Eric Colaco ’25, who helped lead Denison baseball to its first College World Series appearance in June, is a finalist for a major honor at the annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.
And the Denison community can boost his chances for victory.
The former Big Red outfielder, a native of Richfield, Ohio, has been nominated in the 2025 Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year category. Colaco is one of three finalists, along with Ohio State University football player Arvell Reese and University of Mount Union football player Giovanni Kennedy. All nominees are from northeast Ohio and were selected by regional media outlets.
Winners are determined by popular vote, and Denison faithful can cast their ballots for Colaco here until Jan. 9, 2026.
“To be nominated for this award after the completion of my career is an absolute honor,” Colaco said. “It has helped me look back at my experience at Denison University as a student-athlete and understand how lucky I was to be a part of something so special. Having the opportunity to play in the College World Series and push the Denison baseball program to new heights is something I’ll always be incredibly proud of.”
The awards show is one of the highlights on the Cleveland sports calendar, and it recognizes athletic achievement at the high school, college, and professional level. Past winners include: Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (lifetime achievement award), NBA legend LeBron James (high school and pro awards), and gold-medal winning Olympians Diana Munz and Tim Mack (amateur athlete award).
The 26th annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards are in association with the Cleveland Sports Commission. This year’s event, which Colaco will attend, is Feb. 5 at Rocket Arena, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Colaco finished his Denison career as a three-time North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was named to the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-America Third Team. He set an NCAA Division III record for career runs scored and broke 11 Denison baseball records.
As a senior, Colaco batted .355 with 15 doubles, nine home runs, 47 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, and 68 runs. He starred on a Big Red team that finished the season 41-7, winning the school’s first NCAA Super Regionals title, which earned them a College World Series berth.
“Eric goes down as one of the greatest players in NCAC history,” Denison head coach Mike Deegan said. “His numbers speak for themselves, but his presence as a teammate elevated our entire program. There is no one more deserving of this honor.”
Director of Athletic Communications Ashleigh Jones contributed to this report.