Sears moves from SDSU to Iowa Central

2024 HCHS graduate Cade Sears left his senior season of Cyclone baseball early to start a new journey of playing football for South Dakota State, but left realizing he had a bigger passion for baseball, he will now be playing baseball at Iowa Central Community College.
“I guess I didn’t love football anymore,” Sears said. “I didn’t like going to meetings and stuff like that. I just wanted to show up to the yard and play baseball. Baseball is the sport I love.”
During his senior season, Sears only played 14 games, but still managed to earn second team honors. He batted .410 with 16 hits, scoring 21 runs, with three home runs and 16 RBI’s, along with stealing nine bases.
“Too bad I missed the last few games, I had a great time playing with all my friends,” Sears added. “Before games, going to Subway and hanging out at my house. After games, we’d go get Slushies’, and we started a lot of fun little traditions, and it was a great time.”
However, the love for the game started at a young age for Sears, along with watching his two older brothers play, Dillon and Brett. Dillon played five seasons at Western Illinois University including during his senior season, he played in and started each of the team’s 52 games, finished with 53 hits and had a .275 average. He was also second on the team in doubles with eight and second in walks with 21, and tied for the team-lead in runs scored with 28.
Brett’s journey has been different starting in Macomb, Illinois, then moving to Iowa Central, and a final standout year in Lincoln. Brett also recently got drafted by the Atlanta Braves as the 221st overall pick being selected in the seventh round of this year’s MLB draft.
“I’ve just enjoyed watching my brothers play over the years and seeing their success,” Sears said. “They’ve helped me out throughout this process right here. I called them first to see what they thought and they just said do what your heart tells you and it told me baseball. Dillon was my high school coach. We did a lot of drills together and he was trying to help me get ready for the two weeks I had before I went to Iowa Central just to get me back into baseball.”
Sears also credited his high school coach Heath Stein for his success and the help he’s received over his time playing Cyclone baseball.
“I love coach Stein,” Sears said. “His brother is my head coach now. He’s helped me out a lot throughout the process to be a better hitter and mainly he helped me a lot with my confidence.”
With his college days in front of him, Sears would love to go professional one day, but understands the journey of professional sports is a stepping stone process and plans to take it one step at a time.
“It would be ideal to make it to the professionals,” he said. “That’s not in my mind right now. I got to go one step at a time, I got to show up here and play at Iowa Central. I’ve got to be good and good enough to make it to the next level. After that, I’ll see it where it goes. Professionals would be awesome, but that’s now always the end goal for everybody.”