Trying to get his groove back
NU’s DiLoreto working toward inevitable return
Corey DiLoreto had just found his groove.
The Northeastern sophomore first baseman put together back-to-back solid games in early March. After a three-hit, three-RBI game against Eastern Michigan, the former two-time Herald All-Scholastic followed that up with his first career multi-home run game against Western Michigan.
A week after that effort, DiLoreto and the rest of his Northeastern teammates were forced to put the bats, gloves and cleats away as the coronavirus pandemic brought the athletic world to a close. While the rumors were circulating for a week, the finality of it all hit DiLoreto hard.
“I don’t remember the exact date, but I remember we were hearing that we were going to be suspended for two weeks,” said DiLoreto, who was batting .288 and leading the team with three home runs. “Then the school said we had to move off-campus. As I was moving my stuff, our head coach (Mike Glavine) called a team meeting for the next day and said the rest of the season was canceled.”
DiLoreto wasn’t as disappointed for himself as much as he was for the team. The Huskies had won three straight to improve to 10-5 on the season, giving the team hopes that it could make some noise in the Colonial Athletic Association.
“We worked extremely hard all fall and winter to get ready for the season,” DiLoreto said. “We thought we had a chance to have a very successful season, win the CAA and have a chance at a regional. We really were like a true family, we were all best friends and we knew we had something special going on.”
But DiLoreto just went back to work.
He was fortunate to have a strong support system at home starting with his father Rob. The senior DiLoreto coached high school football at Arlington, Pope John, Austin Prep, Malden Catholic, Reading and Everett as well as serving as the athletic director at Arlington. While he put together an aggressive physical agenda for his son, DiLoreto said it didn’t take much prodding to get him out.
“Corey is a very disciplined kid,” said DiLoreto, now a dean of students at Arlington High. “I just tell him every day when it’s sunny and 89 degrees, all the work he is doing now instead of being at the beach will pay off. The lifting, the running, the work ethic and discipline he’s displayed during the pandemic will pay off down the road and he knows that.”
DiLoreto’s work ethic has been a calling card since his high school days at Reading. His former high school coach Dave Blanchard saw it countless times.
“Corey was always someone who was focused on baseball,” Blanchard said. “Even though he was a three-sport athlete here, baseball was always his first love.”
DiLoreto credits his parents for installing a solid foundation. As a result, heading to Arlington High for a workout or down to Morton Field in Reading to hit some baseballs in humid conditions requires no coercing.
“I think because of my parents, I’ve always been self-motivated,” said DiLoreto, who has already added seven to eight pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. “I just find different ways of motivations but basically, I’m just trying to be the best version of myself in every facet of life. It’s not in my best interest to be lazy.
“It’s been a great advantage for me to have my father there to train with me. If I’m slacking one day, he’s there to remind me what my goals are and that’s to become the best baseball player I can be.”
A typical day begins with some weight training, followed by running, then on to baseball drills. An outfielder for most of his baseball life, DiLoreto has shifted to first base and that’s been the focus of many workouts.
“We’ll do a lot of different defensive drills with Corey at first in addition to his 300-400 swings a day,” Rob DiLoreto said. “I think you can really see a difference in Corey already. This really is the first time in three years he’s been able to work on his physical strength full time and he’s become a lot stronger as a result.”
DiLoreto said the game plan for the time being is playing for the Reading Bulldogs of the Intercity Baseball League, provided they get the go-ahead from the state to resume. Whatever happens, DiLoreto knows he’s done everything possible to give himself the maximum chance to succeed.