Serra baseball’s CJ Hughes is taking advantage of a big opportunity this week in Arizona.
Hughes is participating at the MLB Draft Combine, which started Tuesday and will run until Saturday at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. The combine, featuring “top high school and college” prospects, who are eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft.
Hughes, who is headed to UC Santa Barbara, pitched and played shortstop for Serra. He was a a first-team Daily Breeze All-Area selection.
The event offers players “the opportunity to participate in a series of medical and performance assessments as well as educational programming designed to prepare them for a career in professional baseball.”
“Being invited to the combine is such an honor,” Hughes said. “To be recognized by Major League Baseball, which I have grown up watching, doesn’t even feel real, despite the work that I have put in to get to this point.
“It is an honor to be considered to become one of those elite players out of Serra High School to eventually get to the bigs and become one of even fewer players to get there.
“There’s many wonders that go through my mind on a day-to-day basis on how life could be for me in the next couple of years and I look forward to my future everyday.”
As part of the Combine experience, top high school players eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft will be selected to participate in a tournament featuring eight games, including “bronze medal” and “gold medal” games, as well as PDP Performance Assessments and a pro-style showcase workout.
The combine also gives players an opportunity to boost their draft stock, while giving MLB Clubs a new opportunity to evaluate these players in the weeks leading up to the Draft.
Participation in the combine does not affect a players’ NCAA eligibility.