After a preseason workout at Eldredge Park, Orleans Firebirds manager Kelly Nicholson sat down and talked about the group of assistant coaches that would be joining him this summer. “We have Jay Banfield, our mental skills guy and team-building coach,” Nicholson said after rattling off a few notes about other members of his coaching staff. “He also played in the World Series of Poker. He’s really like the worl...

HARWICH – Brock Wilken knew the Cape Cod Baseball League attracted some of the nation’s top college baseball players. He just didn’t know how good the nation’s top college baseball players would be. “I knew the talent up here was good, but I didn’t really grasp how good it could be,” Wilken said after Monday’s 5-3 victory over the Wareham Gatemen, a game in which the 6-foot-4 slugger from Valrico, Fla., finish...

ORLEANS – A slight smirk appeared on Kelly Nicholson’s face as the longtime Orleans manager discussed the future of Jonathan Cannon, a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher from the University of Georgia who on Sunday made what will likely be his last appearance for the Firebirds. “He’s welcome back if the draft doesn’t go well,” said Nicholson. “He’s more than welcome back, but we’ll just have to wait and see.” Ca...

Eric Zmuda was riding high in early 2020. It was for good reason, too. He had completed the 2019 summer — the first in which he served as Cape Cod Baseball League commissioner — and was gearing up for a second season he anticipated would run even more smoothly than his first. “Going into year two as a commissioner was pretty exciting,” Zmuda said. “Year one was a good success with all 10 organizations. I ha...

BUZZARDS BAY – The Chatham Anglers were one out away from achieving a feat no other Cape Cod Baseball League team has been able to accomplish this summer: defeating the Bourne Braves. Chatham overcame an early deficit Monday night to garner a one-run lead in the top of the fifth inning and preserved it until the final out of the bottom of the ninth. That’s when Bourne pinch-hitter Braylen Wimmer (South Carolin...

Kevin Curtin grew up in a baseball family. His grandfather, Barney, pitched at Boston College and then coached Somerville High School for 17 years. His Somerville teams won four Eastern Mass. championships and three state titles during his tenure. Then there was Curtin’s dad, Jim, one of the most successful high school coaches the state has ever seen. He coached Burlington High School for 52 years, and his tea...

ABINGTON – Even in defeat, the fifth-seeded Monomoy Regional High School softball team left Abington with heads held high after suffering a 7-2 loss to fourth-seeded Abington on June 23 in the Division 3 South sectional quarterfinals. There were plenty of reasons for the Sharks to be proud of their season, most notably the way they dominated the Cape and Islands League with such a young roster. Although the te...

CHATHAM – It doesn’t matter if you have been around the game of baseball your entire life. Perhaps you played for years or coached for decades or have attended hundreds of games over the years. It doesn’t matter if you are a lifelong baseball disciple or a casual fan, there are many unknown wrinkles of the game that are waiting to be discovered. Those in attendance at the Chatham Anglers’ home opener against t...

ORLEANS – The chairs started being placed on the hill overlooking Eldredge Park on Friday. Melanie Amerault and her son Ryan, year-round residents of Orleans, wanted to make sure their preferred spot was secure well before their beloved Orleans Firebirds returned to the field for their season opener against the Harwich Mariners two days later. “It fills up fast,” said the mother minutes after she and her son, ...

HANOVER – The Monomoy girls lacrosse team knew there was a chance it might run into a juggernaut. That is often the reality for Cape Cod high school teams when they cross the canal to play an off-Cape team come playoff time. No. 9 Monomoy suffered a 21-6 loss to eighth-seeded Hanover on Friday when the Sharks visited the Hawks in the first round of the Division 2 South sectional tournament. Monomoy finished it...

EAST BRIDGEWATER — What many expected to be a monumental day for the Monomoy Regional High School’s girls golf program ultimately turned out to be a bittersweet ending to a historic season. After posting a 12-0 record and capturing the Cape and Islands League title, the Sharks headed into the postseason as one of the state’s top teams to watch. A big part of Monomoy’s success has been because of Jennie Grogan,...

The wait is down to the last couple days. For the first time since Aug. 9, 2019, when the Cotuit Kettleers defeated the Harwich Mariners 10-3 to capture the Cape Cod Baseball League title, the top collegiate summer baseball league in the nation will return this weekend after the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. There will be a full slate of opening day games on Sunday, with all 10 of the league’s team...