CUBA NICE, HOME NICER NICKEAS IS HAPPY TO BE BACK IN U.S.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - Mike Nickeas returned home with a silver medal and four trophies for his achievements. He also returned craving anything other than bread and rice to eat as well as an opportunity to shower without the fear of getting sick.

Nickeas concluded nearly a month away from his Westlake Village home by leading the USA Junior National baseball team to the silver medal July 12 at the Junior Pan American Championships in Cuba.

But the cultural experience is cherished as much as the awards for the catcher who gained a greater appreciation for both his sport and his country.

``I had a great time,'' Nickeas said of his days with the 18-and-under team. ``It was fabulous, but it's nice to be home. It makes you look at things differently.''

The nearly two-week tournament submerged Nickeas in an environment as passionate as he is about baseball. Games were televised nationally and thousands of fans attended most contests even when their home team was not involved. The championship game between Cuba and the USA drew 8,500.

Having so many vocal spectators was a new experience.

``We played one game where I think the whole town came,'' Nickeas said. ``The field was in the middle of a jungle. There were probably 3,500 people in the town and most of them were at the game. There's not much else to do there, so they're really into it.''

The home-country advantage was so great that Nickeas believes the 3-2 loss in the final would have been different if played elsewhere.

``We were a good team,'' Nickeas said, adding that despite several lopsided scores, the competition was comparable to solid U.S. teams. ``There's no doubt if we played (Cuba) here, we'd win 99 times out of 100. That crowd and the whole situation gave them a huge advantage.''

Americans, who were quickly recognized as they walked the streets of Camaguey, were the favorite target of Cubans' taunting, but Nickeas said he was usually treated well away from the field.

On the field, it was easy to understand why Nickeas wasn't a favorite of opponents. He was the biggest threat on a team that outscored its opponents 120-17 in 11 games and lost only to perennial power Cuba. Nickeas was named to the all-tournament team for batting a tournament-high .577 with 13 RBI, 16 runs, five doubles and two home runs in nine round-robin games.

His two hits in the two medal-round games gave him a hit in all but one game, the exception being a game against Ecuador in which he did not have an at-bat. He won awards for the most runners thrown out, most RBI, highest batting average and best catcher at the tournament.

The second-place finish was the best ever for the U.S. at the tournament and qualified the U.S. for the 2002 World Junior Championships in Canada.

Success is nothing new for the Georgia Tech-bound 18-year-old, who recently completed a four-year varsity career at Westlake High in which he led the Warriors to two Marmonte League titles and two Southern Section finals.

The big changes were playing so many games - he played 23 games in 27 days, including the team trials and practice games in Missouri - being away from a tight-knit family and adjusting to living conditions abroad.

Nickeas plans to spend the next month before he leaves for college working out in an attempt to gain back the weight he lost in Cuba, where he survived on a diet of little more than bread, rice and a Cuban cola.

He found things he takes for granted, such as the Internet, to be a scarce luxury in Cuba and learned that even taking showers could be a challenge.

``You couldn't let the water get in your mouth or you'd get sick,'' Nickeas said. ``We had a couple guys get sick and I was even kind of sick for a day.''

Within the tournament's first week, his mom said Nickeas told her he couldn't wait to kiss the ground as soon as he stepped on U.S. soil.

Once he stepped on the baseball field, though, all he thought about was winning.

``You just kind of forget about everything when you put on the uniform and see the three letters across the chest,'' Nickeas said. ``You hear the national anthem being played in front of people you know that's the last thing they want to hear and it's a real special feeling. There's no greater honor than playing for your country.''

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Photo:

Westlake's Mike Nickeas spent a month away from home competing for the U.S. Junior National baseball team

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer