FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers all-time save leader will be nailing down games on another ship next season as closer Nicholas Lorenz has signed to play for the East Carolina Pirates at a signing ceremony in Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Wednesday.

Lorenz has been one of the top relievers in the country this season, leading the NJCAA Division I ranks with 9 saves while posting a 2.86 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched across 15 appearances. With his perfect inning to lock down his latest save in a win over #20 Central Florida on Thursday, Lorenz tied current Los Angelas Dodgers farmhand Antonio Knowles atop the Bucs all-time saves list with 13 in his career.

As a freshman last season, Lorenz came up huge down the stretch for FSW as they marched to Citrus Conference and FCSAA Championships in route to their first Juco World Series appearance in program history. He was unscored upon in his final seven appearances of the regular season and carried that straight into the postseason where he put together three more scoreless appearances, earning him Most Outstanding Pitcher accolades at the FCSAA Championships.

Lorenz will join a storied ECU program that is looking for their eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance this season. The Pirates last Super Regional appearance came during the 2022 season with former Buc and ECU All-American Carter Cunningham on the roster.

Lorenz is one of six Bucs signed to play at the Division I level next season joining Evan Taveras (Central Florida), Cole Greer (Tulane), Judd Hildreth (Murray State), Parker Burgess (College of Charleston), and Greg Caban (Eastern Kentucky).

Lorenz and the Bucs are back in action on Saturday as they travel to Sanford to take on Seminole State in a doubleheader beginning at noon.