Florida Infielder Kurland Brings A Spark To Mariners

HARWICH – Cade Kurland wants to make a difference.

The 5-foot-11 second baseman from Tampa, Fla. has established himself as an energetic player at the University of Florida, where he earned first team All-SEC honors as a freshman and continued to be a mainstay atop the Gators’ lineup as a sophomore this spring.

After not playing summer ball last year, Kurland has embraced the opportunity to be an impactful player at second base for the Harwich Mariners this summer.

“It’s very important to me,” Kurland said. “I try to play as aggressively as I can and do my best to get something going and help the guys beside me.”

Kurland is a tone setter at Florida, where he routinely hit leadoff and recorded a .245 batting average with 14 home runs, 44 RBIs and 51 runs scored in 62 games. His numbers have been even more impressive in Harwich: the rising junior is hitting .333 with a homer, eight RBIs and 11 runs scored in 13 games.

“He’s a spark plug,” longtime Harwich manager Steve Englert said. “He’s a little fire plug out there. He competes and he’s a grinder out. I love having him here. He’s a staple in our lineup — he plays great defense and he’s getting his knocks. He’s a good one.”

While much of Kurland’s success can be attributed to his talent and work ethic, the infielder also prides himself on approaching the sport with a strong mental focus. He doesn’t get too high after good games and he doesn’t allow himself to get too down after poor performances.

For Kurland, each time he takes the field offers a new opportunity to improve and grow as a player.

“I try to do my best to separate every year, every season and every game,” Kurland said. “I treat every experience as its own.”

As effective as Kurland has been on the diamond, the infielder has also made a difference in the Florida community. The 2023 Freshman All-American recipient took part in Florida Victorious, an official NIL partner of UF that partners Gator athletes with various charities and non-profit organizations in the community.

Kurland took part in various Florida Victorious charitable endeavors, including packing bags for Food4Kids, working with Habitat for Humanity and visiting various schools in and around the Gainesville community.

“I’ve been given so much and have been fortunate to have been given a lot growing up,” said Kurland. “It’s a great way to give back to the community and people that are less fortunate than I am.”

After taking last summer off following a phenomenal freshman campaign in which he hit .297 and earned Freshman All-American honors, Kurland is thrilled to be spending his summer in the nation's most coveted collegiate summer league.

“This has lived up to all of my expectations so far,” he said. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s a great change here on Cape Cod — the weather is amazing, I love the guys and I love the atmosphere. It’s been amazing.”