CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Battery announced on Thursday the club had signed forward Nick Markanich ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Markanich began the preseason on trial with the Battery and immediately impressed the coaching staff. The 6-foot-1 forward scored a pair of goals in the club’s friendly against Coastal Carolina University and also featured in the following match against Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC.

“I’m grateful to join the club and I’m very excited for this new journey, I can’t wait for the season to start,” said Markanich. “Everyone has been very welcoming since I arrived here, from the coaching staff to the players, they’re all great people to be around. I’m happy to play alongside them throughout the season.”

A native of Bourbonnais, Ill., Markanich was drafted 30th overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by FC Cincinnati and was later signed by the club. He featured in 11 matches for FCC and also played with FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS NEXT Pro, scoring four goals and adding two assists in 15 games.

“Nick is a threat around the goal, and he has an instinct to finish plays that can’t be taught,” said Battery Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “Nick showed us how tough of a competitor he is and his willingness to do whatever it takes for that team to succeed. He has soft feet and a good balance between finding his teammates and looking for the goal.

“Nick is another player in our group that is about the collective; he wants to win and compete, and has the desire to push the whole squad forward.”

Before going pro, Markanich had a standout career at Northern Illinois University. He was the top scorer in the NCAA in 2021, with 16 goals and five assists, while earning subsequently All-America honors. Markanich was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021. A three-time first-team All-MAC honoree, he tallied 39 goals and nine assists in 69 career matches for the Huskies.