Cape Catfish looking to reel in championship of Prospect League

Southeast Missourians love their baseball, and the Cape Catfish have not disappointed this year.

In the first half of the Prospect League season, the Catfish rolled to not only a sizable Prairie Land Division lead but also a percentage-points lead over all other teams, with a blistering 22-6 record.

In the second half of the season, the team has played good baseball but is in second place in the division, which is good enough for second overall in the league, with a mark of 16-11.

Postseason play starts Sunday, and the Catfish will host the Thrillville Thrillbillies from Marion, Illinois, at 6:35 p.m. Sunday at Capaha Park. Gates open at 5 p.m.

If they win, they will play either the Clinton Lumberkings of Clinton, Iowa, or the Quincy Gems of Quincy, Illinois. The winner of that game goes to the league championship series (best of three).

The team has a good mix of local talent -- Jackson's Caden Bogenpohl, Sikeston's Noah Gadberry and Cape Girardeau's Cole Lemons, for example -- and players from around the country who will return to nationally recognized collegiate teams such as Southeast Missouri State University, Missouri State University, University of Southern Mississippi and University of Arkansas.

The team boasts three of the top five for-average batters in the league -- Brody Chrisman (.382), Justin Carinci (.381) and Chris Hall (.362) -- and the league's lowest earned run average pitcher -- Jorge Romero (1.40). The team ranks second in the league in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage. That's a winning combination.

Not only are the Catfish a good team, they play in a beautiful park with a festive atmosphere and have a strong support system that breeds success.

Owners Any and Anissa Patel, president and director Glenn Campbell, general manager/director of baseball operations Mark Hogan, assistant general manager Cindy Gannon, marketing and promotion manager Donna Wheeler and director of ticket sales Eli Campbell all contribute to the team's success in their own way and provide fans a fantastic ballpark experience.

We wish the Catfish well as they head to the postseason, and we are rooting for another overall Prospect League championship, which the team won in 2021.

Want to know more about the team? Visit capecatfish.com or stop by the team's merchandise store, 83 South Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau.