Upon helping secure his team a Class 4A State Championship back in June, the OPRF baseball team’s Nick Kowalczuk has made a verbal commitment to attend and play for the University of Michigan in the fall of 2013.
Kowalczuk, a hard hitting slugger now heading into his senior year, made the announcement last week. As a junior last season, he batted .352 with a team-leading 36 RBIs. The first baseman scattered 32 singles, seven doubles and three triples in 39 games.
“My wife and I are very proud of Nick because of all the hard work that he has put into the game since he was 8 years old,” said Peter Kowalczuk, Nick’s father. “He could have taken a few other offers that were very tempting, but he decided that he would use the talent he had to maximize the scholastic opportunity that may be available. His choice of Michigan was a direct result of his desire for a great education.”
Kowalczuk had his choice of several Big Ten schools, as well as colleges from the Missouri Valley Conference. Illinois State University was one of the first schools to offer Kowalczuk a scholarship.
“What recruiters look at first is whether or not an athlete looks the part, and Nick definitely fits the bill for a Division I baseball player,” said OPRF head baseball coach Chris Ledbetter of the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Kowalczuk. “His skills and his talent speak for themselves.
“We’re all happy for him. He’s a great student and a great baseball player.”
Kowalczuk hit a walk-off single in the semifinal of the Class 4A Evanston Sectional, driving in the winning run for an 8-7 victory over New Trier. He went 1-for-2 and drew two walks in OPRF’s 4-3 win over West Suburban (Silver) Conference rival Lyons Township for the Class 4A State Championship.
Ledbetter estimated that in his 12 years as head coach, 35 of his players have gone on to play in college, approximately 20 to Division I schools. Jack Picchiotti and Zachary Weigel, who started on the state title team last season, are currently at Purdue and Seton Hall, respectively.
“As a coach, it’s a pretty cool thing to have a player move on to the next level,” said Ledbetter. “These guys work hard, so it’s nice to see them rewarded for it. Nick will have the added luxury of not stressing about which school to pick during his final season. He can just go out there and play baseball.”