BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Bluffton University sports information office has been talking to many of our spring athletes who are seniors during the month of April. They give us a glimpse back to their time at Bluffton along with what the future holds for them and their teammates.
First off, I would like to give our next senior spotlight a very special thank you for the part he has played the last month. Nicholas Skeen, a senior baseball player from Thomas Worthington High School and Westerville, Ohio, has done a phenomenal job interviewing his fellow seniors and putting into words what their time at Bluffton has meant to them.
Nick is a pitcher who has dealt with injuries and rehabilitation throughout much of his time at Bluffton. He is a sports information and communication major with a minor in coaching. His introduction to Bluffton came following a camp at Akron during the summer before his senior year of high school. Nick was attracted to the small town feel of a campus that is roughly half the size of Thomas Worthington. During his first visit he was impressed that his tour guide knew nearly everyone that they passed while traversing the campus.
The challenge of managing his time was priority one for Nick as practices and lifting between classes kept him busy from dusk to dawn. Only after a long day of classes and workouts would he have time to hit the books, a time when many on campus are gravitating toward video games, each other or both. During his high school years, Nick often had a block of time during the day to stay ahead on his studies, but once at college, that chunk often wasn't available until after the sun went down.
Hoping to find a local news outlet and cover sports is what Nick has his sights set on following graduation. He is currently waiting for the MLB season to kick off as he will be writing about the Toronto Blue Jays. His experiences as a student-athlete have forced him to have a plan each day. Meeting deadlines is something he has done during his four years at Bluffton and it will serve him well as he transitions to the world of work.
His favorite memory is the dog pile following Bluffton's victory over Transylvania in 2018 that propelled the Beavers to their first-ever Heartland Conference tournament berth! Spending the next week with the team after campus had dispersed following May Day weekend is also something that Nick will always remember with a smile on his face.
The advice Nick would like to give his younger teammates is, "If you are injured, don't try to be a hero. Make sure you are healthy before returning to the field." He added, "Don't take it for granted. Give it everything you have, because you don't know when it will all be done."
-BEAVERS-