Recent Case Western Reserve University graduate and baseball standout Nick Harms was named the 2024-25 Regional Student-Athlete of the Year, as selected by the Division III Commissioners Association, and will advance to the ballot for the D3CA Men's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year along with the other nine regional winners.
Graduating seniors were the only student-athletes eligible for nomination. Each conference was permitted to submit up to two nominees for the award, provided at least one was an international student or from an ethnic minority background. Selection was based on four key areas: academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership, and a personal statement. Voting took place among commissioners within each of the 10 Division III regions.
Harms finished his CWRU career with a 3.976 grade point average majoring in computer science and minoring in business management and economics with concentrations in computer systems, networks, and security. He is a three-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honoree, garnering a first team selection this past season. He graduated summa cum laude, earned Dean's List honors all eight semesters, and earned three UAA All-Academic honors.
Off the field, Harms volunteered with the Zion Lutheran Church rehabilitation team and the Green Bay Rockers youth camp and its 'Miracle Game,' which gives young people ages 4-19 with mental and/or physical challenges the opportunity to play baseball. He was part of the engineering honor society and spent his college career working as a research assistant. Harms served as captain of the Spartans' baseball team that reached the super regionals of the 2025 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship and founded the Baseball Bible Study.
Harms excelled on the field, was named to the All-UAA Baseball Team four times, three on the first team. This past season he was named the 2025 UAA Position Player of the Year while earning D3baseball.com first team All-America accolades. He was also selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Regional All-Defensive Team. Harms was named the 2025 NCAA Division III Cleveland Regional Most Valuable Player in leading the Spartans to its first regional title. He finished his career with a program-record 45 home runs (13 more than the next closest player) and ranked second all-time in hits and runs batted in.
"Possessing high academic expectations while playing a rigorous, time-consuming collegiate sport, performing research, and taking on the role of risk manager at my fraternity created considerable stress for me. I experienced stress in high school but adapting to the college workload quickly overwhelmed me. My stress manifested physically and I found myself unable to eat in the mornings. This was amplified at peak stress times around exams or before big baseball games when I experienced intense nausea. Despite the facade that I had everything figured out, I was battling stress physically daily and losing," Harms described. "I had to adapt by researching and adopting new stress management techniques. Vocalizing my stressors helped me deal with the pressure. I realized that at a university like CWRU, many other people were experiencing similar feelings as highly-driven people creating pressure for themselves and struggling to find a healthy outlet."
Harms was awarded the CWRU Risk Manager of the Year in 2023 for displaying exemplary leadership and for encouraging his fraternity's chapter to remove the stigma and start the conversation surrounding stress and mental health. "I wanted to help other people who felt alone, like they were the only ones dealing with this level of stress," said Harms, who created a mental health form fraternity members could fill out to share their own concerns. "Deep conversations, camaraderie, and new stress management strategies stemmed from it. As I move into my postgraduate life, I will continue to use the stress management techniques I learned from collegiate athletics daily. These skills don't only equip me to assist others dealing with stress in their professional life, but also any curveballs life chooses to throw my way."
"Nick embodies everything college baseball is meant to be about. He is tough, dedicated, and an incredible teammate. He was a great player and somehow a better person. Simply put, Nick is the best," said CWRU head baseball coach Matt Englander.
"A model student-athlete, his performance on the field has been nothing short of elite, but what truly sets Nick apart is his leadership, integrity, and commitment to his teammates and the university. He embodies the values we strive for at CWRU, and we're incredibly proud of all he has accomplished," commented CWRU Assistant Vice President/James C. Wyant Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education TJ Shelton.
The D3CA was established in 1992 to provide a collaborative network for Division III commissioners to share knowledge, resources, and best practices. Working alongside key organizations such as the NCAA and NACDA, the association is committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience through innovation and collective leadership.
The full list of regional winners are:
Region I: Justin Finkel, Connecticut College (Swimming and Diving) | New England Small College Athletic Conference
Region II: Nick Harms, Case Western Reserve University (Baseball) University Athletic Association
Region III: Luke Aquaro, Hobart College (Ice Hockey) | Liberty League
Region IV: Quinnten Hatfield, St. Mary's College of Maryland (Lacrosse) United East Conference
Region V: Reza Eshghi, Haverford University, (Cross Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track and Field) | Centennial Conference
Region VI: Freddy Rogers, University of Mary Washington, (Soccer) Coast to Coast
Region VII: Trey Theobald, Ohio Wesleyan University (Track and Field) | North Coast Athletic Conference
Region VIII: Tate Ivanyo, Anderson University (Basketball) | Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Region IX: Daniel Tulchinskiy, Lake Forest College (Tennis) | Midwest Conference
Region X: Max Wagener, University of Redlands (Water Polo) | Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
