El Capitan High seniors Cooper Gaoiran and Zach Hunter have been baseball teammates since they were five years old starting out with T-ball. They’ve played youth baseball, travel ball and high school together and now they’re headed off to play for the same college team. 

 

Gaoiran and Hunter both made their college choice official on Tuesday afternoon when they signed their National Letters of Intent to accept a baseball scholarship to Colorado Mesa University. The school held a signing ceremony in the gym that was attended by their family, former coaches, teammates and friends. “I was tearing up, I was getting there,” said Gaoiran, about feeling the support from everyone who showed up to share their moment.

 

Gaoiran and Hunter are two of five Gaucho athletes who have recently signed their letters of intent or who soon will sign with colleges. Water polo goalie Grace Phillips is headed to San Diego State, golfer Esther Sheu is off to Cal State Monterey Bay and volleyball standout Colette Collins signed with Masters University last week.

Collins will be playing at the same school her older sister Natalie played volleyball at after leaving El Capitan. “The Masters is just an amazing place,” Colette Collins said. “I was able to see that a long time ago when I watched her play there. But I got to have my own experience when I went on my visits and just seeing the faith-based school is such a special place.”

 

Collins is a two-time Central California Conference Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead the Gauchos to their fifth consecutive conference championship this fall. “They are getting an amazing athlete and person,” said El Capitan coach Chela Moreno. “She’s so kind and so giving, she puts everyone’s needs before hers. Being back-to-back defensive player of the year, they’re getting a great defensive player.”

 

Collins is excited for the opportunity to continue playing volleyball at the next level. “Volleyball means a lot to me,” she said. “I played high school and club and I didn’t want it to end. I’ve wanted to play at the next level where everyone is as committed as I am.”

 

Gaoiran and Hunter are well aware their shared journey is unique. Most athletes don’t get to move up to the next level with their best friend. The two will be roommates in Grand Junction, Colo. “We’re really going to be pushing each other,” Hunter said. “We’re going to the next level so the question is how do we compete at that level? Now that we’ve got here, our next focus will be how do we earn this spot, how do we compete? We’re 18 years old and we’re going to be competing against 22 and 23 year olds, adults. We have to get that experience, we have to get stronger so we have to push each other.”

 

Fortunately both Gaoiran and Hunter have always been self-motivated. They are always working to improve on their own time and that’s often together either working out in the gym or Hunter throwing live batting practice to Gaoiran at Hunter’s house. Who gets the upper hand in those matchups? It depends who you ask.

 

Hunter and Gaoiran helped lead the Gauchos to a Central California Conference championship last spring. Hunter went 4-1 on the mound with a 1.95 ERA. He struck out 57 hitters in just under 47 innings pitched. Gaoiran played shortstop and at the plate finished with a.429 batting average to go along with 28 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. 

 

“Colorado Mesa is getting two special kids, who are very talented and can do some special things,” said El Capitan coach Aaron Ruiz. “Zach has that fight in him on the mound. That’s something that can’t be taught. Cooper is probably the most athletic kid on the field at all times. Things you watch him do, plays you watch him make on the field are plays that most kids can’t make.”

 

Both players fell in love with Colorado Mesa University when they visited the campus. Gaoiran went on a recruiting trip first. He then told the coaching staff he has a friend  in Hunter, who is a pitcher and 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. It took about a day before Hunter received a text message from the coaches and he was soon flying out for a visit.

 

“We’re just going to keep grinding,” Gaoiran said. “We’re going to keep playing ball the way we’ve been playing our whole lives.”

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.