Cooter grad calls opportunity with Catfish 'a dream come true'

The Cape Catfish have opened their 2023 summer with four resounding victories, here of which have come on the road.

Enjoying this success isn’t anything new for first-year Catfish outfielder, Hayden Nazerenus. That is because all the recent Cooter High School athlete has done throughout his career is have success.

“We are dogs down in Cooter,” Nazerenus said.

They are WINNING “dogs,” that is for sure.

Nazerenus just wrapped up a high school career that seems storybook in its amount of success.

During his four seasons (his freshman baseball season was lost to COVID) of basketball and (three in) baseball, the 5-foot-11 athlete was on a basketball team that won 78 games, a pair of District titles (one in Class 1 and one in Class 2), a Class 2 Sectional, before experiencing a controversial overtime loss in the quarterfinal round this past winter.

In baseball, Nazerenus, who will concentrate on playing the outfield for both the Catfish, as well as at Crowder College in the fall, was part of Wildcat teams that won 64 games, three District championships, one sectional, one quarterfinal and finished third in the MSHSAA Class 1 Final Four recently.

“Our whole (senior) class was just full of athletes,” Nazerenus said. “We were pretty tight together and always worked at it. We tried to get the job done.”

He is on a temporary contract with the Catfish and saw his first action on Sunday against the Thrillville (Marion, Ill.) Thrillbillies.

Nazerenus grounded out in his one at-bat, but did get an assist in the outfield.

Whether it is with the Catfish or his summer league team in Paragould (Ark.) later this month, he has the same goals.

“I want to see good (pitching) arms,” Nazerenus said. “I want to prepare myself the best that I can, get strong, and get (at-bats), mainly, because that is a very important part.”

When Cooter High School baseball coach David Mathis informed Nazerenus that the Catfish had an interest in him, he called it a “dream come true.”

“I’ve seen some other people, locally,” Nazerenus said, “but only a couple from down (in the Bootheel) to play on this team. This was a dream since I was young.

“I’ve tried to put myself in the best position to have these opportunities.”

Not only has Nazerenus prepared himself for this opportunity, but he gave a lot of credit to the successful environment at Cooter, as well as Mathis, who coached Nazerenus in fall and spring baseball, as well as basketball.

“Playing at Cooter changed my life,” Nazerenus said. “It put me in a better spot to better myself, push myself, and try to compete at a high level.”

He didn’t mince words about Mathis, who he said had a massive impact on the Wildcat student-athletes.

“Coach Mathis gets us ready,” Nazerenus said. “Coach Mathis prepares us to play in big games and play when the time is right. You just have to work for him.”

“Work” is a non-negotiable under Mathis’ teams at Cooter, Nazerenus explained.

“It just depends on how you take (Coach Mathis),” Nazerenus said. “If you take him like he is trying to hurt your feelings, then you might get your feelings hurt. But if you take it like he expects a lot from you, then it will make you better.”

The Catfish travel to Alon (Ill.) tonight at 6:35 p.m.