by Zach Kaplan

Penn State University

July 17, 2018

COTUIT– He’s been one of the quieter guys on the Cotuit roster, serving mainly as a bullpen catcher so far for the Kettleers.

Garrett Wolforth (Dallas Baptist) bats in Tuesday’s 11-3 loss to Harwich.

But while there weren’t too many bright spots in Tuesday’s loss to the Harwich Mariners, Garrett Wolforth was able to finally make his 2018 Cape League debut.

Batting fifth as the designated hitter for Cotuit, the Dallas Baptist product went 0 for 4 at the plate, but will continue to seek his first hit of the season as he gets accustomed to being a part of the everyday lineup in the next few games.

Wolforth is expected to fill in for the absence of Eric Jones (Davidson), who was released on Monday, as he is expected to undergo surgery on an undisclosed injury.

This is Wolforth’s second stint in the Cape League, having previously played for the Bourne Braves in 2016. In 12 games with Bourne, Wolforth had 3 RBI’s for the Braves in only 28 at-bats.

Wolforth is a switch-hitting catcher from Spring, TX, and was drafted out of high school in the 33rd round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians. He hit .239 in 54 games for the Patriots this past season, with six home runs and 31 RBI’s, while slugging .410.

Dillard plays 1B for third straight game

A big part of playing everyday in the Cape League is playing in positions that some players might not be familiar with.

Thomas Dillard (Ole Miss) bats in Tuesday’s 11-3 loss to Harwich at Lowell Park.

That has been the case for Thomas Dillard (Ole Miss) who played his third consecutive game at first base in Tuesday’s loss. Dillard mainly played in the outfield this past season in Oxford, but has also mentioned that he is open to being a catcher for the Rebels next season.

Dillard is batting .261 in 26 games for the Kets so far, with three home runs and 13 RBI’s.

Injuries beginning to mount for Kettleers

As the season wears on, it seems like trainer Craig Moody’s job only seems to get harder as injuries are common-place from the wear-and-tear of the Cape League season. The last couple days have been no different.

Moody and pitching coach Jerry Weinstein both came out to the mound with two outs in the third inning of Tuesday’s loss to Harwich, as Cotuit starter Bryce Bonnin (Arkansas) subsequently left the game with an undisclosed injury. Ryan Smith (Princeton) came on and pitched 3 ⅓ innings in relief.

The Kettleers will head to Harwich on Wednesday in the second leg of the home-and-home series with the Mariners. First pitch from Whitehouse Field is set for 6:30 p.m.