June 4, 2011
Cote's stock on the rise
by Roger Brown/
Winnisquam's Jordan Cote (Sanbornton, N.H.) has committed to Coastal Carolina but may opt for a pro career. (photo: M. Descoteaux)
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the June 2011 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
Scott Cote admits that he received a bit of an education when his son Jordan was being recruited to play Division 1 baseball.
One of the things Scott learned is what it takes for some college coaches to recruit players from outside the school’s state borders.
“We had several coaches from down South tell us that they rarely leave the state to look at positional players, because there’s plenty of them,” Scott said. “But they will travel to look for pitching.”
That explains why so many college coaches visited the remote location of Tilton, N.H., to look at Jordan Cote, who may be the next big thing out of the Granite State. Jordan is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound starting pitcher who plays for Winnisquam Regional High School.
Jordan is hoping to follow in the footsteps of St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter (Raymond), San Francisco closer Brian Wilson (Londonderry) and Houston reliever Jeff Fulchino (Hollis), who are among the current major-league players from New Hampshire.
“Like a lot of us, pitching in the major leagues has always been his dream,” Scott said.
Jordan didn’t become a household name in his home state until last spring, when he led Winnisquam to the Class M championship — the program’s first state title. Jordan pitched a no-hitter against previously unbeaten Somersworth in the Class M championship game.
Although pitchers are limited to 16 innings during the state tournament, Jordan pitched in each of Winnisquam’s four tournament games. He collected three wins and a save, and finished his junior season with an 11-0 record and a 0.66 ERA.
“He really got noticed last season,” Winnisquam coach Fred Caruso said. “That’s when things really took off.
“He’s a big kid with huge hands. He has an A-plus fastball for this level. He’s been clocked as high as 94 (mph). He’s still growing. (Professional) scouts have told me they project him at 235 (pounds) throwing 97.”
Although he has an above-average fastball, Jordan said his curveball may be his best pitch.
“A lot of scouts call it a slurve,” he said. “It’s definitely my out pitch.”
UConn, Boston College, Kennesaw State, Coastal Carolina, Vanderbilt and Mississippi were among the schools that showed serious interest in Jordan, who signed a national letter of intent to play for Coastal Carolina last November.
“I think what made the decision easier for Jordan is that Coastal Carolina is a baseball school,” Caruso said. “A school like Connecticut is known more for basketball. That was a factor and so was the warm weather. He likes to golf.”
Jordan, who lives in Sanbornton, N.H., said his final decision was a tough one, and came down to a choice between Coastal Carolina and UConn. Jordan said he formed a strong relationship with UConn recruiting coordinator Justin Blood, a New Hampshire native who played at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, N.H.
Blood was a regular at Winnisquam games last spring.
“He came to more than half my high school games last year, so it was hard to tell them no,” Jordan said. “At the same time, Coastal Carolina was a better fit. It allows me to get out of the Northeast. I don’t like cold weather, but it was tough to say no to Connecticut.”
Jordan may end up saying no to Coastal Carolina as well. The college coaches who were watching him last year have been replaced by professional scouts this spring.
Caruso said just about every major-league team has sent a representative to watch Jordan pitch this season.
“There are 10 to 25 scouts at every game he throws,” said Scott, who is an assistant coach on Caruso’s Winnisquam staff. “One game, we had 27 scouts there.
“There was nothing on the radar for him at the professional level (when he signed his national letter of intent).”
Jordan said he didn’t begin thinking about skipping college to play pro baseball until this spring, when scouts started to outnumber the parents at his games. Caruso said he’s been told Jordan could be selected in the first five rounds of this year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, which will be held June 6-8.
Jordan’s preference, according to his father, is to turn pro this year.
“I think that’s accurate, but he has no ill-will toward the college game,” Scott said. “He wants to be drafted in the worst way. He wants to get to what he’s wanted his whole life.
“Originally we were dead-set against him going to the pros, simply because we didn’t have enough information. Between the retirement and the education package, we’ve heard more than enough to persuade my wife and I to his side.”
Jordan claims he’s in the dark about where he will be drafted.
“We really don’t have a feel for it,” he said. “I don’t really have any expectations. Right now, I’m kind of in the middle (between going to college and turning pro), and we’re just gathering as much information as we can.”
Caruso said if Jordan isn’t selected in the first five rounds he and his family will have a tough decision to make.
“The decision for all of us is tough,” Scott said. “Besides the college experience, he’d have three more years to mature and maybe do better in the draft.
“There’s no loser here. It’s a win-win any way you look at it.”
Roger Brown can be reached at feedback@baseballjournal.com
