Junior outfielder Nate Roberts became the first player since 2005 to hit three home runs in a game when he accomplished it against Towson on March 5. He went 5-5 in the game with two singles to go along with the three home runs and six RBI. Roberts was not only named the Big South Conference Player of the Year but earned Student-Athlete Feature honors. Each week throughout the athletic year a student-athlete who has done something significant or unique will be featured on highpointpanthers.com.

“I just got pitches to hit that night and didn't miss them,” Roberts said. “I felt very prepared going in to the series and I had a good weekend.”

Roberts' first home run just barely cleared the left field wall but there was no doubt the second two were home runs as soon as they left the bat.

“I didn't think the first one was going out,” Roberts said. “The wind really helped me out on that one. But it set the tone for the day and as soon as I hit them I knew the second two were gone.”

Roberts finished the weekend 8-13 with eight RBI and eight runs scored. He had a 1.308 slugging percentage and .688 on base percentage for the weekend. For the season he is second on the team with a .406 average, leading the team in walks (13) and stolen bases (10) but he got off to a bit of a slow start. It wasn't until the fourth game of the season that Roberts picked up his first hit but he made it count, singling to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie ball game against Fairleigh Dickinson. He would eventually score the game-winning run and kick off HPU's record seven-game win streak.

“I was putting the ball in play but I couldn't find the holes,” Roberts said. “It was pretty frustrating but that baseball. That single up the middle really snapped me out of it.”

After spending his freshman year at Northwestern, Roberts transferred to Parkland Junior College for a year before coming to High Point. Roberts said Northwestern just wasn't the school for him so he took a year of junior college to figure out his next step.

“I was really only talking to more northern schools like Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Michigan until I heard from coach [Bryan] Peters,” Roberts said. “I really liked what he had to say on the phone and came down for a visit just a few days later. I had issues with my flights so I didn't really get to meet too many of the players but I had a great time here and I could tell the coaches really know what they are doing. I decided they were the right coaches to get me to the next level.”

For Roberts the next level will almost certainly include professional baseball. He is the only current member of the HPU baseball team to have been drafted, having been selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 48th round of the 2009 MLB Draft.

“I knew it was coming but it almost didn't happen,” Roberts said. “There were some complications and we didn't think I would get drafted at all. I knew I could improve it with another year in college though. Playing here is really preparing me for that.”

When his playing days are over, Roberts said he would like to be a teacher and a coach but definitely not a baseball coach.

“I want to teach physical education and coach football if this doesn't work out,” Roberts said. “If I'm not playing baseball I can't just sit and watch it but football I love and I would love to be a coach.”

Roberts also loves science fiction and lists Star Wars and Star Trek as his favorite movies.

“I really like the original Star Trek movies,” he said. “The new one is fine but it is just mindless action. I like the originals for that they stand for. There is no money, everyone is working together and the crew is so diverse. I'm not a freak Trekkie who dresses up or anything but I love watching the movies.”