Jan 19, 2014 | Dan Thompson | 389 views
Alumni Update- Tanner Nivins
Tanner joined the Terriers out of the Kitchener Minor Baseball organization and was recruited because of the combination of speed and power he possessed. What he accomplished in his time with us, and at university both on the field and in the classroom makes Tanner one of our most decorated alumni.
During his career with the Terriers he would prove to everyone that he had a tremendous work ethic, was dedicated, gritty and lead by example.
He could always be relied upon to make plays in the outfield and this solid defensive play certainly complimented his offensive prowess.
Tanner hit in the heart of the Terriers order, providing home run power, RBIs and was a menace on the bases.
He represented the Terriers at the 2008 Canada Cup National Championship where he was a major cog in a gold medal championship for Ontario.
Tanner hit a three run homer in the final game, was named the tournaments top hitter and also the tournament MVP. This also earned him a spot on Canada's Junior National Team.
The next step in Tanner's career took him to Stony Brook University where he had attained a scholarship. As a freshman he hit 9 home runs and had 58 RBIs. He was named America East Conference Rookie of the Week three times and was named to the All Conference Rookie Team at the end of the season.
Tanner also shone in the classroom as he was named to the Dean's List.
Nivin's first summer away from home took him to the Northwoods League where he batted .302 and had 7 homers for the Thunder Bay Border Cats. He was named a league All-Star, competed in the league home run derby and was the recipient of the Gold Glove Award for his play in CF.
The following summer Tanner played in the Cape Cod League. Once again he was named to the All- Star Team and hit in the Home Run Derby at Fenway Park.
Believe it or not, the best was still yet to come for Nivins, as in his junior year he would once again be named to the All-Conference team, and help lead the Seawolves to the College World Series.
After winning the America East Conference tournament and an NCAA Regional in Florida, the "Shock the World" season would see Stony Brook knock off powerhouse LSU right in Baton Rouge in front of over 10,000 Tiger fans. The two out of three series victory by the Seawolves was one of the biggest upsets in the history of college baseball.
The dream season would eventually end with Stony Brook falling to the Florida State Seminoles in Omaha.
Tanner graduated the following year with a degree in Health Science and was once again on the Dean's List.
He is currently enrolled in a Pre- Service Firefighter program, and physical fitness remains a priority in his life.
Tanner recently wrote, " the fundamentals and values I learned from the Terriers program with out a doubt made me a better player, but it also matured me prior to university which put me in a great situation to achieve academically and in life. I plan on using the values and lessons I learned from the Terriers program throughout the Pre- Service Firefighting Program and for future challenges I may face".
Tanner plays summer ball for the Kitchener Panthers of the IBL. In his first season he hit .397, had 11 homers, was named to the All-Star team and garnered Rookie of the Year honors.