Senior Nic Bonica has loved baseball ever since he was four years old and has played the sport for WA since freshman year. Over the years, his commitment to the team and the hours of practice he has put in have helped him evolve as both a leader and an athlete. To Bonica, committing to Bentley University’s baseball team was the best choice to further improve his skills and continue playing the sport he loves.
Bonica is a pitcher and co-captain of the WA varsity baseball team. Along with being on the school team, Nic Bonica also plays for a club team during the summer.
Along with baseball, Bonica also played fall football during freshman and sophomore year. After an injury in junior year, he decided to mainly focus on baseball in hopes of a scholarship to a college.
“I wasn’t the strongest student here because I didn’t really apply myself until halfway through last year because that’s when it really kicked into me that I had to try to get into college for a scholarship for baseball,” Bonica said.
Eventually he got an offer in early November from Bentley. Because of the improvement in his grades, he was removed from the waitlist and became eligible to get into the school.
“I was all in as soon as they called me and gave me [the offer],” said Bonica.
Still, he decided to think things over before committing. Bonica had already visited the campus during October with the coaches on the Bentley team. There, he saw that almost half of the baseball team was on the field practicing even though it was the offseason. Seeing how committed the kids at Bentley were for baseball made Bonica realize that this was the school for him.
“When I went to the campus, we passed by the baseball field, and half the team was out there doing their own thing, grinding for the next season and that’s just something I really want to be a part of,” Bonica said.
While looking forward to spending time with the other players, Bonica is still nervous about going to college.
“Bentley is a very high academic school,” Bonica said. “So, I don’t know how it’s [going to] be like balancing between the schoolwork and the baseball team because it’s a lot more.”
Bentley is well-known in the country as a good business school. Bonica has decided to major in marketing and sales at Bentley.
“I’m a communicative person [and] I like to talk to a lot of people so I feel like in that field of work, I’d be very strong,” Bonica said.
Along with Nic Bonica, James McDermott, a fellow senior, is also a captain on the WA baseball team. He has signed to go to a different college, Assumption University. As baseball players growing up in Westford together, the two have known each other since they were twelve. Though they will be playing against each other during college due to Bentley and Assumption both being in the Northeast-1o Conference, McDermott is excited for both of them and how far they have come.
“Nic is a great player and teammate,” McDermott said. “[He] always shows up to play and never fails to provide energy for the team.”
Dave Parent has been Bonica’s assistant coach since freshman year when he joined the varsity game. Parent describes Bonica as a confident competitor that brings out the best in the team, giving energy to every baseball game.
“Nic has evolved into a leader, and has been very committed to working out and becoming stronger over his high school career,” Parent said.
Bonica has loved his experience playing for the town of Westford, but is excited for what the future has in store for him.
“It’s going to be hard to leave this town and my friends here, but I’m willing to meet new people and get to bond with the new team when I get to college,” Bonica said.
