The Wareham Gatemen opened the Cape Cod Baseball League 2010 season on Sunday evening with fanfare and a 5-2 victory at Spillane Field over the Cotuit Kettleers.

"It's the beginning of the beginning," said Patty Wylde whose late husband John was the president and general manager of the Gatemen for many years.

The game was the official opening of the league's season, and the only league game played that day, a fact which led ESPN.com to declare it one of the "must-see" baseball events of the summer.

"We're not going to have rain," said Cape Cod League President Judy Scarafile, glancing up at the overcast sky as the first inning began after she had thrown out the ceremonial first pitch.  "We've had three years of rain - it's not going to rain on the Cape Cod League this year."

And it was "standing-room only" in the press box, according to team Secretary and Vice President of Housing/Jobs/Team Outings Sherri Gay.

The ceremonies opened with four recent recruits being sworn-in to the Army.  Randy Mackenzie, Bernard Letourneau, Adam Matos and Ryan Goldie all took the oath on field in the first of several swearing-in ceremonies that will be repeated throughout the season, said U.S. Army Captain James Paul.

Mackenzie, 18, and Letourneau, 19, both of Wareham and recent graduates of Wareham High School, said it was a pretty cool experience and a special way to enter the military.  Mackenzie will be joining the infantry and left for Fort Benning, GA, on Wednesday for basic training. Letourneau will be a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic and will leave in August.

Both said they were "looking forward" to basic training. "We'll be put through the ringer," said Mackenzie.

Also honored were longtime Gatemen supporter Steve Robbins and Phil Strawn, who kept statistics for the team for many years.

Strawn, 77 and in his 51st season of coaching baseball, said that the league has changed a lot since he grew up as a Gatemen fan in Wareham.  It's now "a pitcher's league," he said, and he has noticed that more and more players now come from the East as opposed to years ago when the roster had a majority of players from southern and western schools.

He wouldn't make any firm predictions for the season, however.

"It's too early to tell," he said.  "You always lose some players to Team USA," which begins after the July 4th holiday.

On the field, the Gatemen led all the way, scoring three runs on three hits in the fourth inning, including a two-run double by Nico Rostenhausler of Oklahoma State. Cotuit threatened in the seventh, scoring two against Gatemen pitcher Matt Barnes with an RBI single to left and a bases-loaded passed ball.  But George Springer, a returning outfielder who plays with Barnes at UConn, solidified the win with a two-run homer to left in the eighth.  Sagamore native Keith Bilodeau came in for the save, handing the win to Barnes.

"I'm glad to be back, and we're off to a good start," said Springer after the game.