Being the 112th ranked prospect in the high school Class of 2024, Tague Davis had high expectations set for him when he started his college career at Louisville. 18 home runs, 52 runs batted in, an All-ACC third team spot and an Freshman All-American spot later and it was safe to say those expectations were met in year one.
Flash forward a year, and that has turned into 34 home runs, 98 runs batted in, the ACC Player of the Year award and a First Team All-American spot. To say Davis has had a successful college career would be an understatement. Now, the first baseman from Bryn Mawr, PA will look to roll that over into this season in the CCBL with Cotuit.
Throughout his first couple games with the Kettleers, Davis has already shined in some big moments. In the second inning of the season opener, he turned a potential double down the line into an unassisted double play with a remarkable diving catch. The next game against Chatham, he hit a two-run blast over the right field wall to give Cotuit an early lead they would not squander. There is no task on the diamond too tall for Davis, and a lot of it comes from his ability to have fun on the diamond and relax in big moments.
“Wherever I’m at I feel like I’m surrounded by good guys, especially the ones on the Kettleers this year,” Davis said. “They make playing baseball really fun and it helps us all play more relaxed and at our best.”
Even with all the talent that the CCBL has, having an All-American on the team is quite rare as it is more likely upperclassmen earn the nomination and depart for the MLB immediately after. So, to have a guy like Davis who has taken home the honor as well as a Player of the Year award in a major conference is a tangible boost to the roster.
Davis credits his mindset and skill to his upbringing, with that being one of a successful baseball family. His father, Ben, was the second overall pick in the 1995 MLB Draft while his uncle Glenn was the 25th overall selection in 1997. Being surrounded by the sport from a young age allowed Davis to develop a deep passion for it that persists to this day.
“Every lesson, every downfall, every upbringing, it’s huge because I can learn from the people who have already done it before me…” Davis said.
This passion gave him the drive to win consecutive state titles in high school. It gave him the drive to shatter multiple team and conference records in college. It gives him the drive to push for an MLB career and to one day become a broadcaster, just like his father.
However, Davis is more than just the honors and the home runs. He’s also an incredible teammate and leader both at his school and for the Kettleers. While getting a bunch of players from various schools to play as one unit is a real challenge for a summer ball team, players like Davis make it easy. He even already has a fishing group formed with Hogan Denny (Indiana) and Dayton Murphy (Purdue).
“The guys here are great. Hogan and Dayton, we’re already fishing buddies…” Davis said. “The camaraderie here is off the charts right now.”
Davis is also a second generation Kettleer, as Glenn was a Kettleer in both 1996 and 1997. Due to this, he was well prepared on what to expect, and what to love, about playing for Cotuit and on the Cape.
“[My uncle] was telling me all the things I should be excited for about being out here,” Davis said. “I was looking forward to coming out here and love being in Cotuit now.”
Now sitting at 2-0, Cotuit is rolling through their first week of games. As the young season presses on, the Kettleers will need leaders like Davis to stay on the right track and power through.
