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Cherokee Nation citizen Cayle Shambaugh is a left-handed pitcher and center fielder who
throws in the mid-90s and hit higher than .400 in 2009 for the Jay Bulldogs. Shambaugh is expected to be picked high this
June in the Major League Baseball draft. (Photo by Mark Dreadfulwater)

By Wesley MahanSports WriterJAY, Okla. – Though many people are unaware of it, one of the country’s top high school baseball prospects resides in this small Delaware County town. Cayle Shambaugh, a Cherokee Nation citizen, is a left-handed pitcher and center fielder who throws in the mid-90s and hit higher than .400 in 2009 for the Jay Bulldogs.Despite his success, it was only a couple of years ago when Shambaugh realized he could do special things on the baseball diamond.“The summer of my sophomore year, I hit 92 (miles per hour) off the mound. Being left-handed, I thought that was good. I figured I had a chance to go play and get my college paid for somewhere. That’s when it really hit me, and it became reality not just a dream,” he said.Besides being a baseball standout, Shambaugh also drew attention of NCAA Division I scouts for his gridiron prowess. But after some broken bones and a knee injury, he decided to stick with baseball. 
For the moment, Shambaugh will play college baseball at the University of Oklahoma. 
 
“I really like the program….They have a lot to offer besides the academics. They have everything. It seemed like you couldn’t get bored down there,” he said. “I really like the coaches, and I know some guys going there this year. It just felt like a real good fit for me.” However, Shambaugh may never step foot on the Norman campus since he is expected to be picked high this June in the Major League Baseball draft.“We’ve had 15 people come to the house from different organizations. They just come and sit down and meet and get a face. Because they’ve heard there’s a kid from Oklahoma, left-handed, throws hard and they just want to get a face,” he said. “Right now to be honest I really don’t know. I think Perfect Game (a scouting service) is saying fifth round. No one’s really just come out and told us where I’ll be drafted.”Shambaugh said a MLB career would be a dream come true.“It would be a blast. That’s my life goal, to play professional baseball. That would be so cool to wake up and love your job. Get to play in front of the fans, get to live the dream. Get paid to play a baseball game, that would be amazing,” he said.But playing in the majors wouldn’t be groundbreaking in the Shambaugh home. His father, Mike, starred at Jay in the early 1980s before being selected by the New York Mets in the 1983 draft. But Mike chose to attend Oral Roberts University before being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1986.He said with his experiences, he’s trying to help his son through the process.“I just told him, ‘you need to go somewhere where you’re comfortable and like the coaches. You need to go to a place where you have a chance to play,’ and I think he has a good chance to do that at OU,” Mike said. “The biggest thing I helped him with is don’t make all the mistakes I made. So from that vantage point, I think that’s probably the biggest thing I have to offer to him. Just how to approach the game mentally and I think he’s responded well to that.
Mike said he’s proud of his son, who has always embraced everything his father told him.
 
“It’s always nice to have someone there that knows what their doing. That can tell you, ‘hey you’re doing this wrong or doing that wrong.’ It helps a lot and has been the difference maker,” Cayle said. Cayle isn't the only member of the Shambaugh family getting attention. His younger brother, Kyle, has received inquiries from college and professional scouts, as well. “He got a letter from the Major League scouting bureau wanting his information for next year. So he’s on the radar. Really as a player that's all you can really ask for,” Mike said. Reach Sports Writer Wesley Mahan at (479) 427-9101 or wesley-mahan@yahoo.com