Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Saluki Baseball Conversation | Nikola Vasic
10/21/2018 | 2:45:00 | Baseball
Senior infielder Nikola Vasic earned All-MVC honors after his first season in Carbondale. Now a senior, he sat down to talk about playing with the Serbian National Team (and his goal to make the Olympics with the Serbs), playing with an edge, his 2019 goals, and more.Â
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in San Diego, and now my family lives in Milwaukee. San Diego was where I fell in love with baseball. You play all year round there, and I started to love the sport. I lived there for five years, then we moved to Milwaukee, where my sister was born, then went back to San Diego from first grade through fifth grade, and now we're back in Milwaukee. My sister is now a senior in high school. My dad runs a small business, and my mom works in communications.Â
Out of high school, what was the recruiting process like?
I was trying to keep the dream alive. I really wanted to play Division I, and I knew I could, but I was really small in high school. There was one Division III school and two junior colleges that were interested in me. I went to McHenry, and it was the best decision I ever made. We went to the World Series my freshman year and won the conference. My sophomore year we won conference again, and we had more than 40 wins both years. That program has been going up ever since. It was a great time.Â
You had such success at McHenry. What was the recruiting process after that?
It was better, but still quiet. There were three Division I programs interested, New Orleans, Buffalo, and SIU. I had a friend come here and told me about it. When I visited, I really liked it. Everything was great, and it's lived up to that. I loved the feel of it. The warmer weather was great. The facilities here are really nice, and the coaching staff was extremely kind. They made me feel like family.Â
You seem to play with an edge, going all out, all the time. Where does that come from?
As a smaller player, it makes me work harder. When people see a smaller guy, they think he's not as good. I don't let that get to me. It just pushes me, and I play with a chip on my shoulder. I was raised like that. Play hard and do everything with a purpose. Give it your all every day. There's no reason not to. Someone else is working as hard as you or harder, so don't do anything halfway. I have to stand out in any way I can, and that's how I do it: my competitive edge.Â
Tell us about your Serbian heritage.
I'm very proud of my origin. My grandparents on my father's side were from Serbia and came here. I take it seriously. There is a lot of tradition that comes with that. We celebrate a lot of different things throughout the year. My family is huge. I'm really close to my Serbian family. Even in sports, you think of Serbia as a smaller country. Not many people know about them, but they play with a lot of heart. That's how it is with me. I play as hard as I can. My grandparents came here with nothing and worked to get where they are now. I don't take that for granted. I'm very thankful for them. I speak a little Serbian and understand it pretty well, just through my dad and my grandparents.Â
You played with the Serbian National Baseball Team this summer. How did that come about?Â
A guy on the national team messaged me last year, but I was playing in the Northwoods League and didn't have time. I told them I would play for them this summer. They came to America for the second time. We played in the International Baseball Challenge with Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, and a summer team representing North America. We played a round robin, then you're seeded. We made it all the way to the championship game against the North America team. Nobody even expected us to make it there, and we ended up beating the North American team. That created a lot of buzz in Serbia. We were all over the news. It was a really special experience. They're trying to build baseball in Serbia. It's usually basketball, water polo, soccer, and now tennis, with Novak Djokavic being big. There is only one baseball field in Serbia. When the national team came here, they play with heart. You can tell they're doing everything they can. Next summer, we're going to try to qualify for the Olympics. It's a small chance, but there was a small chance of winning the tournament last summer. You never know. It will be a fun time and exciting, for sure.Â
Going back to SIU, what was your first season at SIU like?
It was eye opening. The attention to detail is so much better. The pitching, the hitting, the catcher's arms, the overall athleticism on teams. It took a little while to adjust, but once you get a couple games under your belt, you're good to go. It was a good experience, but this year it's time to take it to another level. I have to help the younger guys who are in the position I was last year.Â
You were named All-MVC last year. Was that what you expected of yourself?Â
It was a frustrating year for me. I set my standards high and work to be the best I can. Last year, there were a couple stretches when I wasn't myself. I let the emotions get the best of me, and it messed with me. I wasn't playing like myself. This year, I need to have a short memory and play like myself.Â
What's it like playing for the coaches at SIU?
It's great. You can play with emotion. Our coaches want you to play with energy and emotion, just be smart with it. We're talking a lot about mental toughness this year, battling through adversity. Don't let things get to your head and affect your game.Â
What are your expectations for the 2019 Salukis?
We expect to win. We have a lot of new guys that will help. Colin (Butkiewicz) and Will (LaRue) have been great, vocal leaders. They pick guys up. Ian (Walters), Phil (Archer) and Brady (Michel) have had great falls so far. They work hard. And Evan (Martin) has been solid. Everyone is working hard, trying to earn a position. It's great to have everyone competing every day. It should be fun to see how it plays out. The pitchers attack. They're throwing strikes, and we have a wide variety of pitching styles. We have guys with velocity, and we have guys that hit spots. It's been fun hitting against them.Â
What is your mindset towards your senior year?Â
It's my last year; you have to have fun with it. We have to win. That's all it comes down to.Â
To read Part One of our Conversation series with assistant coach Seth LaRue, click here.
Â
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in San Diego, and now my family lives in Milwaukee. San Diego was where I fell in love with baseball. You play all year round there, and I started to love the sport. I lived there for five years, then we moved to Milwaukee, where my sister was born, then went back to San Diego from first grade through fifth grade, and now we're back in Milwaukee. My sister is now a senior in high school. My dad runs a small business, and my mom works in communications.Â
Out of high school, what was the recruiting process like?
I was trying to keep the dream alive. I really wanted to play Division I, and I knew I could, but I was really small in high school. There was one Division III school and two junior colleges that were interested in me. I went to McHenry, and it was the best decision I ever made. We went to the World Series my freshman year and won the conference. My sophomore year we won conference again, and we had more than 40 wins both years. That program has been going up ever since. It was a great time.Â
You had such success at McHenry. What was the recruiting process after that?
It was better, but still quiet. There were three Division I programs interested, New Orleans, Buffalo, and SIU. I had a friend come here and told me about it. When I visited, I really liked it. Everything was great, and it's lived up to that. I loved the feel of it. The warmer weather was great. The facilities here are really nice, and the coaching staff was extremely kind. They made me feel like family.Â
You seem to play with an edge, going all out, all the time. Where does that come from?
As a smaller player, it makes me work harder. When people see a smaller guy, they think he's not as good. I don't let that get to me. It just pushes me, and I play with a chip on my shoulder. I was raised like that. Play hard and do everything with a purpose. Give it your all every day. There's no reason not to. Someone else is working as hard as you or harder, so don't do anything halfway. I have to stand out in any way I can, and that's how I do it: my competitive edge.Â
Tell us about your Serbian heritage.
I'm very proud of my origin. My grandparents on my father's side were from Serbia and came here. I take it seriously. There is a lot of tradition that comes with that. We celebrate a lot of different things throughout the year. My family is huge. I'm really close to my Serbian family. Even in sports, you think of Serbia as a smaller country. Not many people know about them, but they play with a lot of heart. That's how it is with me. I play as hard as I can. My grandparents came here with nothing and worked to get where they are now. I don't take that for granted. I'm very thankful for them. I speak a little Serbian and understand it pretty well, just through my dad and my grandparents.Â
You played with the Serbian National Baseball Team this summer. How did that come about?Â
A guy on the national team messaged me last year, but I was playing in the Northwoods League and didn't have time. I told them I would play for them this summer. They came to America for the second time. We played in the International Baseball Challenge with Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, and a summer team representing North America. We played a round robin, then you're seeded. We made it all the way to the championship game against the North America team. Nobody even expected us to make it there, and we ended up beating the North American team. That created a lot of buzz in Serbia. We were all over the news. It was a really special experience. They're trying to build baseball in Serbia. It's usually basketball, water polo, soccer, and now tennis, with Novak Djokavic being big. There is only one baseball field in Serbia. When the national team came here, they play with heart. You can tell they're doing everything they can. Next summer, we're going to try to qualify for the Olympics. It's a small chance, but there was a small chance of winning the tournament last summer. You never know. It will be a fun time and exciting, for sure.Â
Going back to SIU, what was your first season at SIU like?
It was eye opening. The attention to detail is so much better. The pitching, the hitting, the catcher's arms, the overall athleticism on teams. It took a little while to adjust, but once you get a couple games under your belt, you're good to go. It was a good experience, but this year it's time to take it to another level. I have to help the younger guys who are in the position I was last year.Â
You were named All-MVC last year. Was that what you expected of yourself?Â
It was a frustrating year for me. I set my standards high and work to be the best I can. Last year, there were a couple stretches when I wasn't myself. I let the emotions get the best of me, and it messed with me. I wasn't playing like myself. This year, I need to have a short memory and play like myself.Â
What's it like playing for the coaches at SIU?
It's great. You can play with emotion. Our coaches want you to play with energy and emotion, just be smart with it. We're talking a lot about mental toughness this year, battling through adversity. Don't let things get to your head and affect your game.Â
What are your expectations for the 2019 Salukis?
We expect to win. We have a lot of new guys that will help. Colin (Butkiewicz) and Will (LaRue) have been great, vocal leaders. They pick guys up. Ian (Walters), Phil (Archer) and Brady (Michel) have had great falls so far. They work hard. And Evan (Martin) has been solid. Everyone is working hard, trying to earn a position. It's great to have everyone competing every day. It should be fun to see how it plays out. The pitchers attack. They're throwing strikes, and we have a wide variety of pitching styles. We have guys with velocity, and we have guys that hit spots. It's been fun hitting against them.Â
What is your mindset towards your senior year?Â
It's my last year; you have to have fun with it. We have to win. That's all it comes down to.Â
To read Part One of our Conversation series with assistant coach Seth LaRue, click here.
Â
Players Mentioned
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