Andrew Cabezas, hired as MDC’s pitching coach in September of 2023, has a clear message for the players he will now mentor:

Enjoy your college years because these may be the best days of your life.

Cabezas knows all about this because he enjoyed a storied amateur career.

It started as a senior at Coral Gables High, where Cabezas produced a 0.39 ERA with an impressive 84 strikeouts and just eight walks. That same year, he made first-team All-Dade and was selected by Cleveland in the 34^th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Cabezas, though, didn’t sign a pro contract at that time, opting instead to play for the Miami Hurricanes. He played three years at Miami, making 82 appearances, including 13 starts.

His final collegiate numbers include a 14-8 record, a 3.69 ERA, five saves and 213 strikeouts in 192 2/3 innings. In addition, Cabezas was a freshman in 2016 when his Hurricanes made it to the College World Series in Omaha.

In 2018, Cabezas was drafted in the 18^th round by the Minnesota Twins.

Cabezas signed with the Twins and had solid numbers in five minor-league seasons – a 14-15 record, a 3.45 ERA that was even better than what he did in college and 291 strikeouts in 300 innings.

However, he never got past Double A, and he retired as a player following his 2023 season in independent ball.

“When I was in college, we flew everywhere,” Cabezas said. “We were treated like kings. The fans knew me.  I was one of the faces of the program.

“In the minors, we traveled by bus. The hotels were not the best. There were a lot of sleepless nights because the travel schedule was so tough.”

Cabezas, just 27 years old, realizes that the pitchers he now coaches are fairly close to his age. He knows he can connect with them. He can make an impact.

“They listen to me a lot more than I thought they would,” Cabezas said. “They see me like a big brother.

“I’m hard on them, but I am giving them the tools and the knowledge to make the most of their baseball careers.”

Cabezas, who earned a Bachelor’s degree from Miami – majoring in Sports Administration with a minor in Communications – has been coaching, informally at least, since age 16, when a parent asked him to teach her son baseball.

At MDC, Cabezas will learn from a veteran coaching staff.

“There’s a lot of wisdom on our staff,” Cabezas said. “I’m the puppy of the staff.

“In the long run, I want to mentor the pitchers at MDC. I’m going to work to be the best coach possible.”