In his first year with the team, Farris' Gatemen club was loaded with talent, and finished the 2001 regular season in first place atop the West Division. The team featured league MVP and CCBL Hall of Famer Matt Murton, and the league batting champ, Eric Reed (.365), who also swiped 22 bags on the season. The Gatemen dominated on the mound as well, boasting the CCBL Outstanding Pitcher Chris Leonard, who posted a 6–0 record with an 0.98 ERA. Ben Crockett, who returned from the 2000 club, was the inaugural winner of the league's Outstanding New England Player Award, recording 74 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA. The Gatemen defeated Bourne in the semi-final playoff series, and went on to face Chatham for the title.