Kevin Nieto

Classroom

Nieto will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in finance in May 2010. He holds a 2.7 grade point average and is planning on a career in business.

Character

Nieto enters his second year serving as the team captain for the Manhattan College baseball team. During his time on campus, he has organized teammates to support fellow student-athletes from other sports by attending competition to cheer on their classmates. Nieto has also displayed an incredible work ethic on and off the diamond. His numbers have significantly improved each year since he stepped on campus in Riverdale and most of this improvement can be attributed to his incredible work ethic. In the offseason, Nieto trains tirelessly with his older brother Eric, who is Manhattan’s all-time hits leader, as the brothers develop and execute their own workout plan in their efforts to be the very best. Additionally, he has also showed his leadership by assisting in the preparation of the field hours prior to each home game. Home games are played at Van Cortlandt Park, a public park in the Bronx. Nieto is a key figure in helping to line the diamond and prepare the infield. He also volunteers his time in other areas of the Manhattan College Athletic Department during home athletic contests, whether he is coordinating parking, assisting security or helping with game day set up.

Community

Nieto has participated in several charitable activities during his time at Manhattan and has helped to organize his teammates in volunteering their time. Kevin helped organize a group of teammates to spread holiday cheer to children at St. Augustine Elementary School in the Bronx last December. He also helped fundraise $500 to purchase gifts for over 50 children to be delivered at the “Breakfast with Santa” event. In his spare time while playing summer ball last year with the Vermont Mountaineers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League he volunteered to teach baseball to children ages 5 to 11 through coaching and holding clinics.

Competition

Nieto is the 2010 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and a member of the 2010 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America Third Team and PING!Baseball All-America Third Team. He has been a three-time All-MAAC selection, including as a 2009 First Team honoree. In 2009 the American Baseball Coaches Association named his All-American Third Team and Northeast Region First Team. He led NCAA Division I in 2009 averaging 1.57 runs per game while setting a MAAC record for runs in a single season scoring 72. He also led the MAAC with .754 slugging percentage in 2009 and ranked in the top-5 of the MAAC in triples (2nd - 6), on-base percentage (2nd - .480), batting average (2nd - .396), stolen bases (3rd - 25), home runs (4th - 13) and total bases (4th - 141). Nieto broke the MAAC single season runs record (72) and tied his own single season program triples record (6). He is a .344 career hitter who has started 141-of-143 appearances. He is the Manhattan career triples leader (16), 5th on the program’s career runs list (159) and is on pace to break the record, as well as to shatter the program’s career hits record where he is currently standing in the top-10 with 188. He has 15 home runs over his career which ranks on the program’s top-10 career list. His 39 career doubles also rank in the program’s top-10.