After his father took him to a Miami Marlins baseball game when he was four years old, Cade Westbrook knew he wanted to one day play Major League Baseball. Westbrook’s inspired path to become one of the top high school players in the area wasn’t one that he took for granted. From when he was a small boy admiring professional players from the stands to now, a future collegiate athlete himself, his dreams, plans, and goals haven’t faltered.
At shortstop, Westbrook can cover a lot of range and has a strong arm. Although he is still aiming to earn a state championship ring during his senior season, his past seasons have been notable. The Knights made it to the semi-finals during his freshman and junior years. Last season, which was his junior season, Westbrook hit .452, had 28 RBIs, and scored 31 runs, including two home runs. He has officially signed to play college baseball at Santa Fe College.
“What has really kept me motivated through the years is just how it makes me feel when I step on the field or take a few swings,” Westbrook said. “I’ve wanted to play on an MLB team since I was a little kid, so that’s what keeps me working every day to get better.”
Many high school athletes dream of playing at the next level, but unfortunately if the work ethic, desire, and grit aren’t there consistently, their odds of moving on are slim to none. However, for Westbrook, that attitude comes naturally. Utilizing each and every day to become a better athlete has simply become a way of life. Once school is over, he goes to baseball practice for a few hours, goes home to eat dinner, hits the gym in the evening, gets his rest, and then starts the process over again the next day.
All of his hard work recently paid off as he officially committed to play baseball at Santa Fe College. Westbrook chose Santa Fe because the coaches seemed enthusiastic about helping Westbrook become a better player. Westbrook hopes to either move on to a Division I school or, if the opportunity arises sooner, to be drafted.
“Even though the recruiting process took a very long time, it felt really good when I finally signed,” Westbrook said. “I had been working for this my entire life and have been wondering where I was going to end up. So making it to the next level, I really felt happy with myself that I worked that hard for something.”
Although collegiate baseball is an exciting new thing on Westbrook’s radar, there’s still high school play left, and he wants to graduate with a championship ring. During Westbrook’s baseball career at Creekside High School, the Knights competed at the state level his freshman and junior years but were knocked out in the semi-final rounds. But according to Westbrook, his team will be making another hard run for the championship title this upcoming season.
“During the offseason we’ve been working together a lot, including conditioning and weights,” Westbrook said. “We just need to execute everything right, and we can’t just have that one bad game. We’ve got to play every game like it’s the last.”
No matter what his senior season holds, or the path his college baseball career takes, Westbrook has the determination to make it to where he wants to be. He has exceptional work ethic and has no problem keeping his eye on the ball, literally and figuratively. It’s safe to say he’s certainly a player to watch.
Sidebar: Westbrook’s hard work has taken him to levels many young men only dream of, but he is quick to list that he has had an excellent support system along the way, including his parents, coaches, friends, and his girlfriend. Westbrook’s older brother, who also played shortstop at Creekside, now plays collegiate baseball at Thomas University and has been a huge inspiration for him.
“I’ve always looked up to him, and I try to learn from him. I go to his games, watch him hit, watch him field. My dad was a really good baseball player too; he played in college. I also look up to Angel Camacho, who plays at Jacksonville University right now. He is my brother’s best friend. When my brother left for college, he took me under his wing, and he is really good at baseball, and he’s worked with me a lot too.”
In the Game Moment:
“Last year I hurt my hamstring in a game, and the trainer told me I’d be out for a few weeks and that I shouldn’t run. But our coach gave me an opportunity in the next game when I was still hurt. We had the bases loaded in the last inning, and he believed in me and said as long as I can put one deep, we can score some runs, and I hit a grand slam. It felt really good because I was bummed that I couldn’t play for a few weeks. I was able to stay focused even though I didn’t think I was going to play.”
NF – Creekside Baseball – February 2017
Cade Westbrook
Written by: Sarah Turner
