Nolan Clifford is aware that people compare him to Chicago White Sox infielder Nicky Lopez.
The similarities are striking. Both are Naperville natives who played in the DuPage Valley Conference — Clifford at Neuqua Valley and Lopez at Naperville Central. Both are infielders who hit left-handed. Both became known for their fielding prowess and ability to get on base at Creighton.
The two are also similar in size. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Clifford is 1 inch shorter and 10 pounds lighter than Lopez.
“I’ve heard those comparisons the last couple years, especially from my coach at Creighton,” Clifford said. “Nicky played at Creighton, so that was always kind of the gold standard for infield play here.
“It was always a lot of motivation to try to be like him. He was able to go and play pro ball and is obviously doing really well now, so he’s always been a role model for really all the infielders here at Creighton, and it’s also super cool that he’s from Naperville as well.”
After following in Lopez’s footsteps at Creighton, the 22-year-old Clifford is aiming to follow the same path to the big leagues. Is that realistic?
“I think so,” Neuqua Valley coach James Thornton said. “He’s basically Nicky Lopez reincarnated. He just has that drive and that determination to see how far it can take him. He would be an awesome pick for somebody’s team because he’s going to put forth the effort to show that he can play this game at a really high level.”
Clifford, whose younger sister Nalia plays softball and basketball for Neuqua Valley, graduated from Creighton last month with a degree in finance technology. He was a four-year starter for the Bluejays, mostly at shortstop, but he also played several other positions, including first base during his junior season due to an arm injury.
“Versatility is super important nowadays, and I feel that I can transition to other positions,” Clifford said. “Wherever a team feels I fit best, I know I will be able to perform there.”
Clifford performed better than he ever has as a senior, putting up career-best numbers across the board. Despite missing two weeks in March with a broken hamate bone, Clifford batted .348 with five home runs, 37 RBIs, 38 runs scored, eight doubles and 13 stolen bases. He also shined on defense, making just four errors and recording a .975 fielding percentage.
That performance has drawn interest from pro scouts ahead of the MLB draft, which will be held July 14-16. Clifford plans to attend a workout camp in Philadelphia the week before the draft.
“I’ve had some communication with a couple different teams,” he said. “I’m pretty excited about that. I’m hoping to keep playing, for sure. That’s always been my goal to play pro ball, so it’s cool that I’ve been able to talk to a couple teams.”
Clifford doesn’t have an agent but said an adviser is helping him with the process.
“Some teams send you questionnaires through a draft portal,” he said. “Some scouts will reach out through email or call or text. They don’t really get too much into chances, but guys really like the season that I had this year. A lot of scouts like my defense, and then I had a really good year offensively this year. So it was nice that I was able to blend those two together in my last year in college.”
Clifford, a Cubs fan whose favorite players to emulate were Ryan Theriot and Javier Báez, returned to Neuqua Valley last week to help out Thornton at a skills camp for players in third through ninth grades. He was joined by two other former Wildcats who are playing Division I baseball, Grant Palmer (Western Illinois) and Colin Lewandowski (St. Thomas).
“I love to get those guys back into the fold to help out in the summer because it gives the incoming guys something to aspire to be,” Thornton said. “You tell them this guy played Division I baseball, and all the eyes get big. It helps drum up that interest in the hopes of getting kids excited when their opportunity to play at Neuqua Valley occurs.”
Clifford is hoping he gets an opportunity to continue playing.
“I’m super confident in my abilities to play at the next level, and it’s always been a dream of mine,” he said. “If any team picks me up, they’ll be happy with what they’re going to get, for sure.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
