It’s been awhile since Nick Falter took his hacks in the batter’s box.

To be exact, it was six years ago when Falter was a junior at Olentangy Liberty High School.

Falter’s future as a hitter came down to one at-bat.

“I’m going up to bat and my coach tells me that if I don’t hit a home run here, I’m done hitting,” Falter said. “Well I was thankful he gave me that opportunity because honestly he should have taken the bat out of my hands.”

“I struck out, and that was that.”

In hindsight, Falter admits the strikeout may have been a blessing in disguise. The Powell native focused solely on pitching, and it led to a stellar collegiate career.

Now, with his eligibility exhausted, Falter hopes that a summer with the Scrappers will extend his career into the professional ranks.

Falter recently completed his senior season at Denison University. As a sophomore in 2023, Falter logged a 7-1 record, leading his team with a 2.54 ERA. Falter was a first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection and was named to the Division III All-Region team.

Falter’s junior season was curtailed due to illness and injuries. The season began with a stomach bug. Falter returned to the mound, only to suffer strains to his bicep and forearm.

“The Monday before our first game of the year I got really sick and ended up in the hospital for a few days,” Falter said. “I ended up pitching that weekend 10 pounds down. I had a really good game, but I didn’t recover very well. The following start, I got hurt and missed seven weeks.

“I was throwing hard but nothing was moving. All my pitches were flat. Eventually things came around. I got healthier as the season ended. I had a really good summer of 2024 and kept it rolling into this spring. It led to a pretty good senior season.”

“Pretty good” would be an understatement.

This past spring Falter helped lead Denison to its first Super Regional Title and its first appearance in the Division III College World Series.

Falter started 15 games, and posted a perfect 12-0 record. He logged a 2.52 ERA, striking out 107 batters in 85 2/3 innings.

Among his numerous postseason awards, Falter was named NCAC Pitcher of the Year. He also earned a spot on the Division III All-Region team.

“I had a great four years at Denison, I couldn’t have asked for anything else,” Falter said. “I learned a lot, I had a strong finish both individually and as a team and I got humbled a bit along the way. Just a great journey and a great overall experience.

“I’ve been blessed. My parents and coaches have always been on my side. My coaches were relentless in getting the best out of me. I’m so thankful for their dedication.”

With his college career in the books, Falter hopes that playing in a showcase league will pay dividends either on draft day, or soon afterward in the form of a free agent signing.

“I fell in love with this game as soon as I began playing tee ball,” Falter said. “I always wanted to take this as far as I possibly could. I feel like I owe it to the 5-year-old version of myself to see how good I can be, see how far I can go.

“I finished (college) on a really strong note. It would never set right with me if I didn’t see where I could go from here.”

FRIDAY’S GAME

Following a dry start to Friday’s game between Frederick and Mahoning Valley, the rain began to fall in the top of the third inning.

Play continued, and the Frederick offense quickly dampened the mood at Eastwood Field, resulting in a 12-6 Keys win over the Scrappers.

Trailing 1-0 after two innings, Frederick scored four runs in the third. Three straight hits and a sacrifice fly to open the inning gave Frederick a 2-1 lead. Dawson Willis extended the lead to 3-1 with an RBI double. Willis then scored on a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 4-1.

An inning later, Frederick scored its fifth run on an Eddie Hacopian two-out run-scoring single. The Keys then continued to pour it on with a three-run fifth.

Trailing 8-1, the Scrappers briefly got back in the game with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Ben Watson provided the big hit with a bases-loaded double, which scored three runs. Michal Sindelka, JC Vanek and Chase Heath each knocked in a single run in the inning to cut the Scrappers’ deficit to 8-6.

However, Frederick immediately answered with a four-run seventh.

The Scrappers and Keys play the second of their three-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m.