Cape Catfish

The St. Louis Cardinals were to have spent Sunday evening wrapping up a three-game road series against Central Division foe Cincinnati Sunday, but as every baseball fan knows all too well at this point, there is no crying IN baseball, but there is crying ABOUT no baseball due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has engulfed the world.

Southeast Missouri loves its baseball. Cardinal Nation is well represented in Cape Girardeau, as 520 fans gave evidence in Monday’s Cardinals Caravan event at Osage Center. Capaha Field is perhaps busier than it has ever been – hosting the Capahas, the Catfish, Legion and SEMO Conference ball – and of course, the university’s Southeast Missouri Redhawks...

Kerry Robinson bounded into a media room at Cape Girardeau’s Osage Center and went directly to a mother with two small boys in tow. Wearing a St. Louis jersey top with uniform number “0” and sporting a grey tam on his head, the now-team scout worked the room at Cardinals Caravan Monday – making sure every child there got what he or she came for – whether it be an autograph, a handshake or a brief conversation with men who may be future Redbird stars...

The Cape Catfish fell one game shy of winning the 2019 Prospect League championship earlier this week, as they fell to Chillicothe in the final series 2-1 Tuesday at Capaha Field. However, the first-year club was certainly a dominant winner Friday when the Prospect League handed out its annual postseason awards.

Emotions were riding high following the Cape Catfish falling to Chillicothe in Game 3 of the Prospect League Championship Series Tuesday at Capaha Field including those of manager Steve Larkin. “It’s over for now,” Larkin said. “It hurts right now. But after a week, I’ll be ready to be back in that dugout.”

For the thousands of baseball fans that sauntered into Capaha Field this summer to catch a Cape Catfish game (and maybe a foul ball, as well), the specialness of this team existing was in its providing a fun, family-friendly and cost-effective activity for all in southeast Missouri to enjoy without driving a long distance or spending a small fortune.

In some regards, Cape Catfish pitcher Bryan McNeely had a typically solid outing in Tuesday’s Prospect League Championship Series Game 3 against Chillicothe at Capaha Field.

If the Cape Catfish don’t win the 2019 Prospect League championship, they will have no one to blame but themselves. That is because the first-year club has a lot going for it in tonight’s winner-take-all title game.

The Cape Catfish made a trip to Ohio trip a sweet homecoming for manager Steve Larkin. Curtis Washington Jr. and Ellison Hanna II each homered while Austin Williams' solid outing on the mound helped propel the Catfish Saturday to a 6-3 victory over Chillicothe in the opening game of the Prospect League Championship Series at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Coming into the season, the Cape Catfish were looking to get their fins wet as one of three new teams in the Prospect League. Fast forward two and a half months, and they're a whisker away from a championship. Having posted the best record among the 12 teams in the league, the Catfish head into the best-of-three Prospect League Championship Series against a team they are not too familiar...

Cape Catfish manager Steve Larkin has been around baseball practically his entire life. He twice (1992, 1993) played in the NCAA College World Series as a member of the Texas Longhorns. He was drafted in the 10th round by the Texas Rangers in 1994. His brother is none other than former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, a Hall of Fame inductee...

Curtis Washington Jr. and his teammates all were breathing a sigh of relief when his eighth-inning home run cleared the left-field wall Thursday at Capaha Field. With his family present, Washington's spark, as well as a great pitching performance from Bryan McNeely, helped the Catfish to a 5-2 win over DuPage in the West Division Championship Game...

Two Cape Catfish players received honors from Prospect League media Thursday for their performances on the field. The Catfish, who won the West Division and have compiled a Prospect League-record 44 wins in their inaugural season, had pitcher Bryan McNeely and outfielder Andrew Stone named the 2019 Prospect(US) Pitcher and Player of the Year, respectively. ...

With the opportunity to make history, the Cape Catfish stumbled a bit but left no doubt in the end as they split a doubleheader 2-5 and 12-3 at Normal, Illinois, on Monday in front of 708 fans at The Crib. Cape entered the night needing one win to tie the Prospect League record for most wins in a season (43), which was set by Terre Haute in 2008. With the split, the Catfish (43-17) matched that total and can surpass it with a win in Thursday's Divisional Playoff game...

No one knew exactly what to expect when the Cape Catfish leadership organized a team to field for the 2019 Prospect League season.

The Cape Catfish led by as many as four runs early against the Terre Haute REX Sunday at Capaha Field. However, the visitors with four unanswered runs to hand Cape a 7-6 defeat in front of 898 fans to close out its home portion of the regular season.

The Cape Catfish rank second in the Prospect League this season in home runs behind the most prolific power-hitting team in league history (the Quincy Gems), which have amassed 100 home runs this season. However, the Catfish also rank second in total bases in hits, so they are just as capable of beating a team methodically, as opposed to just one swing.

A year ago, the Kokomo (Ind.) Jackrabbits battled their way to the Prospect League Championship Series before falling in two games to The REX out of Terre Haute (Ind.).

The Cape Catfish clinched the Prospect League West Division title Thursday night in emphatic fashion, posting a pair of shutouts in a sweep of Hannibal at Capaha Field. Catfish pitcher Bryan McNeely threw a five-hit shutout in the opener, which Cape won 3-0. Cam Stewart and Julian Pedrouzo then combined for a one-hitter in a 10-0 win in the nightcap...

After clinching a playoff birth in their last game, the Cape Catfish were hoping to inch closer to a division title. However, a six-run inning for Quincy on Thursday prevented any advancement on that front as Cape fell 12-8 at Capaha Field. The loss snapped a five-game win streak...

In their inaugural season, the Cape Catfish became the first team in the Prospect League to clinch a playoff spot. A dual effort by Julian Pedrouza coupled with a vital two-run fifth inning was enough to turn Tuesday's slow start into a 2-0 win over the Hannibal Hoots in the first game of a doubleheader at Capaha Field...

The Cape Catfish hadn’t been back to Capaha Field in 16 days. If Sunday’s rout of Quincy was any indication, the club will never want to leave home again.

After losing for the first time in almost two weeks Friday, the Cape Catfish needed just a day to rebound. Brady Cottom had four hits to lead the way as Cape defeated Springfield 11-9 in seven innings on Saturday at Robin Roberts field.

The Cape Catfish were on the wrong end of a game for the first time in two weeks. A two-run DuPage seventh inning broke a tie and sent Cape to a 4-2 loss Friday in Lisle, Illinois. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Catfish (33-14) as they were stymied by on offense, mustering only two hits in the game...

The Cape Catfish started the last one-third its season the same way it ended the first two-thirds: winning. Andrew Stone led off the game with a home run, and a combined solid pitching effort helped the Catfish blank the Normal CornBelters 6-0 Thursday at the Corn Crib in Normal, Illinois...

The Cape Catfish boast a league-leading 32-13 record as they begin the last one-third of their inaugural season today against the Normal CornBelters in Normal, Illinois. Some of the Cape players already have familiarized themselves with Corn Crib baseball field in the first half of the season and by competing in the Prospect League all-star festivities...

The first half of the season is complete for the Cape Catfish, and the first-year Prospect League team is looking to keep its foot on the pedal in the second half.

So far, things have fallen into place for the Cape Catfish. They sit atop the Prospect League with a 31-13 record, the Catfish have stolen the most bases with 105 leading up to this week’s all-star break and one of the top players in the league has been instrumental in leadership.

The Cape Catfish only have one hitter performing in tonight’s Prospect League Home Run Derby and it isn’t Ellison Hanna II, which doesn’t necessarily sit well with the Indiana State outfielder. After Catfish hitter Andrew Stone was selected to participate in the event tonight at The Corn Crib in Normal, Illinois (7 p.m.), Hanna II felt he and teammate Dalton Doyle were slighted.

Another offensive outburst was the key for Cape to seize control of its latest game. A five-run third inning Friday propelled the Catfish to an 11-1 thrashing of the Hannibal Hoots at Capaha Park. Since losing four straight a week ago, the Catfish have run their winning streak to six games. The Catfish have scored nine or more runs in each of the games, increasing their record to 31-13, best in the Prospect League...

Their previous game may have been rained out, but on Thursday the Cape Catfish unleashed their own storm in the form of home runs. Julian Pedrouzo homered twice to lead the way as Cape hit five long balls in a 9-3 win over Hannibal at Capaha Field. It was the fourth win in a row for the Catfish, who now have the best record in the Prospect League at 30-13...

The Cape Catfish allowed leads of 3-0, 6-2, and 8-2 to evaporate Tuesday at Springfield. However, Cape got timely offense when it absolutely needed it and ultimately won in 12 innings 11-9.

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...