| Maryland's
Top Pro Prospect Will Play for Cotuit this Summer
Maxwell
Will Bring Speed and Power to Lowell Park
May
4 , 2004
COTUIT
— Named the "Best athlete in the Cape Cod Baseball
League in 2004" by Baseball America,  Maryland
junior outfielder Justin Maxwell committed this week to playing
on the Cape once more, but this time for coach Mike Roberts and
the Cotuit Kettleers.
Deemed one of the only position players ranked
high enough by Major League scouts to be selected in the first round
in the upcoming June 2004 Major League Baseball First Year Player
Draft, Maxwell sustained a brief injury (borken bone in arm) in
his first practice with the Terps this spring. The injury prompted
Maxwell to redshirt this collegiate season, wait for the June 2004
draft and to play once more in the Cape League. Cotuit got lucky
and new Field Manager Mike Roberts and veteran General Manager Bruce
Murphy landed the rising star.
Perhaps one of the most popular players
on the Cape last summer, Maxwell garnered the Manny Robello 10th
Player Award, was named a starting all-star for the West Division
squad and was named to the Cape League's All-League starting nine
following a brilliant season.
Maxwell's .307 average paced the Bourne Braves'
lineup last summer and helped lead the braves to the Cape League
Championship Series versus Orleans. While Bourne bowed out to the
Cardinals in mid-August, Maxwell's star kept rising through the
fall and winter months. A true five-tool player, Maxwell has an
almost uncanny work ethic and shuns the typical "fun in the
sun" attitude some ballplayers bring with them to the Cape
when they come to play.
Boasting a 3.88 grade point average, Maxwell
opted to take the full baseball scholarship offered to him by Maryland
his senior year in high school, rather than attend Harvard. He was
drafted in the 43rd round by the Baltimore Orioles out of high school.
While Baseball America recently reported it believes
Maxwell will still go in the first or second round in this year's
draft in spite of his brief injury, the speedy outfielder said he
thinks playing another summer on the Cape may prepare him best for
things to come.
"We just have to wait and see what happens,"
Maxwell said. "I am really excited to get a chance to play
for Cotuit this summer."
If there is anything Maxwell brings to the ballpark,
it is precisely that: excitement.
Photo
by Sean Walsh/©2003, All Rights Reserved.
Click
on a story below to read
2004 Kettleers' College Highlights
•
Tennessee's Luke Hochevar Lauded
for His Active Role in the Community. 4-12-04
•
UNLV Righthander Matt Luca Whiffs
14 and Ups Record to 5-0 on the spring, 3-26-04
•
Tulane's Nathan Southard Comes Through
at the Plate for the Green Wave, 3-19-04
•
Brae Wright Does it Again with Another
Complete Game Victory, 3-19-04
•
Crimson Tide's Brandon Belcher named
SEC Pitcher of the Week, 3-15-04
•
Ole Miss southpaw Brae Wright Fans
career-high 11 batters in complete game stint 3-13-04
•
The Citadel's Ken Egelton Has Superb
Relief Outing Versus Elon College 3-13-04
•
Arizona Freshman Jason Donald Ties
School Batting Record with 6-hit game 2-22-04
•
Tulane's J.R. Crowel, a southpaw,
mows down 10 versus Maryland-Baltimore County 2-21-04
•
Arizona freshman Jason Donald Belts
Three-Run Homer to Win Game 2-13-04
•
Tennessee's Luke Hochevar Tosses
Early-Season Gem 2-13-04
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