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Alec Cabrera makes it sound so simple.
"My approach is just making hard contact every time I'm up to bat," he says.
It's working. Cabrera, a 16-year-old sophomore, is already one of the most feared hitters in Palm Beach County.
He's also one of the biggest reasons why King's Academy has been making waves this season in search of its first regional playoff berth in four years.
Cabrera is batting .500 and leads the team in hits (24), doubles (5), triples (3), home runs (4) and RBIs (24). His plate discipline is remarkable: 13 walks and only five strikeouts. He also has eight stolen bases and has scored 22 runs.
Palm Beach County high school baseball: Top midseason teams, players
On March 20, the Lions traveled to Miami to face perennial power Westminster Christian. Although they lost a 21-11 slugfest, Cabrera put on a show: 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs.
"He's never satisfied," first-year coach David Thompson said. "Whether he's 2-for-2, 3-for-3, he's ready for the next at-bat. He comes ready to work every day."
Despite his age, Cabrera has been on scouts' radar since he was an eighth-grader at Trinity Christian. He was a starting infielder on the Warriors' last varsity baseball team in 2024, batting .329 with 17 RBIs.
"I knew he was going to hit, but not like that," Trinity coach Miguel Cuello said at the time.
After Trinity dropped its baseball program — the school closed the following year — Cabrera transferred to King's Academy, where he continued to shine as a freshman (.397, 12 RBIs).
So when Thompson replaced Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the Lions' coach this season, he knew he could build around a 6-foot-1, 200-pound shortstop with two years of varsity experience. And on March 6, he watched Cabrera pull off one of baseball's rarest feats — and one practically unheard of at the high school level.
In a 13-6 victory over Somerset Academy-Canyons, Cabrera hit a home run, a double and a triple in his first three plate appearances. After a popout, he prepared for his fifth and final at-bat.
"I didn't really know I had a cycle until all my friends said, 'Hey, you need a single for the cycle,'" Cabrera said.
Cabrera reached on an infield single. Instant milestone.
"With him, you're not surprised," Thompson said. "You expect so much of him and he expects so much of himself. It was fun to watch."
For Thompson, it's also been fun to watch the Lions (12-5) rank among the county's elite teams. The former Benjamin assistant spent the past two years as athletic director at Winston-Salem Christian School in North Carolina, but left for what he calls a "dream job" at King's Academy.
Cabrera has gotten plenty of support in the lineup, especially from senior catcher Luke Shelhamer (.474, two home runs, 11 RBIs) and senior center fielder Jayden Deveaux (.366, 26 runs scored, 12 steals). Seniors Daniel Cabrera and Brady Kearce and juniors Ryan Cohen and Caleb Butler lead a deep pitching staff.
The Lions' next four opponents represent a virtual gauntlet: Dwyer, Martin County, Suncoast and St. John Paul II.
"It's a great test to see what we're made of," Thompson said. "We're trying to win every pitch, every inning, every game. Our goal is to win district and make it to a region, and when you get to the playoffs anything can happen. But we've got a lot of work to do, got to keep grinding."
After playing 17 games on the road, Wellington Sports Academy's first-year program finally played its first home game last week.
The Gators hosted P27 Baseball Academy of Lexington, S.C., in an Academy Baseball Association series at Village Park. The Blacksmiths, who have more than a dozen Division I commits on the roster, won all three games.
Wellington enters a weeklong break with a 9-11 record. In ABA play, the Gators swept a three-game series against Boynton Beach-based Elite Squad but have been overmatched against teams like Georgia Premier and P27, which attract elite talent from across the South.
"You can see this is pretty high-level baseball we're going against," coach Sean Burnett said after an 11-1 loss to P27 on March 18. "SEC pitcher going against us today, (ACC) pitcher coming out of the bullpen. It's not normal high school baseball that these guys are used to. The talent they're going against is something new for them.
"We'll get there. Our key is not the wins and losses in that first year, it's about developing the boys, and trying to make sure the last uniform they wear isn't a Wellington Sports Academy one, it's a college uniform."
Center fielder Eric Flores, a transfer from Dr. Joaquin Garcia, has been an early standout. Flores is an Indian River State commit.
"He's made the adjustments to be able to compete at this level," said Burnett, a former MLB pitcher. "He has very high Division I capabilities, has a chance to play this game professionally if he continues to work at it."
The Gators' next home series is April 7-9 against A3 Academy of Tampa.
Oxbridge Academy's new on-campus baseball facility won't be completed in time for the team to play there this season, coach Juan Bustabad said.
After receiving an anonymous donation of $1.8 million, the Thunderwolves broke ground in December and began clearing space on the campus' northeast corner, along Military Trail. Bustabad and athletic director Stan Ross were hoping to play at least a game or two there, including Senior Night, but permit delays have made that impossible.
Oxbridge will finish out its home season at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens. Bustabad hopes to have the field ready in time for his two summer camps, June 8-12 and July 20-24.
Michael Maynes, Park Vista: Went 5-for-7 with three runs scored and one RBI in victories over Nease and Royal Palm Beach; also pitched two shutout innings.
Campbell Harrison, St. John Paul II: Went 5-for-9 with a run scored and an RBI in wins over ABF Academy and Palm Beach Central.
Brian Bechtel, St. Andrew's: Pitched six shutout innings, striking out six, and went 2-for-3 with a home run in a 4-0 victory over Royal Palm Beach.
Chase Walls, Boca Raton: Pitched six shutout innings, striking out eight, and hit a home run in a 7-1 win over Fort Lauderdale-Westminster Academy.
Monday
St. Andrew's at Palm Beach Central, 6:30 p.m.
Dwyer at King's Academy, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Park Vista at Seminole Ridge, 6 p.m.
Thursday
King's Academy at Suncoast, 6:30 p.m.
Friday
St. John Paul II at St. Andrew's, 4 p.m.
Boca Raton at Dr. Joaquin Garcia, 6:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alec Cabrera hits for the cycle with King's Academy baseball
Continue reading...
"My approach is just making hard contact every time I'm up to bat," he says.
It's working. Cabrera, a 16-year-old sophomore, is already one of the most feared hitters in Palm Beach County.
He's also one of the biggest reasons why King's Academy has been making waves this season in search of its first regional playoff berth in four years.
Cabrera is batting .500 and leads the team in hits (24), doubles (5), triples (3), home runs (4) and RBIs (24). His plate discipline is remarkable: 13 walks and only five strikeouts. He also has eight stolen bases and has scored 22 runs.
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Palm Beach County high school baseball: Top midseason teams, players
On March 20, the Lions traveled to Miami to face perennial power Westminster Christian. Although they lost a 21-11 slugfest, Cabrera put on a show: 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs.
"He's never satisfied," first-year coach David Thompson said. "Whether he's 2-for-2, 3-for-3, he's ready for the next at-bat. He comes ready to work every day."
Despite his age, Cabrera has been on scouts' radar since he was an eighth-grader at Trinity Christian. He was a starting infielder on the Warriors' last varsity baseball team in 2024, batting .329 with 17 RBIs.
"I knew he was going to hit, but not like that," Trinity coach Miguel Cuello said at the time.
After Trinity dropped its baseball program — the school closed the following year — Cabrera transferred to King's Academy, where he continued to shine as a freshman (.397, 12 RBIs).
So when Thompson replaced Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the Lions' coach this season, he knew he could build around a 6-foot-1, 200-pound shortstop with two years of varsity experience. And on March 6, he watched Cabrera pull off one of baseball's rarest feats — and one practically unheard of at the high school level.
In a 13-6 victory over Somerset Academy-Canyons, Cabrera hit a home run, a double and a triple in his first three plate appearances. After a popout, he prepared for his fifth and final at-bat.
You must be registered for see images attach
"I didn't really know I had a cycle until all my friends said, 'Hey, you need a single for the cycle,'" Cabrera said.
Cabrera reached on an infield single. Instant milestone.
"With him, you're not surprised," Thompson said. "You expect so much of him and he expects so much of himself. It was fun to watch."
For Thompson, it's also been fun to watch the Lions (12-5) rank among the county's elite teams. The former Benjamin assistant spent the past two years as athletic director at Winston-Salem Christian School in North Carolina, but left for what he calls a "dream job" at King's Academy.
Cabrera has gotten plenty of support in the lineup, especially from senior catcher Luke Shelhamer (.474, two home runs, 11 RBIs) and senior center fielder Jayden Deveaux (.366, 26 runs scored, 12 steals). Seniors Daniel Cabrera and Brady Kearce and juniors Ryan Cohen and Caleb Butler lead a deep pitching staff.
The Lions' next four opponents represent a virtual gauntlet: Dwyer, Martin County, Suncoast and St. John Paul II.
"It's a great test to see what we're made of," Thompson said. "We're trying to win every pitch, every inning, every game. Our goal is to win district and make it to a region, and when you get to the playoffs anything can happen. But we've got a lot of work to do, got to keep grinding."
Wellington Sports Academy update
After playing 17 games on the road, Wellington Sports Academy's first-year program finally played its first home game last week.
The Gators hosted P27 Baseball Academy of Lexington, S.C., in an Academy Baseball Association series at Village Park. The Blacksmiths, who have more than a dozen Division I commits on the roster, won all three games.
Wellington enters a weeklong break with a 9-11 record. In ABA play, the Gators swept a three-game series against Boynton Beach-based Elite Squad but have been overmatched against teams like Georgia Premier and P27, which attract elite talent from across the South.
"You can see this is pretty high-level baseball we're going against," coach Sean Burnett said after an 11-1 loss to P27 on March 18. "SEC pitcher going against us today, (ACC) pitcher coming out of the bullpen. It's not normal high school baseball that these guys are used to. The talent they're going against is something new for them.
"We'll get there. Our key is not the wins and losses in that first year, it's about developing the boys, and trying to make sure the last uniform they wear isn't a Wellington Sports Academy one, it's a college uniform."
Center fielder Eric Flores, a transfer from Dr. Joaquin Garcia, has been an early standout. Flores is an Indian River State commit.
"He's made the adjustments to be able to compete at this level," said Burnett, a former MLB pitcher. "He has very high Division I capabilities, has a chance to play this game professionally if he continues to work at it."
The Gators' next home series is April 7-9 against A3 Academy of Tampa.
Oxbridge field delayed
Oxbridge Academy's new on-campus baseball facility won't be completed in time for the team to play there this season, coach Juan Bustabad said.
After receiving an anonymous donation of $1.8 million, the Thunderwolves broke ground in December and began clearing space on the campus' northeast corner, along Military Trail. Bustabad and athletic director Stan Ross were hoping to play at least a game or two there, including Senior Night, but permit delays have made that impossible.
Oxbridge will finish out its home season at Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens. Bustabad hopes to have the field ready in time for his two summer camps, June 8-12 and July 20-24.
Week 6 standouts
Michael Maynes, Park Vista: Went 5-for-7 with three runs scored and one RBI in victories over Nease and Royal Palm Beach; also pitched two shutout innings.
Campbell Harrison, St. John Paul II: Went 5-for-9 with a run scored and an RBI in wins over ABF Academy and Palm Beach Central.
Brian Bechtel, St. Andrew's: Pitched six shutout innings, striking out six, and went 2-for-3 with a home run in a 4-0 victory over Royal Palm Beach.
Chase Walls, Boca Raton: Pitched six shutout innings, striking out eight, and hit a home run in a 7-1 win over Fort Lauderdale-Westminster Academy.
Week 7's top games
Monday
St. Andrew's at Palm Beach Central, 6:30 p.m.
Dwyer at King's Academy, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Park Vista at Seminole Ridge, 6 p.m.
Thursday
King's Academy at Suncoast, 6:30 p.m.
Friday
St. John Paul II at St. Andrew's, 4 p.m.
Boca Raton at Dr. Joaquin Garcia, 6:30 p.m.
Rick Robb's Top 10
- 1. St. John Paul II (16-1)
- 2. Jupiter (12-5)
- 3. King's Academy (12-5)
- 4. Dwyer (10-5)
- 5. Park Vista (10-4)
- 6. Palm Beach Central (10-7)
- 7. St. Andrew's (8-5-1)
- 8. Boca Raton (10-5)
- 9. West Boca Raton (9-7)
- 10. Suncoast (8-7)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alec Cabrera hits for the cycle with King's Academy baseball
Continue reading...
