BOURNE – Despite experiencing success the past two springs while pitching at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, AJ Blubaugh still felt like he had something to prove when he joined the Orleans Firebirds. “Even from a young age, I’ve always had a little chip on my shoulder,” said Blubaugh, a 6-foot-3 righty from Belleville, Ohio. “I grew up undersized, so even getting the opportunity to play at Milwaukee wa...

HARWICH – The Harwich Mariners saw seven players leave the team to try out for the Team USA Collegiate National Team two weeks ago. University of Virginia catcher Kyle Teel was the only player of the seven to make the national team, while two other players, third baseman Brock Wilken and left-handed pitcher Jonathan Santucci, recently rejoined the Mariners. Both said the tryouts were an enjoyable experience...

HARWICH – If a panel of judges was grading Eric Reyzelman’s last pitching outing for the Harwich Mariners, there’s no doubt the hard-throwing righty from Louisiana State would have received perfect 10s across the board. Reyzelman capped off his summer by earning the win after striking out 10 batters and allowing just one hit and one run over six innings during the Mariners’ 5-3 win over Yarmouth-Dennis on Thur...

CHATHAM – The cotton candy-colored clouds resting above Veterans Field and the unrelenting fog rolling in from the outfield. The thrill of a towering home run or a comeback victory, and the suffocating agony that lingers in the wake of a crushing defeat. Those are just a few of the sights – and feelings – Dan D’Uva captured while announcing Chatham A’s games during the early 2000s. D’Uva and his childhood f...

HARWICH – Moments after he struck out Brewster shortstop Alex Freeland to end the top half of the fifth inning of Monday’s game at Whitehouse Field, Harwich pitcher Billy Seidl took two steps toward the Mariners’ dugout and clenched his fist by his waist. It was hardly an animated celebration from Seidl, but the subtle fist pump was well deserved for the Wellesley native and right-handed pitcher from Duke who ...

BREWSTER – It can be challenging for Cape League players and coaches to build relationships because every team experiences so much turnover throughout the summer. Some players arrive late from college teams that advanced far in the NCAA tournament, while other players leave early to join USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, to prepare for the MLB Draft, or to take some extra rest before school restarts in ...

CHATHAM – The Chatham Anglers’ opening day starter is heading to the MLB draft after four starts with the team. Carson Whisenhunt, a senior left-handed pitcher from East Carolina University, is a projected first-round selection in the upcoming MLB entry draft on July 17. After missing the entire 2022 college season due to a suspension following a positive PED test, Whisenhunt joined the Anglers to get back int...

CHATHAM – The Ole Miss Rebels and Oklahoma Sooners combined for 19 runs scored during their two-game NCAA College World Series, with the Rebels claiming the national title after outscoring the Sooners 14-5 during the series. That run explosion – a commonality in college baseball – is uncommon in the Cape League while the college players used to aluminum bats adjust to using wooden bats. While the best playe...

HARWICH – The Brewster Whitecaps were on the verge of being held hitless. Then Whitecaps shortstop Alex Freeland did what he does best: hit the ball into a gap. The Harwich Mariners only needed four more outs to throw a combined no-hitter against Brewster on Monday at Whitehouse Field when Freeland collected the Whitecaps’ first hit of the game with a single to rightfield with two outs in the top of the eighth...

CHATHAM — Although Chatham Anglers manager Tom Holliday has only coached shortstop Marcus Brown for 14 games, the connection between the two is much deeper. Their relationship extends far beyond Cape Cod to Stillwater, Okla., where Brown plays college ball for Holliday’s sons, Josh and Matt, at Oklahoma State. The Holliday boys have paved their own baseball paths independent of their father. Josh has coache...

ORLEANS – Travis Honeyman had heard a lot about Cape Cod. In fact, there were times the Long Island native wondered if his Boston College teammates would ever pipe down about the Cape. “I had never been to the Cape in my entire life but all of my teammates from BC that are from Massachusetts would swear by it,” said Honeyman, an outfielder from Massapequa, N.Y. “They’d say it was the best place ever and all...

HARWICH — The Harwich Mariners’ record has hovered around .500 through the first couple weeks of the Cape League season, but the team hasn’t been entirely average. Look no further than Harwich’s pitching staff, which has three hurlers with sub-2.00 earned run averages. Included in that group is Jonathan Santucci, a 6-foot-2 lefty from Duke who has been stellar so far. Santucci, a native of Leominster, is on...