Local talent Henley Parker signs with Cape Catfish

If you watched the Cape Catfish a season ago, you would notice there wasn’t a shortage of local talent.

From Caden Bogenpohl to Lane Crowden, the Catfish took the field with players that have ties to the area.

Things are trending that way for the 2024 season as well with the recent announcement the Catfish have signed Jackson alum Henley Parker.

“I just sent Mark Hogan a text and sent him some of my stats and video,” Parker said. “He said that he liked me and I got the opportunity to play for them.”

Parker’s high school teammates Caden Bogenpohl and Quinton Borders played for the Catfish a season ago while one of Parker’s coaches, Jason Chavez, served as an assistant coach on the staff.

“I talked to them and they said they really like it there and they said it was a good community,” Parker said. “I want to be a part of that and I want to be able to play back home and play with those guys again.”

Parker is currently in the midst of his first season at the collegiate level where he is playing for Jefferson College.

Perhaps the biggest similarity between the prospect league and college baseball is the grueling, demanding schedule.

“Playing college baseball, you know it’s going to be a busy schedule,” Parker said. “That’s what we signed up for. The key is to just keep your body healthy and keep your mind right so you’re able to play in the summer.”

For Parker, the biggest difference he’s noticed so far in his college career is how competitive the games are.

“It’s a lot more competitive and a lot more fun,” Parker said. “Playing with guys that have been there for a while and really know what they’re doing has been really cool.”

On March 10, Parker slugged his first career collegiate home run in an 8-7 loss to Metropolitan.

“It felt really good,” Parker said. “It was a tight situation in the game and the guy threw me a curveball and I took the opportunity and got a good swing off. It was a really cool experience.”

Parker still has business to take care of with his collegiate season before focusing on the Catfish, but he is already focusing on things that will help improve his game now and beyond.

“I’m really just trying to attack the ball,” Parker said. “I want to attack the ball early and be ready in early counts. In my mind I just need to know that I’m going to get a hit. It’s a really good mentality for me to have just to stay confident and get my best swing off.”