Catfish open long homestand with arms that love Capaha

The Cape Catfish begin a stretch of games on Friday in which the team will play four consecutive contests at Capaha Field, and seven of the next eight at home. There are a multitude of good things about this scheduling quirk, none more significant than the Catfish pitchers have proven to be dominant this season, but particularly so at home.

In the previous five games at Capaha Field, Cape (31-13 overall, 9-7 second half) has shut out its opponents four times.

“They bring it every game,” Catfish pitching coach Jason Chavez said of his staff. “Sometimes you fall into having some guys with a lack of confidence, but most of these guys, they are competitive.”

The Catfish arms not only lead the Prospect League in ERA (3.57), but they do so by a large margin.

The Clinton pitching staff ranks second with a 4.48 ERA.

In total, Cape has allowed 148 earned runs in 44 games, which is 26 earned runs better than any other team in the league.

Cape right-handed starter Jorge Romero leads the league in ERA (1.59) and has thrown 34 innings.

Former East Carter High School standout Raymond Ochoa ranks fifth in the Prospect League with a 2.10 ERA over 34 1/3 innings, while Catfish starter Dylan Peck is ninth overall with a 3.40 ERA.

“They are always trying to get after it on the next pitch,” Chavez said. “I always tell them that they have to have a short memory, especially as a pitcher.”

The Catfish pitchers have also proven to be very efficient.

Cape throwers have walked 180 batters, which also is a league-leading number.

“That is me,” Catfish reliever Kam Dohogne said lately of trying to be accurate, more so than throwing fastballs past hitters. “I throw lots of changeups and try to keep the hitters off-balance. Those are my goals whenever I am attacking either a lefty or a righty.

“Always try to have them guessing.”

In 25 2/3 innings, Dohogne has given up just four walks.

The Catfish rotation doesn’t include just guys who can hit the corners.

Cape is just five strikeouts shy of leading the Prospect League in that category, as well.

Ochoa ranks seventh in the league in strikeouts per nine innings (10.75) and is ninth overall with 41 strikeouts.

“If you make a bad pitch,” Chavez said of his philosophy, “you have to move on, or else that pitch that you threw three batters ago is still going to bother you.

“It’s going to compound.”

The Catfish will host Alton (15-29, 6-12) Friday at 6:35 p.m., followed by a pair of games against Normal (22-22, 7-10) on Saturday (6:35 p.m.) and Sunday (4:35 p.m.), while on Monday, Cape will host the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp (18-22, 6-7) at 6:35 p.m.

The Pistol Shrimp feature Southeast Missouri State senior infielder Chance Resetich.