MANCHESTER, N.H. – Nick Schwartz (Massapequa, N.Y.) of the Southern New Hampshire University baseball team has signed with Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics as a non-drafted free agent.

Schwartz becomes the 16th Penmen to latch on with an MLB franchise, including the fourth to sign as a non-drafted free agent. Schwartz is also the fourth of those 16 to ink a contract with the Oakland A's, joining three players that were drafted in Junior Mendez (No. 491) and Jon Massad (No. 761), who were both picked in 2013, and Jake Walkinshaw (No. 1094), who was the 12th and most recent Penmen to be selected in the draft in 2019.

Schwartz amassed a host of accolades in 2023, including National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-America Second Team, Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-America Second Team, American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America Third Team, D2CCA East Region Player of the Year, D2CCA East All-Region First Team, ABCA East Region Position Player of the Year, ABCA East All-Region First Team, NCBWA East Region Player of the Year, NCBWA East All-Region First Team, New England Intercollegiate Baseball Assiocation (NEIBA) Player of the Year, NEIBCA All-New England Team, NE10 Northeast Division Player of the Year and NE10 All-Conference First Team.

Schwartz put together a truly spectacular season, batting .399 (81-203) with 13 home runs, 71 RBI and 63 runs scored. He piled up 35 extra-base hits, including 20 doubles, and drew 35 walks, to craft a slash line of .490/.709/1.199. Behind the plate, he made just one error in 369 chances for a .997 fielding percentage. Schwartz led the NE10 in hits, RBI, slugging percentage, total bases (144) and doubles, while ranking second in batting, runs scored and home runs, third in on-base percentage, and eighth in walks. In the single-season program record book, Schwartz is first in RBI, second in hits and doubles, third in batting, fourth in home runs, fifth in runs, and seventh in walks.

In 113 games over his two-year career with the Penmen, Schwartz hit .398 (156-392) with 22 home runs, 116 RBI and 119 runs scored. He drew 69 walks and pounded out 63 extra-base hits, including 38 doubles, as he posted a slash line of .491/.679/1.170. He also made just five errors in 599 chances behind the plate for a .992 fielding percentage. Schwartz is first all-time in SNHU's career record book in batting average, tied for second in home runs, fourth in doubles, sixth in RBI, 10th in runs and 18th in hits.

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