BASEBALL Ex-Boardman star awaits pick

Nic Moga, undefeated pitcher for the College of Wooster this season, has professional hopes.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Nic Moga finished an outstanding pitching career with the College of Wooster baseball team this spring in his senior season.
Now the Boardman High and recent Wooster graduate is hoping to persuade some major league scouts that he has enough speed on his fastball to pitch professionally, and warrant being selected in the first-year player draft that concludes tonight.
To that end, Moga said last week that he had planned to attend two pre-draft workout camps to display hopefully an improved fastball to complement his change-up, split finger and slider.
His array of effective pitches helped him to compile a 7-0 record and 4.71 ERA this past season in six starts and 11 appearances in all, which earned him a spot on the All-North Coast Athletic Conference team as an honorable mention.
"If I throw good enough at these workouts, I can be noticed by somebody," Moga said.
Eyes 90 mph
While Moga, who helped the Scots to a 38-6 record, the NCAC title and a No. 8 national ranking in NCAA Division III under long-time coach Tim Pettorini, knows that he can get collegiate batters out, he also knows he has to throw the ball faster to move up to pro ball.
"My velocity is not a major league fastball. I have been working to increase my velocity all year. I have got it up to the high 80s, but I want to reach 90," Moga said. "That will increase my advantage. That 90 is a big deal with scouts."
To achieve that, Moga has been trying to get stronger.
"I've been doing extra weight training mainly in my lower body. I have been trying to strengthen my body. It helps me to generate more arm speed because I get a better drive to plate," Moga said. "The more you push of the rubber, the more momentum you get to the plate."
Can do the job
But Moga has proved that he has the necessary pitches to foil batters, and get them out.
"I have command of three pitches: fastball, change-up and split finger, and also a slider. I can throw four pitches for strikes, and I have good command of three of them," said Moga, who gave up only five extra-base hits this year -- all doubles -- and also struck out 25 in 42 innings.
"I get a lot of ground-ball outs. All of my pitches have a downward movement on them, so I get a lot of ground-ball outs. Being a groundout pitcher was the best thing I did all year."
Moga set a school record last year for consecutive scoreless innings pitched with 21.1, but that mark was eclipsed this year by roommate John Werner with 24.3.
Friendly rivalry
"My roommate broke my record," Moga said. "He was talking to me about it, and I was talking to him about it. We challenged each other, just being roommates and good friends.
"He went for it and he got it," said Moga, noting he was one of five starters on a talented pitching staff and not needed quite as much as before.
"Having all these good pitchers on the team limited the number of games I would start, but it was a big advantage to the team," said Moga, who was the No. 3 starter but became more of a reliever later in the season.
"I was a starter for about three quarters of the year, but in the [post-season] I went to the bullpen to help the team."
Wooster carried a 34-3 regular-season record and No. 1 national ranking into the postseason. But after winning the NCAC tourney, the Scots lost two in a row and were ousted at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Tournament.
Achieved unbeaten goal
"One of my goals this year was to go undefeated, and I did that [7-0]," Moga said. "I was 17-3 my last three years as a sophomore, junior and senior."
Moga was 1-3 as a freshman for a career record of 18-6 with three saves in 51 appearances, including 23 starts. He pitched 163.2 innings with a 4.01 ERA and 113 strikeouts.
If Moga doesn't get signed professionally, he plans to play in the Class AA League this summer. The past two summers, he played for the Youngstown Express in the collegiate wooden bat league.
The son of Nancy and Nick Moga, Nic majored in sociology and posted a 3.5 grade-point average for his senior year. If a pro contract is not there, he then will begin graduate school at Youngstown State in criminal justice.
Also with the Wooster team is Evan Agona of Cortland, a sophomore from Ursuline High who served in a backup role.
He played in 16 games with two starts, and batted .136 (3-for-22) with a double. He also scored three runs and drove in four runs.
Agona is the son of Pamela and William Agona, and is majoring in business economics with a minor in education.
Kovach@vindy.com