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The Mount Vernon Nazarene College baseball program has signed a former three-sport star at Big Walnut High School to join the Cougars for the 2002 season.
Nick Schwartz, a pitcher from Sunbury, Ohio, started every varsity game for Big Walnut during his senior season in football, basketball, and baseball. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounded righthander posted an 8-4 record with a 1.91 earned run average as a junior on the mound, and he was named to the Ohio Capital Conference First Team and the All-District Honorable Mention Team.
"We are excited to have Nick joining our program," said MVNC head coach Keith Veale. "Obviously, one of the things that is most apparent is that he has great size and a great frame to develop. I think that we are looking at someone who has not reached the peak of their ability yet."
"Another thing that I am more attracted to is that we are getting a real quality young man," Veale added. "That is kind of where we start at our place. We want to get quality people in and develop their baseball skills and abilities."
In addition to playing baseball, he was a three-year letterman in football where he earned OCC Second Team honors as a quarterback in 2000. He also lettered in basketball as a senior and was an Honorable Mention pick in both the OCC and District 11.
"I chose to attend MVNC for several reasons," said Schwartz of his college choice. "I will have the chance to continue my baseball career somewhere that has a good program and good academics while being at a place where we share the same beliefs."
MVNC posted a 35-16 overall record in 2001 as the program notched its eighth straight 20-win season. The Cougars also advanced to the championship game of the NAIA Region IX Tournament for the third straight year and the semifinals of the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament.
