Nies named HCAC’s top pitcher this week

CARMEL, Ind. – After a vote of its sports information directors, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference announced the Athletes of the Week for spring sports on Monday afternoon. In baseball, Defiance College's Cohen Nies (Logansport, Ind./Lewis Cass) was named the HCAC Pitcher of the Week, marking the first time this season and third time in his career that he has earned the honor.

During the week of March 9-15, Defiance played eight games on its annual Spring Break trip to Florida, going 7-1 with the only loss coming by one run in extra innings. A 6-foot-7, 225-pound junior right-hander, Nies started twice in Fort Myers, posting a 1-0 record and 2.53 earned run average with 15 strikeouts and just three walks over 10 2/3 innings. His strikeouts per nine innings was 12.66.

On the year, Nies has made three starts and is 1-1. He has struck out 19 and issued five bases on balls in 13 2/3 innings, averaging 12.51 strikeouts per nine.

Nies was an honorable mention all-conference selection last season while also being chosen to the HCAC All-Tournament Team. He was picked as the conference's top weekly pitcher twice in March 2019.

The Yellow Jackets are 7-3 overall, their best start since the 2013 team opened with the same record. Because of the continued public health threat of the coronavirus and in association with the HCAC, Defiance has suspended its 2020 baseball season and all athletic activities for at least two weeks, effective March 13.