Illinois Wesleyan senior righthanded pitcher Nick Brune (Mundelein, Ill., Mundelein HS) was the Titans' "Most Valuable Pitcher" in 2018 as he went 4-4 with a 3.50 earned run average. Also as a junior, he was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin "Pitcher of the Week" on March 13 (vs. Rhodes), had a complete game four-hit shutout vs. Elmhurst and combined with Mitch Goll on season-opening shutout vs. Fontbonne.
A finance major at Illinois Wesleyan, he is the son of Mike and Carolyn Brune. Nick has also been active in broadcasting sports for Illinois Wesleyan streaming, predominantly Titan volleyball and women's basketball.
Why you chose to attend Illinois Wesleyan: The combination of continuing my baseball career combined with the opportunity to receive a liberal arts education from “the Harvard of the Midwest.”
IWU class you’re most qualified to teach: Digging for the Truth: An Introduction to Conspiracy Theories.
The hardest challenge about being a Division III student-athlete is: Finding the ideal sleeping position on a bus.
Worst grade in a class you ever got – what and when? I got a D in Microeconomics freshman year
I’m deathly afraid of ... : Big Pharma
Worst habit: Telling myself, “I’ll just finish this tomorrow morning before class”
Most expensive traffic ticket: $125 for speeding. No worries though because they made me take this online driving course and I’m fixed now.
Language I’d like to learn: Mandarin
The longest I could survive without my cell phone: I survived a whole summer without it but that’s my limit.
One word your mother or father would use to describe you: I asked them separately and they both said competitive
Favorite sports figures: Dennis Eckersley and Tim Siegworth
My greatest moment in sports was: Either being the starting pitcher in an All-Star game against the Serbian National Team or setting both the single season and career hit batters records at IWU.
The best player I ever faced was: Evan Skoug
Worst dresser on my team: Eric Bennes. Kid refuses to match and I think he bought his sunglasses at a truck stop.
Thing that’s been in my fridge the longest: Baking Soda
Person I’m dying to have dinner with: Rory Mulvihill
Favorite food: Chicken tikka masala with garlic naan
Vegetable I won’t eat: Pickles. Not sure if pickles are classified as vegetables but close enough
Pepsi or Coke? Coke
Favorite TV show: "House Hunters"
Favorite musical group: Three-way tie between Chris Stapleton, A$AP Rocky, and The Barden Bellas.
Favorite movie: "Moneyball"
If a movie were made of my life, I would like the following person to play me: Tommy Wiseau
If my life were on TV as a reality show, I’d call it: "The Biggest Loser"
The person in history I would most like to meet is: Adam Smith
My dream job would be: Division III Women’s Sports Broadcaster
Place I’d most like to live: Palawan, Philippines
If you come back in another life, what would you like to return as: A human again, if possible
Two things that are tops on my “bucket list”: 1) Shoot an under-par round of golf; 2) Live out my unfulfilled athletic dreams vicariously through my children
My possession that would fetch the most on eBay: A volleyball signed by the 2017 IWU volleyball team. It’s not for sale.
Who is the luckiest person in the world? Myself
What I miss most about being in the third grade: Writing in cursive… truly a lost art
