Junior Tucker Nathans at the plate against Siena last season.
With the MAAC championship in mind, Tucker Nathans defends speedy strikers trying to score and bending shots into the corner of the net at Lessing Field.
With another winning streak in mind, Nathans fields ground balls at Alumni Diamond and takes swings in the batting cages. He knows the standards are high for Division I soccer and baseball.
Nathans is the only two-sport varsity athlete on campus who manages to secure a starting spot on the baseball team as a second baseman and as a defender for the soccer team.
He prepares by getting in the best physical shape possible with the breaks he has in between class and practice. Discipline and time management are two strengths that he has mastered at Alumni Diamond, Lessing Field, Canisius Hall, and the athletic center where he has study hours.
Nathans plays left center back on the defensive side for the men’s soccer team. This semester he continues his balance of exercising his body for striking as well as stimulating his mind in the classroom.
“When people tell you that you can’t do something you kind of want to prove them wrong,” said Nathans.
His favorite memory playing soccer at Fairfield was last year when they beat the undefeated Loyola Greyhounds in the MAAC finals. “People were doubting us. Playing Loyola everyone saw us as the underdog,” said Nathans.
Nathans adjused to highly competitive opponents in high-pressured games. He has mastered this skill since his first year.
During his first year, Nathans blasted the winning goal against Iona from about 35 yards to win the game.
“His left foot is a canon,” said head soccer coach Carl Rees.
“He manages his time so that he does not have any conflict with school and sports,” said senior Kwadwo Asante.
In the spring, Nathans fights a hot sun as he fields ground balls as sweat drops from his fitted baseball cap. He can hit for power and get on base consistently. In March 2009, Nathans was the MAAC player of the week when he set the single season record with 69 hits. His average for the season was .377 with a .307 average in conference play.
“Last year when we won a nine game win streak … everything seemed to be going right for the baseball team. The whole team just came through.”
According to Nathans, the baseball team’s biggest obstacle was themselves. Although the team started slow, they kept working and working and all of a sudden, they found that they could be on top.
As a junior Economics major, he is currently taking five classes. It is unclear whether his coaches think it is unusual that he is playing both sports, but they treat Nathans like every other player and expect the same from him as they do from everyone else.
“Hopefully we will be back on top again like last year,” said Nathans in regards to the baseball team’s success.
Teamwork is important to Nathans and he knows that effort from each individual player is essential for that click to happen.
“Tucker is a good teammate because he is there for you when you struggle and he is always in your corner no matter what,” said Stags senior outfielder Jason Rago.
Nathans wanted to play both soccer and baseball in college because he has played both his whole life.
“Tucker brings a commitment to win that is second to none on our team,” said Rees.
Athleticism runs in his family. His brother, John, who played baseball at the University of Richmond. After Richmond, the Boston Red Sox drafted his brother.
Nathans always wanted to play two sports and the only way he would choose would be if he were able to pursue a professional career in one of them.
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