Photography by Steve Buchanan
Recent Indian Creek School graduate Nick Pratt produced some eye-popping baseball statistics this past spring. Pratt batted .603, had an on-base percentage of .724, and clubbed two home runs in four different games.
Opponents really didn’t want to pitch to him. Pratt amassed a whopping 19 intentional walks.
“When I was batting like .750 through our first 10 games, I had to start acting like that—confidence-wise,” Pratt says. “A lot of people would always tell me they are like video game numbers. It’s kind of crazy when I repeat them out loud.”
The more important numbers: Pratt’s height (6-foot-1) and weight (210). That size and heft account for the Severna Park resident’s power and helps with his defensive game as a catcher. Yet he is also very agile for his size.
“It checks the boxes for a lot of coaches that come watch me play,” Pratt says.
Those are the qualities that earned him an athletic scholarship to a Division I college: University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Pratt also considered and visited George Washington, George Mason, Bucknell universities and Queens College. He plans to major in economics after carrying a 4.1 weighted grade-point average in high school.
“I really like the coaching staff and I could really tell they prioritize player development over just winning,” Pratt explains of UMBC. “I knew I had the best chance to see the field (early in his college career). It’s also close to home, and I want my family to come watch my games.”
UMBC Baseball Coach Liam Bowen made Pratt a priority to bring to the Retrievers’ program. Bowen likes Pratt’s all-around skill set.
“He is a really talented player,” Bowen says. “We are trying to go in a direction as an offense, where we hit for more power. He gives you extra-base power at a premium position. He is a great athlete, super hard-working, and he is advanced on the defensive side of the ball.”
To prepare for baseball at UMBC, Pratt joined the Gaithersburg Giants of the Cal Ripken Collegiate League this summer. It’s the highest level of baseball he has faced.
“I was fortunate to be able to play at that level,” Pratt says. “They only take a few freshmen on each team. The level of pitching I have faced is outstanding. It’s a steppingstone to college baseball.”
Pratt had a stellar career at Indian Creek. He earned Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference Player of the Year. He posted great numbers in each of his three seasons on the varsity squad.
“He was an extreme clutch hitter,” Indian Creek Baseball Coach Matt Foster says.
The 18-year-old Pratt led the team in home runs (10) and RBIs (26) as a senior. He hit two home runs in the season opener against St. Mary’s Ryken and also smacked two home runs against MIAA A Conference foe Calvert Hall.
As a junior, he also led the team in batting average (.461), home runs (11), and RBIs (36).
“We are excited for his potential offensively,” Bowen says. “And he is a complete player for such a young guy.”
That’s why he gets high marks for his defense from Foster. Pratt only allowed two past balls in 2023 while throwing out 63 percent (19 of 30) of base runners attempting to steal. Foster loved the offense and defense he got from Pratt, but the catcher’s work ethic stood out the most to the coach.
“He would work on his hitting before school started,” Foster recalls. “He’d be hitting from like 6 or 6:30 a.m. and wrap it up by 7:30.”
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