On their off day last Thursday, many of the 2026 Bourne Braves had an opportunity most people could only dream of. The players spent the day in Boston at one of the most iconic ballparks in the major leagues: Fenway Park.
As part of the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Fenway Day, a majority of the Braves' position players travelled to Boston on Thursday morning. The event gave players a chance to demonstrate their skills in front of scouts for all 30 MLB franchises. The day consisted of a two-hour session, split with another team, where the Bravos fielded their positions in the infield and outfield and took batting practice.
“It’s one of the coolest ballparks I’ve ever stepped foot on,” said Luke Costello (South Carolina). “To be able to hit here and be with the boys here, it’s such an awesome experience.”
“It’s the best field I’ve ever been on,” said Blake Schaaf (Wake Forest). "I asked the guys who were hitting to us if I could stay here and take ground balls all day.”
For many Braves’ players, this was not their first time at Fenway. The experience helped them reminisce on previous experiences from when they were younger. For John Stuetzer (Florida State), returning to Fenway reminded him of a goal he set for himself.
“I came here as a kid to watch a couple games, but it’s definitely the first time I’ve been on the field,” said Stuetzer. “It was great. One of the players gave me a bat and it’s always been my dream to do the same one day.”
Bourne outfielder Cal Sefcik (USF) had been to the home of the Boston Red Sox only once before; for Fenway day with the Braves in 2025. According to him, having a chance to see the stadium from the field was his favorite part of the event.
“Being a big league ballpark, it’s a lot different being on the field than it is seeing it on TV. It’s just really cool to experience that before you get to professional baseball,” said Sefcik. “We get to see what big leaguers get to look forward to every single day.”
When Blake Schaaf stepped into the ballpark, he got to experience the joy of visiting his favorite team’s stadium. Despite being from Oakland, California, Schaaf grew up a Red Sox fan. His first opportunity to visit Fenway came a handful of years ago to see one of the biggest rivalries in sports.
“I came in the summer of either 2018 or 2019 and watched a Red Sox-Yankees game and the Red Sox took care of business,” said Schaaf. “I came with some family-friends from back in California and they took me to a game. We were sitting right above the third base dugout.”
Aside from the two-hour practice session, the Bravos in attendance also got to tour around the historic park.
“There’s so much history around here,” said Matt Bolton (Binghamton). “Like the red seat in right center where Ted Williams hit a home run. It’s a really cool experience to be here."
Some of the players also got the chance to take part in certain traditions at the park.
“We got to sign the pesky poll,” said Luke Costello. “ I was hoping to maybe get into the Green Monster, but we didn’t get a chance.”
Though the event was a serious opportunity for the Bravos to showcase their skills in front of scouts, they also had some fun with it. During batting practice the players held a competition to see who could hit the most home runs over the Green Monster, Fenway’s notorious 37-foot wall in left field. Though the winning Brave had two, what stood out more from the competition was a mammoth home run from John Stuetzer that hit the DraftKings banner well past the wall in left center.
“Taking BP was my favorite part of the day,” said Stuetzer. “Definitely just seeing that ball fly. It’s something special playing on these big fields."
Two hours after taking the field, the players finished up and made the trip back to the Cape, turning their attention to the next game. But this is one afternoon they probably won't forget anytime soon. Plenty of people spend a lifetime dreaming of stepping onto the field at Fenway Park. The Braves won’t have to dream though — they’ve done it.
