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Peña ‘angling’ for a shot at MLB’s big time   

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In the past several weeks, Fabian Peña has watched a pair of his former Manhattan College baseball teammates begin their journey toward a career as professional baseball players. Former Jaspers’ pitcher Tom Cosgrove was drafted in the 12th round by the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, while shortstop José Carrera signed a free agent deal with the New York Yankees.

Now Peña is taking a significant step toward that same goal as he enjoys a stellar summer season playing in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League as a member of the Chatham Anglers.

And it’s not a league for just anyone.

“It’s a league you play in by invitation only,” said Peña, the Jaspers catcher who just completed his sophomore season. “They reach out to you and your coach, and they base it on how your stats were from the previous year. If they want you, they offer you a full-time contract or a temporary contract, depending on the needs of the team. I got a full contract.”

What sets the Cape Cod Baseball League apart from other summer college leagues is that the CCBL is a collection of some of the finest baseball talent from across the country. On Peña’s Chatham team alone, you’ll find players from such brand-name schools as Louisville, North Carolina, Baylor, Wake Forest, Oklahoma State and more. 

So it’s quite the tip of the cap to one’s baseball talent when the Cape Cod Baseball League comes calling for your services.

“It really is,” Peña said. “It’s pretty much like a high prospects league, guys who have been scouted and are being looked at a lot.”

Peña, who has been named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference First Team in each of his first two seasons with Manhattan while also earning conference rookie of the year his freshman season, said he’s using his experience with Chatham as a means of further polishing his skills in an effort to catch the eye of prospective Major League scouts.

“I just want to keep doing the best that I can defensively and offensively,” said Peña, who’s hitting .317 with a pair of homers and 12 RBIs against some of the finest collegiate pitchers in the country. “I want to put up big numbers and hit for a high average and just keep getting better overall. I just want to keep developing my skills and get ready for next year at school.”

Pena said the CCBL is a magnet for baseball scouts, who number a dozen or more for each game the Anglers play.

“There are a lot of scouts up here,” Peña said. “At every game you might have 10 to 15 scouts, or sometimes more. It depends on the game. They’re all out there checking out the players and taking notes. It’s pretty cool for us to be playing in front of all of them.”

Another element contributing to Peña’s Chatham experience is the diverse roster of players from around the country. He said it’s fun just to pick each other’s brains and learn about each other’s lives away from Cape Cod.

“It’s great to meet players from other schools,” Peña said. “They come from some big schools, and they come here from all over the country. We talk about how our years went at our schools, what your coaches preach, and things like what works for them hitting-wise and defensively. It’s just good to talk baseball and get to know all these other guys.”

And he also finds that many of his “big-school” teammates are interested in what it’s like to play big-time college ball in the biggest of cities.

“I tell them it’s all been so great for me so far,” Peña said. “I only have great things to say about Manhattan College.”

The Cape Cod Baseball League was established in 1885 and has seen hundreds of its former players reach the Majors like the Yankees Thurman Munson, Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio and 2017 Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Bagwell as well as current stars like the Yankees’ Jacoby Ellsbury, Indians reliever Andrew Miller, and a pair of aces in the Astros’ Dallas Keuchel and Boston’s Chris Sale. 

So playing in such a historic league should only help Peña’s career going forward.

“I think playing here is a main place to be seen if you’re going to become a big prospect and get drafted,” Peña said. “You get great exposure here because you’re playing with guys from the highest competitive level in college baseball. You’re facing all the top pitchers here, so if you do well, you can really position yourself for the draft next year. 

“I’ll be eligible for the draft next year so this is a great experience for me. I’m looking forward to the draft. It’s what every player dreams about. It’s something I’ve worked for my whole life.”

Manhattan College, Cape Cod Baseball League, Chatham Anglers, Fabian Pena, MLB, sports, Sean Brennan

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