Katy ISD Grad, Who Started Baseball in Katy Little Leagues, Drafted by L.A. Dodgers

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

August 5, 2024

By Natalie Cook Clark

Cody Morse, a 2021 graduate from Paetow High School has signed with the L.A. Dodgers in the recent MLB draft. Morse began his baseball career at the age of 4, right here in Katy little leagues.

Photo credit: ESPN and Weatherford Junior College

A Katy Baseball Star Signed to Pitch for the Dodgers

Katy, Texas will have a player in Major League Baseball this year as hometown baseball player, Cody Morse has signed with the L.A. Dodgers corporation. Morse was drafted in the 12th round, 370th overall pick. He is a left-handed pitcher that stands at 6 foot 6. His pitching sits between 91-94 mph, but he can pitch a 95 mph ball.

A Lifelong Passion for the Sport

Baseball has been a lifelong passion for Katy’s Cody Morse.

“I have always loved baseball,” says Cody. “I also am a collector of Baseball cards. I share this love of baseball cards with my dad.”

His baseball career began in Katy at the age of 4. Cody was close in age with his older brother Caton, and his parents needed them to be on the same team to make it work. This played to his advantage as he was always playing with slightly older players.

“Always taking our sons to games was fun and exhausting all in one,” says Cody’s Mom, Tawnya Morse. “We would sometimes not always make it to the same game as other life events got in the way and we have four kids.”

The Morse family has three sons and a daughter, all who play sports.

Cody and his brother started with Katy Pony Baseball and then entered travel ball. They worked to find the right fit for their boys and found it with Hunter Pence Baseball.

Their Dad, John Morse worked a lot of weekend, so the schedule was a lot for Tawnya to keep up, but she made it work.

Playing for Paetow. Photo credit: The Morse family

Always Striving for his Dream

They played high school baseball during the year and then Hunter Pence Baseball during the summer. Through the program they had Scout Days as well as Showcases at certain colleges.

Cody Morse didn’t take a direct path to the majors after graduating from Paetow High School in 2021, but getting to the majors was always his goal. He’d known that playing major league baseball was his goal since he started playing in the Hunter Pence Baseball program in Katy.

“My plan has always been plan A, no plan B,” says Cody Morse.

Baseball, like many sports is highly competitive. Cody never let this get in the way of his dream.

“I’ve been told since I was young, from friends and even some coaches along the journey, that thought this was a pipe dream and it was out of reach for me,” he recalls. “I was probably not good enough. I used all of this as fuel to prove them wrong. I never gave up and continued to get better and improve over time. You can say I found my confidence.”

After graduating from Paetow High School, Cody went to the University of Houston on a baseball scholarship but was red shirted his first year, like many freshman. He wanted more experience and to get more bullpen sessions, so he decided to move to Weatherford Community College, where he excelled under the coaching staff.

While at Weatherford he made it to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction and came within one game of the final. That loss only fueled him to train harder and reinforced his dream.

After that he was courted by several colleges but ended up staying and Weatherford for a second year and ended up being one game shy of making it back to the World Series, but by then he had been courted by OU and was loving their campus and program. Cody committed to start OU in the Fall of 2023 while meeting with different advisors to test out the waters for entering the MLB Draft. Cody went with advisor Judd Lammers and began attending dozens of private sessions with various teams but felt that the Dodgers had the most interest.

On Making the Dodgers

“My Advisor kept me in the loop on the interest the entire time with all teams interested,” explains Morse. “In the end LA Dodgers pitching coordinator/scout spoke to me and informed me I would be picked up in the 12th round.”

The Morse family had a small watch party at their home in Katy for the draft selection.

“I was with my mom, my brother, and two of my best buddies,” says Morse. “It was perfect.

The anticipation was awesome. Once the pick was announced, we celebrated at the house and I called my dad again, and his voice cracked on the other end of the phone, as he was so proud of my journey and my success to get to the next level.”

“It was unbelievable, to see everything he has worked for come down to such a moment,” says his Dad, John Morse.

Cody is currently training in Arizona with the L.A. Dodgers program before moving to L.A. He says being used to the heat from Katy has helped him adjust to Arizona heat.

Photo credit: Cody Morse

Giving Thanks

He is grateful for is ongoing success and quick to give thanks to those who helped him reach this lifelong goal.

“I really owe my brother Caton, for getting me into the sport,” says Cody. “And my parents for taking me to every game and encouraging me along the way. Even through the tough days.”

He is also thankful for many coaches and organizations over the years especially his Hunter Pence travel team and HTL Athletics in Katy, formally known as Performance Edge.

His Love for Katy

While Cody won’t be living in Katy anymore as he trains and plays for the L.A. Dodgers, he will be a frequent visitor as he loves this city.

This is his hometown, where he attended Winborn Elementary, Katy Junior High and Paetow High School. 

His favorite Katy places to visit are HTL Athletics for baseball training, BONA gym, Urban Bird, Los Cucos, and Snappy Café. 

Giving Back and Inspiring Others

Cody is more than a baseball player and is always eager to give back and inspire others.

For 8 years Morse has been a type 1 Diabetic. “It’s tough to go from eating whatever you want and recovering easily to having dietary restrictions and taking insulin every day,” explains Cody. “It doesn’t really change the way I play thank God, but I do have to worry about how I eat, and I think it’s helped me keep a clean and healthy diet,” he adds.

Cody was actually diagnosed with Diabetes while at Katy Junior High where he collapsed. He spent some time in ICU while they worked to regulate him on medication and a new way of life. Still, this didn’t deter him from what he wanted to do.

Cody is also a JR98 ambassador for mental health. The organization is an advocate for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention through education and community service.

It was founded by the Ramierez family after their son, Jean Ramirez “JR” died by suicide in 2022. Ramirez was number 98 on the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

“I wanted to support mental health because I know how important it is in baseball and life in general,” says Cody. “I wanted to be able to spread knowledge about mental health and to be a beacon for anyone to talk to or reach out to.”

Cody also wants to inspire the next generation of baseball players, especially players from Katy where his journey started.

“Always follow your dreams,” says Morse. “They can come true; work ethic is key. Athletic ability helps but know what you want and set realistic goals for yourself. Once you reach that goal, raise the bar, aim higher, and keep repeating. The road is long and filled with diversity, but this will make you stronger. I am still learning today, and I keep grinding. Let’s go! Play Ball!”

Katy residents and baseball fans can follow Cody Morse’s journey through his social media platforms on X @CMTsunami and Instagram @codymorse_ @thatmorseguy

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