NAHANT — Many athletes give up on their athletic journey if they don’t receive a college offer, while others call it quits after college. For Nick Reiser, the journey wasn’t a linear one, but the former Swampscott graduate has found his next home in professional baseball with the Garden City Wind in Kansas.

A Nahant native, Reiser attended Swampscott High School. Despite a successful junior year, Reiser and the rest of his class had their senior sports season taken away from them because of the pandemic.

Reiser found a school at Franklin Pierce University, where he and his catcher and best friend, Dylan January, signed to play before eventually transferring to Suffolk University. 

“We redshirted one of our spring seasons at Franklin Pierce, then we transferred to Suffolk University as redshirt freshmen,” Reiser said. “After the first season at Suffolk, Dylan and I kind of parted ways. He continued school, and I wanted to keep playing baseball. Opportunities took me to New York to play in a summer league. It was the No. 1 summer league in New York called the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.”

From there, Reiser made the most of his opportunity and transferred to SUNY Cortland.

“Taking that leap of faith of going to New York to play was worth it. I met so many people who will be lifelong baseball friends. They opened my eyes and showed me how exciting baseball can be if you give 100% every night. I wanted more of it, so I ended up transferring to Division III powerhouse SUNY Cortland,” Reiser said.

Although it seemed like the right move at the time, Reiser quickly realized it wasn’t the right place for him. Cortland fielded a large roster, and Reiser wasn’t given an opportunity to show his ability.

“Their roster size was like 80-plus guys. It felt like they kept bringing in new guys all the time. Being the only guy from Boston, I was the easiest kid to let down. Plenty of kids each week told me I was deserving to play,” Reiser said. “I never missed a game. The coach challenged me every game, and I had to earn it every week. I made every trip, so he knew I could play, but he had so many options that I just didn’t get the opportunity.”

Instead, his coach told him to return to Massachusetts and find a state school where he could compete.

Reiser found his way to Bridgewater State, but heading into that school year, he knew he needed to play as much baseball as possible.

“I wanted to pitch going into the season, but the opportunity to pitch for the North Shore Navigators wasn’t there. In a pivotal moment, luckily my old high school coach, Cap, had a team that was open for me to pitch for,” Reiser said. “I pitched for the Swampscott Sox and had a good season going into Bridgewater. I won the Cy Young Award in 2023 in the North Shore Baseball League. It was a great summer for me that gave me a lot of confidence going into Bridgewater.”

Reiser went on to win two conference championships with Bridgewater State and moved from the Swampscott Sox to the North Shore Navigators, something he had always dreamed of.

“Playing for the Navigators again was something that I dreamed of as a little kid. I used to watch the Navigators with my old Little League teams, and I remember saying I wanted to play for them, and I got to,” Reiser said.

Reiser’s coach during his time in high school and with the Swampscott Sox, Joe Caponigro, praised the dedication Reiser put into the sport.

“I was fortunate to coach Nick his junior year at Swampscott, which was my first year as head coach with the Big Blue. I knew right away that he was a ‘foxhole guy,’ someone who would go to battle for his coaches and teammates. He and the team had an extremely successful season, losing to Bishop Fenwick deep in the tournament at Bentley,” Caponigro said.

“Unfortunately, he and the rest of the returning seniors lost baseball their senior year because of the pandemic. I think that would’ve been a very competitive team. I did help him land at Bridgewater State, where he was also successful for coach Zackrison. Nick always competes, always gives maximum effort. He is a grinder and never, ever gives in. I was thrilled to hear that he had indy ball opportunities, and I know he will give his organization everything that he has.”

After Bridgewater State, Reiser went to UMass Lowell. However, a compliance issue regarding his eligibility prevented him from competing this season. Instead, he served as a graduate assistant coach.

Now, his journey takes him to Kansas to play independent baseball with the Garden City Wind of the Pecos League.

Reiser has never given up on his dream despite the many hurdles he has faced throughout his career, something the Conigliaro family has seen from the start.

“I have never known anyone in my life that loved baseball like him. I have known him and watched him play since Little League. He never gives up,” Richie Conigliaro said. “He just needs a break, as we all did. He has the talent, and if I were a coach, I would want him on my team.”

Now Reiser will give his family and friends another season to root for him.

“I just love the idea of giving my family something to root for. My dad is 70 years old, and he works really hard. My mom has worked really hard taking care of my sister and me. They both made huge sacrifices for me,” Reiser said.

“Playing baseball is something that we can all talk about and bond over together. I like being able to contribute to that part of our family and give them something to root for. I love baseball. I eat, sleep and think about baseball. I put a lot of time and effort into this sport, and I want to throw until I can’t anymore.”