Athlete of the Week: Coen Niclai’s journey to MLB draft selection was no coincidence, it was hard work

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Coen Niclai’s talent couldn’t be ignored any longer. His power at the plate as a hitter — and poise behind it as a catcher — had to be witnessed by MLB scouts in person. This spring, scouts from organizations like the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins made the trip to the Last Frontier to watch the Service senior in action.

”It brought a lot of attention, especially during the high school season,” said Service coach Willie Paul, who coached Niclai the past four years. “There were various scouts coming up, different organizations looking up here that don’t necessarily always look up here. And I think that’s great for baseball in general just overall across the state. Even if they’re up here specifically for one person at a time, they’re going to look at everybody so it’s a benefit for everybody.”

Niclai was ultimately selected in the 15th round, 454th overall by the Miami Marlins in last week’s MLB Draft, becoming the fifth catcher and the 43rd player from Alaska to be drafted to the Majors.

“I really appreciated all the scouting they did and all the hard work they put in,” Niclai said of being drafted by Miami. “It was just a great feeling.”

Coming off a high school season in which he powered Service to an unbeaten record and a state championship, Niclai’s draft stock continued to rise. During his senior campaign, Niclai recorded an impressive .412 batting average and .577 on-base percentage.

“It was kind of a whirlwind because there were calls along the way and he turned down offers in the third and fifth round,” said Coen’s father, Matt Niclai. “Miami has been such a support system that they said, ‘Hey, we’re going to draft you. That might mean you’re going to join us, that might mean you’re going to Oregon, but we want to show you how much we appreciate your play and what we think of you.’”

Coen is expected to attend the University of Oregon this fall for his freshman year, though he officially has until Aug. 1 to come to terms with a contract with the Marlins.

”Oregon is really supportive, they really love the fact that [I got drafted],” Coen said. “Family, friends, they’ve all been a great support so I am excited.”

In Alaska, Niclai has been considered the best player in the state for the past few years. He twice earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was a three-time recipient of the Cook Inlet Conference’s Big Stick award as the league’s best hitter.

Niclai’s star continued to shine bright at out-of-state showcases this summer, including the MLB Draft League where his draft stock was solidified.

“It was amazing just experiencing those things,” Coen said. “Most people — they play baseball their [whole] life and don’t even get to experience that so I was very fortunate to do that. Longer process than most, definitely had to make the most out of the trips that I was going on, but I really enjoyed the process.”

“He trains so much, so hard that he is ready every time he leaves,” his father added. “You have to be on, every time you leave you have to show that positivity, to show the grind, to show the work you have been doing in the dark winter months.”

“He went to a Pro Tour in March. He hit a home run off of a Kansas City player that just was drafted the previous year pretty high, pretty high dollar amount and got a lot of attention from that,” Matt Niclai said.

While his talent on the diamond is obvious, it is what he does outside of the chalked lines that propelled him to the next level.

”He puts in as much time as anybody as I have ever seen kind of outside of what we do [as a program],” Paul added, “and to see him get drafted is kind of seeing all that come to fruition. We’re excited for him and we can’t wait to see where it all goes.”

While he may have played his last baseball game in Alaska for now, his legacy within the sport is already cemented.

Coen said he hopes people will remember his character — not just his baseball acumen.

“Just a really thoughtful kid that was hard working and he loved the game and appreciated the game and respected the game in the right way,” he said.

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