NICK THE QUICK: Nick Miranda races to first in action this spring for the Haverford College baseball team. Miranda, a 2010 Princeton High alum who starred in football and baseball for the Little Tigers, went from a little-used walk-on as a freshman to a star this spring in his sophomore campaign for Haverford. After going hitless as a freshman, the fleet centerfielder hit .352 with 62 hits in 176 at-bats in 2012 and set a Haverford single-season record for runs scored with 48. (Photo Courtesy of Haverford College Sports Information)

Nick Miranda had a modest goal when he took the field for the season opener this spring in his sophomore campaign with the Haverford College baseball team.

“Playing in Florida, I was just looking to get my first college hit,” said Miranda, a 2010 Princeton High alum who starred in football and baseball for the Little Tigers.

It didn’t take long for Miranda to achieve that breakthrough, smacking a double in that first game as Haverford faced Neumann University in Fort Myers, Fla.

The 5’9, 140-pound centerfielder went on to get a lot more hits this spring as he hit .352 with 62 hits in 176 at-bats and set a Haverford single-season record for runs scored with 48.

For Miranda, struggling through a tough freshman season which saw him go 0-for-7 at the plate in 12 games served as the impetus for his heroics this spring.

“I was completely unhappy with my freshman year,” said Miranda. “I was the only guy on the team who didn’t have a hit. I used that as fuel for motivation.”

When Miranda arrived on campus this fall, he was primed to turn some heads.

“For me, it was about getting stronger and faster over the summer,” said Miranda. “I worked on my hitting a lot. I was ready to get after it, I had something to prove.”

Establishing himself as a starter, Miranda savored every game. “I definitely felt along the way I was getting the confidence of the coaches,” said Miranda. “Just being on the field and playing was great.”

With Miranda triggering the offense from the leadoff spot, the Fords produced a great finish, winning nine of their last 10 regular season games and then going on to win the Centennial Conference tournament and compete in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional.

“It was all due to leadership; we had two really good seniors who were the heart and soul of the team and really guided the younger players,” said Miranda, reflecting on the late surge which helped Haverford finish with 25-19 record.

“The Washington College doubleheader in April was big. If we had lost there, we might not have made the playoffs. Our bats really came alive.”

Taking the program’s first-ever Centennial tourney crown produced some memories that will live forever with Miranda.

“That was pretty awesome; beating Johns Hopkins to start was big, we haven’t beaten them many times,” said Miranda.

“It was great; it was our first conference title. We had a lot of support from our alums, everyone was following us.”

For Haverford head coach Dave Beccaria, Miranda’s emergence as a star has been a great surprise for the program.

“We liked his athleticism and competitiveness; he went from a guy who was a freshman walk-on who didn’t play much to an indispensable player,” said Beccaria.

“Sometimes when a guy isn’t playing, you are not sure of how much is sinking in. It is clear now that he was soaking everything up.”

Miranda made his intentions for this season clear from the moment he arrived on campus for his sophomore year.

“It was apparent from the start; Nick was ready to prove something to himself and the coaches,” recalled Beccaria.

“He was competing from day one. He showed up ready to work and play. The way he played and the way he worked challenged the other guys.

Miranda’s competitive fire never waned through the spring. “Nick is a tough out; he is simple but purposeful at the plate,” added Beccaria.

“He hits a lot of balls hard. He is super focused. He shows up completely focused and tunes everything else out. The other guys picked up on it. During our first regional game at the NCAA, we were the away team and before the lineup was announced and national anthem was played, he was in the on-deck circle with helmet on and bat in his hand. The guys said ‘that’s Nicky.’”

In Beccaria’s view, Miranda has only scratched the surface of what he can achieve in his college career.

“The best is yet to come; there are not peaks and valleys with Nicky,” said Beccaria. “We will try to help him get even better; he is going to be a big part of our success.

While Haverford didn’t enjoy the success it
wanted at the NCAA regional, losing two of three games, Miranda saw the
experience as a big plus for the program.

“I don’t think we were out of our league,” said Miranda, who went 6-for-14 in the tourney with two runs and two RBIs. “We played well; it was nice.”

Although Miranda will be spending much of his summer in Asia, he isn’t about to lose his focus on becoming an even better player.

“I will be in China for two months on a study abroad program; I will be able to lift weights and run there,” said Miranda.

“I do have a couple of flaws; I have to work on my arm strength. I don’t want to stop building; I want to improve.”