Drew Cavanaugh came to Eastern Florida State College with a dream of playing professional baseball.
On Friday, June 26, that dream was realized as Cavanaugh was the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants. The Rochester Hills, Massachusetts native has been with the Giants ever since, hitting .262 in his first 19 games.
“Being at Eastern Florida State College was a huge part, playing in that conference. It is very good competition. Being exposed to that right out of high school was amazing,” Cavanaugh said before a recent game. “Coach (Jason) Arnold and coach (Steven) Brown are two fantastic coaches that helped me prepare for the next level. They were a huge part of that. The environment was just awesome; it was a great place to be able to put the work in. Being in the beautiful city of Melbourne and having some fun was awesome.”
Cavanaugh played 23 games as a freshman at EFSC in 2021, struggling at the plate. But that made him work harder in the offseason and came back even stronger in his sophomore season.
“My freshman season did not end the way that I wanted it to,” Cavanaugh said. “So, I took that into my offseason work with a goal to be the best player I could be and not force anything.”
That work paid off. Cavanaugh was one of the leaders on the 2022 team, hitting .314 in 37 games with eight home runs. His defense was even better, as he finished with 257 putouts for a 1.000 fielding percentage and threw out 22 runners, winning the NJCAA Division I Baseball ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. He was also named the NJCAA Division I co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Playing for the San Francisco Giants
That season propelled him to a scholarship with Florida Southern University in Lakeland. There, he excelled with a .316 batting average and hit a team-high 12 home runs in his lone season.
Ultimately, Cavanaugh would be drafted in the 17th round by the San Francisco Giants and went right to work once again.
Then, while in Triple A, he was getting ready for a game when the manager, Dave Brundage came up to him and said those magical words.
“I was scheduled to catch that night. Brundage came over and said ‘Drew, you are going to the big leagues and looks like you are going to catch,’” Cavanaugh said. “There were all sorts of emotions that came over me. I really didn’t expect it. But when he told me, what a feeling!”
Now that he’s made it, Cavanaugh plans to work as hard as he can to stay in Major League Baseball.
“The best part so far is getting to know these pitchers and getting to game plan with them. I love the work,” Cavanaugh said. “Going about your business the right way and the way guys work up here is all business, which I love. I’m just going to try to be the best that I can be every day.”
Remembering his Beginnings at EFSC
While he’s reached the pinnacle of the sport, Cavanaugh remembers the special days at EFSC that helped jumpstart his career.
“It is an unbelievable place, not only the baseball program but the friendships I created was amazing,” Cavanaugh said. “I still talk to a bunch of the guys that I played with, and I still talk about how amazing those days were at the field. Even going to the basketball games was an amazing experience and spending time with my teammates. It is a really good culture there and I would say it is the perfect place to become a great baseball player and a great person.”
“At Eastern Florida State College, we strive to help students turn their aspirations into achievements, and Drew Cavanaugh’s story is a remarkable example of that mission in action,” said college president Dr. Jim Richey. “Through persistence, discipline and a relentless work ethic, Drew earned the opportunity to compete at the highest level of professional baseball. We congratulate him on this tremendous accomplishment and look forward to following his continued success with the San Francisco Giants. His journey serves as an inspiration to our current and future Titans, proving that dreams can become reality through hard work and determination.”
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