Ignacio "Nick" Lopez

Career Overview

Ignacio “Nick” Lopez has competed in the NBBA since 1986 and remains active with the Chicago Comets. Over nearly four decades, he has built one of the most respected pitching careers in league history.

Nick began with Chicago Insight from 1986 through 1992, played for the Windy City Hoosiers from 1993 to 1994, joined Fastar Comet from 1995 through 2001, and has competed with the Chicago Comets from 2002 to the present. Fastar Comet officially became the Chicago Comets in 2002.

His primary catchers during his Hall of Fame career have included David Casillas and Louis Lopez.

Championship Impact

Nick has pitched or shared pitching duties on multiple teams that placed in the top three at the World Series.

• 1991 Chicago Insight 3rd Place
• 1995 Fastar Comet Consolation Champion
• 1999 Fastar Comet 3rd Place
• 2000 Fastar Comet 3rd Place
• 2003 Chicago Comets NBBA Champion
• 2005 Chicago Comets 3rd Place
• 2007 Chicago Comets 3rd Place
• 2011 Chicago Comets 3rd Place

A significant portion of his later career involved splitting pitching duties with Chad Perry, forming one of the league’s most dependable tandems. In 2007, when Perry was injured at Rochester, Nick stepped in and helped guide the Comets to a third-place finish.

Pitching Excellence

Nick has pitched to numerous World Series Offensive All-Stars.

• 1995 L. Darnell Williams .666 Hall of Fame 2019
• 1999 Joe Smolka .675 Hall of Fame 2018
• 2000 Frank Facio .615
• 2008 Giovanni Francese .724 MVP
• 2010 Warren Richardson .659
• 2010 Giovanni Francese .618

His documented World Series career contact percentage through 2019 stands at .854 with a strikeout percentage of .145, reflecting sustained pitching efficiency at the highest level.

Across 118 documented World Series games, Nick’s pitching line includes 2,889 at-bats faced, 1,335 runs allowed, 421 strikeouts, and a .462 batting average against.

In other major tournaments, he compiled 69 games, 1,635 batters faced, 842 runs, 301 strikeouts, and a .515 team batting average against, with a contact percentage of .816.

Awards and Recognition

Nick was the 1999 Jim Quinn Award recipient, recognizing his dedication and service to the sport of beep baseball.

In 2004 at Cleveland, he was named Top Pitcher at the Ohio Classic, which replaced the Viper Classic that year while Columbus focused on hosting the World Series.

Longevity and Legacy

Statistics from the early years of the NBBA are not always complete, but available records demonstrate Nick’s consistency and durability. Sharing pitching duties at times limited his eligibility for certain World Series awards due to minimum at-bat requirements, yet his impact on team success is unmistakable.

For nearly forty years, Ignacio “Nick” Lopez has provided stability, leadership, and competitive excellence on the mound. His championship résumé, career pitching efficiency, Jim Quinn Award recognition, and decades of commitment to the Chicago program firmly establish his place among the most accomplished pitchers in NBBA history.