T-Bolts' Sabater Sets Himself Apart with "Pro"-Level Speed

By Tim Wilcox

When Jeff Sabater started playing baseball, he looked up to major leaguers like Ichiro Suzuki, Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson. The three of them, along with then nine-year-old Sabater, all had one thing in common: they were fast.

“I realized right away that my main tool [was] being fast,” Sabater said. “So I kind of implemented that into my game.”

As he rose through the levels of baseball, Sabater knew he had speed, but he didn’t call himself a great base runner yet. After joining Millersville in 2023-24, Sabater placed a relentless focus on his baserunning, and set the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) record with 57 stolen bases in just 54 games. No other player in the country among all divisions had more than 48 stolen bases. To go along with his speed, Sabater also led Millersville with a .372 average and 67 hits.

Now, the Thunderbolts center fielder is second in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball league with a .424 average and ranks third with 15 stolen bases.

His speed provides a triple threat on the baseball diamond. Not only does it allow Sabater to run the bases at an elite level, but it is a difference maker in the batter’s box and in the outfield.

Sabater played his first two collegiate seasons at Northampton Community College, a junior college, and after his sophomore season, he made the decision to transfer to Millersville (Division II). The change of scenery propelled Sabater to advance his game.

With the Marauders, Sabater focused on improving his base running skills with head coach Jon Shehan and assistant coach Bobby Dorta – now a coach in the Miami Marlins organization. Just as Sabater had, Dorta joined Millersville ahead of the 2024 season after serving as a volunteer assistant at Wofford.

“My first impression was that [Sabater’s] one of the fastest guys that I've ever seen, like pro speed,” Dorta said. “I knew that he was going to be very valuable, not just hitting, but also on the bases, and getting extra free 90s anytime he had a chance to.”

Sabater bought into Dorta’s new baserunning system and worked on getting reads off pitchers at every practice. It didn’t take long for the pair to build a strong player-coach bond.

“[Dorta] and [Sabater] built a really good relationship, and set a good foundation,” Shehan said. “It was a lot of working on monotonous basics to get [Sabater] to the point where he was so confident with what he was doing.”

In the Fall of 2023, Sabater stole dozens of bases during intrasquad play. If he had an at bat, he’d get on base and steal, and if he didn’t have an at bat, he’d still practice stealing and getting reads at first base, Shehan said.

“[Sabater] was pretty tired, but those were the types of in-game repetitions that really took him to a whole other level,” Shehan said.

Dorta’s biggest focus with Sabater was helping to improve his lead length and ability to read the pitcher’s tendencies. During practice, Sabater gained many repetitions against left-handed and right-handed pitchers.

When the Spring rolled around, Sabater was set to test his new baserunning tactics in games. In the Marauders’ first game against No. 5 Central Missouri on February 2, Sabater swiped a game-high two stolen bases.

Ahead of every series, Sabater was always pushing Dorta to make sure he released the scouting report in time. He would visit Dorta’s office and watch film on a pitcher so that he was prepared for the next pitcher he faced.

Through the first two months of the season, Sabater was 36 for 41 in stealing bases, and recorded four stolen bases in two separate games.

“After a couple weeks, he was nails with [the preparation process],” Dorta said. “He would know exactly what he was looking for, for each pitcher. He just really studied it, which was awesome, and that had a lot to do with all the success.”

Sabater continued to swipe bags at a historic rate, and on May 2, he broke the PSAC record with his 53rd stolen base of the season.

“99% of the time he just had a green light to run whenever he wanted to because a pitcher and catcher had to execute it perfectly with a throw down as well to get him out,“ Dorta said.

Sabater finished the season with 57 stolen bases, breaking a school record that stood for 37 years. His speed helped Millersville rank seventh in NCAA Division II in stolen bases.

At the same time, as the leadoff hitter, Sabater led Millersville to a 38-16 record and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals. He posted a .417 on-base percentage and got on base any way he could such as laying down bunts and reaching on infield singles.

“It's nice to know a guy like [Sabater] can mishit a ball and [still] get a base hit and end up on third in two or three pitches,” Shehan said. “Jeff is certainly a weapon from a tool aspect.”

With Silver Spring-Takoma, Sabater is teammates with Quincy Via (Marymount), a fellow speedy outfielder who is tied for the CRSCBL lead in stolen bases. The pair have formed a strong relationship while creating a headache for opposing teams.

“[Via and I] talk about baseball all the time, we talk about anything,” Sabater said. “[As center fielders], it’s a way to bond with someone on your team when you're not necessarily competing, but you guys are both producing from the same spot and you're trying to get wins.”

The Thunderbolts take advantage of the duo’s speed and when they get on base, most of the time it’s a guaranteed run, head coach Brock Hunter said.

Hunter has also been impressed with Sabater’s defense in center field. Whether it’s coming in or going back on balls, he covers the gaps well.

Sabater continues to use his speed to rewrite history in stolen base categories and leave a game-changing effect.

“His speed is a pro trait and he's just completely fearless,” Dorta said. “He's not scared of any opponent, he's not scared of failing, he's not scared of anything outside of his control on the bases.”