In his first varsity at bat as freshman last season for Class 4 state champions Francis Howell, Nic Perkins blasted a homerun to left center field, the first of what should be many homeruns as he enters is sophmore season as the No. 1 ranked players in the Class of 2014.

Perkins is a strong and athletic 6-foot-2, 215-pound catcher, with above average catching abilites, a strong arm (recently 1.98 pop time), and a power stroke that matches his strong frame. Perkins is a player who you will want to follow over the next few years.

We caught up with Nic after the PBR Prospect ID Showcase at Howell Central HS to get some of his thoughts:

PBR: Last season you had the opportunity to win a Class 4A state title as a member of the Francis Howell Vikings, along with your father (Head Coach Tony Perkins) and brother, Zac (starting SS). What was that entire experience like for you as a freshman? 

Perkins: It was a great experience.  It really helped that I was able to be around and practice with all of the older guys.  Especially watching the senior class, which 10 of them are playing in college.  They accepted me and helped me.  I had fun watching Case Munson hit every day.  It was neat that I was able to catch and hit against Brett Graves.  It helped me to become a better player and how to have an understanding of how to approach the game.

PBR: Considering that you’re entering your sophomore year, have you begun to draw interest from college programs? If so, which ones?

Perkins: Yes.  Kansas has expressed interest as I played there and their facilities are great.  Missouri is an interest since it is my home state.  Nebraska also talked to me when I played there this summer and their facility is beautiful.  I still have time to show what I have to other colleges and all of my options are open.

PBR: What are your thoughts regarding your ranking as Missouri’s Top Class of 2014 player?

Perkins: It is quite an honor and is humbling.  I know that I must keep working hard in the off season to get bigger, faster, and stronger.  I think that playing up when I was younger helped me develop sooner and the knowledge that I am getting from Francis Howell Players has made me nothing but better and made me want to continue to improve my game to reach the next level.  It helps having a dad that can actually throw batting practice and is willing to go to the park and go to indoor facilities in the winter.  My dad has helped me throughout my whole career and being around the High School kids since I was 4 sure has helped too.

PBR: Do you feel that playing in St. Louis and facing the competition you do has prepared you for the various showcase events you’ve attended?

Perkins: Playing with the Midwest Prospects has helped me a lot.  We had a great team and played at many different colleges against the best programs in the nation.  I have to be prepared every weekend to play at a high level and the work during the week helps me to be ready.  This year I will be playing up in the Prospect organization and will see great pitching every weekend that will help me become a better hitter.

PBR: What are your thoughts on the implementation of BBCor bats from a hitting and pitching perspective?

Perkins: It’s a big difference between BBcor and BESR bats.  The ball does not jump off of the barrel like the BESR bats.  It basically becomes more of a pitchers game because batters cannot do as much with the ball as they did before.  It is a good thing because it makes good hitters hit the ball on the nose and your weaker hitters are not going to be hitting any home runs because of the bat.

PBR: What team did you play for over the summer and how did it go for you? Were there any specific aspects of your game that you wanted to improve during the summer, and did you?

Perkins: Rawlings Prospects and it went really good for us.  We had a great team.  We faced some great teams and that made me better as I saw good pitching.  It also helped me defensively as a catcher seeing the speed of guys on the base paths and keeping them honest.  I have learned to go opposite field which has helped my average.  Blocking is a never ending skill that I need to work on all of the time.  Working in the offseason in the gym really helped me to improve.

PBR: What do you hope to accomplish this fall and off-season on an individual level?

Perkins: I am starting on the varsity football team right now but this has allowed me to get stronger in the weight room and has increased my agility with my feet which will help me in my catching.  I will play basketball this winter and this will keep me in shape and slim me down.  Anything that I can do to increase my quickness will help me when the spring season comes.  Open gyms for baseball will begin in January and that will help me to get ready.