Luna coach on lookout for players
‘There are definitely kids out there,’ says Nusser
New Luna Community College baseball coach T.C. Nusser could almost put out a help wanted sign: Needed, New Mexico baseball players willing to play college ball.
Nusser, who was recently hired to take over the Rough Riders program in Las Vegas after a tough 12-44 season, has only a handful of returning players.
“I’m just busy trying to keep my head above water,” said Nusser, 32, who is taking on his first head coaching gig at any level.
A Portales High School and Eastern New Mexico University graduate, Nusser was an assistant coach for the Rams, as well as at Clovis and Centennial high schools, before ending up at Luna.
“That’s rare, but I’m excited,” he said of the move from high school assistant to junior college head coach. “Coaching college was always one of my goals, to coach at the college level. The opportunity came at this time, so I just jumped on it.”
And the first order of business is to fill the roster.
“Obviously, it’s going to be recruiting,” Nusser said of his immediate priority. “You can’t be successful if you can’t recruit the right kids. I truly believe I can recruit New Mexico kids and be successful.”
And that hunt is on full force as Nusser taps his high school coaching from across the state to find recently graduated players who have not committed to play elsewhere.
“It’s late now,” he said. “It’s going to be a rebuilding year. We only have six or seven kids coming back from last year, the rest will be incoming freshman. It’s just so late trying to recruit those kids. There are still a lot that got away.”
Still, Nusser remains optimistic that he can put a representative squad on the field come the spring.
“I’ve gotten to know tons of high school coaches around the state and they’re all willing to help get it going with the New Mexico kids,” he said. “There are too many kids are going out of state that should be coming to a New Mexico junior college.”
Nusser has already had a few success stories and is looking to keep it going.
“I’ve found a few already,” he said. “I’m still out there. I’ve got a couple of visits coming up. There are definitely kids out there. We’re out there trying to look for them. Been in Vegas for three weeks now and I’ve probably only been there for four or five days.”
He knows what he’s seeking in players and it goes deeper than just ability.
“I want kids that love to play the game,” Nusser said. “We’re going to control the things we can control; our attitude and effort. We’re going to play hard and have fun while doing so. We can’t control if an umpire makes a bad call, but we can control how we react to it.”
Once he gets the players on campus, Nusser said he has a pretty simple plan for success.
“I really think it’s about relationships with the players,” he said. “Building relationships with the kids. We’re not just here for baseball, we’re here because I care about them. I want to help them become great men and not just be a great baseball player.”
And for potential players, Nusser also has a lure that just might be enough to attract somebody.
“My approach is you can go to a junior college and play right away,” he said. “Not many freshmen go to a DI or a DII and play right away. You may open up your door to more schools if you play at a Juco and produce. If you produce, obviously other colleges are going to see you, and you’ll get more exposure and more opportunities.”