Valley High School senior Carter Nickel, seated third from left, announces his intention to play college baseball for Georgetown College. Seated with Nickel are, from left, cousin Linkin Crabtree, cousin Scotlyn Crabtree, mother Amanda Crabtree, grandmother Susie Munion and brother Camden Crabtree. Standing are, from left, Abby Feuchter, grandmother Shaunda Nickel, grandfather Dean Nickel, father Jeff Nickel, stepfather and Valley High School baseball head coach Nolan Crabtree, grandfather Doug Munion and Valley High School baseball assistant coach Logan Crabtree.
Paul Boggs | Daily Times
Carter Nickel earned all-Ohio baseball first-team honors in Division IV during his junior season as an Indians’ pitcher.
Courtesy of Patrick Phillips of Glory Days Photography
LUCASVILLE — Simply put, Valley’s Carter Nickel was — and is — money on the baseball diamond.
Now, his baseball skills should save him a buck or two — in terms of paying that ever-rising cost of college tuition.
That’s because Nickel, recently and officially, announced his intention to play college baseball —and at Georgetown College of the NAIA and Mid-South Conference.
Nickel was flanked at his recent signing ceremony at Valley High School by his parents Jeff Nickel and Amanda Crabtree, his stepfather and Valley High School baseball head coach Nolan Crabtree, Valley High School Athletic Director Darren Crabtree, and several family members, friends and Indians’ teammates.
His father Jeff is the women’s basketball head coach at Georgetown —having completed two seasons there following a successful tenure at Shawnee State University.
But Carter’s decision to attend Georgetown just wasn’t about having immediate family on campus.
Sure that helped, but to the younger Nickel, “Georgetown just stuck out”.
A three-year starting pitcher and centerfielder for the Indians, under Nolan Crabtree’s tutelage, Nickel now will pitch — either as a starter or reliever — for the Tigers and head coach Randy Guite.
Nickel’s freshman campaign at Valley was unfortunately canceled by the Ohio High School Athletic Association as a result of the coronavirus threat.
“I really liked the campus, it’s a really nice area. It’s also a plus that Dad (Jeff Nickel) is there coaching and I have someone there for me. I think it’s like home and going to be my next home,” he said.
He added that he “enjoyed” visits to Ohio University and Marshall, but “those places just weren’t for me”.
The Reservation at Valley was Nickel’s place, though.
He was first-team all-Southeast District Division IV as a sophomore and junior, and second-team all-district Division III as a senior —as Valley moved up an OHSAA postseason tournament level for his final spring.
He was first-team all-Southern Ohio Conference Division II in 2022, and second-team all-SOC II in 2023, as the Indians played up in schedule inside the conference — and were the 2022 runners-up to two-time defending division champion Wheelersburg.
But the Indians, as Nickel was part of a three-year 1-2 standout pitching punch with fellow senior George Arnett, amassed three consecutive Southeast District championships —and a coveted Region 15 championship of Division IV in 2021.
The next year, the right-hander Nickel captured first-team all-Ohio in Division IV —as a pitcher.
His record was a perfect 6-0 with a microscopic 0.33 earned run average —the lowest of any of the all-Ohio Division IV pitchers, including two-time state Player of the Year (2021 and 2022) in the division in Lincolnview’s Landon Price.
He started 10 games on the mound, going the distance in three of them with one shutout, while coming on in relief to make two saves.
He allowed only 25 hits and two earned runs out of only six in his 42 total innings of work, while walking just six and striking out 64.
“Carter had a great career. Won a regional championship game as a sophomore, had his best season and undefeated on the mound and first-team all-state as a junior. Along with George (Arnett), just a mainstay in our pitching rotation. Give Carter the ball each time out, you’re going to have the chance to win,” said Coach Crabtree. “Very proud of the effort and the work that he has put in to develop into the pitcher he is and has become. His strikeout-to-walk ratio over his career is pretty close to 10-1. His pitching efficiency, being able to command the strike zone was his biggest area of improvement for him over the last couple of years. Hopefully, he continues to do everything he needs to do to be successful.”
Nickel said it indeed was a fun experience.
“I’ve had the best time here playing baseball at Valley, especially with my friends that I’ve played with since elementary school. Going to state and playing with these guys, it was just an awesome experience. I’m glad that I am doing it with my friends and I am glad that I have the coaches that I do and support system that I do,” he said. “There’s no other place like Valley to play baseball.”
And for Nickel, no other sport —as he was also a key contributor on the Indians’ basketball team which won three straight sectional titles, and the football squad’s starting quarterback.
“I’ve had my ups and downs in both football and basketball and I love both sports, but baseball has always been my thing. Always loved it, always interested in it, always had success in it. I’m good at it, and wanted to pursue it,” he explained.
Nickel utilizes three pitches —a fastball from the lower to mid 80s for miles per hour, a curveball, and a change-up.
“I’m very successful with those three,” he said.
Nickel said he is undecided upon a major, but has a couple of programs in mind —saying “some job-shadowing a little bit will help me kind of decide from there.”
On the baseball diamond, though, and especially high atop the pitcher’s mound, Nickel was — and is — money.
“I am very excited,” he said. “I can’t wait to take my skills to the next level and show them what I can do and what I’ve got.”
Reach Paul Boggs at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1926, by email at [email protected], or on Twitter @paulboggssports © 2023 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved
