The McNeese Cowboys had their standout pitcher selected in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft on Saturday. Eric Nachtsheim was taken by the San Francisco Giants with the 179th overall pick. He went in the sixth round.
Nachtsheim spent two seasons with the Cowboys and enjoyed a breakout campaign here in 2026. After logging just two and two-thirds innings as a junior, Nachtsheim tossed 93 innings as a senior. He logged a 3.39 ERA across 20 appearances with nine starts. Additionally, he tallied 129 strikeouts, three saves, and an 8-4 record overall.
After his stellar season, Nachtsheim was named Southland Conference Relief Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, he earned First-Team All-SLC honors as well as Second Team All-American honors by multiple publications.
A Reno, Nevada native, Nachtsheim pitched at Mesa Community College prior to his time at McNeese. There, he was an All-ACCAC first teamer, as well as an NJCAA All-Academic First Team member.
Nachtsheim now joins a Giants organization who has minor league affiliates mostly on the west coast, with the one exception being the Double-A team in Richmond, Virginia.