Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

Stetson Nelson was a competitor. Perhaps no other word perfectly embodies the Leesburg, Florida native than that. Nelson came to Embry-Riddle in the fall of 2012 with three years of eligibility remaining. He left as one of the most decorated pitchers in program history.
 
The left-hander ate up innings and always gave the Eagles a chance to win, earning 28 victories for the Blue and Gold. Nelson registered 11 complete games and five shutouts with a 1.97 career ERA and 278 strikeouts. His 361.2 innings ranked second all-time in program history at the time of his induction, despite only pitching three seasons with ERAU.
 
Nelson was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2013, and a member of the 2015 NAIA World Series All-Tournament Team. One of only four Eagles to be a three-time All-Conference selection, earning first team honors each season, Nelson was also a two-time Sun Conference All-Tournament Team honoree as well as a five-time Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week.
 
Perhaps the best example of Nelson's impact for ERAU was his dominance in the postseason. Nelson pitched an entire season's worth of innings in the playoffs, throwing 91.2 frames, allowing just 22 earned runs for a 2.15 ERA. As a senior, Nelson threw 41 innings, holding his opponents to just 13 hits and four earned runs as the Blue and Gold went 5-0 in his five postseason starts.
 
Nelson also recorded the fifth no-hitter in program history against NCAA II Stillman on February 22, 2014.
 
Nelson led the Eagles to two Sun Conference regular season titles (2013, 2014), two Sun Conference Tournament crowns (2013, 2015), and two trips to the NAIA World Series (2013, 2015) where they finished in the national semifinals both times.
 
Academically, Nelson excelled in the classroom, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in both 2014 and 2015, as well as becoming a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and two-time Academic All-Sun Conference awardee. He graduated Cum Laude in the fall of 2016 with a 3.639 GPA and a degree in Homeland Security.
 
"Very few players that walk through our doors impact the program the way Stetson did, and even fewer impact the program and the school the way Stetson did. When you think of greatness in the sport of baseball, the first thing that comes to mind is the ability for one player to lift all his teammates up in a game they need to win and carry them to victory. That is the definition of Stetson Nelson."
- Randy Stegall
Head Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-present)
 
"Stetson embodies everything our department preaches: Student. Person. Player. His grit and determination made him what he was at Embry-Riddle. Stetson was a true leader on and off the field, leading by example, and was an extension of our coaching staff on the diamond."
- Chuck Stegall
Assistant Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-present)
 
"Stetson became a program-changing player. He set the bar for what it meant to be a student, a person, and a player. His competitive fire was shown in all three areas. He is one of the best pure pitchers and competitors I have ever had the pleasure to coach."
- Dave Therneau
Associate Head Coach, Stetson Baseball (2016-present)
Pitching Coach, Embry-Riddle Baseball (2008-15)
 
"I've had the privilege to know Stetson my entire life. In everything he has done in his life, he has been a true leader, someone was and is always looking up to him as a leader. When he toed the rubber as an Eagle, we knew we had the upper hand that day. He was always trying to make himself better, both on and off the field."
- Jake Cavender
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2014-15)
 
"Stetson was an absolute bulldog on the mound and one of the fiercest competitors you will ever meet. He was extremely influential in making me feel like I was part of the baseball program from day one. Stetson treated everyone he encountered with the utmost respect. He was a true model of the Student, Person, Player philosophy that Embry-Riddle Athletics strives to achieve."
- Ryan Maxon
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2014-17)
 
"I have never met someone with so much humility. His humility is no mistake, neither is his confidence. Stetson does not have loud confidence, he does not have fake confidence, he has hard earned confidence. If you need a crash course on passion, press play on any game that Stetson pitched."
- Tyler Cyr
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2014-15)