Junior right-handed pitcher Eric Nickolaison's changeup is nearly unhittable for opponents.
By FRANK PASTOR
Published March 25, 2004
SPRING HILL - To Springstead coach Frank Vitale, it must look like one of those Bugs Bunny cartoons where a batter swings and misses the same pitch so many times he ends up hopelessly twisted like a pretzel.
"Hitters are swinging twice before it gets there," Vitale joked. "They're so far in front of it, if they could load up again, they'd swing again."
Vitale was talking about Eric Nickolaison's changeup, which travels about 5-7 miles per hour slower than his low-80s fastball and runs in on right-handed hitters. The junior right-hander throws it with the same arm speed as his fastball, making it difficult for batters to identify. Nickolaison can deliver it for strikes on any count, making it darn near unhittable. When opponents are looking for the fastball, he slips them the changeup.
"That's the thing that I think separates him from a lot of other people," Vitale said. "He can throw a changeup on 3-0 and throw it for a strike. There is never any part of a count that I'm afraid to throw the changeup with him."
Nickolaison's numbers set him apart, too. In four starts, he has thrown three complete games while compiling a 2-2 record with 25 strikeouts and a 2.15 earned-run average. Opponents are batting .218 against him.
Nickolaison always had good control, but a recent growth spurt to 6 feet, 1 inch added zip to his fastball, enabling him to throw it by hitters and making his other pitches more dangerous.
He has thrown complete games his past three outings, including a four-hitter in a 2-1 loss to once-beaten Leesburg. He struck out four and walked two while holding the Yellowjackets without an earned run.
Nickolaison was equally effective in victories over Citrus and Groveland South Lake. He struck out nine while allowing one earned run on three hits in an 8-3 victory over the 'Canes and K'd seven while surrendering two earned runs in a 5-4 win over the Eagles.
Though pitching is his forte, Nickolaison also ranks among Springstead's top hitters. His .286 average through 12 games was third-best on the team, his 10 hits tied for second. But hitting isn't a bonus for Nickolaison, it is a necessity.
"When he doesn't pitch, he's my shortstop," Vitale said. "I need him in the field, and I need him to hit."
Nickolaison endured a brief slump before a move from second to sixth in the order re-energized his bat and gave him more RBI opportunities.
"I feel a little more comfortable, and also there are a lot more runners on base," Nickolaison said. "You have to concentrate, and you get more RBIs out of it."
Vitale calls Nickolaison a "thinker" on the field, and it's easy to see why. He carries a 3.7 weighted cumulative grade-point average and plans to study engineering in college since he excels at math and science.
Nickolaison also hopes to pitch in college, saying he needs to add 20 pounds of muscle to his 160-pound frame and five miles per hour to his fastball.
It's well within Nickolaison's reach, Vitale said.
"He's got the opportunity, because he's a complete pitcher," Vitale said. "Not everybody has to throw 90 miles an hour to be a college pitcher."
Not when they've got Nickolaison's changeup.
- Frank Pastor can be reached at 800 333-7505, ext. 1430. Send e-mail to pastor@sptimes.com
