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05/27/2021 12:00 AMCole Zalegowski has come into his own with the North Haven baseball team this season. Cole missed out on his junior year after the cancellation of the 2020 campaign, but the senior captain is more than making up for that lost time this year as a quality leader and key contributor for North Haven.
Cole believes that one of the most important things needed to succeed is for a group of players to coalesce around a singular goal. Cole has been a part of that process since he played in Little League.
“It all started in Little League. We had a good team, and that’s where the bond really started. I’ll always look back on what we did on that team and us playing together,” says Cole. “Playing in high school, I looked for mentors. Every year I played, I looked at our captains, what they did, and what I could do to be as successful as I could be. They showed me a lot.”
Following in the footsteps of his mentors, Cole earned the role of senior captain along with one of his best friends JJ Mazzaro. Head Coach Bob DeMayo named the pair as captains, knowing that they had the experience necessary to guide their teammates in 2021.
“Coach DeMayo said that me and JJ are the best captains that he’s ever had, and I’m really proud of that, because we’ve worked very hard,” Cole says. “The summer going into my senior year, our season was canceled, but coach gave me a call at 9 a.m. and told me that me and JJ are going to be captains. It caught me off-guard and I was half asleep.”
Cole has played both shortstop and third base for North Haven this year. Cole had to make a pretty big adjustment in going from a sophomore who only had a little bit of varsity playing time to a starting senior captain on the left side of the infield.
“As a sophomore, I didn’t really play that much. I was behind some seniors and moved into being a captain and playing at a varsity level this season,” says Cole. “I played four or five innings on varsity toward the end of my sophomore year. I got my letter that year, but this year, I’m playing every single game. I was behind guys that are playing Division I right now. It was hard to find a spot for playing time.”
Cole wasn’t sure what to expect this season, because he and fellow captain Mazzaro are the only two seniors on the squad. That wasn’t a ton of varsity experience on North Haven’s roster entering the year, but Cole believes that his team turned in a solid showing with its 10-8 regular-season record, and he hopes that bodes well for the postseason. North Haven is the No. 8 seed in the SCC Tournament and will be playing in states, as well.
“I knew we were going to be very young. The sophomores and the juniors haven’t had any varsity experience, but we wanted all the players to have a good experience. Once we made that happen, we got into a groove,” Cole says. “We don’t blow people out, but we stick it through. We’re in every game. We always fight. That’s what me and JJ tried to give to these players. No negative energy on the bench. If there’s a bad play, you have to pick that player up.”
Coach DeMayo has enjoyed watching Cole turn into a consummate leader in tandem with Mazzaro.
“Cole is one of two kids, the other being JJ Mazzaro, who returned to play as seniors this season,” DeMayo says. “Cole has done an outstanding job as a captain with the team. He communicates so well with the coaches and the rest of the team. He’s just a great kid.”
While he can play both shortstop and third base, Cole is more of a third baseman by trade. This year, Cole slid over to the shortstop position due to a team injury and, after some adjustments, he’s really excelled. Cole will get back to his hot-corner roots when he goes off to play at Springfield College in the fall.
“I’m actually going to play third base in college. It will be fun. Being a shortstop, you have to be a leader on the field. I love being in this role, knowing pitches, et cetera. I feel I play that role perfectly,” says Cole. “You have a different angle on the ball. You don’t have that fast ball to just react to. You have to play the ball. You have to charge the ball and get it to second or first. It’s more attacking the ball. I like that.”
Cole also brings a lot to the plate for North Haven. Cole is sporting a .474 batting average with an on-base percentage of .545 and 19 RBI on the year. Cole is mostly looking to put the ball in play, but he can also crank a home run if he gets a hold of one, as he showed with two homers against East Haven in the final doubleheader of the season.
“Personally, I’m more of a contact hitter than anything. I’m up there looking for a base hit, and that’s it. No one should go up expecting to hit a home run or anything like that. You have to go up and be a team player,” Cole says. “I’m hitting in that fifth spot, right in the middle of the order. That’s a perfect spot for a contact hitter. You just need to put the ball in play. I do that every single time I’m at the plate.”
Cole’s journey with the North Haven baseball team hasn’t gone entirely as expected. However, Cole feels happy with where he’s ended up, leading North Haven to a solid season alongside his best friend.
“When last season was canceled, I knew I had to stay ready. I hit the gym. I got stronger and faster. I played for the CT Edge in summer baseball. I kept grinding, because I knew my next season was my most important season,” Cole says. “Me and JJ have been best friends forever. It all started when we met each other in Little League. Having him by my side this year has really helped. We’re going to give it our best shot to go the distance. North Haven baseball is not done.”