Johnston High School alum Jake Coro has lofty goals in his career on the diamond.
The former Panther infielder is currently a core member of the Southern New Hampshire University baseball team, and is enjoying a successful campaign in the New England Collegiate Baseball League with the Winnipesaukee Muskrats in New Hampshire.
After spending last summer as a part-time player for the Valley Blue Sox, Coro has emerged as a key member for the Muskrats this time around, and is currently hitting .289 with three home runs, 14 RBI, and a whopping 31 stolen bases this summer.
“It’s been good, but I feel like I could do a tad bit better with my swing. But with fielding and stealing bags I have been performing as well as I expected,” said Coro of his summer to this point.
The Muskrats got off to a rocky start to the season, kicking things off with an 0-6 record. Although the Muskrats are on the outside looking in to the playoff picture, they have turned things around down the stretch and have gone toe to toe with some of the best clubs in the league.
“It was tough at first being the new guy since baseball is such a team sport. I also didn’t have any other guys here from my school. It took us all a while to learn our roles but once we did things really took off,” said Coro, who is excited to prove himself on the big stage against some of the nation’s top collegiate players. “I am a D2 player playing with guys that are mostly D1, so it’s pretty cool being able to say that I played in one of the best leagues in the country and that I can perform at one of the top levels.”
Coro has also been excited to spend another season in the NECBL and improve his game, while enjoying the first-class experience the league provides to its players.
“The best part about this league is the exposure to live hitting. If I were to go home in the summer and not play then it would be tough the following spring, it’s good to play in this league and get some at bats in. They let you play for free; they give you a host family, it’s the best of the best,” said Coro. “Getting another year older and stronger in the fall really helped. I also got a little bit smarter; I knew what to expect with the pitching going into this year. I understand now that most of the time you’re only going to get one good pitch to hit each at bat, if you see one then you probably are going to see another.”
Coro will be entering his senior year in the fall and hopes to make the most of his final season before embarking on his journey toward finding a home in the pros.
“That’s the plan, and I hope to get another chance to play next season. If I don’t, then I feel very grateful because not many people, especially from Rhode Island, get the chance to play college baseball,” said Coro. “Obviously the plan is to play professionally, but either way I am thankful for the opportunities that I’ve had in the past three years.
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