Nick Solak

Height:
5-11
Weight:
163
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Woodridge, Ill.
High School:
Naperville North

Career Honors:
• 2016 MLB Draft - 2nd Round (62nd overall) - New York Yankees
• 2016 D1Baseball Second Team All-America
• 2016 NCBWA Second Team All-America
• 2016 Perfect Game Second Team All-America
• 2016 Baseball America Third Team All-America
• 2016 CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America
• 2016 NCAA Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2016 All-ACC Second Team
• 2016 Team Captain
• 2015 All-ACC Academic Team
• 2015 NCAA Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2015 ACC Championship All-Tournament Team
• 2014 American Championship All-Tournament Team

2016: Earned All-America and All-ACC honors while being selected in second round of MLB Draft after hitting .376 with five home runs in 45 starts as a junior. Was 3-for-4 with a home run and all three RBI in NCAA Regional title game win over Wright State on June 5. Had two doubles and scored twice in May 20 win at Wake Forest. Was 2-for-3 with one RBI and scored three runs in May 17 win over Indiana. Connected for first inning solo home run to lift Louisville to 2-0 series-opening win against No. 10 NC State on May 13. Homered and was 3-for-4 with two runs scored in May 10 win at No. 7 Vanderbilt. In first start since March 25 (due to hand injury), finished 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in series-opening win against St. John’s on April 29. Was 1-for-2 with a double, one RBI and scored once on April 27 against FIU in first plate appearances since hand injury on March 25 against Virginia. Returned to field as a pinch runner on April 23 at Boston College while making first appearance since suffering a bone bruise in right hand against March 25. Had reached base safely in 33 straight games dating back to last season before streak was ended March 25 against Virginia after departing in the third inning with a bone bruise on right hand. Was 4-for-4 with a double, triple and two runs scored in March 23 win at Purdue. Singled, walked, drove in a run and scored once in March 20 win at No. 5 Miami. Had two hits and was hit by a pitch on March 19 at Miami. Was 3-of-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in March 15 win over Xavier. Finished 6-for-12 with four runs scored in three-game sweep of Notre Dame, including the game-winning walk-off two-run homer in the 11th inning of the series-opening victory on March 11. Finished 2-of-4 with one RBI and scored twice in March 2 win over Morehead State. Matched career high for hits going 4-for-6 with one RBI and a run scored in win over EKU on Feb. 23. Set a school record earning five walks in Feb. 20 win over SIU Edwardsville.

Summer 2015: Named as a Cape Cod League All-Star starter, the rising junior closed the summer ranked fourth in the league in hitting with a .329 average, fifth in RBI with 23 and second in walks with 24. Also added 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts, seven doubles and 21 runs scored in 37 regular season games for the Bourne Braves.

2015: Hit .324 with three home runs, 40 RBI, 15 doubles and 18 stolen bases while starting all 65 games as a sophomore. Was 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in win over Michigan on May 31 to clinch NCAA Regional title. Finished 5-for-10 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in three games at the ACC Championship. Was 2-for-2 with a double, scored once and was hit three times in May 16 win at NC State. Connected for game-tying three-run homer in the seventh inning of Cardinals’ 6-5, series-clinching victory over Florida State on May 10. Was 2-for-4 with one RBI in May 6 win at Kentucky. Delivered game-tying home run to start decisive four-run eighth inning in series-clinching win at Clemson on May 4. Drove in the game-tying run in the ninth inning of Louisville’s 2-1 victory over Kentucky on April 28. Was 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored three runs in April 24 win over Bethune-Cookman. Finished 2-of-4 with a triple, one RBI and scored once in April 21 win at Cincinnati. Was 3-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and scored once in April 18 win over Wake Forest. Doubled, drove in two runs and scored twice in April 12 win at Duke. Hit safely in all three games of series sweep at Virginia. Was 3-for-3 with one RBI in finale against Cavaliers on April 6. Finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored in March 31 win over Miami (Ohio). Was 5-of-11 with two RBI and three runs scored in series sweep of No. 28 Georgia Tech. Finished 3-of-6 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored in 18-inning win at No. 22 Notre Dame on March 21. Was 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in March 14 victory over Boston College. Hit safely in each of the three games against No. 10 Miami. Was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in series-opening win against the Hurricanes. Finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base and scored once against Butler on Feb. 24. Was 2-for-4 with one RBI and three runs in Feb. 21 win over Arkansas State. Hit safely in each of the three games at the Opening Weekend Challenge in Clearwater, Fla. Was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Feb. 14 win over USF. Drove in two runs and scored once in season-opening win over Alabama State.

2014: Hit .351 with two home runs, 25 RBI, 29 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 26 starts and 47 games played as a freshman. Connected for second career home run and drove in three runs in June 7 win over Kennesaw State to clinch CWS berth. Was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored in NCAA Super Regional opener on June 6. Hit .692 going 9-for-13 with six RBI and five runs scored in four starts at American Conference Championship to earn All-Tournament honors. Was 3-for-3 with a run driven in against Houston in title game. Finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored in May 24 win over Rutgers at American Championship. Went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in win over Memphis to open American Championship. Was 2-for-3 with a double and a run driven in May 17 win over Cincinnati to close regular season. Finished 2-for-5 with first career home run and two runs scored in May 16 win over Bearcats. Singled, walked, stole a base and scored three times in April 13 at No. 7 Houston. Had a double, first career stolen base and scored once in March 9 win over Miami. Made first career start at second base while singling and scoring on March 8 against RedHawks. Doubled, walked and scored twice in Feb. 28 win over Toledo. Walked twice and scored twice in first career collegiate start against Western Michigan on Feb. 22. Came off the bench for two hits and scored two times in series-opening win over Broncos on Feb. 21. Delivered RBI groundout as a pinch hitter in home-opening win over Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 19. Made collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in Feb. 16 win over Delaware.

High School: Lettered three years for coach Carl Hunckler at Naperville North. Three-time All-Conference selection and two-time All-Area honoree. Selected as Illinois Coaches Association All-Star as a senior. Naperville North Booster Club Award Recipient. Hit .442 with 27 RBI, 12 doubles and 16 stolen bases as a junior. Set school record for career triples with 18. Also played with Cangelosi Sparks traveling team.

Personal: Born Nicholas Blake Solak, on Jan. 11, 1995, in Woodridge, Ill. Son of Mark and Roseann Solak. Has one younger sister, Alexis. Majoring in finance. After college, he plans to play professional baseball and attend law school. People with the greatest influence on his athletic career are his parents, who have provided him with every opportunity possible and teaching him to always work hard. Hobbies and outside interests include music, concerts and hanging out in downtown Chicago. Favorite movies include Forrest Gump, Miracle, The Natural and Rocky. Enjoys watching Baseball Tonight, SportsCenter and The Walking Dead. Favorite athletes include Muhammad Ali, Gordon Beckham, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia. Favorite foods are burritos, seafood and steak. Enjoys eating at Morton's Steak House, Portillo's and Shaw's Crab House. Favorite teams are the Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago White Sox. Enjoys listening to any type of music. Favorite quote is "Don't count the days, make the days count," by Muhammad Ali.