Florida’s Kade Guzman Continues To Impress

Kade

Nashville, TN – The city of Nashville is one of the most beautiful in the United States. As you walk along Music Row, just outside of downtown Nashville, the music never stops. People are dancing, smiling, enjoying themselves in the country music capital of the country. There’s even an ABC show about the wonderful city.

“I hate country music,” Florida Gators ace Kade Guzman tells me via phone. “Nashville is great, but country music’s just not my thing. Hard to avoid growing up there, though.”

Kade Guzman grew up near Maplewood High School, with his parents and two older sisters. Baseball was a big part of Kade’s life for as long as he can remember. His father, John, worked for the state government, often working 10 or 11 hour days in the summer months, helping organize charity events with some of the country’s most famous musicians. His mother worked for a non-profit that helped feed starving children.

“My parents not only worked hard, but they tried to show us how to be a good person,” Kade’s sister Rebeccah tells me. “It’s one thing to tell your kids to do the right thing, but it really sinks in when you see your parents helping people on a daily basis.”

After a long days work, John would come home to a young Kade sitting on the front porch, with his dad’s glove and his own. John would go change, sometimes grab a quick bite to eat, and then Kade and dad would head out to the backyard until there was no light left.

“He’d hit me ground balls, play long toss, catch for me when I’d pitch… we did soft toss drills, everything,” Kade tells me. “I’ll always be incredibly grateful for the time he put in with me every single day.”

Kade starred for his little league teams all the way up, and was pitching for Maplewood’s varsity team midway through his freshman season.

“He was our best pitcher even as a freshman,” Maplewood varsity coach Steve Neegan said. “He was just under six feet at that point, but he was consistently hitting 89-90 on the radar gun. We taught him a cutter, and it moved so much it was basically unhittable at the high school level.”

Guzman continued to star for Maplewood High, leading the team to a state tournament birth in his senior season. At that point he was the same height he is now, 6’2, although he weighed just 158 pounds.

“I was skinny,” Guzman relays. “No matter what I ate, I couldn’t gain weight. I always figured of all the problems to have, that was a pretty good one. Who didn’t want to be skinny?”

Kade was consistently over 90 MPH on radar guns as a senior, peaking at 92 in the state tournament. He was drawing some interest from major league scouts, but they always told him they weren’t sure if he’d be drafted or not. When the Florida Gators offered him a scholarship, he didn’t hesitate. He gladly signed, and his father informed CBL teams that his son was going to go to college. Filling out and growing up would be good for the young man.

Kade went undrafted following his senior season, and arrived on the Gators campus with little fan fare.

“I wasn’t some big name recruit,” Kade says. “But it’s not like I was a nobody. Whenever girls heard you were on the baseball team, they always paid more attention. Even before I played a game, I was a pretty happy kid.”

Kade jokes that he thought he’d run away from country music, but people in Florida were even bigger fans than those people he knew in Nashville. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles. “Maybe country music isn’t so bad.”

Kade’s happiness would only grow as the baseball season got underway. As a freshman, Guzman was amazing. He made 12 starts, going 3-1 in just under 65 innings, striking out 74 while walking just 4. He posted an ERA of 1.53. He finished second in the Golden Arm voting. The guy that beat him out? Mike Piper, the eventual first overall pick and current CBL stud.

“Most years, Kade’s season would have been the best season in college baseball,” Gators coach Jose Zapata tells me. “Piper was a monster, but Kade wasn’t far behind. And he was only a freshman. The sky was the limit.”

Guzman continued to dominate in his sophomore season. In 9 starts, he went 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA, 55 Ks and only 7 walks. Once again, though, Guzman was beaten out for the Golden Arm award by a top five draft pick, this time Mike Smith, who was drafted 4th overall by San Diego.

Coming into his junior year, Guzman was this season’s pre-season favorite for the Golden Arm award, and Florida was one of the countries top teams. Expectations were sky high. While Guzman wasn’t quite as dominant as he had been the prior two seasons, he still has put together a fantastic season. In 10 starts, Guzman has a 2.07 ERA, striking out 60 and walking just 6. He saved his best start for last, as his final regular season start came against the NC State Ambassadors. The teams were battling for one of the final playoff spots, so it was a huge game for Guzman’s pro prospects.

With dozens of scouts in attendance, Guzman pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and no runs while striking out 8 and walking just 1 in a game his team won 9-1.

After the game, coach Zapata told reporters there was no doubt this was Guzman’s final season in Gainesville.

“He’s going to be a very high pick in this draft, so I don’t know why he’d come back. He’s earned this. Personally, I think he should be the top pick, but it’s not up to me. I just know no team is going to regret taking this young man.”

Scouts around the CBL have insisted that the top of this year’s draft is weaker than in past years, but most agree outfielder Jerry Stollings or Guzman are likely to be the top pick.

“We couldn’t be prouder of him,” Kade’s mother says. “He’s a great athlete and a good student, but he’s always stayed out of trouble. That’s what makes us the proudest.”

And for teams picking at the top of the draft, building a pitching staff around Kade Guzman might be a wise idea. Wherever he ends up being drafted, he shouldn’t have to wait long on draft night. For now, though, Guzman is enjoying the ride of the college season. “Hopefully we can keep winning. I want to win a college world series. Honestly that’s all I’m focused on right now. The rest of that stuff will take care of itself after the season.”

“We’re going to miss him,” Zapata says. “But there’s not a kid I’d be happier for. We’ll be pulling for him every time he pitches.”

And who knows, maybe Guzman’s journey will take him back to Nashville as an Outlaw.

“We’d love that,” John Guzman says. “But he’s going to be drafted way before that. I promise.”

It’s hard to argue that.

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Tim Imasa

First of all, Kade is such a bad ass name! Though, he hates country music! How dare he!? 🙂

Kade’s time is now. He was overshadowed by Piper and Smith for years, and this time, it’s his turn. I expect him to be a top 3 pick along with Stollings. Great read as always, Erik! Welcome back!

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