Emily Orsini, Managing Editor
On Feb 5, Eric Colaco ‘25 was honored with the Greater Cleveland Male Collegiate Athlete award for his outstanding achievements on Denison’s baseball team.
“I was at my friend’s house. It was supposed to be a friends and family party for some random basketball game that was during the week. And [instead] I was surprised as a finalist,” Colaco said.
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is an organization aimed at improving the economy by bringing the community together through various sporting events. Every year, they nominate and award athletes in categories such as the Male/Female High School Athlete of the Year, Male/Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year, and Professional Athlete of the Year.
The finalists for these awards are chosen by the commission, then voted on by anyone who clicks the link. Colaco was in a battle against Giovanni Kennedy, a football player from the University of Mount Union, and Arvell Reese, an athlete on The Ohio State football team.
“Once I found out [the stakes] of this award, I knew I was somewhat on a larger scale than just receiving any other award that I received in my collegiate career,” Colaco said. “Especially with my career being done, it was cool to be nominated and have something like this to finalize my career.”
Throughout his time at Denison, Colaco earned NCAC Player of the Year for three consecutive years, and also holds records for career doubles (75), hits (302) and runs batted in (211) as well as single-season hits (89), doubles (28), total bases (149) and stolen bases (42) amongst other records.
But for Colaco, his fondest memories playing baseball on The Hill had nothing to do with accolades or awards, and everything to do with the relationships he’s formed.
“It just makes me look back at all the friends and relationships I built— teammates, coaches, people outside of baseball,” Colaco said. “When it comes to Denison as a community, that’s part of the reason I won. The Denison community just got behind me and voted for me.”
Mike Deegan, the head coach of the baseball team, echoed his feelings about the Denison community.
“You know, [Colaco] would be the first to admit that the Ohio State football player that is going to be a top five pick in the draft is a more accomplished athlete than him. But a lot of people were willing to vote hundreds of times for him and it’s because of who he is,” Deegan said. “This was a lot about Denison. At Denison, people show up for others.”
Colaco helped lead the Big Red to the Regional Championship in 2022 and 2023, Super Regionals in 2024, and the World Series in 2025.
In 2025 the team headed to Eastlake for the World Series with a 40-5 record. After beating Rowan University 12-10 in game one, they fell to the University of Wisconsin Whitewater 11-4. They then had to face Rowan again, where they ended their season with a 6-1 loss.
“Putting four years into craft to get to the World Series was our ultimate goal,” Colaco said. “We [wanted] to win the whole thing. Our goal was to push the needle.”
“We used to say this all the time, but playing for one more week was what we were doing. And so the opportunity to have my final game [at the World Series] and playing with these guys for a few more weeks was really cool. In hindsight, I wish we made it every year.”
Making it to the World Series isn’t because of just one person, but having an athlete like Colaco doesn’t hurt. One of the things that Deegan found most influential to the team’s success was Colaco’s humility and ability to lead by example.
“The success we’ve had is [because of] a lot of reasons. When your best players are very humble and can be coached, that’s how you can really take off,” Deegan said. “[Colaco] didn’t need anything extra, so no one needed anything extra. When you see him play hurt and you see him be one of the best players in the country and you don’t have to act differently around him, it’s hard for anyone else to have a big ego.”
That humility, combined with his production on the field, ultimately elevated Colaco into a category few players ever reach.
“He’s on the Mount Rushmore of players I’ve coached,” Deegan said. “He really has rewritten the record books here. He’s made a big impact at the conference and national level too. I mean, he was national player of the year his junior year. He’s just a special, once-in-a-lifetime type of player.”
After a long, decorated career like Colaco’s, the transition from being a student athlete to working a job and living away from The Hill can be an adjustment.
“I was so attached to baseball– it was my identity,” Colaco said. “I’ve decided to take the route of pushing myself away from the game a little bit. I still love [the game], but I’m trying to distance myself because I felt too attached.”
This has led Colaco to experimenting with new hobbies that he never thought of while playing baseball.
“I like going to the gym. It’s kind of my getaway. I love golf. Golf is basically my new baseball,” Colaco said. “It’s tough in the winter especially because I’m living in Boston; I love the outdoors and want summer to come back soon. Other than that, it’s just about being around my people. I have a good group of people that I know here in Boston, as well as my girlfriend and friends from Denison.”
Even as he builds a new life away from The Hill, Colaco’s impact remains. His name may live on in the record books, but for those who watched him play, his legacy extends far beyond the numbers— rooted in humility, relationships and the community that helped shape him.