Player Spotlight: Jakin Cozzello By: Tanner DeHaan
What does it take to make a difference? Does it take talent or hustle? Does it take filling a position or being a consistent player? Jakin Cozzello achieves these and more. Hamilton Varsity Baseball has had some ups and downs in the last couple of years. In 2023, they won the district championship against Holland Christian. In 2024, with last year’s seniors gone, they finished 11-20. With the 2025 season looking like a comeback year for the Hawkeyes, let’s look at a new player on this Hamilton team.
Jakin Cozzello, a Junior transfer from Jenison, has made a major impact on this team. As Junior shortstop Owen Brown put it, “ He is very quiet, he leads more by example, always hustling between drills.” Jakin has not only shown up, but he has shown up big and ready to play at a high level.
I had the opportunity to watch Jakin play against the Fruitport Trojans at LMCU Ballpark. Despite the tough loss, Jakin made a great play, backhanding a hard-hit ground ball up the middle and throwing a strike to first to end the inning. This moment showed that he has the poise to stay calm and make the tough throws.
He also pitched during this game, in his two innings of work he faced Wake Forest commit Ryan Bosch. He worked the Senior to a 2-2 count and rang him up on a high fastball that was just too fast for the commit to catch up to. He showed great composure while facing a tough opponent.
Jakin mostly plays second base, where he has filled a big role in this infield. I asked Owen Brown about the role Jakin has taken on, “Jakin filled an infield role on the team. We were short one too many infielders when certain guys pitched, and Jakin being on the team allows for more flexibility in the field.”
Jakin has not only impacted with his talent but also with his personality. I also asked the Junior shortstop about Jakin’s personality at practice, “he adds another fun personality to practice in a very good way.” When asked if he enjoyed practice, Cozzello said, “I feel like I’ve built a couple of good friendships from practices.”
Jakin is a force to be reckoned with, batting consistently and playing rock-solid second base. Cozzello has been accepted as a Hawkeye from day one. He is continuing to play baseball at a high level, being a strong part of this team in the dugout and on the diamond.
When you ask yourself what it takes to make a difference, just look at the Junior Second Baseman, Jakin Cozzello.