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This week, former Pike Lib baseball star Drew Nelson announced that he would be transferring from Auburn University back home to Troy University.

Nelson, a Troy native, led Pike Lib to back-to-back AISA State Championships in baseball and as a senior earned The Messenger’s Athlete of the Year, the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, All-State, Super All-State, AISA Player of the Year and AISA Pitcher of the Year.

As a senior, he boasted a 1.00 ERA with 106 strikeouts, giving up just 18 total hits in 49 innings pitched

in 2022. On the offensive end, Nelson earned a .463 batting average with six home runs, seven doubles, eight triples and a .895 slugging percentage. He earned All-Tournament honors for his play during the AISA State Playoffs, as well.

Nelson went on to start his college career at Auburn. As a freshman, Nelson earned a 3-3 record on the mound with a 6.34 ERA and 32 strikeouts. Nelson made three game appearances as a sophomore in 2024 and earned four strikeouts with no runs given up.

“It was a tough decision for me and my family,” Nelson said of deciding to transfer. “I was on the fence about entering the (transfer) portal the whole summer but through some prayer with my family, I felt like this was the right decision for me.”

Earlier this summer, Nelson’s former Pike Lib teammate Cason Eubanks also announced his intention to transfer to Troy from Wallace Community College after starting his career at Georgia Southern.

“I talked to him a good bit about it,” Nelson said of Eubanks. “We’re still really close and we talked a lot. We’re ready to be teammates again and playing together again.”

Nelson said coming back home has already felt great to him.

“I already feel right back at home, no pun intended,” he said. “It feels really good. The support I’ve received from the community has been so great.”

Troy head coach Skylar Meade is widely known among college baseball as one of the top developers of pitchers in the country. That fact was certainly not lost on Nelson and his decision to come home.

“He’s one of the biggest reasons I’m coming back home, honestly,” Nelson emphasized. “I believe in what he can do for me and what’s already built with the program. I just see myself playing a big role in the future in helping us bring home a championship. I know he’s going to be right there helping me develop as a pitcher.”

Nelson is now setting his sights on his future as a Trojan, already setting goals for himself.

“I just want to win, that’s the biggest thing,” he emphatically said. “I want to help us bring home a Sun Belt Championship and make a run in the postseason. I also want to be a great teammate and grow as a leader.”