This week in Catching Up with the Bucks, we caught up with Nic Ungs. Ungs, from Dubuque, IA, played for the Bucks from 2000-2001 while attending the University of Northern Iowa. While at UNI, Ungs had an impressive career, including a conference Pitcher of the Year win as a junior in 2001. That year, Ungs had an 11-2 record with a 2.48 ERA and 110 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks in 109 innings.

As a Waterloo Buck, Nick Ungs started 13 games, 12 of them in the 2000 season pitching a total of 94 innings and finishing with an 8-2 record. In this time, he had four complete games, good for 6^th most on the Bucks career list. Ungs compiled a 2.59 ERA and also had 77 strikeouts compared to just 14 walks. He was inducted into the Bucks Hall of Fame in 2007.

In the 2001 amateur draft, Ungs was selected in the 12^th round by the Florida Marlins. Ungs started off at A- Utica for the Marlins, quickly impressing by going 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA. One of his most impressive aspects was his control, which he showed instantly that first year with 40 strikeouts and no walks. Ungs continued his time with the Marlins organization, posting multiple sub-4 ERA seasons. His reputation of having outstanding control got him the title of best control in the Florida State League by Baseball America in 2003. 2003 was one of his best seasons ever, going 11-7 with a 2.51 ERA with 117 strikeouts and 22 walks in 172 innings while playing for the Marlins A+ and AA teams. Ungs continued to post solid numbers for the Marlins organization. In 2005, he pitched the first complete game no-hitter in AA Carolina’s history.

In 2006 and 2007, Ungs reached his highest point, playing for AAA Albuquerque, putting up an ERA of 3.99 in 2006. In 2008, Ungs signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers. He posted a 1.96 ERA and a 4-1 record in seven starts for AA Huntsville, his lowest ERA at any stop yet. Ungs returned to the Marlins in 2009 and his last season with them was in 2010.

After his time with the Marlins, Ungs went to the Atlantic League to play for the Somerset Patriots, where he went 4-7 with a 5.45 ERA in his one season. Today, he is pitching in the Australian Baseball League for the Melbourne Aces, where this last season he put up a 3-3 record with 4.18 ERA, a .235 batting average against, and 33 strikeouts compared to just 11 walks. He also led his team with 51.2 innings pitched. While his team team lost in the championship, they won game two of the best of three series, which was started by Ungs.  

Nic Ungs will always be remembered as one of the great Bucks of all-time and we wish him the best of luck in the future.