Nova Southeastern is one of the premier programs in D2 Baseball, winning a national title in 2016 and seeing a current four alumni play in the Major Leagues.
Among those Major Leaguers are infielder Carlos Asuaje (2013), pitcher Mike Fiers (2009), and one of the highest paid players in the game, J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox (2009).
But those names — specifically the hitters — can't lay claim to what current NSU standout Jake Anchia can say: He is the Nova SE home run king.
[divider]
[divider]
A junior catcher from Miami Lakes, Florida, Anchia has spent his entire collegiate career with the Sharks and has astounded many along the way with his power at the plate.
"I really wasn't a power hitter until my junior year of high school," Anchia told HERO Sports. "My sophomore year I was a skinny, small kid that hadn't yet grown into my body."
But with the help of coaches — and natural growth — Anchia now holds the all-time home run mark for Nova Southeastern's program with 37 long balls in roughly two-and-a-half seasons.
"The coaches at Nova really helped me tune in my power once I got here," said Anchia. "Brownie (head coach Greg Brown) and company have really helped me to be the best player I can be."
The coaching staff was just part of the reason the backstop decided to play at NSU, deciding to stay close to home in the process. But while playing at the Fort Lauderdale-based institution, the Florida native has seen much more that makes the team feel like a true family to him.
"You hear this a lot but the big thing is how we are like a family here," stated Anchia. "It has been unreal of what comes through Nova Southeastern for us as a team."
Part of those opportunities have been to hoist the national title in 2016, Anchia's freshman season. But then, the 6-foot-1 catcher was an unknown commodity to the D2 world, standing behind some of the best bats in the game such as Brandon Gomez, a former All-American and home run hitter in his own right.
But unlike typical freshmen who get just a handful of opportunities to shine, Anchia belted a freshman record eight homers during the 2016 season, besting the mark of J.D. Martinez who hit five in his first season.
"It's honor to say I am above those guys (Gomez, Martinez) in the record books to be honest," the junior star said. "They each have taught me things to help beat their records, so you can say I would not have been able to do it without them."
The connection to Martinez draws obvious connections for what Anchia's career could be in the future, but the possibility of the MLB Draft is far from the NSU star's focus.
"I've heard some things here and there, but I don't go out there to play for the draft," Anchia said. "I go out onto the field and focus on that day, and try to win another national title for Nova Southeastern."
Anchia has his sights set on finishing his junior year strong, and it's time for the nation to pay attention to what is going on down in South Florida with the Nova SE star.
He's has already clubbed 37 long balls in his career, and still has another full year and change left on the college diamond. If the homers continue to come, we could be looking at a player who holds a major record at a major program for quite some time.
