Reliever Cicio strikes deal with Minnesota

After UCF's last NCAA regional game, a 12-5 loss to Alabama, left-hander Nick Cicio sat down next to catcher Beau Taylor and became emotional.

"I said, ‘Listen. This might be the last chance I get to pitch. This might be my last time on the mound,'" said Cicio, who was tagged with the loss, despite pitching five innings of one-run ball and striking out six.

When the southpaw wasn't drafted in last week's MLB Draft, he started packing and planned to head home to Maryland. He thought his baseball career was over.

On Saturday, a fateful call from the Minnesota Twins changed everything.

Cicio signed a free-agent contract with the Twins, and now, the former UCF reliever is moving to Fort Myers, home of Minnesota's spring training facility and the Class A-Advanced Fort Myers Miracle. He will stay at the team hotel and find out more details upon his arrival.

"I had no idea that I was being looked at or anything," Cicio said. "I was planning on heading home on Saturday and as I was packing up my apartment, I got a call, and the Twins said they were interested in me, not to do anything, not to go home, not to go to the tryout but to just wait here, we're interested in you and we'd like to sign you."

Cicio became the eighth Knight to be drafted or sign a free-agent deal this season; the 104th since the program's inception in 1973.

After making nine starts as a junior-transfer, Cicio was given a new role for the 2011 season. Head coach Terry Rooney stressed the importance of needing a lefty out of the bullpen. Cicio became that guy. He made a team-high 28 appearances and finished his senior season with a 4-3 record, a 2.23 ERA and four saves; he never gave up more than two earned runs in a game.

"This year was my first year coming out of the bullpen and, at first at the start of the season, I wasn't sure how I was going to like it," Cicio said. "I've always started, so I did enjoy that role. But when it came down to coming out of the bullpen, I just felt real comfortable in how I came into the game. Most of the time I felt like they were crucial situations where my team needed me, and I like being in those situations where I can help the team in any way possible."

After learning a lot about the mental aspect of pitching and having the chance to start, relieve and close, the lefty looks forward to his opportunity to continue to play ball and work hard to see what happens with his professional career.

"It's been a dream of mine. I just wanted to give the praise and glory to God for the opportunity," Cicio said. "Ever since I was little and started playing baseball, you dream of an opportunity like this and, for a second there, I thought my baseball career was over and I was going to have to move on with my life. And God opened the door, and the Twins gave me a call and I don't know, I was super excited."