Nick Bids Farewell

Looking back on the past four years, I can honestly say I have had the time of my life here at SMU. I really can not believe my days of putting on a Cardinal uniform and running out on to the field have come to an end. I have felt very blessed and honored to be able to have the opportunity to play college baseball with some of the best teammates and friends a guy could ask for. Baseball has been my passion my whole life, and I still remember my family telling me the stories about when I was a toddler and I would sit in front of the TV watching baseball and crying when the game was on commercial. As many of you know, this pretty much defines how much I love the game. To my family: Mom, I can not thank you enough for all that you have done for me. You have sacrificed a great deal to allow me to follow my dreams. You have been there for me and I know I can count on you to tell me the truth about how I played that day. Thanks for always pushing me and for all the equipment that I bugged you to buy. Dad, you have always been there to tell me that I am a great player no matter if I had gone 3-for-3 or 1-for-23. You have no idea how much that has helped me. I can still remember the days of us playing ball in the front yard for hours, and I would not trade those times for anything in the world. Wendy, sorry about hitting you with the ball at the lake, but you were out. Andrew, keep following your dreams because you have a great talent. Abby, what can I say, but you are way smarter then I will ever be. Popa, I owe you my life. You have always been there for me no matter what the situation. You are the person I look up to the most and you have taught me so much that I cannot put my feelings into words. You are truly my hero. Uncle John, you have been my role model my whole life and one of my best friends. I want to thank you for letting me pull on the back of your shirt for all these years and also for allowing me to follow in your footsteps (You are not that sweet though). You have taught me more about the game then I could ever imagine and I hope to be half the coach you are. Thanks to all my family for everything you have done; you have all had a great influence on my life. Love you all! I just want to thank some of the former Cardinal teammates: Cic, Duck, Kimlinger, Kittles, Seth, Juice, Rhino, Joe Pop, Jake, Rink, Jose, Leetch, Danny, Steve. You guys have made these past four years amazing. To my teammates: There have been hard times on the field, but the good times have out-weighed the bad by a great amount. I have never played with a group of guys that were as close as we are both on and off the field. Seniors: Grant, I have enjoyed our great discussions about the Twins and the Wild. Keep playing that guitar loud. Jason, keep making pitches. You have really come a long way. Kuhn, I will miss our heated discussions about sports, and mainly how Minnesota sports are way better then Illinois. Thanks for being a good friend these past years. Matty, what can I say, but these four years playing with you have been an honor. We have become great friends over the years and I want to thank you for being a great friend and roommate. As I have said before, I will play behind you in the field any day of the week. Keep throwing life that nasty curveball or should I say now that nasty splitty. No worries buddy. To the younger guys: Miz, You are one of the must unique people I have ever been around in a good way. Keep being the leader that you are and thanks for being a great roommate. Kriegs, you have the ability to make me laugh no matter what kind of mood I am in. I look forward to playing ball with you till we are old and grey because God knows that we will be Brewers for life! Brady (2-1, Bron Bron), we may not see eye-to-eye all the time, but you are one of the best players I have played with. Keep mashing the ball and keep wishing you had my power. Kev, my fellow captain, your work ethic and energy is second to none. You have pushed me to become the player I am today. What can I say, but we have had some great times together over the years (Twins playoffs). Toshi, just keep being you! Robbie, get a hair cut! You will be one of the best hitters in the MIAC one day, lead this team to great things. Keep swinging, bud. Brandon, you have some of the best lines I have ever heard (Besides Alex’s) and don’t forget dance moves (Double knee drop). Alex, You are the funniest kid I have been around. Just remember, “Easy pickings”. To the rest of the guys, thanks for everything! To my coaches: Coach Whaley, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to put on a Cardinal uniform everyday, because it has been worth ever second. You have taught me a great deal about the game as well as about life. Thanks for sticking with me through the years (even my sophomore year at short for some odd reason (33)). I have never had a coach that believed in me and trusted in me more than you, and I want to thank you for that. Because of this trust, the game has helped me become the person I am. Coach Trewick, thanks for always keeping things loose! You have no idea how much that has helped. I will miss our great conversations over these past two years. Benji, thanks for making the pitchers run as much as they do. Thanks for always pushing me and for allowing me to practice my favorite glove flip. Coach Coz, you are one of my best friends and I can’t wait to see you in a cop uniform one day. Thanks for being my other piggy brother. To three former coaches: Coach Mollner, thanks for everything. Coach Jake, you have taught me the art of great come backs. Coach Cic, you are my big brother and without your guidance I would for sure would be lost. Special thanks to the trainers for putting up with me. Donny for being the best at what you do and for great wiffle ball BP. Thanks to all of the parents for all of there support throughout the years. Thanks to everyone and good luck Boys. Ahhhhhhhhhh ……………….. See ya!! “Baseball is dull only to dull minds.” —Red Barber