Angel Cano Turned Opportunity into a College Degree at UA Little Rock

As Angel Cano prepares to walk across the commencement stage at UA Little Rock, he thinks back to a decision he made as a teenager in Cartagena, Colombia.

He was 16 when he left home, recruited to the United States to play baseball and pursue an education. It meant leaving behind family, familiarity and everything he had ever known.

In a new country, baseball was his one constant.

It became his balance, carrying him through the early years of adjustment — learning a new environment, building a new routine and figuring out life away from home. But Cano understood this was more than a chance to play college baseball in the United States. It was an opportunity to earn a degree.

Cano is graduating with a degree in criminal justice, a career path he plans to pursue when his playing days are over.

“I know there will be life after baseball,” he said. “The reason I chose criminal justice is I’ve always been fascinated with how law and the process of law works. And I have a lot of respect for law enforcement and what they do.”

Baseball opened the door for Cano, but his education will carry him forward long after his playing days.

“I always know baseball isn’t going to be everything,” Cano said. “I came to the United States when I was 16 because of baseball, and I’m still doing what I love. But the reality is, if I would’ve stayed in Colombia, this probably wouldn’t have happened.”

Cano came to UA Little Rock as a transfer student-athlete from Western Oklahoma State University. As a Trojan, he’s continuing to build on the foundation he laid for himself since he began playing the sport. Since his arrival in the U.S., he’s spent time learning how to adjust to the changes. But baseball was familiar and kept him focused. Over the past two seasons, he has become a steady presence for the Trojans, taking on a larger role in 2025 despite missing time due to injury. This season, he’s playing a major role, hitting .321 with 52 hits and seven home runs across 42 games, providing a reliable, steady presence in the middle of the lineup while anchoring first base with a .985 fielding percentage.

That steadiness, he said, didn’t come from avoiding challenges, but from learning how to move through them. Moving away from his native country at 16 forced him to grow up quickly.

“The biggest challenge was being away from home,” he said. “I had to grow up real fast. Colombia is a developing country, so coming here and seeing all of this — it’s a dream for a lot of people. As long as you put in the work, it’s a dream that could last forever.”

Over time, that perspective shaped how he approaches everything around him. Baseball, school, and daily life all require the same mindset: adjust, reset, and keep moving forward.

“I’m a baseball player, and that’s my mindset in class,” Cano said. “I view everything as a challenge that I have to solve.”

Baseball, he said, has shaped how he handles challenges when they come.

“Baseball taught me endurance and patience with challenges,” Cano said. “If I’m struggling with an assignment, I have to figure out the best way to get out of it. It made me a critical thinker.”

That’s also how Cano views leadership: not in speeches or titles, but in how a team responds when things don’t go perfectly.

“Everyone will have a bad day, and it’s up to your team to pick you up when you do,” he said. “The team is most successful when everyone can step up for each other.”

During the thrilling 2025 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, Cano put together the best stretch of his college career. Over five games, he had 10 hits, four home runs, and drove in 15 runs, earning Most Valuable Player honors. He homered in three straight games, including a two-run shot in the second inning against host and top-ranked LSU that helped spark Little Rock’s regional semifinal win. That swing later earned Play of the Year at the Trojan TOP Awards, where Cano was also named Baseball MVP.

As graduation approaches, Cano said he is aware of how far he has come — and how many people back home are part of that journey with him.

“This is the dream,” he said. “No matter why you’re here, this is the dream — to do it in the United States.”

For him, that dream has meant responsibility, change, and growth, but also gratitude.

“It’s cool for the experience of another country and the environment,” Cano said. “But you still have to take care of school. It’s why you’re here. For my family and friends back home, this is everything to them for me to be doing this, and I don’t take it for granted.”