Central Bucks East senior Nick Bitsko was the 24th pick in Wednesday’s opening round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. (Action photos courtesy of David Nicholas Photography & Central Bucks East baseball)
Nick Bitsko is a special talent on the baseball diamond.
A fact that was confirmed in eighth grade when the Central Bucks East senior committed to the University of Virginia. Just how special he’s become was confirmed on Wednesday night when Bitsko was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 24th pick in the opening round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.
In a spring that has not had many bright spots, the 6-4, 225-pound Bitsko – owner of a fast ball in the mid to upper 90s - gave his CB East baseball team and the entire Suburban One League community reason to celebrate.
“He worked to get there,” East coach Kyle Dennis said. “He came to us as a freshman and he hit 90 that summer, and he’s added to that.
“He’s added weight, he’s added strength, and he’s added mobility. He’s done tons and tons of work. It’s no accident that he can throw a ball 98 miles an hour. It’s hard work. Yes, he was given some raw tools, but he put the work in.”
Making Bitsko’s accomplishment even more remarkable is the fact that he played only two seasons of high school baseball as a freshman and sophomore. Baseball America projected him to be the number one prospect the Class of 2021, but he opted to graduate a year early and became eligible for this year’s draft, giving Bitsko – who will turn 18 next week - the option to go pro or attend Virginia in the fall.
“He’s a special kid,” Dennis said. “I often say – forget baseball. He’s a special person even without baseball – very humble, very kind, very hardworking and driven. He’s a guy – if you took away every ounce of athletic ability he had, he would still make my team. I would love to have him just because of his positive nature and how much he expects of himself.
“It really sets a tone for the rest of the team – ‘Hey, this guy is lifting extra, maybe I should lift extra’ or ‘Hey, this guy’s getting extra swings after practice, and he’s pretty good. Maybe I should take extra swings after practice.’ He worked so incredibly hard. I would take of team of 20 Nick Bitsko’s minus every ounce of talent, and we’d have fun, we’d win games, and we’d be competitive, and it would be phenomenal. He’s just an amazing kid.”
In his two years on the varsity, Bitsko threw 33 innings, striking out 68 of 134 batters he faced. He boasted a 1.27 ERA, and opponents hit just .140 against him. Bitsko hit .404 for his career and last year earned first team All-SOL Continental honors.
“What I love about Nick is he’s a goal-driven guy,” Dennis said. “He wants to be able to do X, so he puts a plan together and he doesn’t deviate from that plan or he modifies the plan if he has to, but he executes his plan, and you see that in his game.
“If a guy behind him boots a ball that we probably should have picked, he has his routine – he gets the ball back, he toes the rubber, he goes right back to work. He strikes a guy out – he gets the ball back, he toes the rubber. He’s very methodical in his approach. He has that starter mentality. Yeah, he’ll pump his fist every now and again in a big moment, but for the most part, he’s just driven to be the best he can be in every moment, and it’s just been so fun to watch. I just wish I could have watched it more.”
Bitsko would have been the centerpiece of a talented East team with lofty expectations this spring, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to cancel all spring sports.
“Our team could have been pretty special this year,” Dennis said. “They’re a great group of guys. I’ve been doing this for 13 years, and the way we practiced those two or three days we were able to practice with the varsity team – oh boy, were they special to watch.
“A lot of these guys were three-year guys. This was the culmination of a lot of things. It was the best team in CB East history to never play a game.”
Bitsko has set the bar high for future East players.
“It’s exciting, it’s very exciting,” Dennis said. “We’ve had a lot of very talented kids come through our program. Never someone as highly touted as this. I think it’s great for our program in the fact that our guys see that it’s possible.
“There haven’t been a lot of big-time draft picks coming out of the Bucks County area – at least not in the first round. We’ve got some phenomenal players, but we haven’t had homegrown talent go this early. I think the guys that knew Nick – even the freshman got to know him a little bit – saw what it takes. Not everybody can throw 98, but you know what, everybody probably could gain 10 miles an hour on their fastball like Nick did if they’re willing to work. He’s just such a humble kid.”
Bitsko – if he signs with the Rays - will be the second East player in minor league baseball. Robbie Welhaf is on the roster of the Detroit Tigers Class A affiliate.
- Log in to post comments
