Nate Adler describes himself as “a big family guy,” something that got him to where he is today.
“(I’ve) got a big family,” he said. “All of us played sports growing up. So sports have always been a big portion of my life.”
Adler is a senior relief pitcher for Wichita State baseball in his final year of eligibility. He said what he loves about his role on the team is how it brings out his competitive side.
“Being a pitcher, it’s always you versus the hitter,” he said. “It’s always fun when you can strike them out or just get them to look dumb on a pitch.”
Adler has served as Wichita State’s primary closer this season, pitching 21 ⅓ innings with a 2.53 ERA and five saves.
“He’s been one of our most important pitchers this season,” head coach Brian Green said.
Growing up in Andover, Kansas, Adler said he dreamed of playing DI baseball. Now, it’s a dream come true that he doesn’t take for granted.
“Seeing myself in the mirror with the whole getup and being a WSU baseball player was kind of a revelation in a way,” he said. “It was kind of like, ‘Oh, wow, I’m actually doing this right now.’”
On top of the hours he puts into baseball, the academic side of Adler’s life is just as challenging.
Never one to shy away from a challenge on or off the field, Adler is majoring in aerospace engineering. It’s something Green said is rare in college baseball.
“There are some baseball programs that won’t have players (who) major in engineering because there’s too much time required,” Green said.
Adler handles the pressure and challenge of his program with determination and with a lot of support.
“It takes a village,” he said, adding that he works with professors and gets support from classmates to complete his degree around his demanding baseball schedule.
Adler said coming to the end of his WSU baseball career feels strange.
“I’ve spent a great portion of my life just trying to improve in one aspect,” he said. “And then in a month, that will most likely be done. That’s going to be a little hole that I have to fill.”
But Adler said he’s not too worried about filling his time. Between finishing his degree, working an internship and launching his new career, Adler still has plenty on his plate.
And, if all that isn’t enough, “I’ll probably just start lifting and playing golf all the time,” Adler said.
