BREWSTER, Mass. — As College Station exploded in celebration after Kaeden Kent hit a grand slam to extend Texas A&M’s lead to 13-8 over Oregon and eventually lead the Aggies back to Omaha, Brock Riley was tuned in to the game from across the country.

Riley, an assistant coach with the Chatham Anglers in 2023, built a strong relationship with Kent in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Despite going their separate ways following the summer season, Riley remained invested in Kent’s development and meticulously tracked his progress throughout the 2024 season at Texas A&M.

Heading into the at-bat, Kent had hit only two home runs in his two seasons with the Aggies and had smashed as many in 42 games on the Cape in 2023. Jokingly, and knowing that Kent wouldn’t see the message in the moment, Riley texted Kent letting him know it would be a good time for him to go yard. Seven pitches later, Kent created a signature moment, which Riley simultaneously said was one of his favorite baseball memories.

Before breaking out as a sophomore and helping Texas A&M reach its first College World Series Championship, Kent established himself in the Cape League. Playing for Chatham last summer, he was named a Cape League All-Star, hitting .329/.405/.430 (132 wRC+). Kent’s experience on the Cape helped him improve his wRC+ with the Aggies from 78 in 2023 to 117 in 2024. As Kent — D1 Baseball’s No. 100 2025 MLB Draft collegiate prospect — prepares for his junior season, he’s back on the Cape playing for the Brewster Whitecaps and was named a Cape League All-Star for the second time in as many seasons.

“The Cape was especially big for me because it proved that I can hang with these guys,” Kent said. “I didn't really prove that at A&M my first year. And I came to the Cape, I did well, it was good for my confidence and it was good for my momentum carrying into my sophomore season.”

When Kent — whose father, Jeff Kent, was the 2000 National League Most Valuable Player — arrived on the Cape in 2023, Chatham’s coaching staff didn’t know what to expect from the infielder.

Acknowledging that playing time and reps would help him improve, Kent brought a high-intensity work ethic to the field daily throughout the season. It quickly became apparent to Chatham’s coaching staff that his work ethic was on a different level.

“He put in the work and was very consistent,” Riley said of Kent’s time playing for Chatham. “That’s the best thing that you can be in baseball because that’s what the game is all about when you’re playing seven days a week. You gotta be consistent almost every day and he definitely was that.”

As Kent progressed through the season, Riley said he quietly became the best player on the Anglers. In an era of three true outcome players — who frequently strikeout, walk or hit a home run — Kent stayed true to his strengths: putting the ball in play and getting on base. His play style reminded Riley of a scrappy, old-school dirt dog-type player, leading to a high-praise Dustin Pedroia comparison.

Combining his work ethic with consistent playing time, Kent thrived while playing for Chatham. His .329 batting average was the third-best among qualified East Division players, while his .405 on-base percentage ranked eighth. Kent placed seventh in the division in wRC+, sitting one spot behind Brewster standout and future 2024 first-round pick James Tibbs (Florida State).

“The most important thing for Kaeden was coming to the Cape and being an everyday player and getting those at-bats that he didn't get,” Riley said. “And on top of that, he arguably was facing even better players on the Cape than you're facing during your college season, because you're facing every school's best players.”

From an opposing dugout, Brewster Whitecaps manager Jamie Shevchik got a firsthand look at Kent throughout the 2023 Cape League season. He quickly realized Kent, because of his desire to win and play every day, was someone he would’ve loved to coach. So, Kent became Shevchik’s first target for his 2024 roster. Kent soon agreed to return to the Cape League, this time joining the Whitecaps.

“I think he’s a great player, I think he’s going to be a really good player and I think he’s going to be a pro,” Shevchik said of Kent.

But before he arrived back on the Cape, Kent looked to carry the momentum he created with Chatham back to Texas A&M. While he played well and received substantially more playing time than his freshman year, Kent hadn’t solidified himself yet, splitting his time between starting and coming off the bench.

As the Aggies rolled Regional Round play in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Kent’s name wasn’t penciled in their starting lineup and remained off the lineup card for their first Super Regional game against Oregon. But when right fielder Braden Montgomery (Y-D '22-23) suffered an ankle injury in the second inning, Kent entered the game.

With Montgomery unable to play for the remainder of the season, Kent stepped into a starting role and thrived. Over Texas A&M’s final seven games, which concluded against Tennessee in the College World Series Championship, Kent was 16-for-33 with two doubles, two homers — including the grand slam — and one walk.

“When I got thrown in the lineup late in the season, they were must-win games,” Kent said. “There's no time to ask yourself if you can do it… you have to know that you can. So you go back to experiences where you've succeeded and where you've done well, and I was able to come back to my experience on the Cape and I was able to tell myself and have confidence in myself that I can do it.”

Though he could’ve gone home and ridden the highs of his late-season surge, Kent opted to fly across the country and suit right back up, this time playing for Brewster. Despite emerging as a star under the spotlight with the Aggies, Shevchik believes Kent still has more to prove.

Before a pivotal junior season, when he becomes draft-eligible, Shevchik met with Kent to ensure he wasn't feeling pressured to live up to the public's perception of him as a College World Series superstar. Instead, Shevchik echoed that his goal was to have Kent build on that success, challenging him to become a superstar for the Whitecaps before carrying that momentum back to Texas A&M. For Kent, there’s no better place than the Cape League to progressively improve.

“Gaining confidence in myself through competing with the best players was probably one of the greatest things that I've done in my career so far,” Kent said of playing in the Cape League.

(Photograph by Aidan Conrad)