By Rick Assad
Sometimes while getting to their appointed destination, the person takes a detour.
For Gunnar Nichols, his trek from Pepperdine University in Malibu to the University of Washington in Seattle included an obstacle.
Still, that’s fine with the junior right-handed pitcher who was the ace on a deep and talented staff at Burroughs High that captured its first and only CIF Southern Section championship in 2022.
“Pepperdine was a great school to go to. I made friends and was able to grow as a person. Work in the classroom was extremely challenging and was a massive step up from high school,” explained Nichols. “I also gained a lot of knowledge about college baseball and what I need to do better as a player.”
For Nichols, who was on the hill and tossed a 1-0 complete-game shutout of Moreno Valley when the Bears claimed their title, it’s about growing as a player and as a person.
“At the end of our season, we were told by Pepperdine administration that we were getting a new head coach. I entered the transfer portal to keep my options open during the transition period and with the intention to return back to Pepperdine,” he said. “When the opportunity of the University of Washington arose, it seemed too good to pass up. They have a globally ranked medical school, which is where I would like to go someday, and a baseball team that was starting from scratch.”
The jump from high school to college can be challenging, even for the very talented.
“There really is no transition. You are dropped in the middle of the ocean and have to learn to swim to safety,” Nichols explained. “It probably took me a full year to settle in, but that doesn’t mean I have completely gotten comfortable. There is always something that goes wrong, so staying a little uncomfortable keeps you on your toes to deal with day to day changes.”
Nichols, who is 6-foot-4, and 200 pounds, talked about the differences between the two levels.
“The amount of travel and workload balance is the biggest difference between high school and college,” he noted. “I went from doing homework a couple hours a week in high school to a full-time job in college. If you include baseball, it’s like you are working two full-time jobs at the same time.”
Nichols’ role in high school was to be a starting pitcher, but it changed in college for the Waves.
“At Pepperdine I became the leverage long relief and spot starter guy,” he said. “Whenever we were winning, I was put in to keep us in the lead and get the win. This brought along challenges for me that I had never experienced in high school.”
Nichols added: “As a starter I had a schedule that I could follow, but as a relief pitcher, I had to be ready to go every day,” he said. “Because of that, the success I found in high school did not immediately transfer over. So, while I continue to work my way into a starting role, I will continue to experiment with different things to best adjust to whatever my role might be.”
Having played baseball since the age of five, Nichols knows his routine and staying on task has been helpful.
“My mindset going into my innings is “I’ve done this so many times before, just do your thing.” This helps me in jams because I’ve been in a lot of jams,” he said. “I don’t always get out of them, but I know that I have the ability to. That definitely helps on the mental side of things.”
Matt Magallon is the Burroughs coach and saw first-hand Nichols’ talent.
“What made him the pitcher he is has to be a credit to his father who played baseball at a high level. Having someone to talk to and knows the struggles and successes that pitchers go through is great to have,” he pointed out. “He was someone that possessed great poise. All credit for him as a pitcher goes to his hard work and family. We at Burroughs were able to be part of his journey and excited for him and his future in this game.”
Because baseball can be a grind and very much mental, not shying away and taking on the challenges are what makes the game so rewarding for Nichols.
“Baseball is a game of opportunities. You have to take your shot when you get the chance,” he said. “If you mess up, you get another chance the next day or next week.”
Two figures have been there for Nichols and without them, it seemingly wouldn’t be the same.
“I would say both parents have been at my side through my three-year journey. My dad (Brian) takes care of baseball, and my mom (Katie) helps with the school side. I know it’s always the go to answer to say my parents have been there the whole time, but it’s true,” he stated. “They have been there for me whenever I need it, whether it’s after a bad outing or during a long night of studying. I can’t thank them both enough.”
Nichols’ father signed with the New York Mets as a pitcher in 1999, and has been there every step of his son’s baseball career.
“He recently turned 21, which means he’s been playing for 16 years. At this point he does a really great job of figuring things out on his own,” he said. “My role now is more about being supportive after outings and being someone he can bounce ideas off of in terms of how to approach certain types of training.”
Nichols referenced a recent outing that his son had.
“He pitched well in front of 5,000 people the other night against the No. 4 ranked college team in the nation,” he offered. “So I find myself asking him more about the experience than giving him advice, which as a parent is a lot of fun.”
Wanting to play baseball after high school is something many have done but few continue at the Division I level.
“College is better than what I thought it would be. It was the first time I ever had pure responsibility over my life and it helped me grow as a person,” Nichols said. “I’ve learned a lot over my first two years of college and hope to learn even more over the next two years. I’ve made memories that will last a lifetime.”
In the end, it’s always about baseball.
“Everything in my life centers around baseball,” Nichols said. “It’s still something I want to do every day, so I would say it does still hold a special place for me now and hopefully into the future.”
