The Redhawks baseball season is over, but for senior Cade McGarrh, the start of what could be a promising future is just beginning.

It’s a journey that began more than a dozen years ago with a play that showed Cade was ahead of his time. 

“He started playing baseball when he was three,” Cade’s dad, Redhawks head baseball coach, Scott McGarrh said. “But when he was five years old, he was playing T-ball. There was a ground ball hit to him and he tagged the runner out, going from second base to third base for the first out. He runs and steps on second base for the second out, then he throws it to Jackson and Jackson catches the ball for the third out. Well, the two of them come running off the field, excited that they turned a triple play at 5-years-old five years old and nobody else knew what that was. And then, the umpire said, Hey son, just wanna let you know that we bat the lineup here. And at 5-years-old, Cade looked at the coach and says “What the crap. That ain’t baseball.”

Fast forward to 2022, and Cade definitely knows baseball. 

Leading the team in batting average, hits, stolen bases, home runs, and earned run average as a pitcher, Cade is currently committed to play baseball at Texas Tech University. But Lubbock might be set aside as McGarrh is an MLB draft prospect, and could be drafted immediately out of high school.

It’s a position many high school baseball players dream of, but seeing Cade in this spot, at this moment, isn’t a surprise to Texas A&M pitcher Rawley Hector. 

“I saw Cade’s potential before I even started playing against him,” Hector said via text. “He’s got the talent and the mindset to be able to handle everything that comes with being a ball player at the next level. I know that either way if he ends up at Tech or getting drafted he will succeed. He’s a great ball player, and an even better person.”

He’s likely to be a tired person too.

Shortly after graduation on May 21, Cade will hit the road for ‘pro-days’, showcasing his skills with professional teams across the country. 

“There’s a lot of draft dates. I’ll get text messages and calls from pro teams inviting me out to pro days where you just go out there and show your stuff,” Cade said. “We’ll have a lot of meetings with my agent and different teams. It’ll start slow, but once summer starts here we’ll pick it up and it’ll take off.” 

Scheduled for July 17-19, the Major League Baseball draft is more than two months away, but between now and then, Cade has a full schedule.

“You’ve got the MLB Combine in July – if that all goes well and my number gets called then we’ll know,” Cade said. “But right now I’ve gotta focus on school and finishing up this year – and taking my talents to Tech. We never know how things might play out.”

Cade has earned a rating of 9.5/10 on his Perfect Game profile, which projects that he will either be a high draft pick or an “Elite level college prospect”. The 6’3”, 165 pound shortstop bats from the left side and throws from the right, averaging a fastball in the high 80s, with an off-speed arsenal as a complement. 

“Cade is a respected player around the district. He is a special kind of player who can take the complexion of a game into his own hands,” Independence HS baseball coach Stacy Largent said via email. “He is a multi-talented player who can hurt you in many ways. He hits for power, hits for average, and is extremely capable of sound bunting.” 

It’s a skill set that has been honed over hundreds upon hundreds of games played. Equipped with athletic skills that saw him play wide receiver for the 10-2 district championship football team, Cade is quick to praise those that helped him along the way. 

“I can’t be more thankful for the coaching staff that I’ve had behind me,” Cade said. “I think they’ve done a great job at allowing me to see my talents and produce on the field as well as anyone.” 

Nobody knows for sure if Cade will get picked in July’s MLB draft, but the McGarrh’s have been told it’s a possibility, and that he could be selected as high as the 6th round.

But no matter what happens, his dad is proud. 

“As a parent, you want what’s best for your kids,” Scott said. “It’s his passion, it’s his dream to play against the very best. I mean, I want it for him. But it’s going to be tough because he also really wants to go to Tech to play baseball. We’ve been all about Texas Tech for many, many, many, many years, but ultimately his ultimate goal is to get drafted and to play professional baseball because that’s the best of the best.”

This story was originally published on Wingspan on May 13, 2022.