Across the country, Collegiate Summer Baseball Leagues dot the map. But if you ask anyone associated with the game, the Cape Cod League is unquestionably the premier destination. It's 'Where the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Tonight', and two Governors were given an invite to compete among the top collegiate players. Senior Jared Carkuff and junior Alex Robles recently sat down with LetsGoPeay.com to discuss their experiences.
An unexpected text leads to unreal experience
Jared Carkuff had high aspirations for the 2015 summer as fans turned their attention to the Major League Baseball Draft. A junior at the time, Carkuff seemed destined to make his dream become a reality. While step one was always helping the team succeed, the thought of playing professional baseball has always been in the back of his mind.
After serving primarily as a relief pitcher throughout his APSU career, the right-hander had developed into a No. 2 arm in the starting rotation, who, on any given day, could pitch a gem. With a solid fastball and wicked slider which makes opposing hitters cringe, scouts from many organizations filled the stands at Raymond C. Hand Park to analyze him.
As the draft notifications appeared with each selection, Carkuff's name was not one of them. For three days, he waited without his lifelong goal occurring. While he couldn't apprehend it at first, Carkuff stayed true to himself. True to his optimistic personality, he focused on the bigger picture.
"It was a shock that sent me back to reality," Carkuff said. "It made me realize I've got more work to do. I know everything happens for a reason and it motivates me to prove they (teams) were wrong."
The news lit a fire inside of him, and Carkuff quickly searched for a destination to pitch over the summer. One day, he got a random text from a scout, asking if he'd like to play in 'The Cape'. As soon as Carkuff heard those words, it was a split-second answer: "Duh!"
The Bell Buckle, Tenn., native quickly packed his bags for Orleans, Mass., a small town of roughly 6,000 residents. The Firebirds, coached by Kelly Nicholson, added Carkuff weeks after the summer season opened up, and he quickly found a home. With former Nationals and Reds pitcher Bill Bray as his pitching coach, Carkuff logged hours of work under his guidance.
Orleans proved to be one of most talented teams in the Cape Cod League, with at least 20 scouts arriving for each game. Carkuff predicts five of his teammates will be drafted next spring.
"The competition you face, one through nine, is everybody else's three or four hole hitter," he said. "Everyone wants to play for the coaches up there, and I think that's the reason why they have so many good players."
As the Firebirds made a push towards the postseason, Carkuff continued making strides on the bump like he had never seen. The progress carried over into the CCBL Playoffs where he pitched three innings, allowing just one run on a pair of hits with three strikeouts.
Carkuff finished the season with a 1-0 record and 4.02 ERA in 12 relief appearances. Even though he would have liked to showcase more consistency, the opportunity of playing in the Cape Cod League will be cherished forever.
"It's an amazing place, and the baseball atmosphere is crazy," he said. "You have the best competition you'll ever meet until you reach the pros. It was the greatest experience of my life, and I'm guessing the reason I didn't get drafted was because God wanted me to be there.
"My main word is unreal. It's hard to explain how awesome it is up there."
Robles humbled, encouraged by Cape Cod stay
Throughout the summer ball season, relationships are made with host families, supporters who care for players like their own kids. These individuals have been loyal to teams such as the Bourne Braves for years, and in that time, have watched exceptional collegiate players become all-stars in the big leagues.
They remember each player and have shared accounts with the future stars who have touched down in the Cape Cod League. Stories of when Mark Teixeira burst onto the scene, or about AJ Pollock hitting bombs before being named to his first All-Star Game this year.
Alex Robles was on the receiving end of recollections such as these. The junior is a true baseball fan, someone who is always wearing MLB gear such as a Yankees shirt or Diamondbacks cap. After learning the history of the league and competing alongside other talented prospects on a daily basis, he feels fortunate to have played at the highest summer ball level.
"I think what makes it different from everyone else is it's so close to everything," Robles said. "The furthest road trip we had was like an hour and 15 minutes, so it's easy to get attached to the whole league as a fan.
"Once you get halfway into the season, you see how great the league really is. On every team, there seems to be three or four guys that are just unreal. I love being able to say I hung around those guys, and it humbles you."
Robles instantly became a cornerstone on the Bourne pitching staff, finishing the summer with a 3.75 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 38 innings. His 1-5 record is a bit deceiving after three bad starts early in the season, but finished strong, including a stretch of allowing just one run in 19 innings.
"I'm happy with my performance," he said. "Obviously, the record wasn't where I wanted it to be, but ERA wise, I thought it was pretty good. It's really challenging (in the Cape) and you learn a lot about yourself."
The Braves had a Govs connection as Joe Lincoln, a former volunteer assistant at Austin Peay, entered his second season as the assistant coach. Robles originally met Lincoln on his recruiting visit, so the two connected well. When Robles hit a couple of rough patches, Lincoln encouraged him to stick to the process and work to improve each day.
Bourne made a late season run to claim a spot in the CCBL semifinals, where Robles took the mound for Game 2 of a best-of-three series. While a no-decision was the end result on his line, his numbers were respectable, tossing six innings of one-run ball.
"It was awesome," Robles said. "The crowd was into it and was really intense. I would compare it to when we pitched here (Clarksville) against teams like Murray State, Morehead State or Tennessee Tech. I love the pressure situations like that."
As Robles counts down to the 2016 season, he is hopeful the teachings from the Cape Cod Leagues translates to success in an Austin Peay uniform.
