Nicholas Lanciers '20 Recruiting Profile

Hello Coach!

My name is Nicholas Lanciers.  I was born on February 8, 2002, in San Diego, CA and just finished my junior year at Valhalla High School in El Cajon, CA.   I am 6'1" and weigh 175 pounds.  My first exposure to baseball was watching games with my father, and going to Padres games with my parents as a young child.  I started playing at 4 years old when my parents signed me up for T-ball.  Once I got a taste of the joy of hitting the ball and running the bases, I was hooked for life.  I continued playing on some of the San Diego area’s better teams reaching all-star status in Little League, Pony Ball and expanded my experience playing on travel teams competing throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. I currently play on Tony Jr and Chris Gwynn’s 18U team and will compete in numerous showcase tournaments in the southwest region. For the first two years of high school I played on the Valhalla High School JV team, and my junior year I was part of the Valhalla Norsemen CIF Championship Varsity team.   My primary position is pitcher, but I also play first base and outfield.  I throw right-handed, but bat from the left side.  I take great pride in perfecting my craft and take every opportunity to practice and compete.  One of my proudest accomplishments came in my sophomore year when I earned pitcher of the year award for our JV team.   If you would ask my coaches and teammates, they would tell you that I am extremely competitive with a baseball IQ that well exceeds what is normally expected from a player of my age.  My mental preparation for a game starts well ahead of game time.   When I get to the baseball field and especially when I take the mound I am singularly focused, determined, and ready to face whatever challenge comes my way.  This year I received the Coaches Award at our annual banquet, as coach said it "for being the go-to guy" when something unexpected came up and had to get done.  When I am not playing on the ball field, I enjoy watching the game and analyzing the situational play.  One of the activities we love as a family is going to ball games and watching the pros, but being big Padres fans we have also learned great patience.  Although I love baseball, I have many other interests as well.  I love music; I joined the High School marching band in middle school and continued on for two more years in high school, playing the clarinet for the Valhalla Vanguard state champions.  I also love playing my guitar to unwind at the end of the day.  I am keenly interested in aviation and motorsports with a real appreciation for the vintage warbirds of military history and exotic cars both past and present. I also very much enjoy the solitude and serenity of nature and the outdoors, riding my bike, hiking, bird watching, and fishing are some of my favorite activities.

I am extremely motivated to play baseball in college.  Quite frankly I have had some difficulty academically but I have recently come to terms and now realize that my studies require the same dedication and effort I put into my baseball.  I fully expect my final two semesters of High School will reflect that maturation.  I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to continue my personal growth and contribute to something bigger in the game that I love.  I’d like to major in engineering; because I really enjoy creating and problem-solving. I just haven't quite decided which discipline I might choose.  I appreciate your time and the opportunity to present my personal statement for your consideration; best of luck in the upcoming baseball season enjoying the greatest game ever!