Nick is our first Athlete Spotlight. He stepped onto the USC campus with a deep love for the Trojans, having grown up watching the team play. He was eager to make an impact, and he wasted no time in doing so, putting up impressive numbers in his junior campaign with a batting average of .282 and 6 home runs. Nick is no stranger to high-level competition, having played against top teams like Vanderbilt and Auburn while at UIC, as well as playing at Santa Ana College, where he faced players who ended up at top programs and some who were even drafted. He has a strict pre-game routine that he follows to ensure he is in the best mindset to perform on the field. The night before a game, Nick makes sure to get a good night’s sleep, as he believes it’s crucial for his performance the next day. In the morning, he makes sure to fuel up at one of the many places that USC Athletics provides for their athletes to get food, this way he has all the energy he needs to play at his best. After eating, he likes to relax by reading or listening to music, this helps him to keep his mind calm and focused. He then heads to the field a few hours before game time to stretch, this way he can warm up his body and prepare for the game. He then meditates and visualizes before the game to prepare his mind, this way he can focus on his performance. When it’s game time and Nick heads to first base, he writes “MPW” in the dirt for the late Micah Pietila-Wiggs, a former teammate at Santa Ana College who passed away one year ago in a car accident in San Diego. Many of Micah’s former teammates, like Nick and myself, paid tribute to him by having his initials by us last season; whether it was on our hats on written in the dirt. This way Micah always was with us on the field.