A change in direction

BY SPENCER CAMPBELL
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

BRISTOL, Tenn. – This is not what Nick Belcher envisioned.

At Abingdon High School, he figured his future pointed toward the mound. Why not? He still holds the Falcons’ record for most strikeouts in a game (19) and as a junior tossed a perfect game against Virginia High.

And he didn’t choose Walter State Community College after high school graduation to end up in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Belcher had fielded other offers, four-year schools, but he assumed two good years with the Senators would secure him a spot on an NCAA Div. I roster.

He was right, too. In 2006, his first year at Walter State CC, Belcher was named second-team All-Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association when the Senators went 61-8 and were crowned national champions. A year later, after Belcher was again on the All-TJCCAA second team, East Tennessee State University offered him a scholarship to play shortstop.

He did some good things for the Buccaneers – he recorded a school-record six hits against Radford and finished the season hovering around .300 – but quickly learned that realizing dreams isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.

Belcher won’t talk in specifics about leaving ETSU, but after the 2008 season he asked the university for his release.

And so, almost four years after he left high school, Belcher is not a full-time pitcher, though he does sometimes appear in relief. And his jersey doesn’t bare the name of an illustrious NCAA Div. I program. Instead, it reads King College, where Belcher now mans third base.

“At ETSU there were some unfortunate situations that happened, and that’s why I’m at King now,” Belcher said. “I loved the guys I played with, just some things didn’t work out the way I would’ve liked them to. That’s life.

“I wouldn’t have thought I’d be here, especially after [the 2006 national championship at Walter State]. But I’m in a good place now and I’m enjoying it. The guys I’m playing with are fun, and we’re having a pretty good year so far.”

The Tornado are glad he’s in Bristol, too.

Batting in the leadoff position, Belcher leads the team in RBIs (35) and is fourth in batting (.322), while committing only three errors at the hot corner. As a team, King, stocked with 17 freshman, stormed out to a 19-2 start, before a recent lull curbed their record to 29-11 (13-8 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference).

“Well, I was delighted, just delighted [when Belcher chose to transfer to King],” Tornado coach Mark Conkin said. “Nick is an old throwback, an old school player. He can do a lot of things and play a lot of different positions. ... We played against Nick when he was at Walter State and we knew about his abilities, and, like I say, he’s just been a huge addition.”

Belcher is majoring in business, but will freely admit that his real course of interest is baseball. He lives in Abingdon and rarely partakes in Tornado student life. His classes are finished by 11 a.m., then it’s a bite to eat and out to the field, where he might rake out the field before Conkin’s two-hour practices.

In his mind, Belcher is just another college student preparing for his own real world. Because even if those other dreams got away from him, they were just stepping stones to his final objective – pro ball.

“I think Nick will have a chance to play at the next level,” Conkin, who formerly scouted for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s organizations, said. “Actually, I talked to a scout this morning about Nick, and he’s got a lot of options. He’s a great utility-type player ... he’s got the right mentality.”

Still, come this summer Belcher will be holding his breath.

“I don’t care what it is, when it happens I’m going to go for it if I get that chance. I just want that chance,” Belcher said. “I’ll play right field, center field, left field, catch[er], it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll play.

“As long as I can play.”

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