DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Jackson Mayo and Carter Dorighi of the Crosscutters celebrate after Dorighi scored against the Frederick Keys at Bowman Field during a game earlier this season in the first half of the MLB Draft League.

If you had the chance to attend at least one of Williamsport’s 15 home games through the season’s first half, chances are you saw it come out victorious, especially towards its conclusion.

In winning eight of their last nine games, the Williamsport Crosscutters added to an already historic stint and more than cemented themselves as first-half champions, doing so for the first time in their MLB Draft League era.

When it was all said and done, the team held a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place State College Spikes and were the only team to make it through the first half without accumulating double-digit losses.

It finished 22-8 with a win percentage of .733, the only time a Draft League team has done that throughout the past three seasons. And it did so with success on both sides of the field.

Whenever Bowman Field was fullest, like on opening day and the Fourth of July, Williamsport kicked it up a notch, rarely giving up hits and giving its fans a show. And even on the road, it dropped just one series — its lone series loss of the season.

Stats don’t lie

On the season, the Crosscutters were the best hitting team in the league by far, leading it in runs (196), hits (284), doubles (50), batting average (.273), slugging percentage (.366) and on-base percentage (.394). Those non-percentage stat lines are especially impressive, considering the team played the least games due to cancellations (31).

Shortstop and Seattle Mariners signee Carter Dorighi was as consistent as they come as the team’s leadoff batter, finishing the season ranked first in hits with 41 and fourth in the league in batting average with a .373.

And right behind him in the order was Hughesville graduate Jacob Corson, who led the league in on-base percentage (.588) and ranked second in OPS (1.144), third in batting average (.378) and fourth in slugging percentage (.556). He returns to the team for the second half and should help it out in Dorighi’s absence.

Outside of that pair, Miami Marlins draftee Eric Rataczak ranked fifth in the league in slugging percentage while batting just under a .300. First baseman Riley Nelson saw considerable improvements down the stretch and finished with a batting average of .330. And catchers Zane Becker and McGwire Holbrook joined the team late and immediately delivered from the plate, with Jackson Mayo, Cole Russo and Max Mandler rounding out a stacked order.

Of its 22 wins, 14 occurred when the team scored eight or more runs. Its hitting factored in considerably in its series sweep over Trenton, where it won all three games despite giving up 30 combined runs, one-upping the Thunder with 37.

Following its first series loss to Frederick in mid-June, where it surrendered 33 combined runs through two games, its bullpen saw a seamless resurgence and dominated through the last month of play.

Through its final 18 games, it allowed less than 50 earned runs, good for less than three runs per game and an ERA of 2.64. It was the best pitching team by far throughout that period, dominating in ERA and leading the league in WHIP (1.24) and opposing batting average (.204).

Ace pitcher Zachary Murray, who led the team in wins (6) and ranked third in the league in strikeouts, consistent starter Gavin Perry and Washington Nationals draftee Luke Johnson really stepped up throughout that period, along with relievers such as Dalton Robinson and Alex Clemons.

Overall, the team was incredibly well-rounded and meshed together from the jump. And when it was dealt adversity, that chemistry carried it forward.

Turning point

Half of Williamsport’s losses came within the span of a week in mid-June, a period which saw Mahoning Valley briefly emerge as the MLB Draft League’s top dog. That marked a potential turning point for the team, as it went from 6-1 and 8-5.

With an upcoming four-game series against Mahoning Valley, one that would decide who retained the No. 1 spot, Williamsport got it together and never looked back. It swept the Scrappers, shut them out twice. Then, it kept the tear going.

From June 20 until the season’s conclusion, it went 14-3 and outscored its opponents 109-49 in the process. By the time the half had wrapped up, that 8-5 record was a distant memory.

In first-year stints for manager Ryan Hanigan and hitting coach Kenny Thomas and a second-year one for pitching coach Anthony Markle, the team put forth arguably the best first half in MLB Draft League history, certainly in terms of balance and consistency.

It was a half to remember for the organization, which saw ten Crosscutters – from this season and prior – get drafted and multiple guys get signed in free agency afterwards. They head into the second one with multiple key pieces from the run, including Murray, Corson and Holbrook, and a coaching staff that’s quickly adapted to the league.