The Spartans’ baseball program has seen a lot of players come and go in the past two seasons. With the rise of NIL, it doesn’t seem that this will change much. However, despite the volatility brought upon the program and many others, there remain a few that continue to stick it out for a college or two. One of these players for the Spartans, Nolan George, was kind enough to agree to an interview. In it, we discuss the past season, his history with the Spartans, and his personal development as a leader on and off the field.
The Temecula, CA native spent the first two years of college in Las Vegas as a member of the Rebels. At the conclusion of the 2023 season, George then transferred to SJSU. In his time as a Spartan, George has improved consistently on the mound, lowering his ERA, walks, and earning more punch-outs compared to last season. This year, in particular, George was one of the more reliable pitchers on the staff, posting a 4.82 ERA, 56 K’s and 18 BB’s across 71 innings of work. This stat line earned him a spot among the best in the conference, ranking 5th in ERA and 8th in opposing batting average (.292).
This season was George’s last. However, his time in San Jose won’t be easily forgotten. We here at the station, as well as the entirety of Spartan Nation, wish him the best of luck in the future.
George, on losing the championship in both of his seasons as a Spartan:
“The obvious answer is that it is disappointing to come up short two years in a row in the Mountain West Championship game. However, these past two years have allowed me to grow so much as a player and as a teammate. My time at San Jose changed the trajectory of my athletic career and I am very grateful for the wins and losses that I have been fortunate enough to endure with my teammates and coaches at San Jose State.”
It’s quite unlucky for players like George to go to the championship twice and end your college career without a title. I’m sure the fact that both losses are at the hands of Fresno State makes it sting a little more. I would say maybe the positive here is that George went this far twice? At UNLV, the Rebels made the postseason once during George’s stint: in 2022, where they were knocked out in the first round of the tournament, eventually won by Air Force. (Fun Fact! The tournament MVP was a 2-way player by the name of Paul Skenes.)
George, on how the team was able to exceed preseason expectations:
“I was fortunate enough to be one of the leaders on this year’s team and with that came a lot of accountability and perseverance. We obtained a lot of transfers this year and while that can be a challenge for some programs, these kids were hungry and ready to compete at the Division 1 level. We knew where we were picked to finish at the beginning but our goal was to play as many baseball games together as a team as physically possible and we made that count.”
George, on how he was able to consistently improve as a pitcher in the last two seasons:
“The trust factor at San Jose was huge in my development and ability to succeed during my time here. All the coaches that have been here within these past two years have shown me that they believe in me and my abilities as a baseball player which allowed me to begin trusting myself to the fullest extent. It got to the point where I was telling them, “I can start, be a reliever or be a closer. Just put me in the game whenever you want and I will be ready.” Coach Pike did a great job this year with his communication abilities and creating a safe environment for me to fail, learn and succeed. I was one of Coach Pike’s first recruits as a Spartans pitching coach and I feel like the two of us both experiencing San Jose for the first time allowed us to connect and get to work on the field.”
George, on the opening game upset against #3 seeded New Mexico:
“We knew going into the tournament that everyone would have to throw and we would be all hands on deck with our bullpen due to the amount of games that we could play. We had plans going into each game so we were all prepared for a general idea of what was going to happen depending on the scenario. The coaches called on my name to come out of the bullpen first and from then on, my goal was to get three outs an inning and give my team the best chance to win. When I came in the dugout after the 8th I knew they were going to put Tyler Albanese in which I had no problem with at all because he is our 2nd team all MW closer. This set the tone so that our pitchers can go out, do their job, and pass the ball to the next guy and they will finish what they started. Although we had been doing this all year as a staff.”
George, on his time in the San Jose:
“I loved playing baseball in the south bay, the weather and Excite Ballpark were really a treat out here in San Jose. I grew up in Southern California which has pretty similar weather, then my first two years of college ball I played in Las Vegas where that weather was difficult everyday. San Jose’s weather and accommodations surrounding the city with shopping, food and entertainment provided me with a nice college experience and athletic experience.”
George, on his favorite memories as a Spartan:
“My favorite moment watching from the dugout was seeing Hunter Dorraugh hit 4 home runs in the most important game of our season in 2024 (even though we lost). My personal favorite moment was this year when I started against Air Force and threw a 7 inning 7 strikeout 1 run complete game. My teammates were pulling for me the entire game and I could feel their energy every pitch. This game led to a sweep too.”
If you’re wondering how a 7-inning performance constitutes a complete game, that’s because of the mercy rule. SJSU won the game 14-1 in 7 innings, so George was credited with a complete game. Additionally, George allowed just 3 hits while striking out 7 on the way to his 2nd win of the season.
George, on what comes after SJSU:
“I am currently waiting on an independent ball or free agent signing opportunity to continue playing baseball at the next level. I will be graduating with my communication studies degree this summer online and after my athletic career is over I would love to be able to coach baseball at the collegiate or professional level.”
Comments (0)