Blake Cavill speaks on long journey to Troy

Would you move halfway across the world to play the game you love? From Sydney, Australia, to Troy, Alabama, Blake Cavill took a step most could never imagine in their lives…to play baseball.  

“I started playing baseball when I was about four,” Cavill said. “When I was 13, I made it to the little league world series and that started my journey.  

“Then, when I was 19, I flew over to Florida for the first time to go to junior college, and I knew absolutely nobody except the coach, and it was a tough ride but exciting in the end. I ended up finding Troy and ever since then it has been great for me.” 

While playing baseball in his childhood, Cavill was a multi-sport athlete, playing volleyball, cricket and rugby. Throughout high school, Cavill had to find something to get him out of class and onto the field. 

“In Australia we don’t play high school baseball, so we have to find other sports,” Cavill said. “If you play a sport, you get the whole day off school, so me and my buddies would try out for every single sport we could just for the fun and really a day off school.” 

After high school, Cavill looked to the States to find a way to further his career. After doing a Google search for the best American junior colleges, Northwest Florida State caught his attention. Within a week, Cavill was set to head over 9,000 miles away from home. This change came as a hardship for Cavill at first, as he had never been to the U.S. before. 

Troy Athletics photo

Blake Cavill celebrates during a 2025 game against the USC Upstate.

“You get there, and you are 19 only knowing the coach, and it is scary,” Cavill said. “It didn’t take long before the players got around me and helped me out in every way possible. 

“When I got to Northwest Florida, I was probably one of the worst players there and eventually, I started figuring it out and the coaches helped me develop. The journey was long, but it ended up being worth it.” 

Cavill’s junior college experience was not completely normal, and that’s because of his father. For a unique International Challenger series in 2023, Matthew Cavill, Blake’s dad, formed the Aussie Drop Bears -- a team of Australian collegiate, former MLB, and professional players -- to compete against the Savannah Bananas.  

For Cavill, this experience changed the way he looked at baseball and helped him build relationships with the Banana players he still has now. 

“They are really good friends to this day,” Cavill said. “We met a few years ago and the last three holidays, a few of the players come over to my house for Christmas and we all have a good time in Australia.” 

Now in his second year at Troy, Cavill has been named All-Sun Belt First Team and Preseason Player of the Year, securing his name in Trojan history. 

“Coming to Troy has changed my whole career,” Cavill said. “The coaching staff has changed me as a person and a player and helped me understand baseball and my full potential.”