GUILDERLAND — Cole Miller isn’t just the Guilderland baseball team’s ace left-hander.

While the 6-foot-3 senior is a multi-sport athlete, he isn’t on Guilderland’s football or basketball team. Instead, he spends his baseball offseason participating in several of Guilderland’s Unified sport programs.

“We have a very strong Unified program at Guilderland,” Miller said. “What got me started was Unified physical education, and now I’m a part of more Unified sporting events, some teams and a trip to [Washington] DC.”

Unified programs are intended to help those with intellectual disabilities form bonds and create experiences similar to those from any other sport, something that seems to come naturally to Miller.

Cole Miller, a left-handed pitcher, bowls with his right arm during a Unified bowling competition this past season.

“From seeing Cole work with individuals with varying intellectual ability levels, he was just so impressive even after the first couple of weeks,” said Allison Relyea, a Guilderland physical education teacher and Unified coach. “He understands it and immediately took on an active leadership role in class.”

“He will partner with anyone, and will genuinely observe and ask questions to help make the experience for the athlete the best that it can be.”

After starting in Relyea’s Unified physical education class, Miller worked his way onto Relyea’s Unified bocce team for the state games. He then played a key role in helping the sport become a permanent option at Guilderland.

Guilderland's Alyssa O'Connor and Cole Miller with U.S. Representative Paul Tonko in Washington DC.

“We added Unified bocce as a fall sport this year, and Cole was pretty instrumental in helping to push that forward,” Relyea said. “He wrote a letter to our Superintendent and the Board of Education about Unified programming, and about his specific experience.”

Miller’s activism didn’t end with a letter to his school’s Board of Education either. Over the winter, he attended a trip to Washington, DC, participating in the Special Olympics’ advocacy day on Capitol Hill.

“That was probably the coolest trip I’ve been on in my life,” Miller said. “Coach Relyea, she invited me to go down as part of a committee from Guilderland, to represent New York State and the Special Olympics.”

“Cole is an incredible ambassador for anything Unified,” Relyea said. “Whether he’s involved, trying to get other students involved, or advocating for their programs, he’s just incredible.”

Cole Miller, center, with his Unified bocce teammates and coaches.

In DC, Miller spoke in front of multiple groups of lawmakers, simply about his experience participating in Unified sports. In addition to memorizing a speech, he was also asked follow-up questions.

“Not that he’s ever up to bat,” Relyea said of the Guilderland pitcher, “but he knocked every answer out of the park.”

Miller, who is committed to pitch at Wake Forest, wanted to get one final season of Unified sports under his belt before turning his attention completely to baseball, so he inquired about joining the Unified bowling team.

“Cole told me that he would really like to do Unified bowling this year,” Relyea explained. “I said, ‘I don’t know if I can allow your pitching arm to bowl, when we go up right before baseball season’.”

Miller thought of a simple solution.

“He goes to me, ‘Will you let me bowl righty?’ And I said, ‘100-percent I will let you bowl righty’,” Relyea said. “He bowled the entire season right-handed, and he did great.”

While Unified programs are all about creating experience for all athletes to gain enjoyment and life lessons out of sports, Miller always brings the right balance of sportsmanship, friendship and competitiveness as a partner to the athletes he supports.

“He’s a competitive individual,” Relyea said, “and he brings the healthiest amount of that competitive nature to help others in our Unified programming rise up and challenge themselves.”

SUMMER BALL

Cole Miller thought he had his summer all planned out – playing for his hometown PGCBL team, the Albany Dutchmen.

However, after it was announced last week that the Dutchmen would not be playing this season, Miller needs to make other plans.

“I found out from coach [Jordan] Bernacet the other night,” Miller said of finding out the Dutchmen season was canceled. “He called me up and said, ‘I’m sorry to tell you, but the field’s not being rented out to us again.”

The Dutchmen have played at Keenholts Park in Guilderland since 2021, which is also where the Guilderland High School varsity baseball team plays its home games.

“I was obviously super excited,” Miller said of the initial opportunity to play summer ball in his hometown. “Dutchman Field had basically been my home field for varsity for the past few years, and I was going to get to play with a bunch of my buddies.”

Now, his summer plans are uncertain.

“I’m kind of mixed right now,” Miller said. “Really, I’m focused on my high school season, but I’ll figure out with my parents what the right move is going to be.”

WAKE FOREST

There is only one thing that could stop Miller from moving on to pitch next year at Wake Forest, and that is the MLB Draft.

But, Miller isn’t quite ready to think about either yet. He’s focused on his final high school season.

“My plan right now is to go to college until I’m told otherwise,” Miller said. “My head is in the high school season, to tell you the truth. I love these guys. I’ve been here four years and we lost the first three times. My goal’s to win a sectional title and see if we can play into June.”

“But I have an awesome opportunity either way,” he added, “no matter which way I go.”