LINDEN — No matter if Cade Cole was in the classroom or on a baseball field, he rose to the top.
Now the four-year North Montgomery baseball starter has earned the honor of being named the Journal Review’s 2025 Baseball Player of the Year.
Cole led a Charger team that won 18 games in the spring and finished tied for third place in the last season of the Sagamore Athletic Conference. The Chargers also were the Montgomery County Champions. He was named to the Sagamore Athletic Conference First Team and was named to the Indiana Baseball Coaches Association Scholastic Honor Team.
After North lost several key seniors a year ago, Cole knew it was his time to step up to lead his team. He accepted the role and helped his team surpass the expectations many had for the Chargers.
“I was fortunate to have good leaders all of my years at North Montgomery and I was able to learn from them,” Cole said. “My sophomore year I saw great leadership from seniors Dylan Braun and Gage Galloway. Last year we had a bunch of seniors leading us. But this year it was me and Nolyn Brown as the only seniors and we both committed to being leaders.”
Cole wanted players to look to him for leadership and the approach worked.
“I wanted to lead by example and I believe I had the trust of the team,” Cole said. “I am pleased with the season. Our team chemistry made a difference this year. We truly cared about each other. I appreciate the team and how much fun we had. We truly played for each other.
North Montgomery Head Baseball Coach Matt Voorhees saw Cole’s leadership in action and appreciated his pitcher/first baseman for being a good example even four years ago.
“Four years ago I realized we had something special entering our program and that was Cade Cole,” Voorhees said. “Cade embodied the complete player with the right attitude. Cade was the perfect team captain with great leadership skills with the correct compassion for others. He was an awesome liaison between the coaching staff and players.”
Cole developed health issues as a freshman and had to make the difficult decision to stop playing football and basketball. He switched to tennis, but also found a unique way to stay involved with all coaches and athletes in the athletic training room.
North offers an athletic training student aid program led by the Chargers’ Certified Athletic Trainer Isaac Hook. The program taught basic athletic training and gave the students a hands-on experience helping athletes recover from injuries.
Cole, who graduated in May with a 4.35 grade point average out of 4.00, plans to study kinesiology at DePauw University this fall. He is grateful for Hook and the opportunity to work in the program.
“It kept me involved with sports and on the sidelines with the players,” Cole said. “The experience will help me with my major in college.”
Cole developed a rare health issue in his lower legs this season and was hampered by pain in his ankles. Yet, his love for the game pushed him to play through all the pain and finish his senior season.
Voorhees said his team leader never complained and played through the pain.
“Cade had to fight through adversity with his foot and ankle problems,” Voorhees said. “This caused pain from his feet to his hips, but he stepped out on the field and figured how to get it done every day.”
Cole always had the support of his coach as well as his family.
His father, Ryan, was always nearby as the Charger hitting coach. Cole admits that when he was a freshman, he was not excited about his father joining the team.
“I told Dad I did not want him coaching at North when Voorhees asked him,” Cole said. “I wanted to make it on my own and not have people thinking I was playing because I was a coach’s son.”
Cole admits his attitude about having his father, who played four years of baseball at Purdue University, in the dugout changed his junior year.
“I actually think he treated me and my brother (Crew) a little harder than he did the other guys,” Cole said.
Cole’s father has coached him since the age of four. During this past season, Cole admits how special it has been having his father around.
“It hit me that this was the last time Dad would coach me,” Cole said. “I realize he has been a great father and influence in my life.”
Cole went on to thank many people for his success, including pitching coach Joe Swick; teammates Jarrod Kirsch and Jack Warren; his parents, Ryan and Mandi Cole; and younger brothers, Crew and Cash. He also made mention of his grandparents who have been instrumental in his life.
“My whole family has been so supportive,” Cade said. “I appreciate all they have done for me.”
Cole’s pitching and offensive and defensive statistics are proof that he is a good player. However, there is one statistic he is extremely proud. North has only three players in the last 10 years with 100 at-bats and less than 10 strikeouts in a season. Cade and Crew both accomplished that feat this season.
The Cole family’s love for baseball and support for one another is deep. Cade plans to return from college as often as possible to watch Crew continue his high school career and watch Cash in his middle school games.
