COLUMN: Catfish take Prospect League by storm in first half

The Cape Catfish close out the first half of the Prospect League season with the inaugural “Battle of the Border” trophy after a series-clinching 4-1 win over the Thrillville Thrillbillies on Sunday in Marion, Illinois.

The Catfish (22-6) got off to a surprising 12-game winning streak to start the season and rode it to a first-place position in the league’s Prairie Land Division. What's even more amazing about this team is some of their main players are guys who have spent their collegiate season on the shelf and are making the most of their summer opportunity.

Starting with Brody Chrisman, who spent his entire freshman season on the bench at Purdue but is thriving in the playing time he’s receiving with the Catfish. He currently leads the team in home runs (5), RBI (38) and is batting .411 with a 1.156 OPS.

“It’s just taking what the game gives you,” Chrisman said. “I thoroughly believe that God has His blessings and just about everything we do. And while it may have been quite a bit of a struggle to not play or not get the opportunity to go into the games during school ball season, I think that was all part of the process. I think that’s ultimately what led me here, what gave me the ability and the drive to want to play every night.”

Jackson native Lane Crowden is in his second season with the Catfish. Last year he hit .302 in 44 games while driving in 24 runs and swiping 15 bases, building up hype leading up to his arrival to Southern Indiana. An injury derailed his spring but he's back and is batting .280 with 12 RBIs in 13 games.

“Having the injury, I’m just now getting back into things,” Crowden said. “I’m taking it one game at a time right now, just trying to find my comfort zone.”

Jude Putz spent his first year redshirting at Arkansas and appeared in only six games this past season after transferring to Florida State. Putz is batting .310 in 14 games.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played,” Putz said. “Once the game starts I just go out there and try to do my thing.

“It makes me so proud and happy to come to the field and play in front of an audience like this,” he added.

Local talent has played a major role in the Catfish's success. In their series-clinching win over the Thrillbilles, Jackson alum Caden Bogenpohl and Notre Dame alum Kam Dohogne combined to throw six scoreless innings. Noah Gadberry, another Notre Dame alum, leads the Catfish with 10 appearances out of the bullpen. Bogenpohl has 15 strikeouts in 11 innings, while only allowing one run in five appearances on the mound.

Alongside Bogenpohl is fellow former Jackson teammate Quinton Borders, who is batting .297 against college pitching after going straight from the MSHSAA Class 6 state tournament to the Prospect League.

“It’s been a good learning experience,” Borders said. “That’s really what I’m trying to do before college. I just want to learn and put it all into my abilities.”

For the local Catfish contingent, there is something to them getting to play in a packed Capaha Field in front of the very people they have played in front of throughout their high school careers.

“It’s so great,” Crowden said. “Getting to play in front of the home crowd, a lot of my friends that I grew up with and my family is such a blessing.”

The Catfish finished the first half with three straight wins, but before that, ran into a rare bout with adversity, suffering four of their six losses consecutively.

"We didn't let it get to us in our hearts," said Catfish catcher Landon Godsey. "Every day we came out here and played our best."

With a trip to the playoffs already at hand, the Catfish can just play loose and enjoy the final month and change. There are only 16 home games left and are worth catching.