UTM Sports Information
Posted: Friday, June 17, 2011 12:02 am

Coming off a record-setting season that culminated with the program’s first win in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, the UT Martin baseball team has added Nico Zych out of St. Rita of Cascia High School out of Chicago.
A native of Monee, Ill., Zych is a 6-0, 170-pound utility player and right-handed pitcher who head coach Bubba Cates expects to contribute immediately in 2012.
“We are excited to sign Nico because he is so versatile,” Cates said. “He plays everywhere on the infield as well as some outfield. On the mound he is a sidearm thrower so he can help us in a number of different roles. He has a good baseball background and comes from an outstanding high school program.”
St. Rita is coming off a 29-6 record in 2011, winning its regional championship. A dominant member of the Chicago Catholic League, the Mustangs were coming off back-to-back state runner-up appearances and have established themselves as the winningest program in the state of Illinois since 2004.
As one of four Division-I commitments on his team, Zych was a 2011 Rawlings Central Region All-American Honorable Mention selection. Playing primarily middle infield and the corner outfield spots, his best game this past season came on April 13 against Bishop McNamara.
In that game, he went 3-for-3 with a home run and double, driving in four runs. In the team’s sectional semifinal against Oak Park-River Forest, he also contributed with an RBI single.
Along with being a member on St. Rita’s 2010 team that went 32-10 and made it all the way to the state championship game, Zych helped lead the Mustangs to the 2009 state title.
“It has been a pleasure to watch Nico grow as a person and as a player,” St. Rita head coach Mike Zunica said. “Through hard work, dedication and commitment he has turned himself into a top player in our program. We will continue to expect great things from Nico as he begins his career at UT Martin.”
Zych’s family has an athletic background. His father Don played collegiate football at North Central College in Naperville, Ill., while his brother Tony earned a spot on the All-Big East team as a closer on the University of Louisville’s baseball team this past spring.           
Zych joins Carter Smith (LHP/St. Louis, Mo.), Taylor “Bug” Cox (LHP/Memphis), Dalton Potts (LHP/Greenfield) and Sonny Mastromatteo (INF/Ortonville, Mich.) in the Skyhawk signing class of 2011.