This year was a season to remember for Farragut (Tenn.) baseball.
The Admirals have built one of the best programs in high school baseball and had one of the best teams in America this year. Finishing 40-5, Farragut won 23-consecutive ball games to close the season and took home the Class 4A state championship.
Right in the thick of things was RHP Cade O’Leary, a transfer from Pennsylvania that entered the mix right on time.
“I definitely went into it thinking we’d be pretty good but we exceeded expectations,” O’Leary said of his senior year. “There was a stretch where we run-ruled 13 of 15 teams. We would get behind two runs and then score 15. We had a really tough lineup and deep pitching staff. It was a great experience and definitely one I will never forget.”
Before his senior year, O’Leary committed to Mississippi State and has been locked in with the Diamond Dawgs ever since.
Despite consecutive years where the Bulldogs struggled on the mound, O’Leary was confidence things were turning around with new pitching coach Justin Parker and he was on the money.
State went from last in the SEC in ERA to 12 in the country and are on the verge of having two of the weekend starters selected in the MLB Draft next month in Jurrangelo Cijtnje and Khal Stephen.
“I think coach Parker was great this year. To see how he interacted with the pitchers behind the scenes was really eye-opening,” O’Leary said. “I’m really excited to get to work with him. He turned the season around, but he’s also a great guy.
“Coach Lemonis was the biggest reason that I wanted to come here. I knew he was going to make the right decision on a pitching coach and that’s been a perfect fit.”
Parker will have a lot to work with when O’Leary gets to campus. The 6’4, 185-pounder started the offseason with an ulnar nerve surgery and then hit his stride by the middle of the season.
With a healthy arm, O’Leary was throwing a low-to-mid 90’s fastball that topped out at 97. He mixed in a changeup and a curveball to keep hitters off balanced and it helped his team all the way to the championship win.
His production also put him on the MLB Draft’s radar. In fact, O’Leary earned an invite to the MLB Draft Combine earlier this month and performed well in front of scouts.
“It was a great experience. Being out there and getting all of the gear and stuff, you’re just thinking to yourself that this is a dream come true. Every kid’s dream is to be on a stage like that. It was really cool to see yourself in that environment,” O’Leary said.
“I pitched in a game and felt like I did pretty well for myself competing against some of the best high schoolers in the game. Going out there against some of the best hitters I learned a lot.”
This time next month, O’Leary will likely know for sure if he will be in maroon and white next season or if he will be starting his professional career.
That decision hasn’t been formally made to this point for O’Leary, but he has a way that he’s leaning unless something changes in mid-July.
“I’m keeping all of my options open, but I’ve been feeling that school is the front runner and that’s why I picked Mississippi State,” O’Leary said. “If pro ball isn’t right for me right now, this is the best fit. There could be some possibility to go pro, but I’m looking forward to coming to school if it doesn’t happen.”
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