MSU Baseball Feature: Fulfilling The Spartan Dream

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Nick Williams is one of two position players for Michigan State baseball, who transferred from a junior college to MSU during the offseason.

Williams joined junior catcher from Noah Bright, who was a local transfer coming from Lansing CC. Meanwhile, Williams made a little further transfer from Wabash Valley Community College.

Despite living in Racine, Wisconsin as a kid, Williams grew up a Michigan State sports fan because his father, Neil, is an MSU alum and instilled cheering for the Green & White early on in Nick's childhood. The younger Williams attended several Michigan State camps, including a Spartan baseball camp. Nick still has a autographed photograph of him with Coach Boss and the Big Ten Championship trophy at the camp in the summer of 2011.

Nick Williams and Coach Boss at youth baseball camp in 2011 — Nick still has a autographed photograph of him with Coach Boss and the Big Ten Championship
trophy at the MSU baseball camp in the summer of 2011.

However, baseball was not the sport he envisioned himself playing at his dream school.

During his freshman year at Union Grove High School in Wisconsin, Williams was playing hockey for the Chicago Mission, a AAA level team. Williams would play two years of left wing before deciding what he wanted to do moving forward.

"That to me was kind of the beginning of me understanding what I kind of wanted to do in life," said Williams.

Williams reflected on his time at Wabash, which is located in Mount Carmel, Illinois. Williams said the time there helped him become the person and player he is today.

"Looking back, it was probably one of the best decisions I've made, especially coming out of the COVID era, where everything was unknown to me and where I was going to go," said Williams. "I was truly blessed with that opportunity, and it's paved the way for me to be a Michigan State Spartan."

Even though Williams has accomplished great things in the last couple of years both in life and in sports, he is still hungry for more. The former first-team NJCAA Division I All American envisions playing baseball at the professional level.

"I know this is something that I want to do for a career," said Williams.

Teammate redshirt senior outfielder Greg Ziegler, who not only shares the same position area, but also made the similar paths, both playing at junior colleges and transferring to Michigan State.

Ziegler said he immediately noticed Williams' work ethic and mindset, and those qualities have uplifted the team in his short time at MSU.

"He's a guy that expects the same out of everyone else as what he expects from himself," said Ziegler. "Whether that be on the field or even the work in the cages and in practice."

Having had identical paths to the Spartan team from junior college made for an instant and easy connection for the pair of outfielders. Williams said that this similarity helped he and Ziegler become close rather quickly during his time at MSU, and showing him the ropes of being a Spartan baseball player both on and off the field.

"He understands he is a like-minded individual like myself and he's just been a good person to look to since coming here," said Williams.

Similarly, Ziegler quickly learned that Williams was not only a great fit for the team, but a great person to share the outfield with.

"He is a pretty serious guy on the field, but can flip the switch because off the field he's goofy and very approachable," said Ziegler.

Despite MSU baseball getting a slow start out of the gates, Williams burst on the scene as a Spartan, recorded six hits and three walks in his first four games of action in the Green & White. Williams said this the first time in a while that he has felt like himself.

"I've actually probably felt the most comfortable I have, my first two years at the junior college level I was a bit timid and kind of getting in my own way, especially in the fall," said Williams. "In the spring, I kind of let loose a little bit, my sophomore year and kind of got back on track to what is normal for me."

Williams also said the early struggles brought the young team closer together.

"We've got a lot of young guys on our team that haven't played a lot of baseball; we're a very talented bunch," said Williams. "The thing that separates us from other teams is that we are a very connected group and that something you can't really teach."

Williams has helped teach and mentor the many younger Spartans on the roster with his veteran experience and leadership. He's continuing to contribute on the field as well, playing in 36 of the 37 games and making 35 starts. Williams has played both outfield and first base, along with designated hitter, in the MSU lineup.

He is also among the team leaders in average, hitting .333, and is fourth on the team in both slugging percentage (.466) and on-base percentage (.425), ranking tied for second in both RBI (27) and runs scored (28), and tied for third in HR (3).

Williams and the Spartans are without a midweek game this week due to Finals Week on campus at MSU, but Michigan State returns to action this weekend by traveling to Columbus, Ohio for a three-game B1G series at Ohio State, Friday-Sunday April 26-28. Friday's opener at OSU's Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium is slated for a 6 p.m. ET start time, followed by a 2 p.m. first pitch on Saturday before Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.

MSU returns home to McLane Stadium at Kobs Field to host Notre Dame on Tuesday, May 30, before hosting Michigan in a three-game B1G series, Friday-Sunday, May 3-5.

Players Mentioned

Noah Bright

Nick Williams

Greg Ziegler

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