“Batting third, out of Indiana University, the catcher, Hogan Denny.”
Those ten words were not ones that Cotuit fans thought they would ever hear again over the Lowell Park PA system after Denny left Cotuit on June 24. Reasonably so, as Denny was one of 28 college players that made the final cut for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team.
With 27 of the 28 players on the roster being underclassmen, it is not uncommon for CCBL teams to lose some of their biggest contributors to Team USA. While their loss is damaging enough for a team, it is often compounded by the fact that very few of these players return to the Cape after their stint on the national team. After all, the Stars and Stripes played 15 games, and a lot of players want to go home and rest up before returning to school after such a grand experience.
Luckily for Cotuit, Denny is an exception to the rule as he made his return to behind the dish Tuesday in a rained out game. The next day, he took to the field for his first full game as the designated hitter after almost a month away from the Kettleers where he hit an RBI single and drew a walk.
While he’s excited to be back now, Denny thought the experience of playing for the USA was incredible.
“The opportunity was just unbelievable,” Denny said. “Being able to represent our country and everyone in it was amazing and probably the biggest honor I’ve ever been presented with.”
Denny appeared in seven games for the Kettleers during the first couple weeks of the season, reaching base at a 36.7% clip while being a versatile fielder that could play catcher, third base or the outfield. But his impact can be felt in many ways, not just the on-field product.
“Hogan’s a really good player obviously,” Coach Rob Cooper said. “But he also does things the right way and it rubs off on other people in the dugout. He’s a great kid."
The United States was quite successful with Denny and fellow 2026 Kettleer Tague Davis (Louisville) in the lineup. The pair helped the Stars and Stripes win three of their four games at the World Collegiate Baseball Championship, and also had significant contributions during both the preceding Stars vs. Stripes series and exhibition slate.
Being with some of the best college players in the world was a great learning experience for Denny. He was able to take away lots of valuable lessons from his time with the team, such as the differences in baseball culture across countries.
“Being around different cultures and seeing how they play the game was one of the coolest parts of the experience,” Denny said. “We all play with different styles but at the end of the day it’s the same game.”
As for why he chose to come back to the Kettleers, Denny believes he has unfinished business with the team. He’s also looking forward to playing every day like MLB players do.
“I knew I had to come back here. I’m here to prove I can play professional baseball, and those guys play almost every day,” Denny said. “If I couldn’t play 10 more games then am I really ready for professional baseball?”
Denny comes back to Cotuit at the perfect time. With the season in its final quarter and the last playoff spot in the West Division up for grabs, the Kettleers will need its lineup to be firing on all cylinders to secure a playoff spot and make a deep run. With Denny and the experience he brings from Team USA now back on the roster, Cotuit is in a better place as a team.
