From analytics intern to Blue Sox pitcher: Nikolas Misiaszek takes the mound

By Kate Endres

When Nikolas Misiaszek joined the Valley Blue Sox this summer as an analytics intern, pitching in a game wasn't part of the plan.

Before the season began, Misiaszek expected to spend the summer scouting opponents, tracking pitch velocities and compiling data to help the Blue Sox prepare each night.

Two months later, Misiaszek found himself on the mound having his pitch velocity tracked.

Through eight innings of Sunday’s game against the Newport Gulls at Mackenzie Stadium, Valley already trotted out four pitchers from the bullpen. The Blue Sox were trailing and Valley needed someone to finish the game without overextending an already taxed pitching staff.

And that’s where Misiaszek got the nod.

“I didn’t think this was actually gonna happen,” Misiaszek said. “My arm hurts… but I did it to have some fun.”

The Granby, Mass. native currently plays at Methodist University, where he is listed as a sophomore catcher. Before making his Blue Sox debut, Misiaszek spent part of the summer serving as a bullpen catcher for Valley while simultaneously handling his analytics responsibilities. Although catching is his primary position, pitching has remained part of his game throughout college.

“It’s nothing new for me,” Misiaszek said. “I’ve been doing it [in] all my years in college… I’m a Division III guy, and I just thought, ‘Go out there and have some fun.’”

Despite the Blue Sox's 9-2 loss, Misiaszek delivered one of the game's few bright spots. He threw 20 pitches, recorded a strikeout and allowed no earned runs in his Blue Sox debut.

While Misiaszek's appearance was remarkable in its own right, it also reflected the realities of summer collegiate baseball, especially in its latter stages. 

By mid-July, NECBL rosters can differ every single matchup, pitch counts begin to rise high and teams have to find ways to get through long stretches of games. Sunday was one of those days, with Valley playing its fifth consecutive game, and a bullpen that could use the extra help. 

“We were at the point where a lot of the arms that we had available have pitched a good amount,” head coach John Raiola said. “In a 9-1 game, we’re not going to put guys out there that aren’t feeling great just to do it.”

Even in a league known for constant roster movement, Misiaszek's appearance was something new. According to Raiola, this is the first time a situation like this has happened in his Blue Sox tenure.

“It’s not very often that someone [who is] interning can actually do it [and] that part in itself is kind of rare,” Raiola said. “[Misiaszek] has done a really good job helping us out.”

Before transferring to Methodist, the right-hander spent a season at Mitchell College, where he pitched 3 1/3 innings in 2025. Pitching coach Nick Hock said the coaching staff already knew Misiaszek could contribute if the opportunity ever presented itself.

“[Misiaszek] works really hard,” Hock said. “He’s been working very hard as an analytics intern, and then as the bullpen catcher and now as a pitcher.”

Hock agreed with Raiola that the timing made sense.

“We knew that he could pitch, and we wanted to see what it looked like,” Hock said. “It was kind of a low-stress time for him to go… and he looked good.”

“Really cool for him to be able to get in there and have some stats to show for what he’s done,” Raiola said. “[He] threw the ball well [and] got a zero ERA. So good for him.”

When asked whether his analytics background helped him on the mound, Misiaszek laughed.

“Yeah, it gave me a little bit of an edge,” he said. “I’m gonna be honest. I don’t remember too much about it. I thought about going up there, throwing strikes and just having a blast.”

He'll take the experience back to Methodist this fall.

“Hopefully, I get to work out my pitching now, on top of being a catcher still,” Misiaszek said.

And according to Hock, Sunday's inning may not have been the new pitcher's last outing.

“He looked good,” Hock said. “I think we might see him again this summer.”

While Misiaszek arrived this summer expecting to spend his time charting pitches from behind home plate, he now gets to go back to Methodist saying he was the one throwing the pitches, too.