Nick Kurtz was a 'for-sure superstar' in high school

A's first baseman and record-setting home run hitter helped Baylor of Chattanooga to a state title Tennessee High School title and No. 8 national ranking in 2021

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. Kurtz hit .309 with just two home runs and 11 RBIs during his senior season at Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) High School in 2021. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

High School coaches tend to see things before they happen.

Bay.or (Chattanooga, Tenn.) baseball coach Mike Kinney saw Nick Kurtz' fate long before Friday's rookie record four home run performance for the Sacramento A's at the Houston Astros.

"He was a for-sure superstar," Kinney told Patrick MacCoon of the Chattanooga Times Free Press in February of 2024.

That wasn't easy to see considering what a fantastic team Kurtz played for in high school. The Red Raiders won a state Division II-AA title in 2021 when they went 27-4 and earned a No. 8 national rankings. They featured nine players who signed on with NCAA Division I programs.

Kurtz was a junior on that team had transferred in from Manheim Township in Lancaster (Pa.) after his freshman season. Kinney said Kurtz was also a very talented basketball player.

"As major league scouts would come through, we would introduce our guys, and then here would come 6-foot-5 Nick Kurtz exhausted from basketball practice," Kinney told MacCoon. "We would always say, "This one has got more potential than any of the others."

Nick Kurtz in high school at Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) / Photo courtesy of Baylor High School

Once he got basketball out of his system, Kurtz committed to Wake Forest as a sophomore and led the Demon Deacons to seasons of 41-19-1 and 54-12, the latter earning the No. 1 overall seed in the College World Series.

In high school, Baylor co-head coach Greg Elie said "The great thing about Nick is as crazy talented as he is, he is the most even-keeled and chillest kid you will meet. It's fun rooting for those guys. Seeing our players go on and have so much success brings us so much joy. We get to watch them achieve their dreams."

Said Kinney: "Nick has put in the time and effort, and all of his hard work is paying off. He has locked in on baseball and grown in all aspects of the game. If he plays to his potential, he will make a big impact in the big leagues one day."

Well, 23 home runs and 59 RBIs in his first 239 Major League at-bats is a big impact.

And Friday was one big day.

He became the first rookie ever to hit four home runs in a single game leading the A's to a 15-3 win. The fourth player selected in the 2024 MLB draft went 6-for-6 and tied Shawn Green for the most total bases in a single game with 19. He tied Green for the modern era record with six runs scored and five extra base hits.

He drove in eight.

His fourth-inning double came within two feet of giving him a record five home runs.

Each of his homers came against different pitchers.

"Nick can command a box and crush the ball to all fields," Elle told MacCoon in 2024. "His strike-zone awareness is as good as anybody I have ever seen. That line-drive home run he hit on senior night is something we talk about all the time."

After Friday, they'll have much more to talk about for years to come.