MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Nick Hill Is Patriotic Pitcher

BY TIM HAYES
Bristol Herald Courier
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – For most members of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, this past week’s series with the Tennessee Smokies was just another road trip in a long season.

For Nick Hill, the five-game series meant more. Much more.

The left-handed pitcher was taking the mound in Sevier County, the closest he’s pitched to his Bluff City home since his days as a star at Sullivan East High School.

As he went through his pregame stretches and warm-ups prior to the first game of the series, Hill was clearly happy, and more than once well-wishers yelled at him from the stands.

“It’s fun to be in Tennessee,” Hill said prior to Tuesday’s Southern League game. “It’s always good to be closer to home. Your parents and your friends can come out and see you.”

Hill probably got quite a few ticket requests as he continues his climb up the minor league ladder. After being selected in the seventh-round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft by the Seattle Mariners, the 23-year-old Hill has already risen to the Class AA level and has emerged as one of Seattle’s top pitching prospects 45 games into his professional career.

It’s been an interesting journey.

The Road to Success
From the time he was young, Hill was always a strong pitcher and top-notch player. But during his senior year at Sullivan East in the spring of 2003, he put together one of the most memorable seasons of any pitcher in the annals of Northeast Tennessee prep baseball.

He went 10-1 with a 0.78 ERA and also hit .367 with five home runs and 20 RBIs. In doing so, he helped East make the deepest postseason run in school history.

“That was one I’ll probably remember the rest of my life,” Hill said. “We had 12 seniors or what not. I keep in touch with most of them. We were just a tight knit group of guys. We started off that season slow, but got on a roll and just took it from there. We had the best year of our lives.”

Hill was simply dominant as he anchored the Patriots’ pitching staff. He put together a scoreless streak of 56 innings at one point and completely overpowered Big Nine Conference batters.

“If anything it was a confidence builder,” Hill said. “Having that good of a season I was able to carry that off into college.”

Hill had actually planned to continue his career at East Tennessee State University, but decided to attend the U.S. Military Academy after earning an appointment to West Point.

Turns out, he made a great decision.

Military Man
As is customary, “God Bless America” was performed during the seventh inning of West Tennessee’s game with Tennessee on Wednesday night.

Hill then trotted out of the bullpen to take the mound and face the Smokies’ lineup in the bottom of the seventh inning.

It was a fitting scene.

The importance of the song is not lost on Hill and he’s perhaps the top baseball player Army has ever produced.

His 33 career wins are a school record and his name dominates Army’s record book. He also holds career marks for strikeouts (336), shutouts (seven) and countless others.

Hill benefited from a rule that Army passed three years ago that allowed academy athletes to pursue a professional sports career after graduation.

His mixture of patriotism and pitching prowess has gained national attention as he’s been featured in the Seattle Times and many other national media outlets.

Nicknames such as “Sergeant Strikeout,” “Curveball Corporal” and “The Lieutenant of Long Relief” are sure to be heaped upon him by message board mongers and prospect analysts.

Hill never gets tired of the questions about his Army background.

“It’s truly an honor to be able to represent the U.S. Army and I’m very fortunate that they let me play right now,” Hill said. “No matter what they ask me to do, I’m willing to do it. I knew when I went up there, I may end up serving overseas. They are giving me an opportunity to play and I’m thankful for it every day.”

Hill still dons his military fatigues in the offseason. This past fall he took part in officer training exercises in Georgia and Missouri and he’ll take another assignment as soon as his 2008 season ends.
That means he virtually has no offseason as last year’s training lasted from late-August to mid-February.

There is somebody that can relate.

Hill has a close confidant in former Army teammate Milan Dinga. Dinga, also a pitcher, is currently in the Los Angeles Angels’ farm system.

“I probably talk to him 2-3 times a week at least and probably text him every other day,” Hill said. “We keep in real close contact. We’re kind of the first people [from Army] to do it, so we’re always asking each other questions and keeping up with how things are going.”

West Tennessee Lessons
Hill was 1-6 with a 4.52 ERA at High Class A High Desert of the California League when he was promoted to West Tennessee on June 24.

He’s had mixed results since his promotion and through Friday was 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA in nine relief outings for the Diamond Jaxx.

“I’m just learning to stay with every pitch,” Hill said. “Every pitch can make a difference in a game. If you have a little time where you let up, you’re going to get hurt.”

While plenty of supporters were on hand to watch Hill pitch, he also has plenty of support in the West Tennessee clubhouse.

“First of all, he’s a good kid,” West Tennessee pitching coach Scott Budman said. “He’s very serious about his career and what he’s doing. It’s a big step to get to the AA level your first full year and it’s going to be a learning curve for him.

“He’s the type of kid that listens well and is learning every day. He’s had a couple of good outings and he’s also struggled in a few outings. That’s part of the learning process.”

Added catcher Adam Moore, “Nick’s got good stuff.”

Hill showcased his resiliency in the series with the Smokies, a key trait for any reliever.

On Wednesday, he allowed two earned runs in an inning of work. He yielded a home run to Sam Fuld on his second pitch and also walked two batters. However, he did end the inning by striking out Kyle Reynolds and getting Josh Lansford to groundout.

And then on Friday, Hill crafted a shutout inning of relief and recorded two strikeouts as he closed out West Tennessee’s victory.

“We’re going to get him some innings,” Budman said.

Hill’s homecoming of sorts was a neat experience for the East grad, but he’s still focused on the bigger picture.

“Every level you go to is an adjustment,” Hill said. “Everybody’s a little better and the game speeds up a little more. You just have to concentrate on staying within yourself. You’re here for a reason. It’s just going out there and doing the same things that got you here – every day.”
thayes@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2570