Senior profile: Nick Cox

It is never easy to replace graduating seniors, but it will be especially difficult for Columbia baseball to replace its star center fielder, who helped carry his team in his final season with his bat, speed, glove—and leadership. Co-captain Nick Cox enjoyed and took advantage of his four admirable years as a Lion.

“Academics and athletics—even though they’re pretty separate at our school—have both in their own way taught me something, and I think I’m going to use my experiences on the field and in the classroom,” Cox said.

One such experience came from a simple email.

“My first month of school, I emailed a professor and called him by his first name—and he quickly reported me to the dean,” Cox said.

He feels his time at Columbia has taught him how to better interact with new people and has opened him up to meeting people from very diverse backgrounds.

“From my freshman year to my senior year, I met a wide variety of guys from all over the country and formed relationships with people that I wouldn’t have probably made if I went to a state school in Florida,” Cox said. The Sunshine State native chose New York over schools closer to home with better-known baseball programs.

The decision to come to Columbia looked even better after the team won a championship during Cox’s freshman year, during which he was also unanimously voted Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

“I would say that whole experience my freshman year was my favorite year here,” Cox said.

Despite not claiming an Ivy title since, Cox is still proud of what the Lions have achieved on the field.

“You can’t beat winning a championship, but I think the hard work that we put into everything may not have shown every year, but it helped shape our team and the attitude of our players,” Cox said. “The team had good chemistry every year and I think the guys worked hard every year. All the guys worked hard for each other.”

Despite fighting injuries for a decent portion of his Columbia career, Cox is considered one of the best players the Lions have ever had by head coach Brett Boretti. This year, Cox was first team all-Ivy and earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors twice, performing in the clutch with his offense and diving catches on defense. He batted .353 and stole 18 bases, which gave him a career total of 70 steals, the second highest total in Columbia history.

In the coming months, Cox plans to work at an insurance company on Wall Street, but he still hopes baseball may be in his future.

“I’m going to be staying in the city and working and living with some teammates and my girlfriend,” Cox said. “There’s a possibility I may look into some independent ball.”

QUESTIONS FOR THE ATHLETE:

Advice for the team for next year: “Stay focused, through the victories and the losses.”

Best team moment: “By far, it was when we won a championship.”

Parting words to the coach: “Thanks for a great four years of my life, four of years of tough competition, and teaching me the skills that I need to be successful in life.”