When Terrapins baseball right fielder Madison Nickens transferred from LSU Eunice this offseason, coach John Szefc saw his potential.
Szefc thought Nickens could be one of the Terps’ best hitters, base runners and fielders. And though Nickens has yet to transform into the player Szefc thinks he can become, the fourth-year coach said he’s getting closer to that mold after going 5-for-8 from the plate in the Terps’ weekend series at Iowa.
Nickens will look to continue this progression Tuesday, when the Terps (11-12) play VCU (16-7) at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
“We figured he’d be a .300-type hitter, give you consistent defense in the outfield and be a guy who can run the bases and give you speed,” Szefc said. “He’s really done all of that. It’s just taken him a little bit to get there.”
Nickens credits his smooth transition to the coaches at LSU Eunice, while Szefc said the Bengals prepare players for Division I baseball as well as any junior college in the country.
Nickens was one of 14 players from his school to commit to a Division I program last year, and the Terps are bringing in another player from LSU Eunice next season in infielder Will Watson. Szefc said playing at a high level against quality competition — the Bengals won the NJCAA Division II National Championship last year — made the change easier for Nickens.
But the shift hasn’t always been smooth for Nickens. When the Gonzales, Louisiana, native hit in the leadoff spot for the first four games, he went 4-for-15. The Terps scored one run or less in three of those contests.
Nickens was then slotted into the second spot in the lineup, and he displayed his improvement at the plate this weekend.
In losses to the Hawkeyes on Friday and Saturday, when the Terps scored a combined two runs on 11 hits, Nickens had four hits and a walk in seven plate appearances. And Sunday, he began the Terps’ three-run rally in the first inning with a double to right field.
LSU Eunice coach Jeff Willis said Nickens has an impressive work ethic that makes his teammates want to succeed.
“I’m not surprised that Madison is doing very, very well, just because of the type of kid he is, the type of work ethic he has and the type of talent he has,” Willis said. “Where Madison’s at right now has everything to do with him. It came down to how hard he worked and the talent that he was blessed with.”
Nickens has started focusing more on getting on base than recording hits, something he said has helped him relax and be more productive. Szefc said Nickens’ strike zone discipline has developed throughout the season, and as a result, he has increased his performance at the plate.
Before coming to College Park, Nickens said dealing with pressure situations overwhelmed him at times. So Szefc has taught him to stay calm in those circumstances, telling him to step out of the box and re-gather himself before taking another pitch.
“Like the other guys, we just try to stick to the approach and make it as simple as possible,” Nickens said. “Fortunately, I was able to get in some good counts [against Iowa]. I was able to take some good swings at balls.”
That mental approach has helped Nickens on defense as well, even though it’s taken him time to become the fielder Szefc wants him to be.
In the fourth inning of the Terps’ game at UC Irvine on March 16, Nickens dropped a fly ball in right field, allowing the Anteaters to put runners on first and second with no outs. With the contest tied entering the frame, UC Irvine went on to score three runs in an eventual 9-5 victory.
But Nickens, who’s recorded two errors this season, hasn’t committed another slip-up since that defeat. It’s just another way he’s polished his game since joining the Terps.
“He’s a tough batter,” Szefc said. “He fits in very well with our players and program. That’s what we thought would happen. We’re not even at the halfway point yet.”
