The Ace

Nick Moten continues to pitch Westminster toward success.

Moten+has+dominated+the+competition+this+season+with+his+blazing+fastball.

Photo By Arista Hampton

Moten has dominated the competition this season with his blazing fastball.

Nick Moten, senior, has had quite a career on Westminster’s baseball team, and this year, he has taken his game to new heights. The Arkansas commit, whose fastball tops out at an untouchable 95 miles per hours, is ranked the fourth overall prospect in Missouri, per Prep Baseball Report.

So far this year, Moten has led the St. Louis area with an ERA of 0.00 in 19.7 innings pitched, meaning that opposing teams are yet to generate a run against Moten that isn’t due to fielding errors. In other words, whenever Moten, who owns a 4-0 record, heads out to the mound, it has been the closest thing to a guaranteed victory for the Cats.

Moten, whose dominance has caught the eye of the top colleges in the nation, recently flipped his commitment from the University of Missouri to the #1 ranked University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

“After I decided to reopen my recruitment [decommitting from Missouri] it was a pretty short process. I had opened my recruitment backup on a Thursday and committed to Arkansas on a Monday before announcing it shortly after. They gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse and it was a no brainer in my opinion,” said Moten.

Moten headlines a loaded Westminster senior class that has seen five other players sign to play college baseball. This success is nothing new for the Westminster baseball program, however, as Westminster has seen a multitude of athletes go and play at the highest levels of college baseball, including stars like Kevin Graham (Ole Miss), Jimmy Obertop (University of Michigan), and Ben Simms (University of Michigan).

Another recent player, D.J. Stewart, who starred for the Wildcats, skipped college altogether and headed straight for the major leagues. Stewart, class of 2017, was drafted in the 39th round into the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Moten has not ruled out following the same path as Stewart, and skipping college to play professional baseball is certainly on his radar. After all, the prospect has had multiple scouts at each of his games drooling over his potential.

“If the money is right and the opportunity is there then I’d definitely consider going to play pro ball,” said Moten.

Likewise, while Moten is soon going on to bigger and better things, the rich tradition of the Wildcat baseball team has made it an honor for him to don the blue and white during his high school baseball years.

“Being able to play for a team with a great history and tradition is my favorite part of getting to play for and represent Westminster baseball,” said Moten.

As the last few months of the high school season wind down, Moten has kept himself grounded, simply focusing on doing the best he can to help his team, whether on the pitching mound or by being an encouragement to others in the dugout.

“My goals for the season are to compete on the mound every outing and be the best teammate I can be when I’m not pitching,” said Moten.

Long after he has thrown his last high school fastball, Moten’s legacy as a leader both on and off the field will continue to endure. The depth of his experience has given him a lot of perspective on how to achieve athletic success.

“Don’t compare yourself to everyone else. Be the best you. Everyone’s development happens differently. Some early and some later. Focus on yourself and what you can control and you will go a long way,” said Moten.