CLEVELAND, OH – Denison University graduate Eric Colaco ’25 added another headline to an already historic résumé on Thursday, February 5, earning Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year, presented by H. Jack’s Plumbing & Heating Co., the “Super Plumber!”, at the 26th Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at Rocket Arena.
 
Colaco finished an exceptional career with the Big Red this past spring after helping lead Denison to its first NCAA Division III College World Series appearance. A three-time NCAC Player of the Year and First-Team All-NCAC selection (2023-25), he earned D3baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings All-Region and All-America honors in each of his final three seasons. His résumé also features 2024 D3baseball.com National Player of the Year.
 
In 2025, Colaco started all 48 games for the Big Red, batting .355 with a 1.027 OPS and .581 slugging percentage. He led Denison with 203 at-bats, 68 runs, and 31 stolen bases while collecting his third consecutive NCAC Player of the Year award.
 
Across his four-year career, Colaco established himself among the most productive hitters in Division III. He finished as the NCAA’s all-time leader in runs scored (277) and set NCAC and Denison career records in runs, hits (302), doubles (75), at-bats (792), and stolen bases (143). He also graduated as Denison’s record holder in home runs (30, tied), triples (15), RBI (211), total bases (497), walks (105), and games played (190).
 
The night also included conference-wide recognition, as the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) presented its annual Sports Development Award to the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), honoring an individual or organization that furthers the GCSC mission.
 
In 2025, the NCAC and GCSC partnered to co-host two NCAA Division III championships in three weeks: the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, projected to have created $2 million in economic impact for Cleveland, and the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament, which was projected at $500,000.
 
The NCAC is excited to continue that collaboration and looks forward to hosting the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament alongside the GCSC from May 29 - June 4, 2026.