Cold games, hot starts, even early for a band of Erie stars: Callahan, Stephenson, Peck, Jenkins, and a pair of newcomers

The SeaWolves lost some celebrities (McGonigle, Clark, et al) and aren't getting a lot of love heading into 2026. But check out that first series against Lehigh, and ask: Why the shrugs?

John Peck had a couple of weird experiences in the field during Erie’s season-opening series, but the bat was fine, and his manager is hardly worried about an unflappable shortstop’s defense.

Tony Cappuccilli and his Double-A gang from Erie had uncoiled their legs Monday evening after a six-hour bus trip to Bowie, Md.

But between temperatures still in the 40s Tuesday morning and a 15-mph wind whistling across Chesapeake Bay, Cappuccilli was thinking a certain manager had underdressed for the start of a six-game series and Tuesday night’s frost warnings.

But, ah, warmer thoughts prevailed: Cappuccilli could ponder various SeaWolves and their work following a three-game set against Lehigh.

Brett Callahan, for starters: One of the Tigers farm’s rapid-risers started niftily, 5-for-12 in three games, with a pair of homers. Callahan, 24, and a 13^th-rounder in 2023 from St. Joseph’s, also hit a couple of Grapefruit League homers for the big-league squad during spring camp.

That he bats left-handed, can play defense good enough for center field (he and Seth Stephenson do some flip-flopping there), and can run (already, two steals) makes him of deep intrigue for a system that doesn’t have enormous outfield depth.

“He’s had great at-bats,” Cappuccilli said. “It was kind of cool, first pitch (in the Lehigh opener), he hit a homer to right field. Then, a big homer Sunday that put us ahead.

“He’s really tooled-up. He can run, he can throw, he can play defense. He had a big steal of third base late in the game the other day. It’s not surprising, him having a good start.”