University of Connecticut baseball earned a ranking of No.32 in the nation their 2024 season. On Sept. 9, Junior Aidan Cochrane called Coach Penders at UConn telling him he committed and would be pitching for them in fall 2025. All in all, 22 schools contacted Cochrane looking to make him the next pitcher to take the mound at their school, but it wasn’t until UConn contacted him did it all become clear to him.
“The whole process was stressful. College coaches were texting me every day, while UConn was very transparent with the whole process.”
UConn made the process very easy.
Cochrane explains that this was a part of why he chose to go to UConn, as well as the fact that it’s been his first choice since he was young, growing up watching games with his brother and grandparents. A week after hearing from UConn, his family scheduled a visit.
“As soon as I stepped foot on campus I just had a really good gut feeling about UConn,” Cochrane said. “The main reason why UConn was so interested was the jump I had in pitching velocity. Last year I was throwing around 80 mph and this fall I topped my velocity at 91 mph,” Cochrane said.
There are many good and bad aspects to committing to a school early. “On the positive side, it really got my name out there, however it really puts a target on my back when I’m playing,” Cochrane said. Over the summer, Cochrane pitched 40 innings with 75 strikeouts and 8 runs allowed for the CT Hurricanes. Coaches also appreciate Cochrane’s presence on the field.
“He’s a great guy to have in the dugout. He goes out and does his work, showing his leadership,” EL baseball coach Jack Biggs said
Teammates feel supported by his actions, lifting them up.
“He’s a great teammate, he always has your back, even when you’re down he’ll be there to pick you up,” sophomore Harrison Papuga said.
Lots of time, energy, and effort go into being a strong athlete.
“I started taking everything seriously at 12. One of my old coaches helped a ton with my mechanics and throwing harder, in addition to spending a lot of the time in the weight room, focusing on getting bigger and stronger,” Cochrane said
Above all, a strong athlete needs confidence.
“Over time, he has developed a lot of confidence. Once you’re confident, you can play at a really high level, and that’s what happened over the past summer,” Biggs said
