Name: Cole Startin
School: Mead High School
City and State: Spokane, WA
Graduation Year: 2024
Position(s): LHP
Throw: Left
Hit: Left
What are some areas of your game that you have been focusing on lately to improve upon?
I started messing around with a sinker for the first time late last summer and it was actually pretty good. This winter I’ve been throwing it a ton and I’m really liking it. It actually makes my slider and change-up better. I’ll probably start using the sinker as my main fastball but I’ll still throw the 4-seam when I want to work up in the zone.
What are some goals you hope to reach in the next year or couple of years?
I recently committed to pitch at Utah Valley University, so I’ll spend the next two years preparing myself physically and mentally to compete at the D1 level. It’s an amazing opportunity and I want to make sure I’m ready when I finally get there. Coach Smith and his staff at UVU have been awesome and are already investing in my development. It’s really cool to have that kind of support. A short-term goal is to win a GSL championship and earn a trip to state with with my high school team. We have a really solid core. Just need a couple of things to happen.
How long have you been playing baseball and what got you started in the game?
I come from a baseball family and I’ve been playing baseball for as long as I can remember. Started pitching around age 9 and found out that I really liked it and was decent at it. My dad was a lefty pitcher, too.
What are some of your favorite things about the game of baseball?
Being part of a team is one of my favorite things. You go through a lot together and they become some of your best friends. I also really like the one-on-one battles as a pitcher. Seems like it gets more fun the higher up you go and the better the competition gets. The travel is fun too. I’ve gotten to play in some really cool places and gotten to know some great players from around the country. There are some guys out there who can really play.
Who in your life has helped push you to be your best on the field?
I have awesome parents. My dad was my first pitching coach. He still catches my bullpens and helps me with my workout and throwing schedules. My mom lets me talk through stuff with her. She’s a therapist but she tries hard not to get too therapisty with me. My high school coach, Steve Hare, has always shown confidence in me. Gave me a chance as a freshman and kept starting me as a sophomore early last spring when I was kind of a mess and needed to work through some stuff. Most coaches wouldn’t have been as patient but Coach Hare stuck with me and I was able to figure things out. That meant a lot. My club and pitching coach, Matty Oye, is a great teacher who makes you believe you can do anything. In addition to helping me with pitching, he’s teaching me how to prepare and compete like a professional. I’ll be more ready for the next level because of him.