STU’s Nick Izquierdo earns honors in shortened season

The coronavirus pandemic ended the college baseball season early, but the accomplishments of
St. Thomas University designated hitter Nick
Izquierdo will be remembered by the Bobcats for years to come.
Izquierdo earned one of the highest honors he could receive -- becoming a first-team selection to the 2020 Academic
All-America NAIA
Baseball Team, awarded by the College Sports
Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
CoSIDA made the 5-foot-11 senior from Hollywood an All-District selection on May 14, which made him eligible for the All-America team.
CoSIDA announced he made that team as well on June 8.
Izquierdo also was selected as the Sun
Conference’s Champion of Character for baseball this season.
Coaches recognize “individuals from each sport for their growth and commitment to the core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.”
“Nick will be a tremendous loss to our program next season,” St. Thomas coach Jorge Perez said in a statement released by the conference. “He was a true leader on the field and a very positive example to everyone off the field.”
Perez said examples of Izquierdo’s leadership were his participation in the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality Super Bowl Leadership group, being part of the Carol City Middle report card review mentorship programs and their Thanksgiving harvest drive.
“He is well deserving of this honor and is an outstanding Champion of Character for our conference,” Perez said.
Izquierdo spoke often to youth groups and organized fundraisers that supported diabetes and breast cancer charities.
“I’ve always felt it was my responsibility to use sports as a platform for change, not only in my university community but also in society,” Izquierdo said.
He is a two-time St. Thomas graduate after completing his M.B.A. in Sports Administration this spring. He was also a member of the Sun
Conference’s
All-Academic team after completing his master’s degree with a 3.57 GPA in the spring semester and a 3.70 cumulative GPA.
Before the season was halted, Izquierdo was batting .320 in 16 games, helping the Bobcats to a No. 4 ranking nationally and a 19-5-1 record..
For his career, he batted .342 in 93 games with STU, helping the team make the NAIA World Series in 2018 and 2019.
He will continue his studies at Marquette
University School of Law.