Built in Miami, now ranked among the best: The steady rise of Jake Ogden

Miami Herald

06-05-2025

University of Miami Built in Miami, now ranked among the best: The steady rise of Jake Ogden
Before every game, Jake Ogden suits up the same way. Same order, same rhythm, same routine.
It's a small detail, but for the University of Miami's starting shortstop, consistency is everything.
It's what helped him turn zero Division I offers out of high school into a spot on one of the nation's most storied programs. It's what helped him play in all 56 games last season at UNC Greensboro. It's what helped him become a Cape Cod League All-Star and champion. That same consistency still drives him now, batting well over .300 and starting every game for the Hurricanes — quickly displaying himself as one of the most productive shortstops in the country.
Ogden has only missed two games in his entire college career, both during his freshman season at Barry University and they still bother him to this day. His reliability on the field, however, doesn't come without effort behind the scenes.
He's done it all while managing Type 1 diabetes.
'I mean, those doubleheaders are tough,' Ogden said with a slight grin. 'Especially in Florida, it's really hot, and it affects blood sugars. I had some moments where I was in a tough spot, but I've learned how to manage it better. And I would say this season, I haven't had a single problem with it.'
His dugout diet includes Skittles, Starbursts, and whatever else helps keep his numbers stable.
Miami shortstop Jake Ogden (4) and third baseman Daniel Cuvet (14) come into the dugout after the first inning of a game on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at loanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. Alie Skowronski
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But the routine that keeps him in the lineup, through heat, long road trips and the daily grind, was shaped by years of trial, error and self-discipline.
OVERLOOKED BUT NEVER OUTWORKED
A Coral Reef High School alum and lifelong Miamian, Ogden came out of high school with plenty of work ethic — but not much attention. Despite solid grades, strong fundamentals, and a mature presence on the field, the exposure he chased never came.
'I played for CBU,' Ogden said, referencing his travel team. 'The thought was, 'Oh, if I play for this team, they're gonna help me get offers.' But I never really got looked at.'
'After high school ended, I thought I was a Division II player,' he said. 'That's where I thought I belonged.'
He made the most of it. Ogden started nearly every game at Barry as a freshman. But even then, the weight of being overlooked never fully left.
'My brother didn't play,' he said. 'But a big reason was because he was undersized. So I told myself that was not going to be my problem.'
He added muscle, refined his game and kept showing up.
'He has that grit and passion that not a lot of players have,' said Evan Wickeri, a former Barry teammate now playing at Lander University. 'You just realized how humble he was — but also how competitive. That's a testament to his discipline. Everyone learns consistency, but it's different to be able to execute it every day.'
PROVING GROUNDS
Then came the first coaching change. Barry's head coach stepped down. So Ogden transferred to UNC Greensboro, where the same thing happened again.
'The first move felt more drastic,' Ogden said. 'I was away from home. I didn't know anybody. I was on my own.'
Still, he played in every game, hit .331 and earned All-Southern Conference honors. His head coach, in one of his final moves before stepping down, helped connect him with an opportunity in the prestigious Cape Cod League — a parting gesture that spoke volumes about what he thought of Ogden.
Barry University infielder/right-handed pitcher Jake Ogden (16) during the Bucs' home opener against Lane College at Feinbloom Field on Friday, February 3, 2023 in Miami Shores. Kelly Gavin
Kelly Gavin/Barry University
'I looked at some of the names on the All-Star rosters, and I was like, 'Dang, I was watching this guy on TV,'' Ogden said. 'Now I'm standing next to him, playing with him.'
That summer, he committed to Miami.
FULL CIRCLE
By the time he stepped onto the field at Mark Light Stadium this spring, the Hurricanes had a new shortstop, but the same unshakable presence past teammates had come to rely on. The Coral Reef product had returned as a junior with two years of college ball, a Cape title, and a polished glove.
Head coach J.D. Arteaga said it didn't take long for the team to feel his presence.
'He's the epitome of what you're looking for in a player, a teammate, and someone you want to coach,' Arteaga said. 'Whatever you ask him to do, he's going to do it. We might ask him to pitch or catch — and I'm sure he'll do it with a smile on his face.'
Arteaga added: 'If we had nine of him, we'd be a really, really good team.'
Ogden has already started every game for Miami and entered the week hitting over .330 with one of the team's highest on-base percentages. His consistency at the plate has been matched by his reliability in the field, where he's flashed elite range and instinct.
'He's played shortstop one day, first base the next,' Arteaga said. 'He's hit leadoff, hit cleanup...guys feed off him.'
Miami infielder Jake Ogden (4) is out by FIU infielder Alex Ulloa (1) during the second inning of a game on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at loanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. Alie Skowronski
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He's also been recognized nationally. Ogden was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, an honor given to the nation's top shortstops.
THE MESSAGE THAT LINGERS
When asked what drives him to show up every day, to lift, prepare, and perform while managing more than the average athlete, Ogden didn't point to a quote, a coach, or a parent.
Instead, he recalled a moment from high school.
'Somebody when I was in high school told me I wasn't good enough to play at a certain school,' Ogden said. 'Every day, that's what keeps me going.'
He paused, then added — almost trying not to smile:
'I'd like to think I'm at a better school than he said I couldn't play at now.'
A grin crept across his face—the kind that almost felt out of place coming from someone so humble. It was like he caught himself mid-thought, aware that giving himself credit, even for a second, wasn't his style.
FAN CLUB
Before the season even began, another chapter of Ogden's story had already started taking shape.
Trevor Hancock, one of Ogden's oldest friends and a former high school teammate, created a Jake Ogden Fan Club Instagram account.
At first, it was a joke. A playful nod to a quiet, modest player who never asked for attention. But as Ogden's game caught fire and his role at Miami grew, the account took on a different tone, one rooted in admiration and purpose.
'I want to get his name out there,' said Hancock, a junior sports, arts, and entertainment major at Point Park University.
The account's bio includes 'T1D,' short for Type 1 diabetes, a subtle tribute to Jake and a signal of encouragement to others managing the same condition.
'If even one kid with diabetes like him sees that, it's an accomplishment.' Hancock said.
Today, the account has grown to more than 200 followers, a mix of former teammates, friends, family, and new supporters who've taken notice of Ogden's rise.
It's also caught attention inside the clubhouse. Hancock said several of Jake's current teammates at Miami have asked how they can get Jake Ogden Fan Club T-shirts. It started as an inside joke, but it's backed by real respect.
VISION FORWARD
Ask Jake about the future , and he doesn't give a long list of dreams. But he does have one.
'I think it'd be amazing if we made it to Omaha,' Ogden said. 'That's the dream.'
He said it like a goal, not a fantasy. Like the way he once talked about Division I baseball. Like the way he still remembers the person who once told him he couldn't.
Now that Miami is surging at the right time, having won three straight ACC series, Ogden's vision is more than just hopeful. It's possible. Ultimately, if the Hurricanes make a postseason run, their steady-handed shortstop will be right in the middle of it.