YARMOUTH, Mass. – It’s early afternoon in late July on Cape Cod. Senior Terrence Dayleg and junior J.B. Paxson get off the team school bus with the rest of the Harwich Mariners, a Cape Cod Baseball League summer team.
Paxson gets out the back emergency door wearing a generous five o’clock shadow. Dayleg slings his bag over his shoulder and laughs with a few teammates before making it to the dugout.
Both players are in the league thanks to Western coach Chris Finwood.
“Finwood brings a different breed of baseball that Western Kentucky hasn’t seen,” Paxson said. “This is just one of the many pieces of the puzzle that he allows to get that advantage.”
The Cape League has a small town feel that meets the movie, “Field Of Dreams.”
At Red Wilson Field in Yarmouth, a few sets of bleachers are scattered behind the backstop. Fans attend the games for free but are asked for a donation at the door. A majority bring lawn chairs and set up camp where they feel most comfortable.
It’s all part of the tradition that is baseball on the Cape. Another part of the game is the quality in players that come each summer.
“I did my research,” Dayleg said. “I realized it’s a good pitchers’ league and the (batting) averages are much lower than in the college game. All the pitching is phenomenal.”
With the quality of play, both players have had to make adjustments.
“I have to get my foot down faster because the pitching is harder,” Dayleg said.
Paxson said he feels like there have been many steps taken to put the Toppers back in the right direction and he and Dayleg playing in the Cape League is just one of them.
“If you look at what we did last year in conference going 15-15,” Paxson said. “And yet I can probably count on both hands and not even need all my toes to count how many times we blew leads late.”
In 75 at bats, Paxson batted .093, while Dayleg hit .121 in 58 at bats.
“Terrence and I haven’t had the best summer up here,” Paxson said. “I can tell you though that I think it’s going to be beneficial going back to Western, seeing how the guys go about the game.”
Paxson was awarded the sportsmanship award by the Mariners.
“That’s a great honor that has everything to do with attitude,” Finwood said. “It says something about the quality of kids we have in the program.”
Harwich coach Steve Englert also thought highly of Paxson and Dayleg.
“You couldn’t ask for two better kids to have up here,” Englert said. “They want to win, they compete, they’re great teammates and they’re enjoyable to have around the dugout.”
Both players believe they’re bringing back something to the Toppers that is more than a newfound love for lobster rolls and New England clam chowder.
“Leadership,” Dayleg said. “Here you get all the best players in the country and they all carry that leadership role. You learn a lot from other players being up here.”
Paxson agrees.
“Hopefully this allows us to be better leaders and translate that into being a better baseball team next year,” Paxson said.
Reach Andrew Robinson at andrew.robinson615@wku.edu.
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