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Sports

Bloomfield High School's Nico Ong Commits To D1 UMBC Baseball

Head coach Mike Policastro highlights Nico Ong's commitment to play Division 1 Baseball at University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

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There’s some big news coming from Bloomfield's High School baseball team this week. I am proud to announce that our very own Nico Ong has verbally committed to continue his promising baseball career at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County upon graduating in 2022. Nico continues to prove that he is a tremendous student athlete both on and off the field and there couldn't be a better fit for both himself and UMBC. I am beyond proud of him for how hard he’s worked in the classroom and on the field to earn this scholarship opportunity where he will get to play baseball at the next level.

While I had no doubt that Nico would find his way to a great program, we were fortunate enough to utilize FieldLevel, an athletic recruiting platform, to better connect with coaches around the country. FieldLevel’s strong online network of coaches and players not only helped Nico find his perfect match, but has also helped several of my other student-athletes get in front of coaches that they otherwise wouldn’t have had access to. This was especially evident during the pandemic, where seasons were canceled, and student-athletes were unable to meet with coaches in person. I’ve been a FieldLevel user for nearly four years, and with the platform, I've been able to better assist my athletes during the recruiting process and provide them with more opportunities to secure scholarships at their desired colleges and universities.

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In the 2021 season, Nico had 70 at bats, 23 runs, 59 runs, 27 RBI’s and held a batting average of .570 -- an 88 percent increase from his .304 average the year before. Additionally, Nico is on track to get 100 hits this year -- an impressive milestone to accomplish in only three years after the pandemic prohibited his sophomore season. A well-rounded player with a laser of an arm, Nico also shines behind the plate, having thrown out nearly 60% of the runners who've attempted to steal on him.

The UMBC baseball team scored big with the addition of a player like Nico, who not only excels on the field but works hard in the classroom and treats those around him with the utmost kindness.

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