Leadoff hitter to continue baseball career in college

By Chris Villani

Nick Koch’s summer started with a frustrating injury, and ended with a relief as he made what he called a “really tough” decision and decided that Merrimack College would be the place for him to play baseball in college.

“It felt like a great overall fit,” the Milford High rising senior said. “It has great academics, and a really good baseball program.”

Koch said one of the major factors that drove him to the North Andover school was the respect he has for head baseball coach Brian Murphy and the rest of the staff. He said he hopes to play centerfield and hit at the top of the order when he gets to the college level, which is largely what he has done through his high school career.

Koch was a driving force behind a Scarlet Hawks team that advanced to the final four in the state this spring. He was proud of his ability to be a consistent leadoff hitter throughout the high school season.

“It’s a big role to play, and I felt like I owed it to my team because my at bat could affect the energy and the intensity that my team brought throughout the rest of the game,” Koch said. 

The spring was filled with highlights. Koch made a diving catch with two outs and the bases loaded to end an inning in a win over Franklin. He also executed a suicide squeeze against St. John’s that helped bring in a run. Koch felt he played his best during the Hawks’ tournament run.

“Throughout the playoffs, that’s when I started to turn my hitting on, a spark really hit me,” he said. “I was at my peak, and I felt like it was a major part of us getting as far as we did.”

Koch had hoped to bring that same spark to the field for Milford Legion Post 59, but his season was cut short when he dislocated his non-throwing shoulder while diving for a ball in the outfield. Koch said he recently had surgery to repair the damage and expects to be back to full strength within a couple of months. He said he will focus on improving at the plate and getting stronger to not only make the most out of his senior season, but also to get ready for the college level. He is happy that his college decision is settled.

“It’s a big relief going into my senior year knowing where I am going to be for college,” Koch said. “And knowing that I get to keep playing baseball is really exciting.”