Staff photo / Brian Yauger Mathews softball coach Jim Nicula and his team pose with the new sign officially dedicating the field in Nicula’s honor on Monday afternoon.

Since 2012, the Mathews Mustangs have been one of the area’s best softball programs. For all but one of those seasons, the program was helmed by Jim Nicula. A 1980 grad of Mathews, Nicula returned to his alma mater to take over the softball program, after coaching his daughter up the ranks.

Since then, the Mustangs have made a routine of playing deep into May, with 11 league championships, nine trips to regionals and a pair of trips to state, with one state runner-up in 2012. Nicula boasts a 281-72 record during that span.

Known for his passion, dedication to the game and his willingness to never shy away from an opponent, Nicula’s name will be remembered as one of the Mahoning Valley’s best softball coaches. Now, the field that’s played host to many wins and countless memories of Mustang players, will bear the name of the program-defining coach.

Players spanning Nicula’s tenure with Mathews were in attendance to celebrate on Monday, along with a healthy showing from the community. While the originally-scheduled game with Badger was called off, the senior night festivities went as scheduled. Following the announcement of the final senior, the players brought out a sign, officially christening the field as “Jim Nicula Field,” much to the surprise of its namesake.

“I’m very humbled,” Nicula said. “It’s always been about the kids, and it always will be about the kids and the grandbabies that the past players have now. The old adage says that it takes a community and surely that’s one of the things I tell everybody when I go to different functions, about the commitment and the level that the people of Fowler and Vienna have, especially for their baseball and softball programs.

“It makes it easy to do my part when I have such outstanding people that provide the support and provide the kids that are outstanding as well, so thank you very much.”

Players past and present weren’t shy in sharing their memories and love for their coach. Pitcher Becca Landis, a 2021 graduate from Mathews who is now a senior on Thiel College’s softball team, shared her favorite memory from her time with the Mustangs: taking down Massillon Perry, who was the top-ranked team in the state.

Others, like Bella Spano, a fellow 2021 graduate, reminisced on the fun they had before games, after games and even in between games, no matter the stakes.

“Coach Nicula made softball fun, memorable, and meaningful,” Spano said. “One of my favorite memories is how we used to dance between games during doubleheaders. No matter how intense the game was, he encouraged us to stay loose, have fun and enjoy every moment on the field. It was those little things that made such a lasting impact. Not only was he a fantastic coach, but he helped players develop skills applicable both on and off the field, fostering growth beyond athletic success. He will always be my coach. It means so much to see the field being named after him. He truly deserves it.”

Senior Maddy Hufford has spent the last three seasons with Nicula. While Monday was her senior night, it also was a chance to show her appreciation for her coach, who has pushed her to grow into one of the state’s top catchers.

“Coach Nicula’s field dedication honors his years of dedication, leadership and the lasting impact he’s made on so many athletes,” Hufford said. “Being coached by him means having someone in your corner who genuinely cares, challenges you to be your best and encourages growth on and off the field. I’ll always be grateful for everything he’s done for me.”

Addy Jarvis, who pitched at Youngstown State, Illinois and Miami (Ohio), is a coach herself, assisting at Valparaiso. Jarvis credits Nicula for having her ready to make the leap to college.

“Being a Division IV school with 50-60 students per grade, it’s almost unheard of to have nearly 30 people wanting to play softball, but we did. Not only that, but we had a foundation built from his time spent with the local youth leagues. Some of my teammates played for him for six, seven years instead of just four which set the culture long before I arrived,” said Jarvis, who transferred into the district for her senior year. “Coach Nicula ingrained in us that no matter the size we could go up against anyone, so we did. We were constantly playing schools three times our size. He is a high-energy, high-commitment coach who is bought into the development of softball, not just at Mathews, but in the entire region. Playing for Mathews and Coach Nicula my final year lit a fire in me that carried right into my freshman year at Youngstown. In a way I think it made me fearless, and to him I am forever grateful.”

Perry, then-Argeras, never played for Jim Nicula. But the 1999 graduate did coach with him in the early 2010s. Returning to the program, she saw how much it had grown since her time there.

“He’s completely transformed. Mathews softball,” Perry said. “When I played there, I think I played for three different coaches under my four-year tenure there. We were not very good. I always tell the story of my junior year, where I think we were 0-20. It was quite different. Jim is one of those guys that just has a passion for coaching.”

Madison Morton, however, has the most experience with Nicula. Mathews softball fans may remember her by her maiden name, Madison Nicula.

“I had the unique privilege, like many of my graduating class, to be coached by my father from ages 4 to 18. That is an incredibly amazing length of time. He was our coach from the time we awkwardly waddled to first base in tee ball jerseys draped down to our knees, all the way to young women filling out college applications and seeking out our place in the world,” she said. “I could go on for hours about softball technique, how he taught us to throw, catch and hit with the latest and greatest, the endless hours in the gym and on the field. It all dims in comparison, however, to the life lessons we learned along the way. My dad was more than the coach of a high school sport. He is a faithful, devoted mentor to raising up strong, dedicated, impactful girls who just so happen to have a mutual love of the sport.

“As anybody, whether friend or foe, to describe my dad as passionate is an understatement. No one can take away the amount of relentless love he has poured into being a coach. The softball award banners hanging in the gym are sufficient reminders of his success. They outnumber any other sport, at Mathews and at surrounding schools, by far. I believe, however, it is in the testimonies you will receive from his former players that truly show how amazing my dad is.”

The first official game at Jim Nicula Field is set for today when the state-ranked Mustangs take on Grand Valley.