With the COVID-19 outbreak forcing the cancelation of all high school spring sports, local high school seniors were forced to deal with the abrupt reality that their prep careers were over. A group of these student-athletes were members of the Cincinnati Reds RBI program, many of who were also regulars at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy over the years. With our Senior Spotlight Series, the Reds want to recognize these players for their efforts and wish them well in their future endeavors, both on and off the field.

Nic Haynes still remembers his Reds RBI tryout from 2015 like it was yesterday.

The Winton Woods High School graduate had played organized baseball since he was a youngster, starting with T-ball and going through age 12 when he played with the North Avondale Athletics. Despite his experience and having tried out for and made teams before, Haynes felt the butterflies in his stomach as he went out for a spot on the 13U RBI club.

“I was so nervous that day,” he said. “On the day of the tryout, I remember being really nervous around so many other players and coaches. But once it had all started the nerves went away. I remember feeling like I didn’t do good enough to make it, so when I found out I did, it was the best feeling ever.”

Once a part of the team, it was baseball as usual. Haynes fit right in and found a new home at the Academy. He enjoyed the building’s atmosphere and all the time spent with his coaches, fellow players and facility employees.

One of his favorite RBI memories came from that first season when the team traveled to Nashville for a tournament. It was the first time Haynes had ever left town to play baseball.

“I remember staying in a hotel with my teammates and coaches, and we all had a blast” he said. “It was my first time ever being in Nashville. There were so many people. Street performers and everything. It was a crazy experience.”

Five years later, Haynes is preparing for the next step of his life at the University of Cincinnati. Whether that future will involve being a professional ballplayer or a professional in another field remains to be seen, but Haynes is making sure to ready himself for either path.

Baseball is his first love and ultimately what he wants to do for a living. When choosing a college, he wanted to find a school that would allow him a baseball tryout. He chose UC and is ready to do whatever it takes to achieve his dream of playing college ball and continuing his baseball career.

“I know that it’s not going to be easy to walk on, but I feel like I’m ready to do what it takes,” he said.

Away from the field, Haynes is working equally as hard to ensure his success. He is heading to UC with a major in computer sciences. For the past two years, Haynes has been working on computers and games while developing his skills at the Scarlet Oaks location of Great Oaks Career Campuses, a joint vocational school district that specializes in career and technical education for high school students and adults.

“If baseball doesn’t work out, I hope to be a successful entrepreneur,” he said. “I chose the computer science major because that’s always been interesting to me. Making websites and games is fun to me.”