By Emma Lauren Poole
Sports Editor
Every time he steps up to bat, it’s clear—Nick Wells is right at home on the baseball field.
With a powerful swing and an uncanny ability to read even the toughest of pitchers, the senior outfielder has been an integral part of Florida Southern’s baseball team since transferring from Polk State College in 2020. Last year, Wells started in 15 of the 17 games he appeared in and drove in 15 runs at 62 at-bats.
Wells’ talent has been developed over the course of a lifetime, and it is evident that he knows the value of hard work.
“I started playing tee ball when I was 5 years old at West Seminole in Altamonte Springs, Florida,” Wells says. “I played rec ball there until about middle school, and then I started playing travel ball, then onto high school baseball where I played at Lake Brantley.”
Wells graduated from Lake Brantley in 2018, thus beginning his college baseball career.
“After Lake Brantley, I went on to play at Polk State College for two years, then transferred over to Florida Southern,” Wells explains.
During his last two years with the Mocs, Wells has solidified himself as a talented athlete and someone who is capable of turning a game around for his team.
On March 19, 2022, the Mocs were down two through the fourth inning. Fans held their breath in the stands. They were waiting for the defining moment – for someone or something to turn the game around. A single from outfielder Duncan Hunter brought Jeff Liquori home, closing the score gap. The game was far from over.
At his first at-bat, Wells belted a home run out into the pine trees behind the fence, and the game was tied.
“After the first one, I was shocked that it went over,” Wells explains. “I hit it so high in the air and the wind pushed it out, but I was excited because that had tied the game up.”
But Wells wasn’t done – his second at-bat produced the same results. This time, the wind left no doubt.
“The second one – I knew it was gone right when I hit it,” Wells remembers. “I was more excited than the first, because that got the boys fired up and that one took the lead.”
At that point, the score was 4-3, and the Mocs would go on to win the game. No doubt, Wells’ feat against Eckerd that day was incredible. Of course, he has a strategy for reading pitchers and making a connection with the ball.
“I really focused on timing up the pitcher, making sure I was on time and ready to hit and to put a good swing on it,” Wells says.
In spite of his own successes, Wells speaks humbly about the team’s season this year.
“This season hasn’t gone how the team thought it was going to,” Wells admits. “We started off slow, and sometimes, we see the team we could be every time we step on the field.”
Regardless of the team’s record, Wells, along with the rest of the Mocs, have played to the best of their ability and brought a sense of pride to the college during their first full season back from the Covid-19 pandemic.
As far as his future career is concerned, Wells is determined to take every opportunity he is given, no matter what it might be.
“If I get the chance to advance to the next level, I will take it,” Wells said. But just in case professional baseball isn’t the route he ends up taking, he is prepared to be successful. “If not, I would like to get into real estate.”
The Mocs will return home to Henley Field on Sunday, May 8 at 6 p.m. to begin their last series of the season against Nova Southeastern University.
