Crosscutters’ Mitch McCabe (right) high fives teammate Jacob Corson (15) during a game at Bowman Field this season.
For an athlete in any sport, repeated injuries can often be the final nail in the coffin. The constant cessation of progress can destroy the confidence of even the most promising athletes as they are forced to repeat the same steps over and over again.
But despite his turbulent career so far, Crosscutters right fielder Mitch McCabe has not let this stop him from pursuing his passion for baseball.
After graduating from Bridgton Academy in 2017, McCabe transferred to Division II Pace University and immediately showed signs of his potential. However, a back injury kept him off the field until spring and a broken arm ended his freshman season before it could even begin.
“The plan was to come back in the spring and practice with the team, then it would be a redshirt year. But when I came back with a broken hand, they said, ‘Don’t make me do it. We’ll start again next fall.'” said McCabe about the 2017-18 season.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow when I was told I wasn’t going to be on the team anymore. Coming back from my sophomore year, I was definitely nervous.”
With his confidence in his throw and a year off from competition, it took him some time to get back to where he was. He saw limited action as a pinch hitter over the next two seasons, appearing in 10 games as a sophomore and five games during the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season.
Still, the setter made the most of those appearances, recording a modest five hits in 17 at-bats during that time. And when he got the chance for a bigger role the following season, that trend continued.
He started 24 times in 2021, a number that should rise to 37 in 2022 and 55 in 2023 as he continues to prove himself.
In three seasons as a consistent performer, McCabe never had a batting average below .329 and flashed the hitter he became with the Cutters, totaling 75 RBIs and 21 home runs in his final two seasons with the team. He made the Northeast-10 All-Conference team in all three seasons and was selected to the first team in 2022.
“It was everything” said McCabe when asked how this success had affected his confidence. “The coaches gave me my chance, and to be able to come in the way I came in – as a walk-on – and leave the way I left – as a two-year captain – was very special.”
He could have transferred to a bigger school, but given the chance to get back on his feet, build trust and chemistry with his coaches and teammates, and earn a master’s degree while finding success on the field, he decided to stay at Pace.
“For me it was child’s play,” said McCabe about the decision. “This was my home.”
The fight continues
Despite improved health and a better understanding of his body, McCabe still struggled with injuries in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to his first summer league appearance in 2022 as part of the Futures Collegiate League, he had been playing with a dislocated acromioclavicular joint and a broken collarbone and decided to take some time off to recover before competing for the Nashua Silver Knights.
When he returned, he couldn’t find his rhythm and finished the season with a batting average of .127 after 18 games.
“The consistency of the season was not really there,” said McCabe. “I played a game, sat out a couple of times and then played another. So I didn’t really have a chance to get going after sitting out a month and a half from the college season. It was a pretty tough adjustment.”
Then he underwent knee surgery after his final season at Pace. After his final college game on May 19, 2023, he wouldn’t touch a bat again until March 2024.
“The opportunities were there, I just couldn’t really take advantage of them because of the time constraints after the knee surgery,” said McCabe.
Luckily, his hitting coach was in touch with Crosscutter manager Ryan Hanigan, which ultimately led to McCabe’s next opportunity. He would transfer to Williamsport for the second half of the season and, like his resurgence at Pace, he would find his feet here again.
In 14 games with the Cutters, he posted a modest .220 batting average in 50 at-bats and was the second-leading hitter for Williamsport behind fellow outfielder Porter Brown. He currently has eight RBIs, four doubles and two home runs, statistics that reflect his success at Pace more than they did during his first summer assignment.
“It was definitely an adjustment, but I hope I can continue to help the team from now on and I would like this to be just the beginning,” said McCabe. “I wasn’t sure if I would be able to play at all after the operation, but the time off showed me how much I missed all of that. I was really happy about this opportunity.”
He is the oldest member of the team, one of only two players born in 1998, but that is not a fact that fazes him. He is happy to still be able to play baseball and, more than anything, remains confident in his abilities.
“After all, I have a master’s degree and a year and a half of professional experience. So if that’s my backbone, then I’m fine. I’m living out a child’s dream, so age doesn’t really matter to me.” expressed McCabe.
“Over the years I have become more and more successful and therefore I do not believe that I have reached my full potential.”
