On top of practicing and filling their respective roles, that didn’t leave much time to build chemistry prior to taking the field together. In a sport where aspects such as timing, trust and communication are critical for success, that lack of comradery can be an issue as teams look to set the tone.

But so far, that hasn’t been an issue for the Cutters. Through shared passion for the sport, bonding outside of practice and a few familiar pairs, they’ve quickly begun to form that chemistry.

“I think we’ve meshed pretty well early, like the guys get along,” said Crosscutters outfielder Jackson Mayo when discussing the team’s strengths. “I know it’s kind of cliche to say that, but I really do think if we have good chemistry, we’ll have a lot of fun playing with some.”

Mayo has the benefit of getting to play alongside a familiar face in catcher Cole Russo, with the pair consistently facing off as members of rival schools in the American Athletic Conference. Mayo has started at centerfielder for South Florida since his freshman year and Russo has seen a large number of starts in the infield at Central Florida.

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Williamsport Crosscutters manager Ryan Hanigan throws during batting practice before opening night against Mahoning Valley at Bowman Field.

“It’s always good to have someone that you already know, just playing with them in the past,” said Mayo. “It doesn’t really matter who’s on your team and everyone kind of meshes pretty well in a team setting, but it would be fun to play with him and to play with other guys.”

Right-handed pitcher Nick McCollum of Georgia Southwestern State had even greater luck, getting the opportunity to share the Cutters bullpen with Surge teammate, Daniel Barcena. McCollum has been a routine starter for the Surge since his sophomore season, with Barcena seeing consistent appearances as a reliever.

“It’s cool because I played at GSW for five years and then he’s going into his second year, so I get to talk to him a little bit about how my time there went,” said McCollum. “We’re actually living together, so that’s pretty neat. It’s fun coming out here with somebody that you know.”

It’s the same scenario for Millersville pitchers Zack Tukis and Colby Gromlich, who’ve spent the last three seasons within the same bullpen. So much familiarity and prior chemistry gives them a bit of a head start when it comes to building trust and bonds.

The rest of the lineup is a mixed bag, with its 21 members spanning across 11 states, including one Canadian Province. But as Mayo said earlier, the team is still meshing well. From working out at the YMCA to playing golf together, they’ve quickly found ways to relate to each other.

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Jackson Mayo of the Crosscutters takes some cuts during batting practice at Bowman Field on Tuesday.

“It was nice to get out there and be with guys I’ve never been around before, like we’re all from all over the United States,” said McCollum, who went golfing JM Long, Lawson Knight and Alex Clemons earlier this week. “I know a couple guys from Texas now, from Georgia. So, it’s pretty neat.”

As volatile of a league as the MLB Draft League is, players will start to come and go in due time. But if they can build up a foundation of chemistry early, it could extend to the first half’s conclusion. For now, the focus for the players is to continue working with the guys they have around them, improving as a team and building chemistry and trust in whatever ways they can.