By Laura Amato
It’s all about catching up.
Cardozo graduate Noah Cabrera hasn’t had a perfect freshman season at Towson University in Marlyand, but the hard-hitting former Judges star is making sure to seize every opportunity that’s thrown his way.
“It’s just baseball, day in and day out,” Cabrera said. “We play 56 games a year and have practices every day and we have team lifts three to four times a week. It’s just baseball, baseball, baseball. I love it.”
Cabrera hit a blistering .529 in high school, but finding his swing at the college level has been a work in progress. He’s done his best to make the most of each at-bat, and while he’s not starting consistently, Cabrera has still managed to make his presence known.
The challenge is making sure he’s not letting the game get away from him.
“It’s definitely a lot faster than high school baseball,” Cabrera said. “The pitchers are stronger, smarter and the game is just that much quicker. You just have to get acclimated to it and adjust to every pitch and every pitcher for every game.”
Cabrera had a dominant career at ’Dozo, but he’s not letting his past define him. After all, this is a new challenge and as far as he’s concerned, it’s a brand-new game. Cabrera has new goals in front of him and he understands that whatever he did in a Judges uniform is in the past.
“You definitely try to build off what you’ve done, but I’m always just trying to put bat on ball,” Cabrera said. “It’s a lot harder when you get to this level. It’s just a game of adjustments.”
Cabrera had a handful of college offers — including plenty of Division I interest — but he knew Towson was the perfect fit for him almost as soon as he stepped onto the campus.
It’s a change of pace from Cardozo and playing pickup games in Rego Park, but Cabrera doesn’t have any complaints so far. After all, it’s a lot warmer at Towson.
“The weather is a lot nicer, for sure. And the field’s are a lot better down here, I’ll tell you that much,” he said. “It’s great down here. I love it. The team is a bunch of great guys and I’m just having the time of my life down here.”
In 17 games, Cabrera has recorded 38 at-bats and while he’s the first to admit that it’s been challenging at the plate, he’s just as determined as ever to get better. The experience is key – finding a rhythm at the college game and making sure he’s up to speed when he faces off against some of the top college pitchers in the country.
Cabrera knows the hits will come, the RBIs will increase and the on-base percentage will improve, but right now he’s just focused on getting better and finding his place in the college game.
“I’m trying to come into summer ball in the next few weeks and just do the best I can,” Cabrera said. “I want to put together as many good at-bats as I can and get as many rotations in as I can. I’m getting ready to come in for those few weeks next fall and then get ready for another year here at Towson.”
