It all starts this week! Canes American takes the field on Thursday in Georgia in the PBR National Program Invitational to begin a four-tournament summer where we know we’ll compete for championships.

 

First-year head coach Frankie Everitte and his coaching staff with his assistants Mike Petty and Steve Clabaugh have a 23-man roster chock full of talented pitchers and position players committed to schools across the country.

 

We have a dozen primary position players on the roster this summer, which see us play three tournaments in Georgia and another in Alabama. There are four championships on the line as we play in a pair of events put on by Perfect Game and two more by Prep Baseball Report.

 

Several of the players have been in the Canes organization for a long time, including outfielder Cameron Nelson (Pro5 VA), who will also see some time on the mound as well. Nelson, in his fourth year with the Canes, says he’s looking forward most to being back around his teammates that he’s spent so much time with in the past. Nelson is committed to Wake Forest.

 

“I look forward to seeing some of my returning teammates since this is the only time of the year I get to see them while getting to play the game we all love,” Nelson said. “The Canes have helped me develop as a player in a few different ways. For one, surrounding me with other players that want it just as bad as I do, which ultimately creates a good culture within the program. Not only does it create a good culture, but it also creates a winning culture since we all have the same mindset when it comes to baseball. With all of the relationships I have built with the players and coaches, it will not only make me a better play when I go to college, but it will also make me become a better man in society.”

 

Another long-time outfielder is Brian Scott (Olney, Md./Sherwood), who is also entering his fourth year with the Canes. A Maryland commitment, Scott won a state championship as a high school freshman and then the PG National Select Championship with the Canes the same weekend. 

 

“I look forward to competing against some of the best in the nation,” Scott said. “The Canes have helped me grow as a player through allowing me to face a high level of competition constantly. The Canes have also helped me become a better person through learning important baseball and life lessons through teammates and coaches.”

 

Infielder Bradley Link (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Suncoast Community), who will also see time as a right-handed pitcher, is back with the Canes for his fifth season. Link, a commitment to Richmond, was part of our 13U team that won the BCS Championship and was ranked as the No. 2 travel team in the country. 

 

“I am Looking forward to getting the highest level of exposure possible and playing with and against the best players in the country with the best coaches available. I am also very excited to meet the entire team and be part of the Canes family,” Link said. “I joined the Canes because of the limitless opportunities that come with being a Cane and the national recognition that the name carries. I also wanted to play with a great team and be competitive in every tournament.”

 

One of our important backstops is catcher Brayden Buchanan (Austin, Texas/Vandegrift), who was named MVP in the first tournament of the summer last year. A Baylor commitment, Buchanan is ready to be back with the buddies he’s made over the past summers and meet new players on this year’s team.

 

“I’m excited to play and win a lot of baseball with friends I haven’t seen in months. I love playing with Canes and I can’t wait to have a great summer,” Buchanan said. “Playing with the Canes, you get to compete with the best players from all over the country and that makes you a better player as well. I think playing with Canes is the best way to put yourself amongst the best players you can.”

 

One of our first-year Canes is outfielder Gavin Johnson (Youngsville, N.C./Wayne Country Day), who has made a verbal pledge to play his college baseball at UNC Wilmington. Two of the primary reasons that Johnson wanted to join the Canes is the organization’s reputation, along with the opportunity to grow as a player.

 

“Our team is loaded with guys who can play ball and play the game the right way. Playing on a team with this type of talent and coaching is what summer baseball is all about for me,” Johnson said. “Canes baseball is one of the top organizations in the country and also has some of the best coaches in the country. I wanted to join the organization because it would allow me to grow as a player and person while learning how to play the game the right way. The amount of high-level coaching and players in the organization along with the competition they play against is exactly what I was looking for in an organizational home for the summer.”

 

Infielder Cooper Smith (Prospect, Ky./St. Xavier), committed to Troy, is back for his second season with the Canes. Last year, he was a part of the Canes American team that won the PG National Select Championship beating the Cincy Spikes by a run.

 

“I’m most looking forward to seeing my previous teammates as well as meeting new ones. The tournament I’m most looking forward to is WWBA because of how long the tournament is and how many teams are in it every year,” Smith said. “Playing with Canes has allowed me to gauge where I am as a player and what I need to improve on. Canes has also allowed me to play with the best players from around the country and play some of the best competition that amateur baseball has to offer.”

 

Playing his first summer with the Canes is infielder Noah Murray (Crozet, Va./Miller School), who played with us last fall. A verbal commitment to Duke, Murray is looking forward to being a key part of a talented roster. 

 

“We have a team full of studs and I honestly believe we can win every tournament we’re going to. This is a ridiculously talented squad and I’m really excited to be playing in that environment,” Murray said. “I came to Canes because I knew that they put together incredibly strong teams that will go out to every tournament and compete. I wanted to be around other guys that want to win just as badly as everyone else does, and Canes do a great job of bringing in very talented players that just want to go out there and win.”

 

Our longest-tenured Cane is outfielder and left-handed pitcher Reid Haire (Hudson, N.C./Pro5 Academy), who is committed to play baseball at Georgia Tech. Haire was limited last summer due to injury, but is ready to compete full-go this year. 

 

“I am looking forward to seeing the guys again, spending time with them and the competition.  We have been a very close team. I have played with a lot of them for the past 3-4 years,” Haire said. “I’ve learned a lot about the fundamentals of baseball and how to win. I’ve been able to play with and against some of the best players that has helped me get better.”

 

Also seeing some time with the Canes American squad this summer is infielder Gavin Gallaher (Apex, N.C./Pro5 Academy), who will split time with the National team. Outfielder Javar Williams (Dartmouth, Mass./Tabor Academy) and catcher Braden Connors (Wyckoff, N.J./Bergen Catholic) are also position players who will feature for our American squad. First baseman Amari Allen (Washington, D.C./Sherwood) and infielder Sean Finn (Warrington, Pa./Springside Academy) will also see time on the mound.

 

One of the competitors who will take the mound for us this summer is third-year Canes right-hander Brenden Chanley (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood). A commitment to Duke, Chanley says the coaches have established a winning culture during his time with the Canes.

 

“I have had so many great memories playing with my teammates with the Canes. My greatest memory was the opportunity to get the start in the championship game in the Perfect Game National Select Tournament last year and celebrating with our team after the victory,” Chanley said. “I am looking forward to reuniting with my teammates from the past couple of seasons and meeting the new players joining this year.  We have another strong roster and I am looking forward to getting going.”

 

Our longest-tenured pitcher is right-hander Jackson Hinchliffe (Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson Fair Haven), who is getting ready to start his fourth summer. Hinchliffe, who is currently uncommitted, says his most memorable moment with the Canes was winning the National Select Championship to begin the summer last year. 

 

“It was a great way to kick off the summer. I just remember running onto the field after the last out in the championship and it was the best feeling,” Hinchliffe said. “I’m looking forward to seeing all of my teammates from last year because I haven’t seen them since the summer, and I’m looking forward to meeting my new teammates.”

 

One of several first-year pitchers on the roster this summer is right-hander Nicholas Falla (Coconut Creek, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas), who is currently uncommitted. That should change this summer as he gets ready to compete with a new roster full of teammates.

 

“I’m looking forward to going out to some of the best tournaments in the country this summer and competing. We have such a great caliber team, one that I’ve never experienced before, it’s always fun to compete and win and that’s what I’m most excited for,” Falla said. “Canes is one of the highest-viewed programs in the country, so when I was given the opportunity to play with them this summer, there was not a second thought. As an uncommitted player, I feel there was no better way to help my recruiting process rather than joining Canes American.”

 

Another first-year right-hander is Benjamin Schroeder (Las Vegas, Nev./Faith Lutheran), who is also looking for his future college home. Schroeder said he believes the Canes will “get me where I need to be.”

 

“What I am most looking forward to about this summer is the caliber of teammates and the tournaments we will be playing. I have always played regional tournaments with like one or two kids committed and now the entire team is going to play at the next level and I feel that this will really push me to be the best I can be,” Schroeder said. “Additionally the tournaments are the biggest I have played in ever. We will be playing the best competition nationally and eyes will be on us at all times so it will be super cool. Also the coaches will help do everything they can to promote you and make you better.”

 

One of our first-year left-handers is Gavin Farinha (Hickman, Calif./Turlock Christian Schools), who is looking for his future college baseball home as well. Farinha is coming back from Tommy John surgery and as he shows he’s back to full strength, the offers are sure to come. 

 

“I wanted to join Canes because I see them all over social media of them winning and producing Division I and professional players, and I want to be a part of that,” Farinha said. “I’m excited to be a part of a winning team and something bigger than myself. I constantly see TikToks of kids getting scared of the Canes bus when it pulls up, I want to live up to that this year.”

 

First-year right-hander Erik Rodriguez (Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) is our second uncommitted California kid. He’s looking forward to being around new coaches and teammates as he establishes himself in the eyes of college coaches.

 

“I am very excited to be around new teammates and learn new things. I am also looking forward to traveling this summer,” Rodriguez said. “I wanted to join Canes because I want to play with the best and get myself out there as much as possible. Seeing friends from previous years have this experience makes me want to experience this as well.”

 

Right-hander Cameron Nielson (Holladay, Utah/Cottonwood), who is also going to get the opportunity to swing the bat for us, is back for his second season with the Canes this summer. A commitment to Utah, Nielson threw six no-hit innings last year in the WWBA Championship tournament, which is his most memorable moment with the organization.

 

“Playing with the Canes has given me the opportunity to perform in high leverage situations at times when lots of eyes were on the team,” Nielson said. “It was important for me to take my game far away from home to prove to myself and others that I can compete anywhere with anyone. The Canes gave me those opportunities last summer and shared several of my successes on their huge social media platform. The exposure I received from playing with the Canes led to a lot of conversations with college coaches and several quality Division I offers.”

 

Second-year right-handed pitcher Ryan DeMartin (Asburn, Va./Riverside), a Georgetown commitment, says his most memorable moments with the Canes is hanging out with his teammates.

 

“I’m looking forward to playing WWBA in Atlanta this summer,” DeMartin said. “Canes has helped me by playing against the best competition in the country has made me a better player.”

 

Rounding out the pitching roster for us this summer are a pair of right-handers, Joseph McMannis (Emmitsburg, Md./Catoctin) and Luke Cannon (Kinston, N.C./North Lenoir).