Emily Orsini, Asst. Sports Editor–

The Denison baseball team has moved up the national ranks significantly since the beginning of their season in late February, giving Big Red the motivation to make history.

For the past four years, Denison has lost in the regional finals each year since 2019, which has motivated the players. No tournament was played in 2020. 

The expectations are high because the team was ranked No. 16 in the preseason Division III national poll and was No. 10 in the Deb. 27 poll. In addition, outfielder/designated hitter Eric Colaco ‘25 was named to the preseason All-American team.

Such accolades are not uncommon for Colaco, who was named Newcomer of the Year during his freshman season in 2022 and NCAC Player of the Year after his sophomore season in 2023, when he started all 46 games as the Big Red went 36-10. He hit .378 with 10 home runs and 60 runs batted in. 

Colaco not only has the numbers to prove that hard work and determination can bring great success, but he also has mentality.

“Baseball is a game of failure,” Colaco said, “so I have these eye-opening moments every year where I’m like, ‘wow. This sport is hard.’”

Being a hitter where failing sixty percent of the time is considered elite is incredibly difficult, especially when there’s external pressure from coaches and teammates to perform at the right moment. This puts a lot of mental pressure on players, which can sometimes get the best of an athlete, but not Colaco. 

“I grew up with all my coaches telling me to ‘flush it’— just to let [my previous at-bats] go and stay present. So when I step into the box, I try to relax and take a deep breath,” he said, “I’ve gotten a lot better at it throughout my career.”

Not only is it hard to get this mentality, but it’s even harder to maintain it. To Colaco, the results are just a small part of the process.

“Getting results is really cool, but there’s always more you can do,” he said, “I’ve done some great things throughout my career, but there’s always room for improvement. I love the game, so I am always looking to get better.”

When a team has high aspirations like Denison baseball, being able to recover from failure and bounce back is essential. This group of athletes proved that they were battle-tested during their opening weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

“Our first game we lost 17-1, and it was kind of scary,” Colaco said, “we have three words that we want other coaches to use to describe us, with one of them being ‘unphased’. After losing the first game the way we did and being able to come back and win the next two against really good teams shows that’s exactly what we were that weekend.”

The Big Red lost in their first game against then-No. 20 Christopher Newport University, but were able to come back to beat No. 2 Salisbury University and No. 10 Cortland to finish off their debut for the 2024 season. The tenacity possessed by this group of athletes is unmatched. 

Colaco finished off the weekend with a batting average of .556 and four stolen bases while also scoring six total runs. Performances like these can lead a team to a championship, and that’s exactly what Colaco intends to do.

“Individually, I think that if I play at the same level that I did last season then that’ll set us up to be successful,” Colaco said, “but when you look at the whole team, everyone has a role. The people that are playing, the people on the bench, everyone contributes to the success of our team in some way. All I’m trying to do is play my role.”

When asked about how far Colaco see’s the team going this season, he was optimistic and excited.

“The World Series is the goal,” Colaco said, “and we definitely have the talent. Sitting and watching for the past two years the teams that beat us during regionals dogpiling on our field is what motivates me. I don’t want to see that again.”

With strong leadership and consistent talent, the Big Red have it in them to go all the way. However, it’s more than just winning for Colaco and the Denison baseball team— it’s about working hard and pushing each other while playing the game they love. This team has all the tools to go far and bring back hardware to the hill, and with Colaco as a contributor this season that goal is within reach.