Pipeline to the Pros

By Jim Gazzolo

Last Sunday, a simple phone call changed everything for Eric Nachtsheim.

When the San Francisco Giants called the former McNeese ace, Nachtsheim’s dream came true. 

After spending all those hours throwing a baseball in high school, at a junior college in Mesa, Arizona, and finally at McNeese, everything paid off.

The Giants made Nachtsheim their sixth-round pick in the Major League Draft, capping a wild year for the right-hander, who set the Cowboys' season strikeout record in May.

“It is all just surreal,” said Nachtsheim. “I never would have imagined this all would happen.”

Two other players with local ties, Jake Brown of Sulphur and Gavin Guidry of Barbe, were also taken. They played their college baseball at LSU.

Nachtsheim became the 16th player since Justin Hill was named the head coach in 2014. He's the 62nd player overall in McNeese Baseball history to be selected in the draft. 

The drafting of Nachtsheim continues the success of Hill’s program.

“I think it shows that you can get to professional baseball from here,” said Hill. “The players do all the work, but we like to have a program where you can develop and have an opportunity.”

It is something former Cowboys talk about as they often return to Lake Charles to work out and stay connected to the program.

“McNeese gave me a great chance to grow as a player,” said Grant Anderson, a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. “You want to give back when you can.”

Anderson was a 2018 Seattle draft pick. He was one of three Cowboys selected in the draft that summer.

This is one thing that McNeese baseball can hang its hat on. 

“I think it helps us when it comes to recruiting, but we want to have a place where you can win and develop,” said Hill.

It is one of the reasons players continue to look at McNeese, especially after spending time in either junior college or with other programs. Stability in the program also helps.

Just last week, McNeese gave Hill a four-year contract extension. After 13 years, he will be in charge of the Cowboys through 2031. That is stability on the mid-major level.

It’s also why the pipeline to the draft isn’t likely to close at McNeese anytime soon.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He is also the host of Poke Nation, which airs weekly on CBS Lake Charles.