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From Blue Jay to Bulldog: Luke Nichols thrives in LA Tech rotation
When Charleston alum Luke Nichols began his first season as a starting pitcher at Louisiana Tech, he envisioned playing games similar to his most recent outing.
On Saturday, April 13, in toasty Tucson, Ariz., the junior stood on the mound at historic Hi Corbett Field — the former MLB spring training home of the Cleveland Guardians and Colorado Rockies, and current home of the Arizona Wildcats — and tossed 6.1 scoreless innings against a Pac-12 powerhouse amid a nine-game winning streak.
“Playing a team like Arizona, they’re no better than we are just because they’re in a bigger conference,” Nichols said. “I just went out there like I do every week and did everything I could and saw a lot of success.”
Nichols’ best will have to get better, as he takes on No. 25 Dallas Baptist on the road Saturday, April 20, in Dallas. So far this season, Nichols has a 3.83 ERA (7th among C-USA pitchers) with 40 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched over 10 outings.
Nichols credits LA Tech pitching coach Cooper Fouts with teaching him the mental side of pitching.
“It just really opened my eyes to a better way of pitching,” Nichols said. “It’s just knowing that I can do it and there’s nobody else that can keep me from that. If you have any doubts in the game of baseball, they’ll come out. You can’t play with any doubt or fear and learning that and learning I can play at this level and the next has been a very deciding factor this season.”
Nichols said his confidence was established in the fall when he faced SEC powerhouses Auburn and Mississippi State. Fresh out of the junior college ranks, retiring those hitters let Nichols know that he truly belongs in Division I.
“If I can have success there, I can have success against anybody we’re going to play this year,” Nichols said.
There have been plenty of local arms to make it to Division 1 teams this year but Nichols is the only one this year to be on the starting rotation of a team like LA Tech (27-12, 6-3) that is in contention for the C-USA crown.
“It’s a dream come true,” Nichols said. “Obviously you want to be at a winning program but to be able to contribute in that winning is really awesome. I love this place and love the coaches and just every day getting to come to this beautiful facility that we have is really eye-opening for the people that worked hard before and it just makes us want to be better.”
As a senior at Charleston High School, Nichols was a finalist for the 2021 Semoball Awards in track and field after winning the MSHSAA Class 2 state title in the javelin. When he signed up to play JUCO baseball at Jefferson College, he planned the pathway to where he is today.
"I knew at high school that junior college was my best option," Nichols said. "I knew I needed to be much more physical and get some experience under my belt."
Nichols posted a 3.14 ERA in 14 appearances for Jefferson College with 30 strikeouts in 28.2 innings pitched. After putting those stats together during his first year in JUCO, it was time for him to land a DI home.
"By the time my sophomore year rolled around it was time to start looking for my next destination," Nichols said. "I did a lot of emailing and stuff like that just to get my name out to schools and I got in contact with the recruiting coordinator here."
After the decision to come to LA Tech "took a lot of weight off the shoulders", Nichols threw 50.1 innings in 2023 with 60 strikeouts in 12 appearances in his final year of JUCO. At Jefferson, he was a reliever but it was a priority of his to become a starting pitcher at LA Tech.
"I just think that I needed to be able to show that I can pitch the most innings," Nichols said. "The more innings that I get to pitch the better I'm going to be, so whenever I stepped foot here on campus in the fall, the goal was to be a starting pitcher. I had to earn it and just throughout the fall and early spring, worked really hard to be able to do what I could to be in the starting rotation."
Notable local players in Division I
Notre Dame alum Austin Gast pitches out of the bullpen at Jacksonville State of C-USA. He most recently pitched on April 10 against Georgia State.
Saxony Lutheran alum Eli Brown led Lindenwood in both innings pitched (74.2) and strikeouts (64) during the Lions' first year as a DI program in 2023. This year, his 4.41 ERA ranks 6th in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Jackson alum Caden Bogenpohl is swinging a hot bat as a freshman at Missouri State. He is currently batting .296 with 13 home runs and 29 RBI. Only three batters in the Missouri Valley Conference have hit more home runs than him.
Jackson alum Lane Crowden has driven in 22 runs in 32 games for Southern Indiana so far during the Screaming Eagles' second year in the OVC.
Jackson alum Baden Hackworth is redshirting his freshman year at St. Louis and has a front-row seat to the 25-8 Billikens, who lead the Atlantic 10 with a 7-3 conference record.