2008 Season
Appeared in 50 games, making 45 starts ... Hit .288 with nine doubles, three home runs , 26 RBIs and 13 runs scored ... at No. 15 Baylor (Feb. 22-24): Opened the season by going 4 for 8 (.500) in two starts ... at Western Kentucky (Feb. 29-March 2): Started two of three and went 2 for 7 (.286) with a double and an RBI ... at No. 4 Kentucky (March 9-10): Started all three games and hit .273 (3 for 11) with his first home run of the season, one RBI and a run scored ... at Ohio (March 15-16): Batted .357 (5 for 14) with two RBIs ... Valparaiso (March 26): Went 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored ... Northwestern (March 28-30): Hit .308 (4 for 13) with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored ... at Iowa (April 4-6): Hit his second home run of the season and went 3 for 13 (.231) with a double, three RBIs and four runs scored ... Penn State (April 11-13): Batted .231 (3 for 13) with his third home run of the year, a double, six RBIs and a run scored ... at Ohio State (April 18-20): Finished the series 3 for 15 (.200) with an RBI ... Minnesota (April 25-27): Went 2 for 12 (.167) with a double and an RBI in four starts ... at Indiana (May 3-5): Hit .200 (2 for 10) with a run scored ... Michigan State (May 9-10): Started two of three games and went 2 for 6 (.333) with an RBI ... at Illinois (May 16-17): Hit a two-run double in five at bats (.200) and also scored a run in two starts ... Big Ten Championship (May 22-24): Appeared in all four games, making one start ... Went 1 for 2 (.500) with a sacrifice bunt.
2007 Season
Appeared in 26 games, making 19 starts ... Hit .397 with three doubles, six RBIs and four runs scored ... at No. 13 Auburn (March 9-11): Had pinch-hit double and a single in two plate appearances as a reserve ... at Alabama-Birmingham (March 13-14): Appeared both games, making one start ... Hit .250 (1 for 4) with a run scored ... at Samford (March 16-18): Hit .429 (3 for 7) with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored ... at Western Illinois (March 24-25): Went 2 for 3 (.667) in one start ... at Michigan State (April 8-9): Appeared in all three games, making two starts, and hit .600 (3 for 5) ... Indiana (April 13-15): Went 1 for 5 (.200) with an RBI and a run scored ... at No. 17 Michigan (April 20-22): Had a hit and a run scored in five at bats (.200) over two starts ... Ohio State (April 27-29): Made one appearance as a reserve ... at Penn State (May 5-6): Made one start and went 1 for 3 (.333) with an RBI ... Iowa (May 11-13): Appeared in all four games, making three starts ... Hit .500 (4 for 8) with two RBIs ... at Northwestern (May 18-20): Wrapped up the season by going 1 for 4 (.250) in two starts.
2006 Season
Appeared in 21 games, making 14 starts ... Hit .205 with six RBIs and three runs scored ... Chicago State (March 25-26): Saw his first action of the season, playing in two games as a reserve ... Got a hit in his first collegiate at bat, a single ... Michigan State (April 7-9): Appeared in one game as a reserve ... at Indiana (April 14-16): Made one appearance as a reserve ... Michigan (April 21-23): Made his first career start and went 2 for 4 (.500) ... at Ohio State (April 28-30): Started all four games and hit .385 (5 for 13) with three RBIs and a run scored ... Penn State (May 6-8): Appeared in three games, making two starts ... Went 1 for 5 (.200) with an RBI ... at Iowa (May 12-14): Had one hits in six at bats (.167) and scored two runs in three appearances ... at Western Michigan (May 16-17): Made one appearance as a reserve ... Northwestern (May 19-21): Started two games with one run scored ... Big Ten Championship (May 24-26): Started two games and drove in a run.
2005 Season
Redshirted.
High School
Was a three-year letterwinner at Memorial High School ... Earned all-conference and all-state honors as a senior and was selected to play in the IHSBCA North-South All-Star Game ... Named team[apos]s MVP after serving as captain, batting .487 as a senior with an .872 slugging percentage ... Established school career RBI record ... Helped team to conference title and best record in school history (27-3) in 2004 ... Received all-conference accolades as a sophomore ... Earned four letters in football and two in basketball and was an all-state kicker in football as a senior, as well as an all-state tight end.
Personal
Full name is Eric Robert Nielsen ... Born: Dec. 19, 1985, in Fort Worth, Texas ... Son of Scott and Lisa Nielsen ... Has one brother, Ian ... Majoring in social studies and history education.