Gatemen Dazzle, Lead West to All-Star Game Victory

By Kyle Marchak

From left to right - Morgan Peryer, Yohann Dessureault, Reese Chapman, Tony Pluta, Erik Luksis, Tate McGuire, Ryan Smyth, Sam White, and Murf Gray.

FALMOUTH, Mass. — No wins or losses, scowls or boos. Just friends and baseball—and all good news.

The Cape Cod League All-Star Game is where the best players in the premier collegiate summer league come together to showcase their skills.

“It’s baseball in its purest form,” said Wareham manager Ryan Smyth before the game.

With 4,550 fans and a full deck of MLB scouts in attendance, the 33rd annual CCBL All-Star Game took place Saturday at Falmouth’s Guv Fuller Field. And it was Wareham that stole the spotlight. The Gatemen led all West Division teams with seven All-Star selections and added two players to the Home Run Contest—more than any team in the league.

The festivities kicked off at 4 p.m. with the Home Run Contest, where Reese Chapman (Tennessee) and Nate Earley (Louisville) represented Wareham’s power. Chapman blasted one early, but it was Earley who stole the show, launching six home runs in the opening round to advance to the final.

There, Earley faced Ethan Petry (Y-D) and Trent Caraway (Falmouth). Caraway hit just two homers in the final round. Petry followed with five, setting a tough—but reachable—target.

Earley opened his final round with five towering shots. With 30 seconds left and one more needed to win, he called a timeout. That’s when things got fun.

Gatemen All-Stars swarmed Earley like a pit crew—towels, ice, water, even seeds—led by Sam White chanting, “That’s my dark horse!”

Back to the plate, Earley sent a high fly ball down the right-field line. The crowd gasped. “Was that fair?” the emcee asked. With no official scorers, the verdict fell to the crowd—and they cheered it fair, making Earley the champ.

But the East Division dugout contested the call, arguing in favor of Petry.

Earley, ever the competitor, didn’t hesitate:

“I’ll go another round.”

Officials obliged. In a five-swing tiebreaker, Earley came up just short, crowning Petry the 2024 Home Run Contest champion.

Nate Earley (left) with his prize for second in the 2024 CCBL Home Run Contest with Field Manager Ryan Smyth (right)

Still, it was a thrilling prelude to the main event.

“I just wanted to please the crowd,” Earley said. “So why not go again?”

The energy carried into the All-Star Game itself, where the West edged the East, 9–8, and the Gatemen made their presence felt.

Wareham sent four position players: Brendan Summerhill (Arizona), Sam White (West Virginia), Murf Gray (Fresno State), and Yohann Dessureault (Stetson). They also contributed three pitchers: Tate McGuire (Arkansas), Tony Pluta (Arizona), and Jacob Faulkner (Princeton).

The Gatemen hitters combined for three of the West’s nine runs. Gray went 1-for-2 and scored after a second-inning double—off a familiar face in Jake Clemente (Brewster), who Wareham had faced just three days earlier.

“It helped. I saw a cutter up and stuck to my approach,” Gray said.

A windy interview with CCBL All-Star slugger Murf Gray.

White and Dessureault also reached base and scored.

On the mound, Wareham’s arms held steady. McGuire tossed a 1-2-3 sixth. Pluta allowed a run but added a strikeout in the seventh. Faulkner pitched two-thirds of a clean ninth before handing it off to Casey Hintz (Hyannis) to seal the win.

Faulkner, though brief in action, embraced the moment.

“That’s the All-Star Game for you. Every pitcher’s gotta get in,” he said.“I got my two outs. I’m pretty pleased.”

And who wouldn’t be?

On a day that celebrates the future of baseball, Wareham's All-Stars didn’t just show up—they stood out. In a league that has featured names like Mookie Betts and Steven Kwan, maybe some of this year’s stars are next in line.

Here in Wareham, we certainly think so.