Tarantino Staying Close To Home To Play College Baseball

Cooper Tarantino C / 1B / Lincoln-Sudbury, MA / 2025

SUDBURY, Ma. - It was just 15 minutes into Aug. 1 when Cooper Tarantino received a text from Northeastern.

“When I saw the text my eyes lit up, it was one of my top schools going in,” related the Lincoln-Sudbury High School senior, who has plans to post grad next year, a decision made after injuring his shoulder. “It said we’d love to set up a call. At 11 a.m. that day I had a call with (assistant) coach (Chris) Bosco, who was a volunteer coach and is now the catching coach. 

“I ended up taking an admission tour, I talked to the coaches and felt an immediate connection with (head) coach (Mike) Glavin.”

Northeastern had seen the sixth-rated 2025 catcher in New England on multiple occasions.

“Being close, it’s only 15 miles from home, they saw me locally,” Tarantino said. “But it was the Future Games that solidified it. They wanted to see me against some of the best players there are and going south to the Future Games was great baseball.”

The 17-year-old sees a number of reasons to commit to the Colonial Athletic Association university.

“Obviously, it’s close to home so it will be super easy to commute,” Tarantino explained. “My family will be able to come to games which is huge. They were a big part of my process. I also really want to go to a school in the city. Northeastern has a nice balance of old brick buildings and new buildings full of windows. They had a wiffle ball field in front of a dorm and the coaches were cool. They’re blue collar which is what I want to be a part of. I didn’t see a negative. It was a no-brainer.”

There were other college coaches that were also interested in the 6-0 200-pound catcher.

“On Aug. 1, I had a bunch of schools that reached out and I was getting close to some offers,” Tarantino noted. “It was a quick process for me. I wasn’t planning on leading on all these other schools, that’s not me. I wanted to stay close to home and UMass and BC were among those that reached out, but at the end of the day Northeastern was right for me.”

Northeastern saw the 27th-rated 2025 from Massachusetts as a perfect fit as well.

“They like the offensive part, I like to hit,” Tarantino said. “One of the things I pride myself on is catching and they also talked a little first base. We had a connection. They hit bombs, which is exactly what I want to do. It’s a blue collar all over, that’s what I try to mold my game around.”

There was help in finding the school of choice according to Tarantino.

“I did a bunch of PBR events and a bunch of college showcases trying to get myself out there,” the top-ranked 2025 catcher in Massachusetts pointed out. “Scott Patterson at NEB was huge in the process. He molded me into the player I am today. I have hit with Mike Abraham since I was nine and Greg Robins and Jake Willsey were also a huge part of this.

“For me, playing in a program like NEB where all the older guys are committed has been big,” Tarantino continued. “Growing up at the age of nine hitting with guys that are now at places like Wake Forest and BC, college baseball was in my sights for a long time. There are roller coasters in baseball, but this year I had a couple long conversations with Scott. He’s been a great role model guiding me into not only being a better baseball player but a better person.”

Tarantino, who plays quarterback on the high school football team, admits to relief in making a commitment.

“It’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” Tarantino said. “Especially with the Aug. 1 deadline, there’s a lot of suspense with that. I saw Northeastern and other schools at games, and that created nerves in the summer. I had no idea what was going to happen with no communication.”

What Tarantino is certain about is what he can provide the college program located in Boston.

“They will be getting a guy that works hard, a team guy that people want to be around,” noted Tarantino, a 3.5 student who scored 1310 on the SAT and plans to major in business or kinesiology. “Someone accountable, dependable. At the end of the day it’s about being a good teammate. Baseball will go away one day, but these will be connections created that will last a lifetime.”

That is a big part of what Tarantino is looking forward to at Northeastern.

“Connections are very important to me, and the other half is winning,” Tarantino concluded. “I’m a competitor. If it’s a state championship game or cornhole in the backyard, I hate losing. My plan is to do everything I can to win while at the same time being a good teammate.”