Cape Catfish

The Cape Catfish blew open their Prospect League game at Springfield Sunday by scoring six runs in the seventh inning to stretch their lead to 8-2. The problem was that the Sliders answered with a five-run eighth inning. But in the end, the Catfish held on for a 10-8 victory in front of 843 fans.

The Cape Catfish rebounded after losing at home to Quincy by returning the favor on the road. On Friday, the Catfish (26-13) launched three home runs and Ryan Howe again made his presence known all game long as they crushed the Gems on the road 10-4 in Quincy, Illinois.

The first lesson that Mark Wasikowski learned upon being hired at Southeast Missouri State as an assistant baseball coach was that there is value in searching for bass as much as there is baseball talent. Wasikowski was a 20-something coach who had never been to Cape Girardeau in his life, but his first day in town upon being hired by legendary Redhawk coach Mark Hogan began early.

After losing four games in a row, the Cape Catfish recently rebounded to win their next three. The keys to those victories and losses were evident: big hits in the wins and huge innings by their opponents in the defeats.

A familiar and pleasant surprise showed up for the Cape Catfish as their bats were explosive early and often. It didn’t come without some fireworks from the opposition though.

The Cape Catfish snapped a four-game losing streak by sweeping the Hannibel (Ill.) Hoots 8-5 and 6-4 Tuesday in Quincy, Illinois.

First-year Cape Catfish manager Steve Larkin didn’t get too low following his team allowing 11 runs in a loss in its first game in team history to open this season. In the same vein, he didn’t get too high when the Catfish scored 11 runs 24 hours later to grab its first victory.

The Cape Catfish suffered their fourth straight loss Sunday, falling 7-6 to the visiting Hannibal Hoots at Capaha Field. Cape (22-12) scored a run in the first, but Hannibal (10-20) responded with five runs in the second and led the rest of the way...

The Cape Catfish have battled all season. They have endured tough wins and painful losses. Some days it's slow starts and others are fast finishes. On Saturday, the Catfish got started early. Unfortunately, it was a pair of Hannibal (9-20) home runs, coupled with solid pitching that answered Cape's hot start in a 9-5 decision at Capaha Field...

Time. It's something that can't be bought. It can't be stopped, nor can it be duplicated. When building anything solid, it takes time. It won't happen overnight and sometimes frustration can come from it. However, in the 1,440 minutes of each given day, the Cape Catfish have used that time to form a bond that goes beyond baseball. ...

The Cape Catfish come-from-behind bid was all for naught as DuPage scored two runs to upend them 10-9 on Friday in Lisle, Illinois. A day after losing 4-3 to Normal, the Cape Catfish found themselves in another game that came down to the wire. The Catfish (22-10) came to life with three runs in the seventh to briefly take the lead. John Behrands' RBI double brought them within one and Christopher Jordan reached base via an error that scored two runners as Cape reclaimed the lead, 9-8...

The Cape Catfish struck for all three of their runs in the fifth inning in a 4-3 road loss to the Normal (Illinois) CornBelters on Thursday in Normal, Illinois. Andrew Stone accounted for all the Catfish runs with his fifth home run of the season. Stone finished with three of the Catfish's eight hits, going 3-for-5 in raising his season average to .414. His blast, with nobody out, followed a lead-off single by Zane Wallace and walk to Christopher Jordan...

The Cape Catfish played in three games last weekend (two at Capaha Field and one at Quincy) and there was no shortage of fans seeking to watch the best team in the Prospect League’s West Division compete. Those games (Friday through Sunday) drew over 2,000 fans in combined attendance despite the fact that the vast majority of the college-level athletes participating are unknown to the fans paying to watch them. And the Prospect League isn’t alone in this regard.

Bryan McNeely gave himself a belated birthday gift Wednesday by pitching a very impressive game and leading the Cape Catfish to a methodical 7-3 win at Normal in Prospect League action. McNeely celebrated his 19th birthday Sunday, but it had to have been Wednesday’s performance, which really made him happy.

On a hot summer night, fans were searching for any way to cool off, but the Cape Catfish treated them with scorching hits. Dalton Doyle and Ellison Hanna II each homered and pitcher Aaron Hubbell threw another gem on the mound as the Catfish crushed the Normal (Ill.) Cornbelters 9-1 Tuesday at Capaha Field...

It didn’t take long for Cape Catfish third baseman Dalton Doyle to endear himself to this community. In the team’s first home game in club history last month, Doyle “went yard” (i.e. hit a home run) an unbelievable three times in leading Cape to a 9-4 win at Capaha Field.

Coming off his worst outing of the season, Bay Witcher sat down with his coaches and made some changes. During a bullpen session, Witcher started experimenting with different grips, widening his fingers when throwing a four-seam fastball and trying different approaches with a cutter...

It would probably be enough to prevail if scoring eight runs or even seven in an entire game. However, the Cape Catfish did both in single innings Sunday, as it pounded Quincy 19-8 in front of 655 fans at QU Stadium. The Catfish (18-8) exploded for 25 hits, as they scored eight runs in the fourth inning and seven more in the eighth...

There are days when everything falls just right and there are times when it just doesn't. The Cape Catfish endured the latter in their latest game. A massive fourth inning scoring burst, that included a three-run, proved to be the deciding factor as DuPage Pistol Shrimp (13-12) won 8-5, Saturday at Capaha Field...

Call them the "Cardiac" Catfish. On Friday, the hottest team in the Prospect League was involved in yet another wacky, game-ending play. A double play, which ended with a tag out of the game-tying run at home helped the Cape Catfish defeat Springfield (Ill.) 3-2 to complete a three-game sweep at Capaha Field...

Cape and Springfield (Ill.) have had the opportunity this season to get to know each other. The squads added two more "logs on the fire" Thursday in what has become an early-season rivalry. The teams played a doubleheader as part of a make-up for a postponed game last week, and the Catfish came away with a pair of victories...

The Cape Catfish battled back from a six-run deficit Wednesday only to see all that hard work disappear with a late Springfield (Ill.) offensive explosion. The Sliders (8-10) scored seven runs combined in the seventh and eighth innings to turn a tie game into a 14-7 scoreline as the Catfish (14-7) suffered a road defeat...

Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. But what about being good and benefitting from some luck? The Cape Catfish have had a lot of early success this Prospect League season, but in differing ways. Cape has won with quality pitching. It has won with offensive outbursts. And it has also won with walk-off errors, specifically in its two games prior to Tuesday...

For the second time in as many days, the Cape Catfish grabbed a walk-off win over Hannibal thanks to an error. The Catfish scored a run in the ninth to beat the visiting Hoots 4-3 on Sunday at Capaha Field. With two outs, Andrew Keck reached base on a throwing error by Hoots pitcher Matt Ottsen, and Zane Wallace scored from second on the play...

The Cape Catfish were back on the field Saturday as the newest team in the Prospect League continued its solid start to the season with an extra-innings win. Andrew Keck scored the game-winning bunt following an error on a Dalton Doyle bunt, and the Catfish beat the Hannibal Hoots) 5-4 in 10 innings Saturday night at Capaha Field. The win by Cape (11-6) also brought back a familiar tune in the air.

For the second time this week, weather prevented the Cape Catfish from taking the field. Rain and strong winds late Friday afternoon knocked out power throughout much of Cape Girardeau, including Capaha Field, causing the evening game between the Catfish and the Quincy Gems to be postponed...

The first pitch of Tuesday's game made by Cape Catfish pitcher Austin Hicks was a strike, as was the 83rd and final pitch of his evening. In between those two strikes, the Bell City High School graduate underwent the same mental process 81 consecutive times as he did on those aforementioned pitches...

After not playing for a couple of days due to enduring rainouts, the Cape Catfish played sluggish Sunday in dropping a pair of games in a doubleheader at Quincy.

Mother Nature took away the Cape Catfish's chance at revenge Friday. A day after Springfield (Illinois) dealt the Catfish their first home loss of the season, the Catfish led 6-3 over the host Sliders after two innings when play was suspended due to rain...

The Cape Catfish have become quite familiar with the Springfield (Illinois) Sliders. Just last Saturday, the Catfish turned a deficit into a seven-run win, in spite of a rain delay. This time they trailed again, but they could not produce the same comeback magic as before, losing 3-2 Thursday at Capaha Field...

In its previous three games, the Cape Catfish have proven to be indomitable, as it put across 30 runs against its Prospect League foes.

You'll have to forgive Cape Catfish left fielder Ellison Hanna II if he isn't intimidated by having to make an adjustment to Prospect League pitching this summer. After all, this is a guy who made a seismic adjustment in his life as a then-17-year-old, so not hitting breaking balls aren't going to be something he can't overcome...

All of the people invested in the creation of the Cape Catfish baseball squad for its 2019 inaugural season hoped for the club's success this summer, both on and off of the diamond. However, winning at a 70 percent clip right from the opening pitch may have exceeded even the highest of expectations...

The formula for success implemented by the Cape Catfish in the early portion of the 2019 Prospect League season hasn’t been complicated. At times, the Catfish have pounded the livin’ heck out of the ball offensively, while also getting solid pitching, and the result is almost always a positive one.

One day after being slowed on the road and with rain in the forecast for Cape Girardeau, the Cape Catfish were back on the field again to face Springfield. Taylor Pridgen produced a record-setting performance, Ellison Hanna II homered and Austin Hicks was solid on the mound despite a brief storm delay as the Catfish emerged from the damp elements victorious 15-8 over Springfield (Ill.) on Saturday at Capaha Field...

So far in this early season, as the Cape Catfish have swung the bat, success has followed. What has been its calling card in the words of Catfish manager Steve Larkin, “aggressive” at-bats and putting the ball in play to score as they have in its previous three wins.

The past three nights have left a great taste in the mouths of the Cape Catfish. After a sweep of DuPage, the Catfish turned their attention to the Springfield Sliders and remained perfect at home at Capaha Field Thursday with a 6-3 victory. In just seven games, the newest team in the Prospect League has began to gel, currently sitting in first place in the West Division with a 5-2 record...

Cape Catfish manager Steve Larkin didn't sing, but he hummed a tune yet again. It could be a driving force that is helping his team build momentum. "I'm going to make a request for Earth, Wind & Fire," Larkin said with a smile. Just one day after winning their first home game in team history, the Catfish (4-2) were back on the diamond hoping to build on that victory, as well as get to know one another...

A win is a win. Even if Earth, Wind & Fire is playing. "Do you remember the 21st night of September?" As Cape Catfish manager Steve Larkin wrapped up his radio interview Tuesday following his team's 9-4 win over DuPage in Prospect League action, he heard the classic tune "September" over the speakers and was in a singing mood...

You can't fault the DuPage Pistol Shrimp for getting whacked by the Cape Catfish 9-4 on Tuesday at Capaha Field. Sometimes you simply can't mess with the "baseball gods." The Pistol Shrimp entered the night having won four consecutive games, but Tuesday belonged to not just the Catfish, but the entire Cape Girardeau community...

The Cape Catfish haven't had to wait long for its pitching staff to turn in some impressive performances during this Prospect League season. The club also hasn't had to look far to find the talent necessary to do so. Four games into the season, the Catfish have split their four games and aside from an opening-night loss at Quincy, they have gotten a strong pitching outing each game from someone different...

The home-opening game for the Cape Catfish tonight (against DuPage at 6:35 p.m.) is expected to draw 1,000-plus fans to Capaha Field and somewhere amidst that throng, Braden Cox hopes there are some college scouts in need of another arm on their roster...

In the previous two outings, the Cape Catfish had been able to generate 19 runs from its 29 hits and the result was a pair of victories. However, in Sunday’s Prospect League road game at Terre Haute, the hits were still occurring, but bringing those base runners home proved problematic.

The offense is proving early in this Prospect League baseball season not to be an issue for the Cape Catfish.

One night after the Cape Catfish couldn’t put together enough offense to make-up for struggling pitching, the Catfish got enough quality pitching to go with an abundance of offense and fight their way to an 11-6 victory in 11 innings at Quincy Friday.

There are good and bad parts to David Lawson’s job as the pitching coach for the Cape Catfish. He has some talent to work with, as Catfish General Manager Mark Hogan has secured the services of some nice players. However, Lawson hasn’t had the luxury of an extended period of time to prepare his pitchers, nor figure out just what he has at his disposal.

I have only been in Cape Girardeau for a few days, but I am experienced enough to know good people when I interact with them. In my multiple dealings with the Cape Catfish baseball organization, it is nothing but quality people throughout.

There are a lot of new components to the Cape Catfish organization this summer, not the least of which is its actual existence. "The whole thing is brand new," Catfish General Manager Mark Hogan said. The team will open its inaugural season Thursday at Quincy (6:35 p.m.), in advance of its home opener (June 4) at the newly- (and significantly) renovated Capaha Field. The coaching staff is also new to the players and vice versa...

It'll be a season of firsts for the Cape Catfish. Not only is it the inaugural season for the collegiate summer league baseball team, it's the first head coaching job for manager Steve Larkin. The longtime professional player has spent the past three summers coaching in the Prospect League. This time around, he won't be the hitting coach. Instead, he's the headman...

Baseball season is here. The St. Louis Cardinals' season, an unofficial marker of spring for many in Southeast Missouri, is underway. That means summer, and more baseball, is that much closer. There's always been plenty of local baseball in June and July to satisfy area connoisseurs, from the Capahas to legion and Babe Ruth baseball. This summer, add a new team to the mix...