Northbridge’s Jake Costello first picked up baseball bat at the young age of four and by the time he was nine he was hooking up with his first AAU team. Costello felt that his game was improving and was searching for some better competition and although the transition was tough at first, he was having fun playing better teams in a sport he truly loved. 

As a young baseball player he fell into the position of playing shortstop and found the position was one in which he enjoyed and has been there ever since. 

With the success that he had growing up in the sport he was looking to try out for the high school varsity team.

“I love baseball and it is the favorite of all my sports (Costello also plays basketball for the Rams); playing baseball all those years has allowed me to grow into he player I am today,” he said. “It was always a dream of mine to play high school baseball and around the 6th or 7th grade I realized that I had the talent to do so. I was playing for the local town summer All Star team and not only did I love it, but I was also successful so high school baseball was definitely on my mind.”

Entering Northbridge High School Costello’s goal was to earn himself a spot on the varsity squad, but as a freshman he was unsure of how things would go. He believed that just having the opportunity was awesome. Costello made the varsity squad but found himself sitting on the Rams’ bench for the first two games.

“I found myself watching the games from the bench, but that was okay as I was taking in whatever I could. In our third game of the season our shortstop got ejected and eventually suspended, and I was thrown into action in the fifth inning against our rival Uxbridge,” Costello recalled. “I made a couple of plays in the infield and had a big walk in a game that we won in extra innings. It was a real boost of confidence.”

When the team’s shortstop was reinstated Costello was moved into left field for the rest of the season and found himself batting at the top of the lineup where he would hit around .300.

Having found success on the varsity level the then-freshman realized that he was going to have an opportunity the next year to take over the shortstop position so he began focusing on his skills and trying to get ready for his sophomore season.

During his second season with the varsity squad he improved his batting average to .330 and found himself not only playing shortstop, but performing at a higher level. Northbridge as a team found themselves going 11-9 on the season and earned a number nine seed in the Division 4 State Tournament. 

The Rams would defeat South Hadley, Blackstone Valley and Lowell Catholic before falling to Abington in the Final Four. Costello, although only a sophomore, would enjoy one of his biggest moments on the diamond when he had a walk off single to defeat South Hadley in the first game. And although very nervous as he walked to the plate, he was very confident in his ability to get things done.

“We knew that he would be a good hitter. He always does the right things and is amongst our offensive leaders,” co-coach Matt Abrain said. “That walk-off only made him work harder. He’s a humble kid, but wants to be the guy and although quiet, he’s there for his teammates.”

Last spring he was named a captain as a junior for the first time. The honor bestowed upon him showed that all his hard work had paid off and was looking to be a good leader for his teammates. 

“Jake leads by example and if things go wrong he huddles the team up and knows what needs to be said at that moment to get the guys back into the game,” Abrain said. “He is also one to take accountability for his mistakes and that is a great way to lead.”

As he enters his final season with the Rams, Costello is looking to help guide the team to another playoff run. Having faced a tough Seekonk team in last year’s tournament, Costello wants to leave on a high note.

“I’m hoping that I can make one final playoff run with these guys,” he said. “Being my senior year I am focused and want to make sure the team is ready for one more push.”

At the time of this writing Northbridge was 10-5 and all but locked up a tournament berth. With a handful of games remaining Costello is hoping that the team can win three of its last four games to secure at least two home games in the tournament. As for the veteran shortstop he is currently having himself one of his best hitting seasons where he is batting .370 with an on base percentage close to .600.

When Northbridge’s season eventually comes to an end it will most likely be the end of baseball for Costello as he will be heading to Creighton University in Nebraska to further his education.

“Originally I was looking to play college ball, but I wasn’t getting too many looks from schools with the academics I was looking for,” he said. “With that said, I decided to focus on choosing a school that has the academics I was looking for. It will definitely be sad when the year comes to an end and I will miss the competitive baseball and winning with the guys, but it will be something that I always will remember.”