Caden Bailey '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Caden Bailey and I am a class of 2023 graduate seeking to pursue my college career not only as a student, but also as an athlete. 

With all the stuff going on in this world today, baseball has been the one thing in my life that has remained consistent throughout the years. From the moment I first step on the field to the moment I step off, each day to me is not only a new opportunity for success, but also a blessing. 

I realized that even more after my world was brought to a tragic halt on November 30, 2021 when the inconceivable happened and my school was attacked by a student who took the lives of four of my classmates, including a close friend. Besides for an extremely supportive family, as well as a strong faith, baseball has been a way for me to find peace in a situation where there seemingly was none. Truth be said, the new reality for us as students going back to the high school after the shooting was challenging, and was not what I had envisioned for my spring baseball season that I had been looking forward to for so many years. Confusion, sorrow, and pain made it difficult for me to do anything, let alone try to get back on the field and compete. Ultimately, coping with what had just happened made it impossible at first to find success on the field. It wasn’t until after countless, long-enduring days where I dug deep into my faith and truly realized that God has my back did I finally start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. 

But even today, nothing will ever be able to make up for what took place…

At this point, baseball is more than just a sport or a passion, it’s an escape from reality. It’s my place where I let go and release all that has happened. It’s a way for me to find happiness, joy, and satisfaction all in one moment, one play at a time. It’s an urge, a fight that I refuse to give up, even in the face of defeat. The amount of blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into becoming the best player I can be is unparalleled when compared to the successes that I reached both on and off the field. It’s a dream, a never-ending battle that always appears to be just one step away from achieving my goal: That is, to discover what I’m truly capable of, while pushing my mind and body to its absolute limit along the way. 

Regardless, I fought and I continued to work hard, eventually coming out of my summer baseball with one of the best seasons of my life. In all honesty, I live baseball and there’s no doubt that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it.