Deadlocked 1-1 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, Quinnipiac graduate first baseman CJ Willis steps to the plate as the leadoff hitter for the Trenton Thunder, taking on the visiting State College Spikes.
Having lined out in his first at bat, Willis wastes no time and rips a first-pitch cutter off the inside of the plate and sends it out to center field. It’s the first of six doubles for the former Bobcat in his MLB Draft League season and it comes in a big moment, providing the Thunder with a runner in scoring position.
About three hours southwest of Quinnipiac University, Trenton’s Arm & Hammer Park serves as home for the Thunder. The club was previously in the Yankees farm system, and is now in the MLB Draft League.
Created in 2021, the Draft League provides players such as Willis, with the opportunity to continue their baseball careers post-college. While the first half of the season is dedicated to collegiate players who are still MLB draft-eligible, the second half is for college graduates who are no longer eligible to play in the NCAA, and have gone undrafted. However, they can be signed by pro teams at any time.
Willis highlighted the benefits playing in the Draft League brought him and others.
“For players like myself who run out of eligibility and don’t get drafted or signed, it’s a good place to show off your skills against others in your same situation,” Willis said.
Willis, a transfer from Western New England University, arrived at Quinnipiac ahead of his junior year. He was a driving force behind Quinnipiac’s stellar 2025 campaign. The Bobcats’ 17 conference wins were second most in a season in program history. Bouncing back after an underwhelming 2024 season, they qualified for the MAAC playoffs for the sixth time, and second in three years.
Willis carried a ton of personal momentum into his Draft League stint. After a slow start to the preceding Quinnipiac season, the first baseman batted an impressive .370 from March 1st on, resulting in First Team All-MAAC honors. A lot of praise went to Coach John Delaney.
“I would give a lot of credit to my head coach at Quinnipiac, coach Delaney, for believing in me the whole time,” Willis said. “It was really just a mental block. I just had to change my approach in the box. Coach Delaney is a great leader and he makes men along with good baseball players. I owe him a lot.”
Willis described the changes he noticed between the 2024 and 2025 teams.
“The culture really just changed. It started in the weight room, and last year it didn’t really seem like anyone wanted to be there,” Willis said. “This year everyone was bought in. We got a lot stronger and a lot faster, and I think we just played our tails off for each other.”
While Willis was not one of the 35 players across the Draft League to sign with an MLB franchise as an undrafted free agent, his experience in the Draft League and at Quinnipiac proved extremely beneficial.
“My dream was to play professional baseball, and I did that,” Willis said. “It was a great option to face top notch competition and I felt like I belonged and could still play further.”
Building from his playing experience and the lessons learned at Quinnipiac, Willis is continuing his baseball journey, while entering a different chapter. Now an assistant coach at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, Willis has geared his attention toward coaching.
“I am bought in to the coaching side of baseball. I think that’s what my future is,” Willis said. “I do think I could still play anywhere. I just don’t know if the desire is still there. For now I’m going to coach and it is what I want to do long-term.”
Willis’ 39-game stint in the Draft League culminated with a .286/.372/.353 slash line. This helped power him to MLB Draft League “Data Darling” honors for week 11 of the season. If this is the end of Willis’ playing career, he ended both his collegiate and Draft League stints on high notes.
“Quinnipiac and baseball in general did a lot to prepare me for life,” Willis said. “The game itself shows you how to deal with failure and to keep going. I think that’s the most important lesson there is.”
