OAKVILLE, Ontario - Cole Watson admitted he had never heard of Saint Peter’s University until this fall. Now the St. Thomas Aquinas senior is committed to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school located in Jersey City, N.J.

“I was looking at schools that might be a good fit and my coach mentioned Saint Peter’s,” Watson reflected back to a conversation in early September. “I’d never heard of it before but I looked into it and it checked all the boxes.”

Unfortunately, the coronavirus had made the recruiting process tough on players such as Watson.

“I wanted to play for a D-I school but it made it hard for everyone,” Watson said. “Covid was making me a little nervous. We were getting ready to go to Florida with a PBR thing in March and a lot of coaches were going to be there to watch. Then everything stopped.”

Luckily for Watson, his recruitment picked back up in the fall.

“In talking with Saint Peter’s, it all gravitated to the education they have,” noted Watson, who has plans to major in sport management. “Hopefully it will allow me the opportunity for an internship.  It’s only a 12-minute train ride to New York City from Saint Peter’s.”

The baseball side of the university also stood out to the ninth-rated 2021 catcher in Ontario.

“I had several conversations with coach Lou (Proietti),” related Watson about the second-year head coach of the program, a native of Hamilton, Ontario. “He’s a great guy and sounds like a great coach. He explained how he wants to build a MAAC championship and I want to be a part of it.

“His motto is ‘the way you do anything is the way you do everything'. In all of our calls all I got were good vibes, from his coaching to his personality. Add in the proximity to New York City, which was a big factor, and it could be an experience of a lifetime.”

The ability of Watson behind the plate helped attract Saint Peter’s to the 57th-ranked senior in Ontario.

“I’m a catcher that prides himself on defense, it’s something I feel every catcher should do,” Watson explained. “I’m told they love my D and what I bring on that side of the field.”

It has Watson aspiring to be a major contributor at a program that has had four head coaches since the start of the 2013 season.

“I’d like to say that I have a chance to be a starter there,” Watson said. “Off the field the biggest thing for me is building a relationship with all the players. I’m big on that. I believe it really does help.”

Making improvements is vital if the 5-11 155-pounder is to make an impact at the college in New Jersey located 10 hours from his home near Toronto.

“The biggest thing I’m improving on, and continuing to improve on, is in the weight room,” explained Watson. “I was scrawny but I’m trying to nip that in the bud. Getting bigger will help tremendously.”

In addition to his parents, who “have done everything for me,” the 18-year-old points to George Halim (PBR Ontario Assistant Director of Scouting) and Jimmy Richardson (Fieldhouse Director of Baseball Operations) as playing major roles in where he is in the game today.

“Those two have played the biggest part of my development and in getting me to that school,” Watson said. 

It has Watson excited about a future playing baseball at a Division I program in the states.

“I’ve been playing club for six years,” related Watson, a member of the Fieldhouse Pirates travel team. “My dream has always been to play Division I baseball and the last three years I’ve been working toward this.

“It’s been cool to have people come up and say they like you but it sucks that you can’t visit schools because of covid. It’s been stressful, especially so much harder to do because of covid.”

Happily, Watson made a connection with Saint Peter’s.

“You’re not allowed to cross the border so it’s been tough,” Watson concluded. “But when talking to coach Lou he did a great job of explaining everything. He’s a guy you just trust to make this type of decision. I’m so relieved. My parents are really proud of me. It’s just an awesome feeling.”