Kole Cottam
Name: Kole Cottam
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
Bats/Throws: R-R
Height/Weight: 6’ 3” 225 lbs.
Team: Kentucky
Coaches: Nick Mingione.
Past Teams: Knoxville Catholic High School.
Past coaches: Scott Pickler, Matt Passauer, Adam Sullivan.
Twitter Handle: @kole_cotton13
The good genes: Younger brother, Kyle, a golfer at Clemson … Father Jeff, from Burlington, Ont., played baseball and handball for Memphis and mom Kori played basketball for Memphis ... Uncle, Danny Cottam, played baseball at Memphis.
Numbers: Wears No. 13 because he has had 13 surgeries on his right eye due to a congenital melanocytic nevus, a type of melanocytic nevus (or mole) considered a type of birthmark that occurs in an estimated 1% of infants worldwide.
Rated: 2018 _ 322nd on Perfect Game’s top 500 (May 11, 2018) ... 358th on Baseball America’s top 500 (May 21, 2018) ... Listed No. 7 best college catching prospect, according to D1Baseball ... 2017 _ Ranked No. 128 prospect in Cape Cod League Prospect by D1 Baseball.
Scouting Report
Perfect Game
322. Kole Cottam, c/1b, Kentucky (JR)
R-R, 6-3/225, Knoxville, Tenn.
Previously Drafted: Never Drafted
Cottam split time behind the plate and at first base this season and was one of Kentucky’s best and most consistent hitters. He slashed .352/.438/.667 with 12 doubles, 19 home runs and 50 RBI. He’s a very strong, physical catcher who has a chance to play the position long-term, and his righthanded raw power is an added bonus to the profile.
2018 season, junior at Kentucky: Batting .352 with 12 doubles, 19 homers and 50 RBIs ... Had 1.105 OPS in 56 games ... Has team-high 25 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games ... Three hits, including a double, a homer and two RBIs against Auburn in SEC conference tourney ... 3-for-5 with a double, home run and two RBIs, including a two-out, two-strike game-tying double in the ninth in extra-inning loss to Auburn ... 2-for-3 with a solo homer against Vanderbilt ... Single facing Vandy ... Double, homer, plus two RBIs vs. Murray State ... Three hits, including a double and an RBI against Mississippi State ... Doubled against Indiana ... Homer, single, two RBIs facing Tennessee ... Singled in a run against Vols and did the same in the next game ... Had a three-hit night with a double, a homer and five RBIs facing Missouri ... Three hits in other two Missouri games ... 2-for-2 with RBI against Morehead State ... Four hits in Florida series with a double, homer and two RBIs ... Four hits in Georgia series with a homer and three RBIs ... Two singles facing Western Carolina ... Three hits, including a double, against South Carolina ... Singled against Louisville ... Eight hits in Alabama, including a double, two homers and knocking in three runs ... Single against Miami ... Three hits in three-game set facing Auburn with a homer and two RBIs ... Went 3-for-4 with two solo homers ... Three hits against Arkansas with two homers and three RBIs ... Double and homer against Texas Tech ... Single facing Northern Kentucky ... Two hits, including a two-run homer against Eastern Kentucky ... Double against Sam Houston State ... Single, homer two RBIs against Houston ... Single facing Western Kentucky ... Seven hits, including a double, homer and five RBIs ... Two hits and four RBIs in two-game series against USC Upstate ... Two hits, including a homer in opener against Wofford.
Honours _ 2018 season: Earned first team SEC honours ... Semi-finalist for Dick Howser watch list ... Earned Academic All-District First Team by the College Sports Information Directors, maintaining a 3.56 GA ... 2017 season : SEC Academic Honor Roll ... 2016 season: _ SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll ... 2015, senior year of HS _ First-team All-State, all-district and AA Mr. Baseball in Tennessee hitting .489 with 47 hits, 14 runs, 18 doubles, six homers and 54 RBI as a senior … Earned district 4AA MVP as a senior, 4-AA defensive player of the year as a junior and 4-AAA rookie of the year as a sophomore … A member of the French and Math National Honor Society and president of the National Honors Society at his school.
Scouting report: “Extremely strong player with batter’s box presence. Can hit the ball out of yard at any time to any field. Owns plus character and intangibles. Will hit in middle of the order. Draft stock expected to continually climb. Will play first base as well.”
Summer of 2017 in Cape Cop: Appeared in 20 games with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox ... Hit .277 with a double, home run, six runs scored and five RBIs …Was off to a hot start before a minor wrist injury ended his summer early.
2017 sophomore season at Kentucky: Appeared in 55 games, starting 50, 32 games as the DH and 18 at catcher ... Batted .319 with 12 doubles, one triple and seven home runs, plus 44 RBIs while scoring 34 times Posted a .505 slugging percentage as part of his .885 OPS ... Hit .324 in SEC play with eight extra-base hits and 19 RBIs ... Had 20 multi-hit games, including five three-hit efforts, as well as 11 multi-RBI games ... Had a career-long 11-game hitting streak ... Knocked in a career-high four runs at Mississippi State … Homered, doubled, scored three runs and knocked in three in a series-clinching win over LSU … Went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in a 12-4 win at Florida … In three elimination games in the NCAA Lexington Regional, went 5-for-11 with a double, triple, home run, four runs and six RBIs … Had go-ahead two-run double against NC State to push Cats to first-ever Super Regional … Threw out 50% of base runners attempting to steal.
2016 summer, in Northwoods League: Appeared in 47 games for the Willmar Stingers batting .277, clubbing six doubles, a triple and two home runs … Walked 10 times, stole three bases and drove in 21 runs.
2016 sophomore season at Kentucky: Appeared in 40 games, starting 23, sharing catching duties … Batted .287 with six doubles, one home run, 15 RBIs and a .391 slugging percentage … Hitting .314 with a .431 slugging percentage and .386 on-base percentage in SEC play … Had two hit games on five occasions … Knocked in career-high three runs with a 2-of-2 day against Dayton that included his only career home run … Started Wildcats’ SEC Tournament game against Alabama … Went 4-for-9 with three runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs in UK’s series win at Georgia … Threw out 4-of-13 base stealers on defense.
Kole Cottam with parents Kori and Jeff plus brother Kyle (Photo courtesy of Kori Cottam)