2024 NewsTribune Baseball Player of the Year: St. Bede’s Nathan Husser

After his junior year, St. Bede’s Nathan Husser set goals for himself to improve as a senior and earn an opportunity to play college baseball.

So he went to work.

Husser played summer baseball last year to get more live repetitions and spent time at the old high school field in Hennepin with his father throwing him batting practice from 30 feet away to work on his hitting.

And he added muscle.

Husser ate five or six meals daily while lifting hard two hours a day.

“I just got a ton stronger,” Husser said. “I spent my time in the weight room as well as doing everything baseball wise.”

The work paid dividends.

Husser finished top four in the area in every offensive category except steals.

He led the area in RBIs (36), ranked second in the area in batting average (.454) and doubles (12), tied for second in the area in home runs (4) and triples (3) and was fourth in runs scored (28).

Husser’s offensive prowess helped the Bruins to 21 wins, a regional championship and a sectional final appearance while he was unanimously selected to the All-Tri-County Conference team.

“I think all the hard work I put in during the offseason after my junior year and during my senior year gave me an edge over everybody else.”

—  Nathan Husser, St. Bede

For all he accomplished this season, Husser is named the 2024 NewsTribune Baseball Player of the Year. He is the first St. Bede player to claim the honor since Jarret Olson in 2015.

“I think all the hard work I put in during the offseason after my junior year and during my senior year gave me an edge over everybody else,” Husser said.

St. Bede coach Bill Booker said there was a noticable difference in the ball coming off Husser’s bat this season.

“He paid his dues in the weight room, put on weight, worked real hard with plyos. He’s a multi-sport athlete and he still did that,” Booker said. “His power numbers and hitting numbers really increased from last year, and I think that was a big part of it.

“You could see the velo off the bat was better. We encourage the kids to get into the weight room in every sport. Nathan has always been a good mechanics kid, a good fundamentals kid and he just increased with his good work ethic.”

Husser’s extra work and lifting regiment didn’t just help him improve, but also helped the Bruins improved as he helped teammates in those areas as well.

Husser said he and classmate Ryan Slingsby lifted together and “pushed each other throughout our four years,” and hit in the shed at St. Bede together for hours. Luke Tunnell also lifted with Husser and Slingsby.

Husser said he also had conversations with many teammates, including Carson Riva, Gus Burr and Geno Dinges on lifting and diet.

“It obviously feels nice seeing all the work I’ve put in pay off, but it’s also nice to see a lot of my teammates this year succeed kind of because of the effort I put in,” Husser said. “I gained all this weight and got stronger, so I had some or my teammates ask me how I did it, what I was eating, how I was lifting. I put some of the guys from the team on what I was doing and I saw them get stronger, have a little more pop in the bat and get a little quicker.”

Husser also helped the team by playing different positions. While he remained primarily a catcher, he also logged time at third base, threw some innings on the mound when Alex Ankiewicz was injured and even saw some time in left field.

“I remember specifically the conversation, he said to coach [Jim] Eustuce, ‘Whatever the team needs me to do to be successful, I will,’ ” Booker said. “That’s a good teammate right there.”

Husser played a key role in the Bruins’ success in the postseason as he was 5 for 14 with a double, four RBIs and three runs scored, including 5 for 11 with a double, four RBIs and two runs in the three games after St. Bede’s 15-0, four inning win over Princeville in the regional semifinal.

“He really got hot,” Booker said. “He hit the ball hard. We had a few kids really hitting the ball hard during that time and we just fed off those guys. It seems like when one guy hits it becomes contagious. Him being a leader in that sense really helped us at tournament time.”

Along with improving as a player and helping the Bruins succeed, Husser accomplished his other goal of earning the chance to play in college.

He will play at the College of Lake County.

“I think he has great potential,” Booker said. “I think he’s going to get bigger, faster and stronger. He’s going to get some better coaching in college. The college game is tough. Him and I had conversations about this all year. I’m hoping with my experience I can help prepare him a little bit for it. In the college game, you have to be ready every day. You have to be consistent. You can’t let your emotions get the best of you, not that Nathan did that. You’ve got to be a good teammate and you have to do whatever you can to get on the field.

“I think when he gets to the next level, he’s going to be successful because he’s just a great kid.”

Husser said playing in college is a credit to his parents, Jon and Mary.

“It’s awesome to be able to say that I get to keep playing,” Husser said. “It’s obviously an honor. My parents have always supported my decisions and whatever I wanted to do was always their No. 1 priority. Me putting in as much work as I have into this sport and seeing it pay off and hopefully translate to the collegiate level is almost my thanks to them for everything they’ve done for me and everything they’ve given me the privilege to do throughout me growing up.”