Cotuit, Mass. – It’s not every day that you see somebody come up to the Cape Cod League and dominate, it’s even more rare when the said player happens to be a true freshman. However, that’s exactly what Jarren Advincula (Cal Berkeley) has done thus far for the Cotuit Kettleers as he’s been a spark plug for that lineup and a big reason why they sit at 9-4.
“You can’t get any better than this. I love Lowell Park, I love coach [Mike] Roberts and I love Cotuit,” Advincula said. "The fans here are amazing and it makes you want to work hard not just for yourself, but for these fans. They come out to support us and make playing here so much fun.”
Advincula comes to Cotuit by way of the Golden State, where he grew up and played his high school ball in Santa Clara. In high school, the shortstop had the pleasure of playing for his father in high school at Archbishop Mitty. He says that his dad was very hard on him and had high expectations, but at the same time, he enjoyed it because it made him the player he is today.
By the end of his high school career, Advincula was ranked as a top-500 player in the nation and the No. 17 shortstop in California. So, it was no surprise that he signed with the hometown Cal Golden Bears.
During his freshman season, he made an adjustment defensively, he moved from shortstop to second base, but he transitioned perfectly and was outstanding on the defensive side for Cal. Advincula was also a force at the plate, slashing .325/.404/.458 while hitting five home runs and driving in 31 runs while also snagging eight bases. That season earned him a spot on the 2024 All-Pac-12 first team.
Following the end of his season, he decided to fly over 3,000 miles to Cape Cod and play for Roberts and the Cotuit Kettleers. Through the first 13 games of the season, Advincula has been sensational at the plate, leading the league in batting average (.447) while driving in seven and scoring 11 runs. All while playing very good defense at second base.
While the middle infielder has himself to thank for years of continued hard work and dedication, he has a tremendously athletic family who has helped him along the way. His older brother, Jonah, was an eighth-round draft pick to the Cleveland Guardians, and his parents, Jeremy and Karol played baseball and soccer at San Jose State.
“Being around my brother and dad has really helped me with baseball,” Advincula said. “They both have helped me train and become the player that I am now. But I’ve got to give credit to my mom, too, she was a really good athlete at San Jose State. I’m very blessed to have them all in my life because like I said, they’ve done so much to help me and I’m very grateful.”
Advincula has been a spark plug for the team all year and has much more than held his own in one of the most prestigious leagues in the world. He’s a player that Roberts loves to have in his system that he calls “backyard baseball.” It was especially helpful on Saturday night as the second baseman got on base three times and scored two runs in the Ketts' 4-2 win over the Wareham Gatemen.
Advincula is a great talent and will continue to be an essential piece to the Kettleers squad as they continue their quest for championship No. 18.
“I trust the work that I’ve put in towards my baseball career,” Advincula said. “The transition from college to the Cape League was nice, but it’s just another baseball game, just happens to be away from California. I’ve really enjoyed my experience so far.”
