Sophomore catcher Cooper Tarantino stepped to the plate in his second-ever collegiate start against Grambling State March 1. Having struck out in his first appearance that day, Tarantino was determined to smash the ball with the bat.
He did just that, hitting a homer to bring not only himself, but also redshirt freshman first baseman AJ Aschettino back to home plate to add to the 10-0 win.
Kevin Casey, an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Huskies, has worked closely with Tarantino and the other catchers in his first season back after leading the baseball program at Johnson & Wales University for six years.
“I came back to the dugout, and I was super fired up, and I missed Coach Casey with a high five,” Tarantino said. “And I ended up coming back because I knew I left him hanging, and he just kind of gave me a bump, and he was like, ‘You just showed that you can do it. You’re good enough to do it at this level, and you just did it.’ And then that was kind of a moment for me where, in my head, I was like, ‘Of course I can do it, I knew I could do this.’”
The Sudbury, Mass. native made an impact on the Huskies on both sides this season. For fielding, Tarantino is third on the team in putouts and catches with 231 and 251, respectively.
“Obviously, the catching position can take a lot out of you,” Casey said. “It’s the only position on the field where every other player’s eyes are on you. They’re all facing you … our expectations for a guy behind the plate is to take [the] lead of our pitching staff, be able to command it back there, have a presence back there and obviously, the leadership qualities that just naturally come from the catching position.”
On the offensive end, Tarantino collected 27 hits and 27 runs in his 114 at-bats. He has also notched 20 RBIs.
“I think that when I can mentally get myself into a position where I’m calm and relaxed, and I like to call it swagger, I think that it’s easier for me to not press or get stressed out in the middle of at-bats,” Tarantino said.
As one of three catchers on the team, Tarantino’s leadership abilities solidified his presence alongside senior Matt Brinker and redshirt sophomore Will Fosberg.
“It’s not, ‘Hey, can he do it one day?’ How does he do it over the course of a 56-game schedule, right?” Casey said. “And that’s not easy for young guys leaping into the role for the first time … You’ve got to command a pitching staff of about 18 different arms, 18 different personalities and try to bring out their best, their A-game, as well as maintaining your A-game.”
Having these three catchers behind the plate is “a good problem to have” and provides flexibility, Casey said. Despite the physicality of the position, with the squatting and the constant ball control, Tarantino has risen to the challenge.
“You’re touching the ball every time the pitcher throws it,” Casey said. “There’s a lot that goes into that position. And I think he’s done a great job working on it all year in consistency. And I mean, I still believe his best days are ahead of him.”
Tarantino’s vocality has given him an advantage in creating relationships with his teammates, particularly the pitchers he works with, most often right-handed pitcher Robbie O’Connor, said Casey.
“He’s got a big personality,” Casey said. “He’s got that Italian personality, so he loves to talk. He’s close with all the players on the team, all different backgrounds. He has that ability to kind of connect.”
Tarantino and the other catchers have done a lot of receiving work, exchange and throwing in order to control the run game. Their everyday maintenance also includes block-ins “so our pitchers have the faith and trust to put it down on them,” Casey said.
He said his success has partly to do with the runners on base ahead of him. Tarantino said his teammates like senior Carmelo Musacchia, junior Ryan Gerety and redshirt senior Harrison Feinberg allow him to thrive at bat.
Brinker has a different theory on Tarantino’s success at the plate.
“I think he’s a great catcher and a great hitter, you know, and I’ve seen the talent the whole time,” Brinker said. “It’s been awesome … for him to get a lot of opportunities this year, and he’s running with it. He’s done so well. He’s had such a great season, and we’re really, really lucky to have a guy like that.”
The Huskies lifted the CAA Championship trophy for the second consecutive year, punching their ticket to the Lawrence Regional in the NCAA tournament. In the third game of the round, Tarantino earned his first run of the postseason against the University of Arkansas. It wasn’t enough as the Huskies fell 9-10 for their second loss, sending them home.
Despite being eliminated in the first round for the second year, Tarantino and the rest of the Huskies continue to work hard in preparation for next season.
“He’s got a tireless work ethic,” Casey said. “It’s been awesome and it’s been great to see that a lot of that hard work he’s been putting in behind the scenes is starting to pay off on the field.”
