TAMPA, Fla. – University of Tampa outfielder E.J Cumbo’s time with the Spartans is coming closer to an end, but baseball may be part of his life forever.
Cumbo is in his junior season with the Spartans, his final season looming.
With graduation and the end of his eligibility around the corner, the Long Island, N.Y., native has his goals in place.
“End goal is get signed professionally, or drafted professionally, and if that doesn’t work, I wanna go overseas and play for a few years and see what happens there,” he said, in an interview at the Tampa Spartans facility on Thursday.
The 23-year-old transferred to Tampa from New York Tech in 2021, and the junior is still happy with his decision to join the Spartans.
“Tampa was a no brainer just with the winning environment, the professionals that are down here on the field hanging out,” Cumbo said. “I would recommend any guy from the Northeast, if they want to go to school, come down south.”
A grad student in criminal justice, Cumbo admits he greatly prefers following the path of his passion.
“Criminology is not really something I want to get into,” he said. “With baseball, I coach in the summers when I’m not playing so that’s probably something I want to do.”
Coaching is an option for the outfielder, but with his hitting numbers, he should have some more playing years before then.
Cumbo has a .388 average, .433 on-base percentage, and .664 slugging with eight home runs and 26 runs batted in for the Spartans this year.
Listed as 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, the stocky hitter credits his basic skills for his success rather than his power.
“I was always a smaller guy … but my basics were always sound,” Cumbo said. “Working on [basics] every single day, doesn’t matter if I was home in New York in cages or out here in the field, it’s the same drills [that have helped me].”
Between his abilities and love for the sport, the options should be limitless for the 23-year-old as he prepares for his next step.
Besides, if all else fails, Cumbo is already an ordained minister, but that’s more of a fun fact than a future job in his eyes.