Deacons Daily

Nick Kurtz Makes History

The Potential AL Rookie of the Year made an absolute statement in Houston on Friday Night.
Ryder Solberg|
Jul 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Athletics designated hitter Nick Kurtz (16) celebrates after hitting his fourth home run of the game during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jul 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Athletics designated hitter Nick Kurtz (16) celebrates after hitting his fourth home run of the game during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Safe to say, Nick Kurtz has been terrorizing American and National League pitchers all season, but he decided to take that a step further on Friday night.

The Athletics made a statement in Houston on Thursday when they defeated the hottest team in the majors, the Houston Astros, by a score of 5-2. The former Demon Deacon first baseman went 3-for-5 on Thursday with a pair of doubles. His performances have been increasingly impressive.

Jul 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Athletics designated hitter Nick Kurtz (16) hits his third home run of the game during th
Jul 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Athletics designated hitter Nick Kurtz (16) hits his third home run of the game during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One would think there is not much more room for improvement after going 3-for-5. Nicky Nukes would have something else to say on Friday night.

The American League Rookie of the Year candidate went 6-for-6 at the plate. How often do you hear that statistic? Furthermore, he hit four home runs in a single game. How often do you hear that statistic? Well, never if you are looking in the history books for rookies to accomplish this feat. Only 19 other players in Major League History have gone yard four times in one outing.

To call this performance one of the best offensive performances in Major League history is not an overstatement. In this outing, Kurtz’s 19 total bases in the game ties Shawn Green’s record for a single game.

Oh, and Nicky Nukes also finished the game with eight RBIs, one more than Shawn Green’s history making performance.

Kurtz’s Athletics went on to dismantle the American League West leaders by a score of 15-3 on Friday night. The Athletics must be beyond fired up at the talent that Nick Kurtz has shown in his short career thus far.

Demon Deacons may be less surprised by this statistic, as Kurtz had the potential to be a history maker based on his time at the Couch in Winston-Salem. However, Deacons near and far may start to wear a lot more green and gold in support of their very own history maker, Nick Kurtz. I know I will be ordering my very own A’s jersey with number 16 on the back after this performance. Congratulations to Nick on this incredible accomplishment!

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Ryder Solberg
RYDER SOLBERG

Ryder is a Junior at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He is studying Accountancy but has a passion for college athletics. He serves as the Treasurer of the Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest’s Student-Run newspaper. He has also served as a play-by-play analyst for his high school’s football and basketball games.

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