption: The Wareham Gatemen in a team huddle with batting coach Mike Mobbs prior to Wareham's 7-4 loss at Cotuit on Aug. 6, 2024. Photo by Nate Gardner.
