THSB Feature Series: Cole Potestio

By: Len Hayward

The day Cole Potestio’s life changed is one he’ll never forget.

On Feb. 19, 2023, Potestio was involved in a hunting accident on a piece of rural land near the small town of Desdemona west of Stephenville.

A handgun accidently discharged and struck the back of his left leg, and in an instant his life shifted. From that moment more than two years ago, Potestio’s life has been a whirlwind of surgeries, rehabilitation, physical and emotional scars, while also at the same time fighting to return to the baseball field. What never wavered was the faith that carried him through it all.

“I still battle multiple things, so it’s still an ongoing battle with this and I’m continuing to progress,” said Potestio, now a senior on the Mansfield Legacy High School baseball team. “I knew (if baseball) was something I really wanted to do I had to be consistent with everything … have faith as my anchor. I wouldn’t have gotten through this without God’s grace.”

More than two years since the accident, Potestio, who was a sophomore playing with the varsity in 2023, is a key cog for the Class 6A Broncos, who are currently in a tight playoff battle in District 3-6A, hitting in the No. 9 slot and is the team’s starting third baseman. He has also committed to play at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in the Lone Star Conference, proving that his perseverance has paid off.

His journey has not been an easy one, but he has faced it head on.

The fateful day

Some quick thinking by Potestio and his companion likely saved his leg, and possibly his life that February day. After the gun discharged, Potestio recalled he knew it was serious because of the amount of blood, and he took his shirt off and wrapped it around his leg and a friend who was with him did as well. A trick he had picked up while playing various video games.

From there, he was transported to a nearby road where they were met by a Texas Department of Public Safety highway trooper, who proceeded to render first aid and put on a tourniquet. It was around that point that Potestio said his emotions and the uncertainty began, saying he asked the trooper if he thought he would ever play baseball again. At the same time, his friend’s parents were asking him how he was doing, and even though he doesn’t remember much, Potestio said he had a sense that it was going to alright.

“God was really there with me at that moment, and it really allowed me to stay calm in that situation, I felt a sense of it’s going to be OK,” Potestio said.

Moving forward

He was transported to a hospital in Stephenville and was later flown by helicopter ambulance to the Level 1 trauma unit at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. Potestio said he was told after he arrived at Harris there was a 90-95% chance that the type of trauma he suffered could result in a loss of his leg.

He underwent the first of four surgeries that night, which included a fasciotomy, which is where surgeons cut open tissue around muscles and relieve pressure to restore blood flow. He went through three more surgeries over the next six weeks, with a significant portion of his left calf muscle having to be removed and undergoing skin grafts.

Potestio spent the next few months in rigorous therapy sessions, essentially learning how to walk again, and receiving critical wound care. He started playing baseball again in the fall around late September, reaching the next phase in his journey.

“I wanted to play baseball,” Potestio said. “I knew it was a marathon not a sprint.”

Back on the field and an offer

Potestio said the part of his game that took the longest to return was his speed, agility and quickness, saying because a portion of his calf muscle was removed, he didn’t have the “springiness” he once did.

Legacy coach Kyle Mickles, who joined the team as head coach prior Potestio’s junior season, said his hitting was there early in his junior season, and that’s continued into this season. Mickles said Potestio has picked up at the plate during district play this season, hitting better than .400 in 3-6A play.

“He’s always had a hit tool,” Mickles said. “That part came back quickly. He played some third for us (in 2024) and was a (designated hitter) a bunch of times.

“The first year I got here he was on the right side of the recovery, but you’ve still got to go out and do it and prove it. He had to struggle with that internally of getting back into being able to make athletic movements that you had to do to be a high school varsity baseball player.”

It was this past summer where his game began to shine in front of college coaches, and where he felt he was close to his pre-injury form.

While playing for the DFW Twins, Potestio caught the eye of multiple coaches, including UTPB, and from his performance in the summer, he garnered an offer to play. He made a visit to the school in Odessa and knew it was where he wanted to play.

“It was a really good spot for me to play against guys that have had a lot of experience,” said Potestio, 18. “I’m going to be playing against guys that are 23, 24 and 25 years old, and I felt for me this would be a great opportunity to go out there and showcase my skills and have success.”

“I’m poised to prosper and succeed”

Potestio said he will continue to face hurdles from the accident the rest of his life, but he’s taking it day by day, knowing that at a critical point in his life, he made it through with a strong faith and knows he can overcome any obstacle there is to take on.

“I have faced and probably will continue to face hurdles many won’t encounter in a lifetime,” Potestio said. “But I’m confident there’s no obstacle I can’t overcome, and I’m poised to prosper and succeed. My goal is just to continue my education as well as my athletic career and add to my testament of faith and hard work.”