Christian Cavagnaro '22 Recruiting Profile

Overview 

I am a member of the 2022 graduating class at Ramapo High School in Wyckoff, New Jersey. As a catcher, I have refined my leadership skills throughout my career and I pride myself on being a vocal and aggressive backstop. When I am not catching I usually play corner outfield positions as I have spent the last few years working on my range and my ability to track fly balls with efficient routes. I have recently played for the Evoshield Canes North and Canes Mid Atlantic, I will be playing varsity for Ramapo High School next season and we can make a run to win the state tournament. I usually bat in the middle of the lineup for my teams but I am able to hit in the upper third of the lineup due to my barrel skills and ability to grind out at bats.

Background 

Growing up in Bergen County NJ I have been exposed to some of the best youth 

baseball in the Northeast; it has been a pleasant challenge to continue to grow 

my skill set and abilities so I can outplay most of my competition and opponents. 

I have worked hard to progress from town travel teams, to local club teams and 

eventually to the regional and national club teams that I get to play with and 

against for the Evoshield Canes. I have enjoyed the work I’ve had to put in to 

remain successful at every level thus far and I am excited to start the next 

chapter in that book as I prepare for my college baseball career. The Canes have 

given me the ability to get out of the local baseball environment and get a better 

idea of the next level of athletes that I will need to compete with for college roster 

spots, this information is invaluable to me as I will be spending every possible 

free moment advancing my baseball IQ and skills. I am fortunate to have several 

good coaches in my ear, motivating and instructing me on how to refine my 

abilities and remain successful when facing the best of the best. I make it a point 

to focus on the need to be mechanically sound without being mechanical and 

that single focus has made the transition to regional/national level baseball 

significantly easier and enjoyable.  I look forward to using this same mindset to 

drive my success on a college roster in the near future.

Lessons 

I have been very fortunate that my family has been able to help me better myself at the sport that I love; I have spent the last several years with excellent baseball coaches and instructors, listening and absorbing everything I could about the fundamentals.  I have had catching, batting, and even outfield training so I can be the best teammate and competitor possible. Two years ago, our freshman baseball team at Ramapo High School was in a championship game against the best team in the state, while we were valiant and resilient we could not come out on top; this lesson motivated me even more because I realized that without camaraderie and communication there was no way to overcome better competition. After that loss it became a goal of mine to outwork, outfocus, and outplay everyone else on the field in practices and in games; it also motivated me to be a better leader and make sure that I was focusing on making the players around me better.

Challenges 

My main challenges throughout my baseball career have been size and speed related; thankfully I knew early on that I would be an average sized player with average footspeed. Seeing some of the athleticism and size of other local players, I made it a goal to increase my speed, agility, and stamina in an effort to be able to play at the same level as the larger athletes. As the prospects of college grows near, I have begun to master the challenges that I had earlier in high school with managing my schedule for baseball and schoolwork; with the help of some friends I have been able to successfully put my academics first while not risking my baseball progression.  This has made the last year much easier and less stressful and I believe it has helped me grow into a more responsible and resourceful student-athlete.

Goals 

I have always had a dream of playing professional baseball, this dream is the driving force behind my desire to become a high level collegiate player.  I am pushed by the level of academic and athletic success that student athletes find at the college level, especially those players who are able to play Division 1.  The difficulty of this task has required me to set goals and knock them off one by one. I’ve worked hard to keep my grades high and prepare for the standardized tests, as well as training my body to be fully prepared for the upcoming baseball season. Our team at Ramapo is full of talented players and there is no doubt in my mind that we have the ability to win a championship if we work as a unit and I lead them to the best of my ability. The last year has been a tremendous shift in focus for me, my academics began to progress quickly along with a sense of accountability for my own baseball career as I realized how difficult it is to get to the next level; I relish the challenge and I am excited to prioritize my path to becoming a collegiate student athlete.