Nick Frusco Commits to Clemson

Miller Place sophomore LHP Nick Frusco carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and struck out 15 in a 13-0 win over East Hampton pic.twitter.com/Ud2EPCfWSf

— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 30, 2023

Long Island has long been a hotspot for producing hard-throwing southpaws. This has been true dating back to the 1970s when Neal Heaton was the No. 1 overall pick in the country but chose to attend Miami. It seems every couple years there’s another young stud that garners interest from Power 5 conferences.

Next up is Miller Place southpaw Nick Frusco. After initially committing to Rutgers, he de-committed and announced his commitment to Clemson this past week. Frusco has been up to 94 MPH with his fastball and sits in the low 90s. As a sophomore, he led Long Island pitchers in strikeouts, and this past season he went 4-3 with a 0.54 ERA. He struck out a ridiculous 81 batters over 39.1 innings while holding the opposition to a .089 AVG.

At the plate, he took his game to a new level as well with a .452 AVG, .544 OBP, 1.257 OPS and notched 11 doubles, 2 HRs, 24 RBIs, scored 19 runs and stole 15 bases. He was among the best overall players on Long Island and you can expect him to be among the early favorites to win the coveted Carl Yastrzemski Award next season.

I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…

Can you explain your experience with the college recruiting process and why you ultimately chose to commit to Clemson?

At first it was really complicated because I was starting to improve at a much faster rate so there was a bunch coming at me so soon. In the end, I chose Clemson because it has always been a dream school of mine. The idea of playing baseball down south in the ACC is really exciting, plus the whole community down there is all about college sports. So I can’t wait to be pitching in front oa huge crowd for one of the best college baseball teams in the country.

Who are some people that have helped you in your career?

Two notable people are my parents. My dad pays for all of my tournaments and instructors while coming to every single game, and my mom makes the games she can if she’s not working. All of my coaches along the way since 8u. My first ever travel team was the New York Nationals, those coaches were the ones who introduced me to travel baseball and up until 14u helped form me into the player I am today. My coaches now are Eric Weiner and Mike Pesce of my Body Armor Titans team have really helped me a lot too. And especially Tom Downey for helping me through the recruiting process and giving me tips about little things I can improve on after every start. But I cannot forget about my teammates, they are the friends I made along the way. We go through winning and losing together. We see each other at our highest and lowest moments. That’s the stuff that creates a brotherhood.

Do you take private lessons with anyone?

I mainly take pitching lessons with Bobby DeMichael but during last winter I went to a few sessions with Rob Steinert.

When would you say you experienced your biggest jump in velocity?

It was towards the end of my freshman school season when I was topping at 81 MPH. Then a bit more than a year later during my sophomore summer season it jumped up to 91 MPH.

What has been the biggest thrill of your career?

Probably pitching in Georgia at the East Cobb Complex against the Atlanta Lightning who beat us the previous year in a close game when I wasn’t on the team. So I went out and threw the best I ever have while it also being the first time I hit 91 MPH.

Who are some pitchers in Major League Baseball you try to emulate?

There isn’t really a single pitcher I can pinpoint but if it were to be anyone I would say Jacob deGrom because of the dominance and presence I bring with my fastball.

Was baseball always your No. 1 sport?

Without a doubt. I always found a love for the game it seemed no one else had at that young age.

What are your goals for this off-season?

To get stronger and increase my ability to command the zone.

Favorite TV Show or movie?

TV Show: SpongeBob

Movie: Step Brothers

Best baseball trip you’ve been on?

Atlanta, Georgia last year with the Body Armor Titans. Loved being in a hotel for a whole week with my team.

Favorite restaurant on Long Island? 

Inferno in Miller Place. Really good burger spot.

Favorite musical artist?

Lil Tjay

Dream car?

Ferrari

Favorite vacation spot?

Italy